KR101959660B1 - Plasma and ion generating device - Google Patents

Abstract

A plasma and anion generator according to the present invention includes a plasma generating portion and an ion generating portion. The plasma generating portion includes a plasma voltage electrode, and a plasma ground electrode facing the plasma voltage electrode. The distance between the voltage electrode and the ground electrode at a plasma discharge port is 1.5 to 3 times the shortest distance between the voltage electrode and the ground electrode. The ion generating portion is spaced from the plasma generating portion by a range of 1.2 to 3.5 times the shortest distance between the plasma voltage electrode and the plasma ground electrode. The present invention can remove odors and chemical components as well as various microorganisms in the indoor air.

Description

[0001] Plasma and ion generating device [0002]

The present invention relates to an apparatus for generating plasma and anion for deodorization and sterilization under atmospheric pressure. In particular, the present invention relates to a method and apparatus for generating a reactive active material by ion and atmospheric pressure plasma, including an ion generating unit and a plasma generating unit to sterilize or sterilize various fungi generated from companion animals, Plasma and anion generating apparatus.

More specifically, the present invention relates to a method for removing various odors, companion animal fleas, and parasitic infections caused by raising various kinds of companion animals raised in the home, both inside and outside the house where the companion animals reside Plasma and anion generating apparatus.

As the income level increases, the family society centering on the sub-division, and the modern society where the rice paddies become popular, the number of the companion animals sharply increases, and the market related to the companion animal increases rapidly, and numerous products for companion animals are sold, In fact, there are still a lot of houses in which companion animals live.

In particular, there is little interest in how animals control the various odors that occur for their more familiar activities with humans and the various bacteria that are parasitic in these fur.

For example, Korean Patent No. 10-1628187 discloses a multifunctional fan module that connects with a companion's house or a mobile carrier to suck the hair or foreign matter of a companion animal in a house or a carrier and filter the same. This patent simply provides the ability to easily remove foreign substances or fur from the skin.

Korean Patent No. 10-1579159 discloses a plasma sterilizing brush for a pet. It is described that the plasma generated from a plasma brush is used to combat the hair of a pet to prevent the skin disease of a pet from being improved. However, the above-mentioned patent discloses that radicals and ozone are generated and sterilized from surrounding oxygen by using a dielectric discharge (DBD: Dielectric Barrier Discharge) using a pulse power source of 100 Hz. However, And the atmospheric pressure arc plasma using a high voltage of several kV is also difficult to apply.

The radicals and ozone generated in the patent must be very important. According to the International Labor Organization, the ozone concentration standard for human body is 0.05 ppm / hr.

Accordingly, it is very important that the air cleaner is controlled so that the concentration of highly reactive oxygen radicals occurs below the reference value.

In the case of using atmospheric plasma, a DBD (dielectric barrier discharge) technique is most widely used. Specifically, when a dielectric material is inserted between the high-frequency high-voltage electrode and the ground electrode, and an alternating voltage is applied to the high-frequency high-voltage electrode, the gas supplied for plasma formation is dissociated and electrolyzed in the electric field region between the two electrodes. Through this, the feed gas is ionized to generate a stable plasma. The plasma thus formed is composed of not only ions and electrons but also high-density activating radicals (reactive species). Since these reactive species are highly reactive, they easily react with other molecules, thus cleaning, sterilizing, It is useful for processes such as skin treatment.

If a dielectric barrier is used, the flow of current through the dielectric is not possible in the case of DC power, so the plasma is generated using the high frequency AC power. To ensure stable plasma generation, the gap between the high frequency high voltage electrode and the ground electrode is limited and the reaction gas flows between the two electrodes. The dielectric barrier discharge is sometimes referred to as silent discharge because there is no localized wave or noise that causes noise. The discharge is initiated by a sine function or a pulsed power supply.

The DBD technology and the glow discharge generated by the high frequency power source are widely used for sterilization of air, removal of pollutants and treatment of human diseases. In particular, various plasma devices using plasma for air purification are already known, but generally utilize the sterilization effect by ozone, which greatly increases the sterilizing effect of air or completely removes contaminants. The reason is that in order to increase the germicidal effect, the amount of ozone generation must increase, because the ozone amount allowed by the human body in the international regulation is 0.03 ppm per unit time. In fact, if the amount of ozone is 0.03 ppm or more, it can cause serious damage to the bronchial system of the human body.

Korean Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2004-0035092 discloses a plasma air cleaner including a discharge electrode 300 'and a dust collecting electrode 310' as shown in FIG. The plasma air purifier supplies air containing fine particles and dust to a low temperature plasma reactor composed of a discharge electrode 300 'and a dust collecting electrode 310' through a front filter 200 'and a blower 500' The discharge of ozone is prevented by the dielectric barrier corona discharge generated in the plasma reactor and the fine dust can be removed.

However, the plasma air purifier is indirectly cleaned by indirectly purifying the air in the air by negatively charging the air in the air and collecting it with the dust collecting electrode 310 ', and the air cleaning effect is low. Further, it is disclosed in the above patent that the release of ozone having a sterilization or sterilization function is actually prevented, and the sterilizing effect is remarkably lowered.

The plasma cluster ion technology of Sharp Corporation in Japan generates surface plasma between high-voltage electrodes arranged at regular intervals on the surface, and the water molecules contained in the air are decomposed into hydroxyl groups by the high voltage applied to the electrodes , And the bacteria in the air are sterilized by the decomposed hydroxyl groups.

However, the regulation of the International Labor Organization (ILO), which should not be exposed to more than 0.5 ppm per hour as a fungicide with a very high oxidative power next to fluorine (F), chlorine (Cl) and ozone (O3) And only 10% to 15% of the introduced air reacts with the plasma clusters of the surface electrodes, so that the air must be circulated repeatedly.

The product 'OzonyAir' in the United States adopts a method of sterilizing the bacteria in the inflow air passing through the surface electrode by ozone generated by applying a high frequency high voltage to the ozone generating surface electrode. However, as described above, there is a restriction that ozone should not be exposed to 0.03 ppm or more per hour, and thus there is a limit to increase the sterilizing effect.

The present invention relates to an atmospheric-pressure plasma generating unit that effectively removes various kinds of smells generated in the home, various kinds of smells occurring in the home, various fungi in the companion animal fur, and parasitic organisms used in the products, and an odor generated from these companion animals And removing the bacteria and odors by integrally mounting the negative ion generating part for removing the negative ions.

The present invention relates to a plasma apparatus and an anion generator which are harmless to a human body and have no ozone generation at all using an atmospheric pressure bulk plasma and are effective for air sterilization or sterilization and effective for removing contaminants, And an object of the present invention is to provide a generator.

According to an aspect of the present invention, there is provided an apparatus for generating plasma and anion according to an embodiment of the present invention includes: a plasma generator; And an ion generating part 20, wherein the plasma generating part 10 includes a plasma voltage electrode 12, a plasma ground electrode 13 opposed to the plasma voltage electrode, and a plasma voltage electrode at a plasma discharge port The distance between the plasma ground electrodes is 1.5 to 3 times the shortest distance between the plasma voltage electrode and the plasma ground electrode of the plasma generating portion and the ion generating portion is spaced from 1.2 to 3.5 times the shortest distance between the plasma voltage electrode and the plasma ground electrode .

The ion generating electrode unit includes a dielectric, an ion generating voltage electrode disposed on one surface of the dielectric, and an ion generating ground electrode disposed on the other surface of the dielectric. .

The dielectric, the ion generating voltage electrode, and the ion generating ground electrode have a U-shaped groove.

The dielectric has a larger area than the ion generating voltage electrode and the ion generating ground electrode.

The plasma voltage electrode and the plasma ground electrode have an arc-shaped radius of curvature.

The plasma voltage electrode and the plasma ground electrode have different radii of curvature depending on the position from the air inlet toward the plasma discharge port.

The plasma voltage electrode and the plasma ground electrode have a smaller radius of curvature toward the plasma discharge port from the air inlet.

The radius of curvature r of the plasma voltage electrode and the plasma ground electrode gradually decreases from two to 0.3 times the shortest distance between the plasma voltage electrode and the plasma ground electrode from the air inlet to the plasma discharge port.

The position of the shortest distance between the plasma voltage electrode and the ground electrode is localized closer to the plasma discharge port than the plasma voltage electrode or the center of the plasma ground electrode.

The plasma generating portion is located on the same air flow path as the ion generating portion.

The plasma generating portion is located on the air flow path parallel to the air flow path of the ion generating portion.

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The shortest distance between the plasma voltage electrode and the plasma ground electrode is 0.5 to 3 of the radius of curvature of at least one of the voltage electrode and the ground electrode.

The apparatus for generating plasma and anion according to the present invention further includes a housing for accommodating a plasma generating part and an ion generating part and providing an air flow path.

The apparatus for generating plasma and anion according to the present invention may further include a foreign matter removing filter mounted on at least one end of a blowing fan, an air inlet and an air outlet disposed adjacent to the air inlet, a timer switch for controlling power supply of the AC power source and DC power source .

According to the present invention, it is possible to remove odors and chemical components of indoor air and remove various microorganisms remaining in the indoor air.

According to the present invention, the arc discharge generated between the electrodes can be generated from the anion electrode having the shape and structure having a very long service life and the reaction active species generated from the atmospheric pressure plasma generated by the transition to the glow discharge having the wide bandwidth The odor, the chemical component, and various microorganisms remaining in the room can be efficiently removed by the negative ions.

1 is an exploded perspective view showing a plasma air purifier according to the prior art.
2 is a schematic configuration diagram of a plasma and anion generator according to an embodiment of the present invention.
3 is a schematic configuration diagram of a plasma generator according to an embodiment of the present invention.
4 and 5 are photographs of the atmospheric-pressure bulk plasma P generated in the plasma generating unit according to the embodiment of the present invention, taken on the side and front.
6A is a view showing electric lines of force formed between two conductors w1 and w2 when a high voltage is applied to two conductors w1 and w2.
6B is a view schematically showing a discharge pattern according to the shape of two opposing electrodes.
FIG. 7 is a schematic cross-sectional view of an electrode structure of a plasma generating portion according to an embodiment of the present invention.
Fig.
8 is a graph showing an electrode distance according to a discharge voltage.
9 is a view schematically illustrating a plasma generated by a plasma discharge according to a flow rate of a plasma generator according to an embodiment of the present invention.
10 is a schematic view illustrating a plasma generated by a plasma discharge according to a flow rate of a plasma generator according to another embodiment of the present invention.
11 is a current-voltage graph of glow discharge and arc discharge in vacuum direct current discharge.
12 is a graph showing a discharge distance according to a discharge voltage and a flow rate.
13 is a graph showing the flow rate at the maximum discharge distance according to the discharge voltage.
14 is a graph showing the maximum discharge distance according to the frequency.
15 is a graph showing discharge distances according to discharge voltage, frequency, and flow rate.
16 is a view showing an electrode structure of a general ion generating portion.
17 is a cross-sectional view illustrating an ion generating portion according to an embodiment of the present invention.
18 is a perspective view showing an ion generating electrode unit according to an embodiment of the present invention.
19 is a cross-sectional view of the ion generating electrode unit taken along the line A-A 'in Fig.
20 is a photograph showing an amount of generated negative ions and an amount of generated ozone in the ion generating part according to an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 21 is a graph showing the results of a three-minute treatment of a Petri dish having E. coli bacteria with a plasma and anion generator according to an embodiment of the present invention, This is a photograph showing the result of culturing the specimen (b) for 24 hours.
22 is a graph showing the concentration of formaldehyde according to the operation time when the apparatus for generating plasma and anion according to an embodiment of the present invention is operated.
23 is a graph showing the concentration of ammonia according to the operation time when the apparatus for generating plasma and anion according to an embodiment of the present invention is operated.
FIG. 24 is a photograph of a result of an experiment for removing cigarette smoke and smell using a plasma and anion generator according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG.

Hereinafter, some embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. It should be noted that, in the drawings, like reference numerals are used to denote like elements in the drawings, even if they are shown in different drawings. In the following description of the present invention, detailed description of known functions and configurations incorporated herein will be omitted when it may make the subject matter of the present disclosure rather unclear.

It will be understood that the method of operation shown in the present invention has various embodiments as described below and can be implemented in a modified form without departing from the essential characteristics of the description. The methods disclosed below are therefore to be considered in an illustrative rather than a restrictive sense. It is intended that the present invention cover the modifications and variations of this invention provided they come within the scope of the appended claims and their equivalents.

Hereinafter, an apparatus for generating plasma and anion according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

2 is a schematic configuration diagram of a plasma and anion generator according to an embodiment of the present invention.

3 is a schematic configuration diagram of a plasma generator according to an embodiment of the present invention.

2 and 3, the apparatus for generating plasma and anion according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a plasma generating unit 10 and an ion generating unit 20 disposed apart from the plasma generating unit 10 . The plasma generating part 10 has an air flow path which is parallel to the ion generating part 20 and which has parallel axes and which are parallel to each other. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the plasma generating unit 10 may have a structure in which the plasma generating unit 10 has the same central axis as the ion generating unit 20, .

The plasma and anion generator according to an embodiment of the present invention includes an AC power source 11, a DC power source 21, a plasma voltage electrode 12 connected to the AC power source 11, And an ion generating electrode unit 22 spaced apart from the plasma ground electrode 13 and connected to the direct current power source 21. The ion generating electrode unit 22 includes a pair of opposing plasma ground electrodes 13, The apparatus for generating plasma and anion according to an embodiment of the present invention further includes a housing 30 for accommodating the plasma generating section 10 and the ion generating section 20. That is, an apparatus for generating plasma and anion according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a housing for accommodating a plasma voltage electrode 12, a plasma ground electrode 13, and an ion generating electrode unit 22 and providing an air flow path (30). At this time, the housing 30 has an inlet 31 through which air flows and a discharge port 32 through which the introduced air passes through the air passage.

The apparatus for generating plasma and anion according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a blowing fan 40, an inlet 31 and an outlet 32 disposed adjacent to the inlet 31, A timer switch 60 for controlling the supply of power to the AC power source 11, the DC power source 21, and a power supply unit 70 for supplying power to the AC power source and the DC power source.

A plasma discharge is generated between the plasma voltage electrode 12 and the plasma ground electrode 13 when electric power is applied to the plasma voltage electrode 12 through the AC power supply 11 in an atmospheric pressure state. In the plasma discharge, an atmospheric pressure bulk plasma P is formed in a direction in which the air introduced by the discharge port 32 of the housing 30, that is, the air blowing fan 40 flows.

The plasma generating section 10 according to the embodiment of the present invention differs from the apparatus (for example, the negative ion generator) having a generally complicated metal counter electrode in that the plasma voltage electrode 12 in an arc or round form, And an electrode (13). Further, unlike the case where a device using DBD technology and having a relatively small electrode interval (for example, an ozone generator) generates plasma only on the surface, the plasma generating portion 10 according to the embodiment of the present invention is relatively Thereby generating a bulky bulk plasma.

It is preferable that the electric power applied to the plasma voltage electrode 12 is AC power of a high frequency and a high voltage. For this purpose, the AC power source 11 may include an inverter. However, the embodiment of the present invention is not limited thereto.

3, the air introduced into the air cleaner 100 along the direction of the arrow flows into the plasma generating portion 10 through the blowing fan 40 and the inlet 31. The introduced air moves through the air passage, and can be sterilized or sterilized by the atmospheric-pressure bulk plasma (P), and the contaminants and odors in the introduced air can be removed.

In detail, the various microorganisms present in the air are sterilized or sterilized by the instantaneous high-temperature atmospheric-pressure bulk plasma (P), and the contaminants, odors and volatile chemical components remaining in the inflow air are also supplied to the atmospheric- (P). ≪ / RTI >

It is preferable that the plasma generating part 10 of the plasma and anion generating device 100 according to the present invention does not apply electric or thermal stimulation or shock to the human body, that is, the user. The plasma voltage electrode 12 and the plasma ground electrode 13 according to an embodiment of the present invention are not in direct contact with the user by being positioned apart from the generation position of the atmospheric-pressure bulk plasma P, Do not apply heat or shock.

The plasma generating unit according to an embodiment of the present invention generates plasma at an average temperature of 30 to 38 degrees and generates plasma by using only air, unlike a corona discharge or a dielectric barrier discharge using a reaction gas such as argon, helium, Arc transition Glow discharge.

4 and 5 are photographs of the atmospheric-pressure bulk plasma P generated in the plasma generating unit according to the embodiment of the present invention, taken on the side and front.

For example, as shown in FIG. 4, the discharge length of the atmospheric-pressure bulk plasma P according to an embodiment of the present invention may be about 45 mm. Further, as shown in Fig. 5, the height H of the atmospheric-pressure bulk plasma P may be about 7 mm and the width W may be about 37 mm.

6A and 6B, the shape and discharge relationship of the opposing two electrodes will be described below.

FIG. 6A shows an electric line of force formed between two conductors w1 and w2 when a high voltage is applied to two conductors w1 and w2, and FIG. 6B is a view schematically showing a discharge pattern according to the shape of two opposing electrodes to be.

As shown in Fig. 6A, the density of the electric lines of force in the conductor w1 with a large radius of curvature r1 is smaller than the density of electric lines in the conductor w2 with a relatively small radius of curvature r2. This means that the electric field intensity is small, and the probability of occurrence of discharge is low if the electric field intensity is small. In other words, in the conductor w2 having a relatively small radius of curvature r2, the probability of discharge is higher than in the conductor w1 having a relatively large radius of curvature r1.

For example, when the curvature radii r1 and r2 of the two conductors w1 and w2 are very small pin-shaped electrodes, the electric field intensity at the tip portion becomes very large, so that discharge easily occurs. On the other hand, in the case where the curvature radii r1 and r2 of the two wires w1 and w2 are planar electrodes having an infinite length, the electric field intensity becomes very small and discharge does not easily occur.

As shown in Fig. 6B, when the gap G between the opposing electrodes is the same, the discharge mode and the mode depend on the shape (radius of curvature) of each electrode.

For example, the opposite electrode Ea1 or Eb1 may be a pin-shaped electrode having a very small radius of curvature, or one of the two electrodes Ea2 and Eb2 facing each other may be a circular electrode having a relatively small radius of curvature And the other electrode Eb2 is a flat plate electrode having an infinite radius of curvature, the electric field intensity at the tip of the electrode with a small radius of curvature becomes large, so that discharge easily occurs. At this time, when the opposing two electrodes Ea1 and Eb1 are each a pin-shaped electrode, discharging occurs more easily than when the opposing two electrodes Ea2 and Eb2 are circular and flat electrode, respectively. On the other hand, when the opposing two electrodes Ea3 and Eb3 are flat electrodes each having a radius of curvature infinite, the electric field intensity becomes very small, and discharge does not easily occur.

In general, when the electrode is machined, there is a limit in processing the radius of curvature to infinite or infinite. When the opposing two electrodes are fabricated to have a predetermined radius of curvature, the electric field intensity (voltage per unit distance) is obtained through the correlation between the radius of curvature and the electric charge amount. If the electric field strength value obtained is larger than the dielectric constant of the medium, Discharge occurs. When the dielectric constant is smaller than the dielectric coefficient, discharge does not occur.

That is, when the high voltage applied to the electrode is constant, the electric field strength of the electrode having a relatively large radius of curvature is smaller than the dielectric constant of the medium, so that the electric field strength of the electrode having a relatively small radius of curvature, The discharge can easily occur. This condition does not hold in the vacuum state but only in the atmospheric pressure state.

Accordingly, the plasma voltage electrode 12 and the plasma ground electrode 13 according to the embodiment of the present invention each have a constant radius of curvature.

The plasma voltage electrode 12 and the plasma ground electrode 13 according to an embodiment of the present invention may be in the form of an arc having a constant radius of curvature but are not limited thereto and may have a large radius of curvature at the air inlet and a small radius of curvature at the plasma outlet You can have a radius. In contrast, the plasma voltage electrode 12 and the plasma ground electrode 13 according to an embodiment of the present invention may have a small radius of curvature at the air inlet and a large radius of curvature at the plasma outlet.

At this time, the shape of the plasma voltage electrode 12 and the plasma ground electrode 13 is determined by the interval between the plasma voltage electrode 12 and the plasma ground electrode 13 within a range for generating the atmospheric-pressure bulk plasma P, The flow rate and the frequency of the injected air, and the like.

7 to 12 and Tables 1 to 5, the relationship between the distance between the plasma voltage electrode 12 and the plasma ground electrode 13, the magnitude of the applied high voltage, and the discharge pattern depending on the flow rate of the injected air . At this time, the frequency of the high voltage applied to the plasma voltage electrode 12 is the commercial frequency (60 Hz).

FIG. 7 is a schematic view illustrating a plasma discharge of the plasma generator 10 according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 8 is a graph illustrating an electrode distance according to a discharge voltage. At this time, it is assumed that there is no air flow.

7, when there is no air flow through the air flow path of the housing 30, that is, between the plasma voltage electrode 12 and the plasma ground electrode 13, the flow rate (the unit surface per unit time is Between the plasma voltage electrode 12 and the plasma ground electrode 13 at the shortest distance between opposed points Op1 and Op2, when a predetermined discharge voltage is applied to the plasma voltage electrode 12, An arc discharge p0 occurs.

For example, in the case where the shortest distance between the plasma voltage electrode 12 and the plasma ground electrode 13 is defined as the electrode distance d, the electrode distance d is a distance between the plasma voltage electrode 12 having a predetermined radius of curvature, And the distance between the two closest points (op1, op2) of the plasma ground electrode 13. [

The values of the electrode distance d according to the discharge voltage applied to the plasma voltage electrode 12 are shown in Table 1.

HV (kV) dm (mm) dmx (mm) 4.5 d0 = 2.0 d0x = 2.1 8.0 dl = 3.67 d1x = 3.8 11.3 d2 = 5.3 d2x = 5.4

In Table 1, HV denotes a discharge voltage applied to the plasma voltage electrode 12, dm denotes an electrode distance when a stable discharge occurs, and dmx denotes a maximum electrode distance at which discharge is sustained.

As shown in Table 1 and FIG. 8, as the discharge voltage HV applied to the plasma voltage electrode 12 increases as the air supplied to the housing 30 is absent, the electrode distance dm and the maximum electrode distance dmx) increases.

Specifically, when a discharge voltage (HV) of 4.5 kV is applied to the plasma voltage electrode 12, the electrode distance d0 when the stable discharge occurs is 2.0 mm, and the electrode distance d0 exceeds 2.1 mm The discharge disappears. When the discharge voltage HV of 8.0 kV is applied to the plasma voltage electrode 12, the electrode distance d1 when the stable discharge occurs is 3.67 mm. When the electrode distance d1 exceeds 3.8 mm, This will disappear. When the discharge voltage HV of 11.3 kV is applied to the plasma voltage electrode 12, the electrode distance d2 when the stable discharge is generated is 5.3 mm. When the electrode distance d2 exceeds 5.4 mm, This will disappear.

In other words, the maximum electrode distance d0x at which the discharge is maintained when the discharge voltage HV is 4.5 kV is 2.1 mm, the maximum electrode distance d1x when the discharge voltage HV is 8.0 kV is 3.8 mm, And the maximum electrode distance d2x when the voltage HV is 11.3 kV is 5.4 mm.

Therefore, in the absence of air flow, the initial discharge p0 occurs between the opposed points Op1 and Op2 between the plasma voltage electrode 12 and the plasma ground electrode 13, and the higher the discharge voltage HV, It is possible to increase the degree of freedom in designing the plasma voltage electrode 12, the plasma ground electrode 13, and the housing 30 because the distance d can be increased.

FIG. 9 is a schematic view illustrating a plasma generated by a discharge according to a flow rate of a plasma generator 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 10 is a schematic view of a plasma generator 10 according to another embodiment of the present invention 11 is a graph showing a current-voltage relationship between a glow discharge and an arc discharge in a vacuum direct current discharge, FIG. 12 is a graph showing a discharge distance according to a discharge voltage and a flow rate, FIG. 13 is a graph showing a discharge FIG. 3 is a graph showing a flow rate at a maximum discharge distance according to a voltage. FIG.

9, when air flows through the air flow path of the housing 30, the discharge profile generated between the plasma voltage electrode 12 and the plasma ground electrode 13 is a V-shaped Or U-shaped. At this time, as the flow rate of the air increases, that is, as the flow rate increases, the apex moves in the air flow direction. That is, as the air flow rate increases, the discharge distance increases.

Specifically, when there is no air flow, that is, between the plasma voltage electrode 12 and the plasma ground electrode 13, the initial discharge profile p0 is substantially linear, but when the flow rate is increased The discharge profiles p1 and p2 vary in a V-shape or a U-shape having vertices F1 and F2, and the vertexes F1 and F2 gradually move in the air flow direction.

For example, when the total length of the discharge profiles (p0, p1, p2) between the plasma voltage electrode 12 and the plasma ground electrode 13 is defined as the discharge distance D, the discharge distance D is substantially the same as the electrode distance d between the plasma voltage electrode 12 and the plasma ground electrode 13 and when air is introduced through the air flow path of the housing 30, ) And the plasma ground electrode 13 is equal to the sum of the lengths of both sides developed based on the vertexes F1 and F2. At this time, the discharge distance D of the profile p2 having a relatively large flow rate is larger than the discharge distance D of the profile p1 having a relatively small flow rate. This is because the filament-shaped discharge cell moves in the air flow direction with respect to the shortest distance tangent line between the two electrodes 12 and 13 as the flow rate of the introduced air increases.

Therefore, if the flow rate of the air flowing through the blowing fan 40 is increased while the discharge voltage HV is kept constant, the discharge distance D can be increased. However, if the flow rate is further increased, the discharge disappears from any point because the discharge distance D is greatly increased and the peak of the discharge profile is abruptly shifted, so that the potential difference capable of sustaining the discharge is not maintained.

As shown in Fig. 11, when the voltage exceeds the threshold Vth even at the very small current, the discharge is started. After that, the voltage decreases somewhat and the current increases, and a stable glow discharge (Gn) appears in the section where the voltage is stably maintained. Then, when the voltage is rapidly increased, an abnormal glow discharge (Ga) is generated. When the current continuously increases, the voltage is rapidly reduced and transitioned to the arc discharge interval Ac.

9, a region where an arc discharge occurs between the plasma voltage electrode 12 and the plasma ground electrode 13 is defined as a first region A1, and an atmospheric-pressure bulk plasma P The potential difference between the plasma voltage electrode 12 and the plasma ground electrode 13 is relatively large and the current flows unstably in the first region A1 when the region to be injected is defined as the second region A2, 10 arc discharge interval Ac. On the other hand, in the second region A2, the potential difference between the plasma voltage electrode 12 and the plasma ground electrode 13 decreases while leaving the first region A1, and the current abruptly drops in a state where a constant voltage is applied. Corresponds to the stable glow discharge interval Gn in FIG.

That is, in the plasma generating unit 10 according to the embodiment of the present invention, an arc discharge is generated in the first region A1, an atmospheric pressure bulk plasma P is generated in the second region A2, The atmospheric-pressure bulk plasma P is not generated because it is not influenced by the voltage when it goes out of the second region A2.

In order to generate a stable atmospheric-pressure bulk plasma P, the plasma voltage electrode 12 and the plasma ground electrode 13 each have a predetermined radius of curvature r and are arranged apart from each other by a predetermined distance. At this time, the radius of curvature r is based on the outer surface of each of the electrodes 12 and 13 on the cross section.

Specifically, as shown in Fig. 9, the shortest distance between the plasma voltage electrode 12 and the plasma ground electrode 13 is defined as a first distance d as well as an electrode distance, and a plasma voltage The second distance d 'may be 1.5 to 3 times the first distance d when the distance between the electrode 12 and the plasma ground electrode 13 is defined as a second distance d'.

Also, the first distance d may be 0.5 to 3 times the radius of curvature r. For example, when the first distance d is less than 0.5 times the curvature radius r by forming the relatively large curvature radius r of the plasma voltage electrode 12 and the plasma ground electrode 13, The electric field strength between the electrode 12 and the plasma ground electrode 13 becomes relatively small, and arc discharge does not easily occur. On the other hand, when the first distance d is larger than three times the curvature radius r by forming the plasma voltage electrode 12 and the plasma ground electrode 13 with a relatively small radius of curvature r, However, it is difficult to transfer the arc discharge to the glow discharge. That is, the first distance d between the plasma voltage electrode 12 and the plasma ground electrode 13 is set to be 0.5 to 3 times the radius of curvature r, so that a stable atmospheric-pressure bulk plasma P can be generated.

In particular, the first distance d according to an embodiment of the present invention may be twice the radius of curvature r. In other words, the sum of the curvature radius r of the plasma voltage electrode 12 and the radius of curvature r of the plasma ground electrode 13 may be substantially the same as the first distance d. The plasma voltage electrode 12 and the plasma ground electrode 13 according to an embodiment of the present invention are shown to have the same radius of curvature r but are not limited to the plasma voltage electrode 12 and the plasma ground electrode 13. [ Each of the electrodes 13 may have a different radius of curvature and any one of the plasma voltage electrode 12 and the plasma ground electrode 13 may be a plate electrode having an infinite radius of curvature.

The plasma voltage electrode 12 and the plasma ground electrode 13 according to another embodiment of the present invention may have different radii of curvature depending on the position from the air inlet toward the plasma discharge port.

Referring to FIG. 10, the plasma voltage electrode 12 and the plasma ground electrode 13 according to another embodiment of the present invention have a smaller radius of curvature toward the plasma discharge port from the air inlet. That is, the radius of curvature r of the plasma voltage electrode 12 and the plasma ground electrode 13 from the air inlet to the plasma discharge port is set to a first distance (the shortest distance between the plasma voltage electrode 12 and the plasma ground electrode 13) (d). The position of the first distance d which is the shortest distance between the plasma voltage electrode 12 and the plasma ground electrode 13 is set to be larger than the center of the plasma voltage electrode 12 or the plasma ground electrode 13 It is ubiquitous.

10, the plasma voltage electrode 12 and the plasma ground electrode 13 according to another embodiment of the present invention may have a larger radius of curvature from the air inlet to the plasma outlet and a smaller radius of curvature from the plasma outlet, have. . For example, the curvature radius r of the plasma voltage electrode 12 and the plasma ground electrode 13 from the air inlet toward the plasma discharge port is the shortest distance between the plasma voltage electrode 12 and the plasma ground electrode 13 Can be increased from 0.3 times to 10 times of the first distance (d), and then reduced to twice again at the plasma discharge port. The position of the first distance d that is the shortest distance between the plasma voltage electrode 12 and the plasma ground electrode 13 is set to be larger than the center of the plasma voltage electrode 12 or the plasma ground electrode 13 at the plasma air inlet Can be ubiquitous.

Since the arc discharge generated between the plasma voltage electrode 12 and the plasma ground electrode 13 occurs at various positions depending on the frequency and the applied voltage, the plasma generating unit 10 stably transfers from the arc discharge to the glow discharge I will.

In order to generate the atmospheric pressure bulk plasma P which is the arc transfer glow discharge in the second region A2, the discharge must be stably generated in the first region A1. At this time, the discharge distance D immediately before the discharge is extinguished is a maximum distance at which the discharge can be maintained at the current flow rate of the air, and this is defined as the maximum discharge distance.

The discharge voltage applied to the plasma voltage electrode 12 and the maximum discharge distance according to the flow rate of the air introduced through the air flow path of the housing 30 are shown in Table 2.

HV (kV) Dm (mm)
(M (m3 / sec) = 0) Dmx? (Mm) = Dm +? Dmx
(M (m 3 / sec) ≠ 0) 4.5 D0 = 2.0 D0x? = D0 +? D0x = 6.0
(M = 8.0) 8.0 D1 = 3.67 D1x` = D1 + ΔD1x = 11.0
(M = 14.9) 11.3 D2 = 5.3 D2x? = D2 +? D2x = 15.9
(M = 21.4)

In Table 2, HV denotes a discharge voltage applied to the plasma voltage electrode 12, M denotes a flow rate of air introduced through the air flow path of the housing 30, Dm denotes a stable initial discharge distance when the flow rate is zero, Dm denotes the maximum discharge distance when the flow rate is not 0, and Dmx` denotes the maximum discharge distance at which the discharge is maintained when the flow rate is not zero. At this time, the initial discharge distance Dm when the flow rate is 0 is substantially equal to the electrode distance dm in Table 1. [ The initial discharge distance Dm corresponds to the length of the initial discharge profile P0 in Fig. 9, and the maximum discharge distance Dmx ' corresponds to the length of the maximum discharge profile.

12, when the discharge voltage HV applied to the plasma voltage electrode 12 is constant, air flows in through the air flow path of the housing 30, that is, Is not 0, the discharge distance increases, and when the flow rate M continuously increases and exceeds a specific value, the discharge disappears. As described above, the discharge distance immediately before the discharge disappears is the maximum discharge distance Dmx`. At this time, as the discharge voltage HV applied to the plasma voltage electrode 2a increases, the flow rate M increases at the maximum discharge distance Dmx 'and the maximum discharge distance Dmx'.

Specifically, when a discharge voltage (HV) of 4.5 kV is applied to the plasma voltage electrode 12, the initial discharge distance D0 in a state where air is not supplied is 2.0 mm, and the flow rate M of the air The maximum discharge distance (D0x` = D0 + D0x) when supplied at 8.0 m3 / sec is 6.0 mm. That is, when the discharge voltage HV is 4.5 kV, when the flow rate M of the air exceeds 8.0 m 3 / sec, the discharge disappears.

When the discharge voltage HV of 8.0 kV is applied to the plasma voltage electrode 12, the initial discharge distance D1 in the state where air is not supplied is 3.67 mm, and the flow rate M of the air is 14.9 m3 / sec, the maximum discharge distance (D1x` = D1 + ΔD1x) is 11.0 mm. That is, when the discharge voltage HV is 8.0 kV, if the flow rate M of the air exceeds 14.9 m 3 / sec, the discharge disappears.

When the discharge voltage (HV) of 11.3 kV was applied to the plasma voltage electrode 12, the initial discharge distance D2 in the state where no air was supplied was 5.3 mm, and the flow rate M of the air was 21.4 m < / sec, the maximum discharge distance (D2x '= D2 + DELTA D2x) is 15.9 mm. That is, when the discharge voltage HV is 11.3 kV, when the flow rate M of the air exceeds 21.4 m 3 / sec, the discharge disappears.

Accordingly, it is advantageous to maintain discharge as the discharge voltage HV increases at a constant flow rate M, and the discharge voltage HV can be adjusted in accordance with the flow rate M of the air flowing in from the inlet fan 40, The flow rate M of the air can be adjusted. The initial discharge distance Dm and the maximum discharge distance Dmx` can be determined within a suitable range according to the electrode distance d, the discharge voltage HV and the flow rate M.

The ratio Dmx '/ Dm between the initial discharge distance Dm and the maximum discharge distance Dmx' of the plasma generator 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention may be about 1.2 to about 3.5. Here, the initial discharge distance Dm is substantially the same as the first distance d, which is the shortest distance between the plasma voltage electrode 12 and the plasma ground electrode 13.

Particularly, when the frequency of the discharge voltage applied to the plasma voltage electrode 12 is the commercial frequency (60 Hz), the ratio (Dmx '/ Dm) of the initial discharge distance Dm to the maximum discharge distance Dmx' About 3.5. For example, from Table 2, it can be seen that the ratio of the initial discharge distance Dm to the maximum discharge distance Dmx` is D0x` / D0 = 3.0, D1x` / D1 = 2.997, and D2x` / D2 = 2.62. Therefore, when the frequency of the discharge voltage applied to the plasma voltage electrode 12 is the commercial frequency (60 Hz), the ratio (Dmx '/ Dm) of the initial discharge distance Dm to the maximum discharge distance Dmx' A suitable atmospheric pressure bulk plasma (P) may be generated if it is in the range of about 3.5.

The values of the discharge distances according to the flow rates of the air introduced through the air flow paths of the housing 30 when the discharge voltage HV and the electrode distance d applied to the plasma voltage electrode 12 are constant are shown in Tables 3 and 4, 4.

HV (kV) M (m3 / sec) Dmn (mm) = Dm +? Dmn 4.5 0 D00` = D0 = d0 = 2.0 4.5 2.0 D01` = D0 + D01 = 3.1 4.5 5.0 D02 = D0 + D02 = 4.5 4.5 8.0 D0x? = D0 +? D0x = 6.0

In Table 3, HV denotes a discharge voltage applied to the plasma voltage electrode 12, M denotes a flow rate of air introduced through the air flow path of the housing 30, and Dmn denotes a discharge distance according to the flow rate. At this time, D0 is an initial discharge distance, d0 is an electrode distance, and D0x` is a maximum discharge distance.

When the discharge voltage HV and the electrode distance d0 applied to the plasma voltage electrode 12 are constant, the discharge distance Dmn` increases as the flow rate M of the air introduced through the air flow path of the housing 30 increases. ) Increases.

When the discharge voltage HV applied to the plasma voltage electrode 12 is constant at 4.5 kV and the electrode distance d0 is constant at 2.0 mm as shown in Table 3, the initial discharge distance D0 is 2.0 mm and the discharge distance D01` when the flow rate M is 2.0 m3 / sec is 3.1 mm and the discharge distance D02` when the flow rate M is 5.0 m3 / sec is 4.5 mm and the discharge distance D0x` when the flow rate M is 8.0 m3 / sec is 6.0 mm as the maximum discharge distance immediately before the discharge disappears. In other words, when the discharge voltage HV is 4.5 kV, if the flow rate M of the air exceeds 8.0 m < 3 > / sec, the discharge disappears.

HV (kV) M (m3 / sec) Dmn (mm) = Dm +? Dmn 8.0 0 D10` = D1 = d1 = 3.67 8.0 7.5 D11 '= D1 + D11 = 5.3 8.0 11.0 D12 '= D1 + D12 = 7.7 8.0 14.9 D1x` = D1 + ΔD1x = 11.0

Similarly, in Table 4, HV denotes the discharge voltage applied to the plasma voltage electrode 12, M denotes the flow rate of the air introduced through the air flow path of the housing 30, and Dmn denotes the discharge distance according to the flow rate. Here, D1 is an initial discharge distance, d1 is an electrode distance, and D1x is a maximum discharge distance.

When the discharge voltage HV applied to the plasma voltage electrode 12 is constant at 8.0 kV and the electrode distance d1 is constant at 3.67 mm as shown in Table 4, D1 is 3.67 mm and the discharge distance D11` when the flow rate M is 7.5 m3 / sec is 5.3 mm and the discharge distance D12` when the flow rate M is 11.0 m3 / sec is 7.7 mm, and the discharge distance D1x` when the flow rate M is 14.9 m3 / sec is the maximum discharge distance immediately before the discharge disappears, which is 11.0 mm. In other words, when the discharge voltage HV is 8.0 kV, when the flow rate M of the air exceeds 14.9 m 3 / sec, the discharge disappears.

That is, when the flow rate M is increased when the discharge voltage HV and the electrode distance d are constant, the discharge distance Dmn 'is larger than the initial discharge distance Dm and the discharge distance Dmn' If the maximum discharge distance (Dmx < 1 >) is exceeded, the discharge does not continue but disappears. However, if the discharge voltage (HV) is increased at this time, the discharge may occur again.

The maximum discharge distance Dmx` according to the discharge voltage HV applied to the plasma voltage electrode 2a and the flow rate M at the maximum discharge distance Dmx` are shown in Table 5.

HV (kV) M (m3 / sec) Dmx? (Mm) = Dm +? Dmx 8.0 14.9 D1x` = D1 + ΔD1x = 11.0 8.4 16.2 D3x? = D1 +? D3x = 12.2 9.3 17.0 D4x? = D1 +? D4x = 13.6

As shown in Table 5 and FIG. 13, when the discharge voltage HV is 8.0 kV and the flow rate M is 14.9 m 3 / sec, the maximum discharge distance D1x 'is 11.0 mm and the flow rate M is 14.9 m3 / sec, the discharge is extinguished. At this time, if the discharge voltage (HV) is increased to 8.4 kV, the discharge is generated again, and when the flow rate M is larger than 16.2 m3 / sec, the discharge is extinguished again. Likewise, when the discharge voltage HV is increased to 9.3 kV in the state in which the discharge is extinguished, the discharge again occurs, and when the flow rate M is larger than 17 m3 / sec, the discharge is extinguished again.

The maximum discharge distance D3x` when the discharge voltage HV is 8.4 kV and the flow rate M is 16.2 m3 / sec is 12.2 mm, the discharge voltage HV is 9.3 kV, the flow rate M is 17.0 m3 / sec, the maximum discharge distance is 13.6 mm. That is, the larger the discharge voltage HV, the larger the flow rate M when the maximum discharge distance Dmx 'and the maximum discharge distance Dmx'.

Hereinafter, with reference to FIGS. 14, 15, 6, and 7, it is assumed that the distance between the plasma voltage electrode 12 and the plasma ground electrode 13, the magnitude of the applied high voltage, Will be described.

FIG. 14 is a graph showing the maximum discharge distance according to frequency, FIG. 15 is a graph showing the discharge distance according to the discharge voltage, frequency and flow rate, and the maximum discharge distance value according to the discharge voltage and the frequency of the discharge voltage, same.

HV (kV) Dmx` (mm) f = 20 kHz f = 10 kHz f = 60 Hz 4.5 2.2 3.2 6.0 8.0 3.5 5.5 11.0 11.3 4.6 7.8 15.9

In Table 6, HV denotes the discharge voltage applied to the plasma voltage electrode 12, Dmx denotes the maximum discharge distance, and f denotes the frequency of the discharge voltage.

As shown in Table 6 and FIG. 14, when the magnitude of the discharge voltage HV is constant, the smaller the frequency f of the discharge voltage is, the larger the maximum discharge distance Dmx` increases.

In detail, when the discharge voltage HV applied to the plasma voltage electrode 12 is constant at 4.5 kV, the maximum discharge distance Dmx 'when the frequency f is 20 kHz is 2.2 mm, The maximum discharge distance Dmx` when the frequency f is 10 kHz is 3.2 mm and the maximum discharge distance Dmx` when the frequency f is 60 Hz is 6.0 mm.

When the discharge voltage HV applied to the plasma voltage electrode 12 is constant at 8.0 kV, the maximum discharge distance Dmx` when the frequency f is 20 kHz is 3.5 mm and the frequency f is 10 kHz The maximum discharge distance Dmx` is 5.5 mm, and the maximum discharge distance Dmx` when the frequency f is 60 Hz is 11.0 mm.

When the discharge voltage HV applied to the plasma voltage electrode 12 is constant at 11.3 kV, the maximum discharge distance Dmx` when the frequency f is 20 kHz is 4.6 mm and the frequency f is 10 kHz The maximum discharge distance Dmx` is 7.8 mm, and the maximum discharge distance Dmx` when the frequency f is 60 Hz is 15.9 mm.

Referring to FIG. 14, it can be seen that the slope when the frequency f is relatively low is larger than the slope when the frequency f is relatively high. That is, when the frequency f is low, the amount of change of the maximum discharge distance Dmx` according to the discharge voltage HV is large.

The discharge voltage applied to the plasma voltage electrode 12, the flow rate of the air flowing through the air flow path of the housing 30, and the maximum discharge distance according to the frequency of the AC power source 11 are shown in Table 7.

HV (kV) f = 20 kHz f = 60 Hz Dm (mm)
(M (m3 / sec) = 0) Dmx` (mm)
(M ≠ 0) Dm (mm)
(M = O) Dmx` (mm)
(M ≠ 0) 4.5 D0 = 1.6 D0x` = 2.2
(M = 8) D0 = 2.0 D0x = 6.0
(M = 8) 8.0 D1 = 2.8 D1x = 3.5
(M = 14.9) D1 = 3.67 D1x = 11.0
(M = 14.9) 11.3 D2 = 3.7 D 2 × '= 4.6
(M = 21.4) D2 = 5.3 D2x = 15.9
(M = 21.4)

In Table 7, HV denotes a discharge voltage applied to the plasma voltage electrode 12, M denotes a flow rate of air introduced through the air flow path of the housing 30, Dm denotes a stable initial discharge distance when the flow rate is 0, Dmx Is the maximum discharge distance at which the discharge is maintained when the flow rate is not zero, and f is the frequency of the discharge voltage.

As shown in Table 7 and FIG. 15, for each discharge voltage (HV), the discharge distance at a 60-Hz power supply with a relatively low frequency (f) Is more sensitive to the air flow rate (M) than the discharge distance.

In other words, the difference between the maximum discharge distance Dmx 'and the initial discharge distance Dm when the frequency f is 20 kHz is 0.6 mm, 0.7 mm and 0.9 mm, respectively, according to the discharge voltage HV, The difference between the maximum discharge distance Dmx` and the initial discharge distance Dm when the voltage is 60 Hz is 4.0 mm, 7.33 mm and 10.6 mm, respectively, according to the discharge voltage HV.

Therefore, when the frequency f of the discharge voltage HV increases, the ratio Dmx '/ M of the flow rate M of the air flowing through the air flow path and the length Dmx' of the maximum arc discharge profile decreases .

From Table 7, it can be seen from Table 7 that the ratio (Dmx` / M (Mm)) of the flow rate M of the air flowing through the air flow path to the maximum discharge profile length Dmx` according to the discharge voltage HV when the frequency f is 20 kHz ) Are D0x` / M = 0.275, D1x` / M = 0.235 and D2x` / M = 0.215, respectively. On the other hand, when the frequency f is 60 Hz, the ratio (Dmx '/ M) of the flow rate M of the air flowing through the air flow path to the length Dmx' of the maximum discharge profile depends on the discharge voltage HV D0x` / M = 0.750, D1x` / M = 0.738 and D2x` / M = 0.743, respectively.

This is because, in a high voltage power supply having a high frequency (f), a new discharge occurs between the electrodes before the discharge disappears. Therefore, a high-voltage power supply having a high frequency f is less influenced by the flow rate M than a high-voltage power supply having a small frequency f.

On the other hand, when the frequency f is 20 kHz, the ratio (Dmx '/ Dm) of the initial discharge distance Dm to the maximum discharge distance Dmx' may be about 1.2 to about 1.5. For example, from Table 7, the ratio (Dmx` / Dm) between the initial discharge distance Dm and the maximum discharge distance Dmx` is D0x` / D0 = 1.375 and D1x` / D1 = 1.25 and D2x` / D2 = 1.24. Therefore, when the frequency of the discharge voltage applied to the plasma voltage electrode 12 is 20 kHz, the ratio of the initial discharge distance Dm to the maximum discharge distance Dmx 'is in the range of about 1.2 to about 1.5, P) may be generated. On the other hand, as described above, when the frequency of the discharge voltage applied to the plasma voltage electrode 12 is the commercial frequency (60 Hz), the ratio of the initial discharge distance Dm to the maximum discharge distance Dmx ' ) Is in the range of about 2.5 to about 3.5, an appropriate atmospheric pressure bulk plasma (P) can be generated.

That is, as the frequency f of the discharge voltage applied to the plasma voltage electrode 12 increases, the ratio Dmx '/ Dm decreases and a high voltage power source with a high frequency f has a relatively low frequency It can be confirmed again that the influence of the flow rate (M) is less than that of the high voltage power supply. This means that as the high frequency is applied, the plasma voltage electrode 12 and the plasma ground electrode 13 can be designed so as to be relatively flat, i.e., have a large radius of curvature. That is, the applied frequency f is inversely proportional to the radius of curvature of the electrode.

The empirical principle applied to the plasma generator 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention will now be described with reference to the above experimental results.

First, as shown in the experimental results, the discharge voltage HV is proportional to the electrode distance d between the two electrodes 12 and 13, which can be defined as the proportional equation 1 below.

[Proportional expression 1]

δ·dHV

δ · d

In Equation 1, HV denotes a discharge voltage applied to the plasma voltage electrode 12, δ denotes a dielectric constant between the two electrodes 12 and 13, and d denotes an electrode distance between the two electrodes 12 and 13.

The steady state in which there is no air supply from the blowing fan 40 can be defined as a proportional equation 2 from the proportional equation 1.

[Proportional expression 2]

δ·D0HV0

隆 D0

In proportional expression 2, HV0 denotes a discharge voltage applied to the plasma voltage electrode 12 when the flow rate M is 0, and D0 denotes an initial discharge distance when the flow rate M is zero.

Further, when air is supplied from the blowing fan 40, it can be defined from the proportional equation 1 to the proportional equation 3 below.

[Proportional expression 3]

δ·ΔD

δ·V·t = δ·V·(1/f) = δ·(M/A)·(1/f)ΔHV

δ · ΔD

? / V? t =? V / 1 / f =? M /

In the proportional equation 3,? HV is the change amount of the discharge voltage when the flow rate M is not 0,? D is the change amount of the discharge distance, V is the flow rate of the air, t is the pulse width of the discharge voltage, f is the discharge voltage , M is the flow rate of air, and A is the cross-sectional area through which the air passes.

Generally, the larger the frequency f of the applied high-voltage power supply, the smaller the pulse width t of the sine wave. That is, the frequency f and the pulse width t are in inverse proportion. Further, the flow velocity V passing through the passage having a constant cross-sectional area A is proportional to the flow rate M and inversely proportional to the cross-sectional area A. [

That is, referring to Proportional Equation 3, the discharge distance D is highly correlated with the flow velocity V of the incoming air and the applied high-voltage frequency f.

 In order to make the above equation, the initial steady-state discharge condition without air inflow and the discharge condition after air inflow start should be considered together. Therefore, the discharge voltage (HV) of the plasma generator 10 that operates optimally can be defined by the following proportional expression 4.

[Proportional expression 4]

δ·D0 + δ·ΔD

δ·D0 + δ·V·t = δ·D0 + δ·V·(1/f) = δ·D0 + δ·(M/A)·(1/f)HV = HV0 + DELTA HV

? D0 +?? D

(1 / f) = 隆 D0 + 隆 (M / A) 揃 (1 / f) 隆 · D0 + 隆 · V · t = 隆 · D0 +

That is, the discharge distance D changed by the inflow of air is the sum (D0 +? D) of the initial discharge distance and the variation of the discharge distance (D0 +? D) Is proportional to the flow rate M of the air and is inversely proportional to the frequency f of the discharge voltage HV.

Here, if both sides are multiplied by the frequency (f), it can be defined as the proportional expression 5 below.

[Proportional expression 5]

f· δ·D0 + δ·(M/A)f · HV

f?? D0 +? (M / A)

Referring to Proportional Equation 5, it can be seen that, at a constant frequency f and a discharge distance D0, as the flow rate M of the gas increases, a larger high voltage is required to maintain the discharge. That is, the discharge voltage HV is proportional to the flow rate M.

Further, as the frequency f of the discharge voltage HV applied between the two electrodes 12 and 13 increases, glow discharge is advantageous, and plasma is generated even at a relatively small voltage. This is because the higher the frequency, the larger the oscillation effect of the electron, such as the microwave oven.

When a high voltage power source with a relatively low commercial frequency is applied, the discharge distance D0 +? D increases greatly according to the flow velocity V, but the discharge easily disappears. On the other hand, when a relatively high voltage of 20 kHz is applied to a high-voltage power supply, the amount of increase of the discharge distance D0 +? D according to the flow velocity V is small, but the discharge does not easily disappear.

Therefore, it is advantageous to use a high-voltage power supply of high frequency in order to maintain a stable discharge.

16 is a view showing an electrode structure of a general ion generating portion.

The ion generating section 20 uses a DC high voltage (about 3 kV) power source having a current of several microamperes.

Generally, when the (-) ion generating voltage electrode and the (+) ion generating ground electrode to which a DC high voltage of low current is applied are placed in the air, a strong electric field is formed by the DC high voltage between the two electrodes. Accordingly, oxygen is ionized in the air by a strong electric field, and negative ions are generated near the (-) ion generating voltage electrode. The anions generated at this time are repelled from the (-) ion generation voltage electrode and easily move to the (+) ion generation ground electrode to generate negative ions.

 (-) direct current voltage is applied to the (-) ion generation voltage electrode of the apex shape, a strong electric field is generated between the (-) voltage electrode of the tip shape and the (+) ion generation ground electrode of the cylindrical shape. At the point where the electric field is most strongly focused in the generated electric field, oxygen in the air is ionized to generate anions.

The price of such a tip-shaped ion generating voltage electrode is very inexpensive, but the tip-shaped electrode gradually wears due to heat and electron emission caused by the use time. As a result, the amount of generated ions varies greatly with the use time, and sparks frequently occur due to the static electricity of fine dust contained in the inflow air.

17 is a cross-sectional view illustrating an ion generating portion according to an embodiment of the present invention. 18 is a perspective view showing an ion generating electrode unit according to an embodiment of the present invention. 19 is a cross-sectional view of the ion generating electrode unit taken along the line A-A 'in Fig.

The ion generating part 20 includes a DC power source 21 and an ion generating electrode unit 22 separated from the plasma generating part 10 and connected to a DC power source 21. [

The ion generating electrode unit 22 includes a dielectric 23, an ion generating voltage electrode 24 disposed on one surface of the dielectric member 23, and an ion generating ground electrode 25 disposed on the other surface of the dielectric member 23. The ion generating electrode unit 22 may further include a resin layer 26 applied to the surfaces of the ion generating voltage electrode 24 and the ion generating ground electrode 25. [

18 and 19, the dielectric 23 has a larger area than the ion generating voltage electrode 24 and the ion generating ground electrode 25, but the ion generating voltage electrode 24 and the ion generating ground electrode 25 ).

The ion generating electrode unit 22 has a U-shaped groove. That is, the ion generating voltage electrode 24 is disposed on one surface of the U-shaped dielectric member 23 and has a U-shaped groove. The ion generating ground electrode 25 is disposed on the other surface of the U-shaped dielectric member 23 and has a U-shaped groove.

The ion generating voltage electrode 24 and the ion generating ground electrode 25 are opposed to each other with the dielectric member 23 interposed therebetween. The ion generating voltage electrode 24 and the ion generating ground electrode 25 have a constant curvature on the inner surface forming the groove.

When a direct current high voltage is applied to the ion generating voltage electrode 24 and the ion generating ground electrode 25 opposed to each other, a strong electric field is formed between the ion generating voltage electrode 24 and the ion generating ground electrode 25 In particular, the strongest electric field is concentrated in the grooves of the ion generating voltage electrode 24 and the ion generating ground electrode 25.

The groove in which the electric field is concentrated corresponds to the convergence of the electric field like the tip of the conventional ion generating electrode. The electric field is generated between the ion generating voltage electrode 24 and the ion generating ground electrode 25 of the ion generating unit according to the present invention. Since there is no dense tip portion, wear problems do not occur unlike the conventional ion generating electrode.

Further, since the resin layer 26, for example enamel, is applied to the surface of the ion generating voltage electrode 24 and the ion generating ground electrode 25, dust generating sparks does not adhere to the surfaces of the electrodes.

The AC power source 11 applies an AC voltage to the plasma generating portion 10 while the DC generating power source 21 applies a DC voltage to the ion generating electrode unit 22. [ Thus, the mutual interference (noise due to the AC high voltage) is very strong between the AC power source 11 and the DC power source 21, and therefore, the ion generating part 20 May frequently malfunction.

In the case where the ion generating electrode unit 22 is not disposed at a proper distance from the plasma generating unit 10, the probability that the activated reactive species generated by the plasma is neutralized by the anions generated in the ion generating unit becomes very high, And the sterilizing effect is remarkably reduced, and the odor removal efficiency by the anions is also remarkably reduced.

Accordingly, it is necessary that the ion generating electrode unit 22 is spaced apart from the distance that the plasma is generated in order to minimize the influence of the plasma of the plasma generating portion 10.

The ratio Dmx '/ Dm between the initial discharge distance Dm and the maximum discharge distance Dmx' of the plasma generating part 10 according to the embodiment of the present invention is about 1.2 to about 3.5 And the initial discharge distance Dm is substantially the same as the first distance d which is the shortest distance between the plasma voltage electrode 12 and the plasma ground electrode 13, The unit 22 is disposed at a distance of 1.2 to 3.5 times the shortest distance between the plasma voltage electrode and the plasma ground electrode from the plasma generating portion 10. [

For example, when the frequency of the discharge voltage applied to the plasma voltage electrode 2a is the commercial frequency (60 Hz), the ratio (Dmx '/ Dm) of the initial discharge distance Dm to the maximum discharge distance Dmx' The atmospheric pressure bulk plasma P is generated within the range of 2.5 to about 3.5 so that the ion generating electrode unit 22 is in the range of 2.5 to 3.5 times the shortest distance between the plasma generating electrode 10 and the plasma ground electrode And can be spaced apart.

Since the maximum discharge distance of the plasma generating portion 10 is determined by the interval between the plasma voltage electrode 12 and the plasma ground electrode 13, the magnitude of the applied high voltage, the flow rate and frequency of the injected air, An ion generating electrode unit distance control unit (not shown) for moving the ion generating electrode unit 22 from the plasma generating unit 10 according to the maximum discharge distance of the plasma generating unit 10 .

The ion generating electrode unit distance adjusting section includes at least one of, for example, a sliding mechanism, a gear, and a step motor for moving the ion generating electrode unit 22.

The ion generating part 20 may be located on the same air flow path as the plasma generating part 10 or on an air flow path parallel to the air flow path of the plasma generating part 10. [ The ion generating part 20 may be located apart from the extension line of the plasma discharge port 32 on the air flow path or may be located at a position parallel to the extension line of the plasma discharge port 32.

Hereinafter, an operation of the air purifier according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

2, the plasma generating unit 10, the ion generating unit 20, and the blowing fan 40 are connected to the AC power source 11 (see FIG. 2) by the power supplied from the power supply unit 70 for a predetermined time by the timer switch 60 And the direct current power source 21.

The hair or dust of the companion animal contained in the air introduced by the air blowing fan 40 is removed by the foreign matter removing filter 50 and the plasma generating unit 10 is operated to remove the atmospheric plasma P To generate reactive species.

The atmospheric plasma P generated by the plasma generating unit 10 primarily removes and sterilizes and disinfects the odor particles and bacteria contained in the air, and ionizes oxygen, moisture, and nitrogen to generate a large amount of various reactive active species (O *, H *, OH *, N *).

In addition, a large amount of anions of about 2,000,000 (measurement data) are also diffused and discharged into the atmosphere by the ion generating part 20 to secondarily remove odors contained in the air.

Hereinafter, the performance of a plasma and anion generator according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

20 is a photograph showing an amount of generated negative ions and an amount of generated ozone in the ion generating part according to an embodiment of the present invention. The ion counter used in the present invention is an apparatus capable of counting 0 to 1,999,000 ionized water by an air ion counter (KEC-900, Japan Eco-Flavon Co., Ltd.). The ozone analyzer is a device capable of measuring up to 10 ppm with an ozone concentration meter (ECO. Sensors, Inc. Model: A-21ZX). 20 (a) to 20 (c), it can be seen from the measurement result that the ion generating part 20 according to the embodiment of the present invention generates a maximum of 2 million ions at a distance of 100 mm . Referring to FIG. 20 (a), in a state where power is not applied to the ion generating part 20, the number of generated ions is zero. Referring to FIGS. 20 (b) and 20 (c), there is no decrease in the distance up to about 100 mm in 20 seconds after the DC power source 21 is applied. The reason why the value of the display window of the ion counter is 1 in FIGS. 20 (b) and 20 (c) is that the measurement range of the ion counter measured by the present invention is out of range. The reason why the ions do not change greatly according to the distance is that the ions are accelerated by the electric field.

20 (d) to 20 (f) show the result of measuring the concentration of ozone generated in the ion generating part according to an embodiment of the present invention by distance.

20 (d) to 20 (f), how much ozone is generated by the ion generating part 20 according to the embodiment of the present invention is measured by an ozone concentration measuring instrument. As a result, After about 5 minutes at the outlet end of the generator 20, 0.14 ppm was detected, and about 0.01 ppm at the position 50 mm apart from the outlet end, and 0.00 ppm at the position 100 mm or more apart, respectively.

Accordingly, the ozone concentration generated by the ion generator 20 according to the embodiment of the present invention is 0.00 ppm at a position spaced apart by about 100 mm or more, indicating that the ion generator 20 does not affect the human body at all .

FIG. 21 is a graph showing the results of a three-minute treatment of a Petri dish having E. coli bacteria with a plasma and anion generator according to an embodiment of the present invention, This is a photograph showing the result of culturing the specimen (b) for 24 hours.

Referring to FIG. 21, it can be seen that the treated portion shows very little growth of the bacteria, while the untreated portion shows very large growth of the bacteria.

When the plasma and anion generator according to the present invention was installed in a house where six companions were housed, the odor of the room of the companion animal and the odor generated from the mop that cleaned the companion animal's excrement were measured with time, Is shown.

Way Ion generator only
work Atmospheric plasma only
work Ion generator and two atmospheric plasma at the same time The smell of the room 8 minutes operation
remove 10 minutes operation
remove 6 min operation
Perfect removal After drying mops, the smell Some odor residues in 8 minutes operation Some odor residues in 10 minutes operation 6 min operation
Perfect removal

As can be seen from Table 8, when the ion generating part 20 is operated for 8 minutes or the plasma generating part 10 is operated for 10 minutes separately, the companion animal odor of the room is removed, but the smell of the mop Is still remaining.

However, when the ion generating part 20 and the plasma generating part 10 were operated at the same time, the smell of the room smell and the mop was completely removed.

22 is a graph showing the concentration of formaldehyde according to the operation time when the apparatus for generating plasma and anion according to an embodiment of the present invention is operated. 23 is a graph showing the concentration of ammonia according to the operation time when the apparatus for generating plasma and anion according to an embodiment of the present invention is operated.

In this experiment, ammonia most similar to smell was selected from formaldehyde and animal feces, which are widely known as representative smell gases of sick house syndrome. (2) when only the plasma generator was operated, (3) only the ion generator was operated, and (3) the plasma generator was operated only after the two types of formaldehyde and ammonia were injected at a predetermined concentration (density) (4) When both the plasma generating part and the ion generating part were operated, the formaldehyde and ammonia concentrations were measured.

Referring to FIGS. 22 and 23, when the plasma generating unit and the ion generating unit are operated, they are drastically reduced by about 90% until about 30 minutes, and then gradually decreased with time. On the other hand, when the plasma generating unit and the ion generating unit are not operated In the first 30 minutes is reduced by about 16%, and it is constant over time. In addition, it can be seen that the efficiency of removing formaldehyde and ammonia is improved when the plasma generating part and the ion generating part are operated simultaneously than when the plasma generating part and the ion generating part are separately operated.

FIG. 24 is a photograph of a result of an experiment for removing cigarette smoke and smell using a plasma and anion generator according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG.

24 (a) to 24 (d), after the plasma and anion generator in operation is put into one vessel and the cigarette smoke is put into each vessel in a state without being put into another vessel, Was started by time, 1 minute, 30 seconds, 2 minutes and 30 seconds, and 3 minutes and 30 seconds later, the state of the container was photographed with a camera.

Figs. 24 (e) and 24 (f) are photographs of a state in which the lid of each container is opened after the lapse of 2 minutes from the end of the experiment, by a camera.

24 (e), when the lid of the container into which the plasma and the anion generator was put was opened, the residual cigarette smoke did not flow out. In the case (f) in which the plasma and the anion generator were not supplied, When I opened the lid, I could see that the residual smoke was coming out. Therefore, from the above experimental results, it can be seen that the plasma and anion generator according to the present invention has an excellent effect for eliminating odors generated in companion animals and sterilizing harmful bacteria.

While the present invention has been particularly shown and described with reference to exemplary embodiments thereof, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the disclosed embodiments, but, on the contrary, is intended to cover various modifications and similarities.

It is to be noted that the shape, size, position, number and material of each component or part of the present invention are merely examples, and appropriate modifications may be made in accordance with the application field.

It is obvious that the scope of the present invention extends to the same or similar areas as the following claims.

Claims (12)

A plasma generator; And
Wherein the distance between the plasma voltage electrode at the plasma discharge port and the plasma ground electrode is larger than the distance between the plasma voltage electrode of the plasma generating portion and the plasma electrode of the plasma generating electrode, Wherein the ion generating portion is spaced from the shortest distance between the plasma voltage electrode and the plasma ground electrode by a distance of 1.2 to 3.5 times the shortest distance between the ground electrode and the plasma generating electrode. The method according to claim 1,
Wherein the ion generating unit includes a direct current power source and an ion generating electrode unit connected to the direct current power source,
Wherein the ion generating electrode unit includes a dielectric, an ion generating voltage electrode disposed on one surface of the dielectric, and an ion generating ground electrode disposed on the other surface of the dielectric. 3. The method of claim 2,
Wherein the dielectric, the ion generating voltage electrode, and the ion generating ground electrode have a U-shaped groove. The method according to claim 1,
Wherein the plasma generating unit discharges the atmospheric-pressure bulk plasma. The method according to claim 1,
Wherein the plasma voltage electrode and the plasma ground electrode have an arc-shaped radius of curvature. The method according to claim 1,
Wherein the plasma voltage electrode and the plasma ground electrode have different radii of curvature according to positions from an air inlet to a plasma discharge port. The method according to claim 6,
Wherein a radius of curvature r of the plasma voltage electrode and the plasma ground electrode is in a range from 2 to 0.3 times the shortest distance between the plasma voltage electrode and the plasma ground electrode toward the plasma discharge port at the air inlet, Device. delete The method according to claim 1,
Wherein the plasma generating unit is located on the same air flow path as the ion generating unit. The method according to claim 1,
Wherein the plasma generating unit is located on an air flow path parallel to the air flow path of the ion generating unit. The method according to claim 1,
Wherein the shortest distance between the plasma voltage electrode and the plasma ground electrode is 0.5 to 3 times the radius of curvature of at least one of the plasma voltage electrode and the plasma ground electrode. 3. The method of claim 2,
And an ion generating electrode unit distance adjusting unit for moving the ion generating electrode unit from the plasma generating unit according to a maximum discharge distance of the plasma.

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