KR20160117113A - Apparatus for controlling electrical conductivity of hydroxyl radical generator and method thereof - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to an apparatus and method for controlling electrical conductivity of a hydroxyl radical generator. The apparatus for controlling electrical conductivity of a hydroxyl radical generator comprises: a hydroxyl radical generation unit in which an upper case, a plate-shaped positive electrode, an insulation member, a plate-shaped negative electrode, and a lower case are sequentially coupled and which generates a hydroxyl radical; a pump which generates a water current passing through the hydroxyl radical generation unit; and a control unit which detects at least any one of power consumed by the hydroxyl radical generation unit, voltages applied to the positive electrode and the negative electrode, currents consumed by the positive electrode and the negative electrode, and a PWM duty, and controls electrical conductivity around the hydroxyl radical generation unit by controlling motor rotation speed of the pump based on the detected value.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention [0001] The present invention relates to an apparatus and method for controlling electrical conductivity of a hydroxyl-

The present invention relates to an apparatus and method for controlling electrical conductivity of a hydroxyl-generating apparatus, and more particularly, to an apparatus and method for controlling electrical conductivity of a hydroxyl-generating apparatus by removing microorganisms and green algae present in water and sterilizing aquaculture water, sterilizing water for sprouting vegetables, And more particularly, to an apparatus and method for controlling electrical conductivity of a hydroxyl group generating apparatus capable of controlling electrical conductivity by changing a flow rate or a flow rate of water passing through a hydroxyl group generating unit in a hydroxyl group generating apparatus for preventing the propagation of germs in water.

The hydroxyl-generating apparatus according to this embodiment removes bacteria and green algae present in water to generate a hydroxyl group that prevents bacterial propagation in the water, such as sterilization of aquaculture water, sterilization of a sprout vegetable agricultural water, sterilization of a microorganism causing a bad odor in a river Voltage DC power source, and induces a discharge between the negative electrode and the positive electrode to generate a low-temperature plasma with electrical energy.

That is, the hydroxyl group is a kind of oxygen anion material which is formed in a plasma state called a fourth substance after a solid, a liquid, and a gas, and is capable of sterilizing, disinfecting and decomposing existing substances more than twice as strong as ozone and chlorine , And is known to be a natural substance that is harmless to the human body.

The generated low-temperature plasma generates hydroxyl groups (OH-) in water to remove bacteria and green algae present in the water, prevent the propagation of germs in water, and sterilize to prevent secondary contamination due to water contamination.

BACKGROUND ART [0002] The background art of the present invention is disclosed in Korean Patent Laid-Open Publication No. 10-2013-0074429 (published on Apr. 03, 2014, a hydroxyl group generating device having a large-capacity power control function). The above background art discloses a hydroxyl group generating apparatus capable of maintaining the amount of generated hydroxyl groups by constant power through PWM control even when the load fluctuation is varied according to the content of electrolyte of water. When a voltage is applied to the discharging electrode below the decomposition voltage, Problems arise.

Disclosure of Invention Technical Problem [8] Accordingly, the present invention has been made in an effort to solve the above-mentioned problems, and it is an object of the present invention to provide a method and apparatus for removing germs and green algae present in water and sterilization of aquaculture water, microbial sterilization for sprouting vegetables, An object of the present invention is to provide an apparatus and method for controlling electrical conductivity of a hydroxyl group generating apparatus which can control electric conductivity by changing the flow rate or flow rate of water passing through a hydroxyl group generating unit.

An apparatus for controlling an electrical conductivity of a hydroxyl-generating apparatus according to an aspect of the present invention includes an upper case, a plate-shaped positive electrode, an insulating member, a plate-shaped negative electrode, and a lower case sequentially coupled to generate a hydroxyl group; A pump for generating a water flow through the hydroxyl-generating unit; And at least one of a power consumption of the hydroxyl group generating unit, a voltage applied to the positive electrode and the negative electrode, a current consumed in the positive electrode and the negative electrode, or a PWM duty, and based on any one of the detected values, And controlling the electric conductivity of the periphery of the hydroxyl group generating unit by controlling the speed of the electric field.

In the present invention, the controller may increase the motor rotational speed of the pump to a predetermined value to lower the electric conductivity when the power consumption is greater than a set value.

In the present invention, when the flow rate or the flow rate of water passing through the hydroxyl-generating unit is increased through the control of the motor rotational speed of the pump, the electric conductivity is reduced.

In the present invention, the control unit increases the applied voltage applied to the hydroxyl generating unit when the power consumption is equal to or lower than a set value.

In another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method for controlling an electric conductivity of a hydroxyl group generating apparatus, comprising the steps of: detecting a power consumption of a hydroxyl generator, a voltage applied to positive and negative electrodes, a current consumed in positive and negative electrodes, ; And adjusting the electric conductivity of the periphery of the hydroxyl generating unit by adjusting the rotational speed of the pump of the pump that generates the water flow passing through the hydroxyl generating unit based on at least any one of the detected values .

In the present invention, when the control unit adjusts the rotational speed of the motor of the pump to increase the flow rate or flow rate of water passing through the hydroxyl-generating unit, the electrical conductivity is reduced.

In the present invention, when the power consumption is less than a set value, the control unit increases the applied voltage applied to the hydroxyl generating unit, and when the power consumption is larger than the set value, And the electric conductivity is adjusted to a predetermined value so as to lower the electric conductivity.

The present invention relates to a device for generating a hydroxyl group, which prevents bacterial growth in water, such as sterilization of aquaculture water, sterilization of water for sprouting vegetables, sterilization of microorganisms caused by odors in a river by removing bacteria and green algae present in water, So that the electric conductivity can be adjusted by changing the flow rate or flow rate of the water passing through.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is an exemplary diagram showing a schematic configuration of an apparatus for controlling electric conductivity of a hydroxyl-generating apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention; FIG.
2 is an exploded perspective view showing a hydroxyl group generating portion of a hydroxyl group generating device according to an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 3 is an exemplary diagram showing a schematic configuration of an H bridge circuit of a hydroxyl group generating apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention; FIG.
4 is a graph showing a characteristic graph for explaining electrolytic performance in which a hydroxyl group generating apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention changes in the vicinity of a decomposition voltage;
5 is a flowchart illustrating a method for controlling electrical conductivity of a hydroxyl-generating device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Hereinafter, an embodiment of an apparatus and method for controlling electrical conductivity of a hydroxyl-generating apparatus according to the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

In this process, the thicknesses of the lines and the sizes of the components shown in the drawings may be exaggerated for clarity and convenience of explanation. In addition, the terms described below are defined in consideration of the functions of the present invention, which may vary depending on the intention or custom of the user, the operator. Therefore, definitions of these terms should be made based on the contents throughout this specification.

FIG. 1 is an exemplary diagram showing a schematic configuration of an apparatus for controlling electric conductivity of a hydroxyl-generating apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.

1, the apparatus for controlling electrical conductivity of a hydroxyl group generating apparatus according to the present embodiment includes a hydroxyl generating unit 120, a power converting unit 150, an H bridge circuit 180, a switching unit 185, A voltage detector 230, a current detector 240, a motor driver 310, and a motor 320. The control unit 210 includes an input voltage controller 220, a voltage detector 230, a current detector 240,

The hydroxyl group generating unit 120 includes a positive electrode unit 122 that is supplied with power through the H bridge circuit 180 and a negative electrode unit 122 that is provided adjacent to the positive electrode unit 122 and receives power from the H bridge circuit 180 The positive electrode portion 122 and the negative electrode portion 124 are combined and integrated so that the positive electrode portion 122 and the negative electrode portion 124 are combined with each other and fixed to the storage tank (not shown) An upper case 127 and a lower case 128 (see FIG. 2).

FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view showing a hydroxyl group generating portion of a hydroxyl-generating device according to an embodiment of the present invention. The positive electrode portion 122 and the negative electrode portion 124 are made of a conductive metal material. .

More specifically, the positive electrode portion 122 and the negative electrode portion 124 are formed such that the bulged portions of the different iron wires line up to the right and left of each of the iron wires formed so that a plurality of "S" And is formed into a plate shape. At this time, the plate-shaped electrode parts 122 and 124 are formed with uniformly spaced elliptical holes with sharp ends. Accordingly, it is possible to increase the contact area of the positive electrode portion 122 and the negative electrode portion 124 with the water through the hole, and to suppress the passage of impurities having a predetermined size or more.

The plate-like positive electrode portion 122 and the negative electrode portion 124 are coupled so as to be orthogonal when they are coupled to the upper case 127 and the lower case 128 (e.g., the positive electrode portion has a negative electrode portion in the transverse direction, Lt; / RTI >

As a result, the elliptical holes formed in the electrode portions 122 and 124 are orthogonal to each other, resulting in a soft aesthetic effect (an effect of an S-shaped wire) The effect of reducing the size of the hole can be obtained.

A locking protrusion (not shown) is formed at the center of the inner rim surface of the fixing portion 128 to separate the positive electrode portion 122 and the negative electrode portion 124 from each other. 122 and the negative electrode portion 124 can be adjusted. As described above, since the separator is not provided between the positive electrode portion 122 and the negative electrode portion 124, the manufacturing cost can be reduced.

However, the manufacturing process of the actual hydroxyl group generating unit 120 may further include separating members made of insulating materials such as PC, ABS, and PP between the positive electrode unit 122 and the negative electrode unit 124.

Meanwhile, the upper case 127 and the lower case 128 enclose the circumferential surfaces of the positive electrode portion 122 and the negative electrode portion 124, and have a rectangular shape with an opening surface whose upper and lower portions are opened in a rectangular shape And the plate-like positive electrode portion 122 and the negative electrode portion 124 are sequentially disposed between the upper case 127 and the lower case 128. [

Radial supports are provided on the opening faces of the upper case 127 and the lower case 128. A point at which the radial supports intersect is formed with a circular rim whose center portion is open. Accordingly, it is possible to maximize the area where the positive electrode portion 122 and the negative electrode portion 124 are in contact with water. Also, there is an effect of protecting and supporting the positive electrode portion 122 and the negative electrode portion 124 coupled to the inner edge portion through the radial support.

The power conversion unit 150 converts AC, which is an external power source, into DC, and outputs the DC power.

The H bridge circuit 180 switches a polarity of a power source applied from the power conversion unit 150 by switching a plurality of switching elements (or switching parts) including first through fourth FET elements, 120 (see Fig. 3).

FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating a schematic configuration of an H-bridge circuit of a hydroxyl-generating device according to an embodiment of the present invention. As shown in FIG. 3, when the first and fourth FET devices Q1 and Q4 are turned on, Current flows in the 'B' direction when the second and third FET devices Q2 and Q3 are turned on, so that the polarity of the hydroxyl generator 120 is switched.

The switching unit 185 switches the first through fourth FETs Q1 through Q4 in a state of being insulated from the H bridge circuit 180. [

The switching unit 185 may include a FET, a SCR, a TRIAC, or the like as a switching device (or a switching device), and the switching signal may be transmitted through a photocoupler or the like for insulation.

The controller 210 controls the switching unit 185 so as to turn on / off the plurality of switching elements Q1 to Q4 of the H bridge circuit 180 at predetermined time intervals to cause polarity switching, The switching unit 185 is controlled by a PWM control method to operate in a soft start manner, thereby minimizing an inrush current, thereby prolonging the lifetime of the electronic component.

However, since the distance between the positive electrode portion 122 and the negative electrode portion 124 of the hydroxyl group generating portion 120 is very small, about 0.1 mm to 0.5 mm, the distance between the positive electrode portion 122 and the negative electrode portion 124 is too small close. Therefore, if the positive / negative electrode portions 122 and 124 are attached to each other or a risk of short-circuiting is high due to metal or impurities (e.g., foreign matter, calcareous material) 124 are short-circuited, the switching elements (or switching parts) used in the switching unit 185 may be damaged or broken.

The voltage detector 230 detects a voltage applied to the hydroxyl generator 120. A voltage having a reversed polarity is applied to the hydroxyl group generating unit 120 through the H bridge circuit 180 at predetermined time intervals.

The reason for detecting the voltage applied to the hydroxyl group generating unit 120 is that a difference may occur in the voltage indication value output from the controller 210 and the actual voltage value due to a difference in electric conductivity or a circuit shortage .

The voltage detector 230 converts the signal into a signal corresponding to the voltage actual value and outputs the signal to the controller 210. For example, the signal corresponding to the voltage actual value may be an analog signal of DC 5 V or less or a digital signal. Alternatively, the voltage actual value may be simply compared with a predetermined reference voltage to output a high signal or a low signal.

For example, when the positive / negative electrode units 122 and 124 are short-circuited, the voltage detected by the voltage detection unit 230 becomes 0 V, and the control unit 210 determines that the short- And controls the input voltage regulator 220 to convert the voltage applied to the H bridge circuit 180 to 0 V to protect circuits and elements (switching elements) of the main body of the hydroxyl-generating apparatus.

The control unit 210 controls the switching unit 185 according to the PWM method so that the load amount in accordance with the variation of the load current in the hydroxyl group generating unit 120 according to the electric conductivity of the ions included in the water, (That is, a voltage controlled by the PWM DUTY) so as to maintain the voltage (voltage * current) (for convenience sake, power consumption in this embodiment).

For example, when the concentration of ions contained in water (for example, water in aquaculture farm, sprout vegetable agricultural water, rivers, aquaria, etc.) is high, electric conductivity in the negative electrode portion 124 and the positive electrode portion 122 is high, And the current consumption increases. Accordingly, the controller 210 monitors current consumption in the negative electrode unit 124 and the positive electrode unit 122 through the current detector 240 and controls the PWM DUTY through the switching unit 185, By turning on / off the switching elements Q1 to Q4 of the circuit 180, the consumption current is controlled by lowering the applied voltage applied to the negative electrode portion 124 and the positive electrode portion 122, or by controlling the input voltage adjusting portion 220 So that the applied voltage is lowered.

However, in this case, when the voltage applied to the negative electrode part 124 and the positive electrode part 122 is lowered to reduce the increased consumption current as described above, the applied voltage is lower than the threshold voltage (See FIG. 4), the amount of microbubbles and hydroxyl groups generated in the hydroxyl group generating unit 120 is remarkably reduced due to a lower applied voltage, so that the performance (hydroxyl group generating performance) of a certain product There was a problem that it was difficult to maintain.

The decomposition voltage is a minimum voltage for continuously generating an electrolytic product (i.e., a hydroxyl group) through electrolysis. Referring to FIG. 4, it can be seen that the proportional relationship between voltage and current . That is, below the decomposition voltage, there is a problem that since the current is remarkably decreased, the concentration of ions (that is, the amount of generated hydroxyl groups) is lowered and consequently the electric conductivity is decreased, so that the performance of the product (that is, the hydroxyl group generating device) .

However, the product according to the present embodiment (i.e., the hydroxyl-generating device) can be put into water under various conditions (i.e., a state depending on the water temperature and the concentration of ions). If the product is put into water having high electrical conductivity, A large amount of current flows to increase the consumption current. Accordingly, the control unit 210 lowers the applied voltage applied to the negative electrode unit 124 and the positive electrode unit 122 in order to keep the load constant. If the applied voltage is lower than the threshold voltage (for example, : The decomposition voltage, that is, the minimum voltage capable of maintaining the electrolysis performance), the amount of generated hydroxyl groups is rather reduced.

Therefore, in the present embodiment, when the product (i.e., the hydroxyl-generating device) is put into water having high electrical conductivity, the controller 210 controls the motor 320 (that is, (That is, a fan that generates a water flow in the pump) by rotating the fan (FAN) (that is, generating a water flow) toward the hydroxyl group generating unit 120 to lower the electric conductivity, And the load (i.e., power consumption) can be kept constant without lowering the applied voltage by limiting the current flow as described above.

For example, according to the experiment under various conditions, it was found that the higher the flow rate of water passing through the hydroxyl-generating unit 120 (or the greater the flow rate of water), the lower the electrical conductivity. 210 may increase the flow rate of water passing through the hydroxyl group generating unit 120 to increase the flow rate of the water passing through the negative electrode unit 124 and the positive electrode unit 122 of the hydroxyl generating unit 120, So that the load (i.e., power consumption) can be kept constant even if the temperature is not adjusted to a low level.

The controller 210 may control the flow rate of water (or flow rate) by controlling the rotation speed of the motor 320.

Further, impurities adhering to the hydroxyl group generating unit 120 may be removed through rotation of the motor 320, thereby preventing contamination of the electrode and extending the service life of the electrode.

As described above, by flowing the water through the hydroxyl group generating unit 120, the electric conductivity is changed in the vicinity of the hydroxyl generating unit 120, and the load of the hydroxyl generating unit 120 Voltage * current) (which may be referred to as power consumption in the present embodiment for the sake of convenience) is kept constant so that the amount of generated hydroxyl groups can be kept constant.

For example, in the case of water having a high electrical conductivity, the flow of current increases and the consumption current (that is, the load current) increases. As a result, the power consumption (i.e., the load) There arises a problem that the amount of hydroxyl groups generated in the generating part 120 increases and too much microbubbles are generated and the stability of the product is deteriorated.

Accordingly, in the present embodiment, in order to maintain the predetermined constant power consumption (for example, 40 W), the control unit 210 increases the power consumption (that is, increases the current flow) (Or increase the flow rate of water) through the hydroxyl generator 120 through the motor 320 (i.e., the motor connected to the pump) in order to lower the electric conductivity of the water that induces the water (That is, the applied voltage can be adjusted to a high level) since the power consumption is reduced and the power consumption is reduced.

As described above, the present embodiment adjusts the current flow to be small by adjusting the flow rate and the flow rate of water passing through the hydroxyl-generating portion 120 to lower the electric conductivity in the water having high electrical conductivity. Thereby maintaining a constant load (i.e., power consumption) by not having to adjust the applied voltage low (that is, without controlling the PWM duty low). As described above, by maintaining the load constantly without adjusting the applied voltage to a low level in water with high electrical conductivity (i.e., without lowering the PWM duty), it is possible to further reduce the power consumption of the conventional power supply, Performance can be kept the same as before.

Hereinafter, the operation of the controller 210 will be described in more detail with reference to FIG. 5 is a flowchart illustrating a method of controlling electrical conductivity of a hydroxyl-generating device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

5, the controller 210 detects an actual current and a voltage applied to the hydroxyl generator 120, converts the actual current and the voltage into an AD signal, and calculates a load (power consumption) of the hydroxyl generator 120, (S101).

The load (power consumption) varies depending on the electrical conductivity of the water into which the product (i.e., the hydroxyl-generating device) is charged.

The control unit 210 determines whether the calculated load amount (power consumption) is equal to or less than a predetermined set value (e.g., 40 W) (S102).

As a result of the determination (S102), if the calculated load amount (power consumption) is larger than a predetermined set value (NO in S102), it means that the electric current is higher than the rated current (for example, 10A) because of high electric conductivity.

The control unit 210 increases the rotation speed (or rotation speed) of the motor 320 (that is, the motor to which the pump is connected) (S103) and increases the flow rate of the water passing through the hydroxyl generation unit 120 Thereby increasing the flow rate, thereby decreasing the electrical conductivity.

When the electric conductivity is reduced as described above, the current flow is reduced.

As described above, when the current flow is reduced, the load (power consumption) is reduced without adjusting the applied voltage to a low level (i.e., without lowering the PWM duty).

On the other hand, if it is determined in step S102 that the calculated load amount (power consumption) is smaller than the predetermined set value (YES in step S102), it means that the electric current is lower than the rated current (for example, 10A) do.

Accordingly, the controller 210 increases the applied voltage (i.e., increases the PWM duty) (S104).

As described above, in this embodiment, the electrical conductivity of water is adjusted so that the applied voltage is not controlled to be low, and the power consumption is kept constant to maintain the generated amount of hydroxyl groups constant.

As another embodiment, at least one of the voltage applied to the electrodes (for example, positive and negative electrodes), the current flowing through the electrodes, or the PWM duty is detected in addition to the power consumption of the hydroxyl group generating unit, The motor rotational speed may be adjusted based on the detected value, and the electric conductivity may be adjusted by adjusting the flow rate or flow rate of water according to the rotational speed of the motor.

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, I will understand the point. Accordingly, the technical scope of the present invention should be defined by the following claims.

120: hydroxyl group generating portion 122: positive electrode portion
124: negative electrode part 127: upper case
128: lower case 150: power conversion unit
180: H bridge circuit 185:
210: control unit 220: input voltage adjustment unit
230: Voltage detector 240: Current detector
310: motor driving unit 320: motor

Claims (7)

A hydroxyl group generating unit that sequentially combines the upper case, the plate-like positive electrode, the insulating member, the plate-like negative electrode, and the lower case to generate a hydroxyl group;
A pump for generating a water flow through the hydroxyl-generating unit; And
Detecting at least any one of a power consumption of the hydroxyl group generating unit, a voltage applied to the positive electrode and the negative electrode, a current consumed in the positive electrode and the negative electrode, or a PWM duty, and based on any one of the detected values, And controlling the electric conductivity of the periphery of the hydroxyl group generating unit by controlling the electric conductivity of the hydroxyl group generating unit.
The apparatus of claim 1,
Wherein the control unit increases the motor rotational speed of the pump to a predetermined value when the power consumption is greater than the preset value, thereby adjusting the electric conductivity of the pump to a lower value.
The method according to claim 1,
Wherein the controller decreases the electric conductivity when increasing a flow rate or a flow rate of water passing through the hydroxyl generator through the adjustment of the motor rotational speed of the pump.
The apparatus of claim 1,
And increases the applied voltage applied to the hydroxyl generating unit when the power consumption is lower than a set value.
Detecting at least any one of a power consumption of the hydroxyl generating unit, a voltage applied to the positive electrode and the negative electrode, a current consumed in the positive electrode and the negative electrode, or a PWM duty; And
And adjusting the electric conductivity of the periphery of the hydroxyl generating unit by adjusting the rotational speed of the pump of the pump that generates the water flow through the hydroxyl generating unit based on at least one of the detected values Wherein the electric conductivity of the hydroxyl group-generating device is controlled.
6. The method of claim 5,
Wherein the electric conductivity is decreased when the controller controls the rotational speed of the motor of the pump to increase the flow rate or flow rate of water passing through the hydroxyl generator.
6. The method of claim 5,
The control unit increases the voltage applied to the hydroxyl generating unit when the power consumption is lower than the set value and increases the motor rotational speed of the pump to a predetermined value when the power consumption is greater than the set value Thereby adjusting the electrical conductivity of the hydroxyl group generating device to a low level.

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