KR20200124445A - Purifying Apparatus Providing Hydrogen Water with Increased Life span of Usage of Hydrogen Generator - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to a water purifier providing hydrogen water with increased service life of a hydrogen generator and, more specifically, to a water purifier providing hydrogen water, comprising: a filter unit to which at least one filter is connected; a main tank which stores purified water obtained through the filter unit; a heat treatment unit which heats or cools the purified water from the main tank; and a hydrogen generator for supplying hydrogen by an electrolytic reaction to the purified water subjected to the heat treatment, wherein the filter unit includes a pair of electrode plates, and further includes an electric storage type desalination filter applying voltage to a pair of electrode plates in a water purification process so that ions in the water are electrically adsorbed and removed from an electrode surface, and applying reverse voltage in a regeneration process to desorb and remove the adsorbed ions.

Description

Purifying Apparatus Providing Hydrogen Water with Increased Life span of Usage of Hydrogen Generator}

The present invention relates to a water purification device providing hydrogen water, and more particularly, hydrogen water that can significantly improve the service life of a hydrogen generator by reducing the formation of scale at the hydrogen generating electrode in a water purification device providing hydrogen water with excellent antioxidant activity. It relates to a water purification device provided.

In recent years, interest in health is increasing worldwide, and interest in antioxidant activity in particular is increasing. In the case of water purifiers, it is increasingly preferred that those with health functions are included, and the demand for water purifiers with hydrogen generating function is increasing.

However, when a hydrogen generator is installed in the water purifier, there is a problem that scale is formed by attaching cations contained in raw water such as calcium or magnesium at the cathode. For this reason, it is necessary to remove cations contained in raw water as a pretreatment process, and a reverse osmosis filter (RO filter) may be provided for this purpose.

However, the reverse osmosis filter removes even useful minerals that are essential to the human body, so it may be harmful to health. In addition, the filter is frequently clogged and is frequently replaced, which is disadvantageous in terms of cost.

As described above, the present invention was conceived to solve these problems of the prior art, and the object of the present invention is to reduce the formation of scale at the hydrogen generating electrode in a water purifier that provides hydrogen water with excellent antioxidant activity, thereby reducing the service life of the hydrogen generator. It is to provide a water purification device for providing hydrogen water that can significantly improve.

The technical problem of the present invention as described above is achieved by the following means.

(1) a filter unit to which at least one or more is connected, a main tank for storing purified water obtained through the filter unit, and a heat treatment unit for heating or cooling purified water from the main tank; And a hydrogen generator for supplying hydrogen to the purified water subjected to the heat treatment by an electrolytic reaction,

The filter unit includes a pair of electrode plates, but in the water purification process, voltage is applied to the pair of electrode plates so that ions in water are electrically adsorbed and removed from the electrode surface, and in the regeneration process, the adsorbed ions are desorbed by applying a reverse voltage. An apparatus for providing hydrogen water with an increased service life of the hydrogen generator, characterized in that it includes a storage type desalination filter to be removed.

(2) In the above (1),

The electrode plate is a water purifying apparatus for providing hydrogen water, characterized in that made of a porous carbon material.

(3) In the above (1) or (2),

The electrode plate is a water purifying apparatus for providing hydrogen water, characterized in that 1 to 2% by weight of potassium oxide or 1 to 2% by weight of magnesium oxide is contained on the surface thereof.

(4) The power storage type desalination filter according to (1) or (2) above,

Provides hydrogen water, characterized in that a pair of storage-type desalination filters are placed in parallel and the storage-type desalination filter on the right is operated as a water purification process while the storage-type desalination filter on the left is performing the regeneration process, so that the water purification process is continuously performed. Water purifier.

(5) In the above (1),

The storage type desalination filter is a hydrogen water supply water purification device, characterized in that a plurality of positive and negative plates are arranged vertically.

(6) In (5) above,

A water purifying apparatus for providing hydrogen water, characterized in that a through hole is formed in the center of the positive plate and the negative plate to allow water to pass through.

According to the present invention, in a water purifying apparatus that provides hydrogen water having excellent antioxidant activity, it is possible to significantly improve the service life of the hydrogen generator by reducing the formation of scale at the hydrogen generating electrode.

1 is a block diagram of a water purification apparatus for providing hydrogen water according to the prior art.
2 is a block diagram of a power storage type desalination filter according to the present invention.
3 is a block diagram showing an embodiment of a power storage type desalination filter according to the present invention.
4 is a block diagram showing another embodiment of a power storage type desalination filter according to the present invention.

Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. The detailed description to be disclosed hereinafter together with the accompanying drawings is intended to describe exemplary embodiments of the present invention, and is not intended to represent the only embodiments in which the present invention may be practiced. The following detailed description includes specific details to provide a thorough understanding of the present invention. However, those of ordinary skill in the art to which the present invention pertains knows that the present invention may be practiced without these specific details.

In some cases, in order to avoid obscuring the concept of the present invention, well-known structures and devices may be omitted, or may be shown in a block diagram form centering on core functions of each structure and device.

Throughout the specification, when a part is said to "comprising or including" a certain component, it means that other components may be further included rather than excluding other components unless specifically stated to the contrary. do. In addition, terms such as "... unit", "... group", and "module" described in the specification mean units that process at least one function or operation, which can be implemented by hardware or software or a combination of hardware and software. have. In addition, "a or an", "one", "the" and similar related words are different from this specification in the context of describing the present invention (especially in the context of the following claims). Unless otherwise indicated or clearly contradicted by context, it may be used in a sense encompassing both the singular and the plural.

In describing the embodiments of the present invention, if it is determined that a detailed description of a known function or configuration may unnecessarily obscure the subject matter of the present invention, a detailed description thereof will be omitted. In addition, terms to be described later are terms defined in consideration of functions in an embodiment of the present invention, which may vary according to the intention or custom of users or operators. Therefore, the definition should be made based on the contents throughout this specification.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

1 is a diagram illustrating the overall configuration of a water purifying apparatus for providing hydrogen water according to an embodiment of the present invention.

In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the filter unit 100 is made of at least one continuous filter, preferably a precipitation filter 10, a first carbon filter 20, an ultrafiltration membrane 30, and a storage type desalination. It consists of a filter 40 and a second carbon filter 50.

The sediment filter 10 is a first-stage pre-treatment filter made of high-density polypropylene of 5 μm or less, and filters debris and pollutants of about 5 μm or more. The sediment filter 10 serves to extend the life of the filter in the next step by removing suspended solids such as dust, sand and rust in water pipes contained in the influent water.

The first carbon filter 20 is manufactured by burning coconut bark, sawdust, wood, charcoal, coal, etc., which are harmless to the human body at a high temperature of 1,000°C or higher. It reaches square meters. The adsorption power of activated carbon appears in the process of contaminants infiltrating these fine gaps, and plays a role in removing residual chlorine components and volatile organic compounds dissolved in raw water.

The ultrafiltration membrane 30 corresponds to an intermediate degree between a microfiltration membrane and a reverse osmosis membrane, and removes organic compounds, impurities and general bacteria of 0.1 micron or more present in the treated water by using a semipermeable membrane. In the present invention, the material of the ultrafiltration membrane is a cellulose-based (cellulose acetate, etc.) as an organic membrane, and a synthetic resin-based ((polysulfon), polyethylene, polypropylene, polyacrylonitrium, etc.), and a ceramic-based ( Aluminum oxide, zirconium oxide, etc.) may be used.

The power storage type desalination filter 40 includes a pair of electrode plates as shown in FIG. 2. The electrode plate is preferably made of a porous carbon material. More preferably, the electrode plates 41 and 42 contain 1 to 2% by weight of potassium oxide or/and 1 to 2% by weight of magnesium oxide on the surface thereof. Potassium oxide and magnesium oxide are substances capable of releasing hydrogen when they come into contact with water.When coated on pores made of porous carbon, hydrogen is released into the treated water during water purification, and hydrogen water is additionally supplied with the hydrogen generator at the rear stage. It is possible to do.

Although potassium oxide and magnesium oxide are partially dissolved in the treated water, a concern may be raised that cations may increase, but they are not only trace amounts, but also adhere directly to the negative electrode plate 41, so that no problem occurs.

The storage type desalination filter 40 of the present invention may perform two cycles of a water purification process and a regeneration process, and the cycle period may be determined according to water quality or surrounding environment.

As shown in the process in the storage type desalination filter of the present invention in FIG. 2, positive and negative ions present in the treated water by applying a forward voltage to the pair of electrode plates 41 and 42 facing each other are removed from the negative electrode plate 41, respectively. The treated water is electrically attached to the surface of the positive electrode plate 42 and removed, and the treated water from which ions have been removed is transferred to the rear end through the open supply valve 43.

As shown, during the water purification process, the supply valve 43 is opened and the drain valve 44 is blocked. During this process, cations such as lithium ions, sodium ions, potassium ions, magnesium ions, calcium ions, and ammonium ions, which are positive ions, are attached to the negative electrode plate 41 among the pair of electrode plates. Ions, sulfide ions, hydroxide ions, nitrate ions, carbonate ions, and sulfate ions are attached.

Conversely, in the regeneration process, when a reverse voltage is applied between both electrode plates in the opposite direction to that in the water purification process while supplying washing water, ions attached to each electrode plate 41 and 42 are desorbed and discharged to the outside together with the washing water. During the execution of the regeneration process, the supply valve 43 is shut off while the washing water is supplied, and the drain valve 44 is opened.

As shown in FIG. 3, the power storage type desalination filter 40 can be operated in duplicate. In this case, it is also possible to continuously perform the water purification process by alternately performing the water purification process and the regeneration process.

For example, while a pair of storage type desalination filters 40 and 40' are placed in parallel and the storage type desalination filter 40 on the left is performing the regeneration process, the storage type desalination filter 40' on the right is operated as a water purification process. It is possible to ensure that the water purification process is carried out continuously. In this case, if a 3WAY or 4WAY automatic valve is used, the valve can be automatically adjusted to smoothly perform the supply and drainage process when the pair of storage type desalination filters 40 and 40' alternately operate.

4 is a block diagram showing another embodiment of the storage type desalination filter according to the present invention. The electrode plate has a form in which a plurality of negative electrode plates 41 and positive plates 42 are alternately arranged vertically.

Preferably, a through hole is formed in the center of the negative electrode plate 41 and the positive electrode plate 42 to allow the desalted water to pass through the center. Various ions contained in the treated water while passing between the plurality of negative electrode plates and the positive electrode plates Can be completely removed sequentially.

Compared to the conventional reverse osmosis filter (RO), the above process is economical and efficient in that cleaning can be performed in a simple and quick time without consuming a large amount of energy by simply changing the direction of the voltage.

As described above, in the water purification process according to the present invention, it is possible to control the mineral content in water through an electrical treatment process, thereby preventing the formation of scale at the cathode in the subsequent hydrogen generator.

The second carbon filter 50 is a filter that prevents bacterial propagation in the last step of the water purifier and removes unpleasant odors, tastes, and pigments that have penetrated into the treated water to make colorless and odorless clean water.

The purified water passing through the filter unit 100 as described above is stored in the main tank 200.

The purified water stored in the main tank is cooled and heated according to cold water and hot water through a cooler 300 in the former case and a heater 400 in the latter case.

Cold water is again stored in the cold water tank 500, and hot water is stored in the hot water tank 600.

Preferably, the cold water tank 500 or/and the hot water tank 600 has a hydrogen generator 700 installed therein. The hydrogen generator 700 uses an electrolysis process of purified water, and among both electrodes, hydrogen gas is generated at the cathode and oxygen gas is generated at the anode.

As described above, in the conventional hydrogen generator, since the scale is formed by attaching cation series such as calcium ions and magnesium ions, which are positive ions at the cathode, there is a problem that the hydrogen generation efficiency is significantly lowered, but in the present invention, in the storage type desalination filter 40 Compared to the use of the RO filter, it is possible to efficiently remove cations using low energy, and thus the rate at which scale is formed can be significantly reduced.

As described above, hot water or cold water containing hydrogen is selectively discharged in the form of warm water, cold water, or mixtures thereof by the selector 800.

Through the above configuration, it is possible to adjust the TDS of the purified water flowing into the hydrogen generator to a level of 90 to 120 ppm in the water purifier that provides hydrogen water with excellent antioxidant activity, reducing the formation of scale at the hydrogen generating electrode and the service life of the hydrogen generator. Can be significantly improved.

As a result of comparing the device using the conventional reverse osmosis filter and the device according to the present invention as described above, in the case of a water purifier using a reverse osmosis filter as shown in the results in Table 1 below, the filter replacement cycle is short, about 5 to 6 months, and then While it is possible to observe with the naked eye that scale has started to form in the hydrogen generator, the device according to the present invention does not generate scale when observed with the naked eye in the hydrogen generator even after one year has elapsed, so that the hydrogen water drinking water is continuously consumed for a long period of time. Can provide.

existing The present invention Filter replacement cycle 5-6 months Normal operation even over 1 year Hydrogen generator scale formation
(Visual observation) Visual observation of the scale after 6 months No scale observation even after 1 year

As described above, the present invention has been described with reference to preferred embodiments of the present invention, but those skilled in the art can variously modify and change the present invention within the scope not departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention described in the following claims. You will understand that you can do it.

10: sediment filter
20: first carbon filter
30: ultrafiltration membrane
40: storage type desalting filter
50: second carbon filter
100: filter unit
200: main tank
300: cooler
400: heater
500: cold water tank
600: hot water tank
700: hydrogen generator

Claims (6)

A filter unit to which at least one filter is connected, a main tank for storing purified water obtained through the filter unit, and a heat treatment unit for heating or cooling the purified water from the main tank; And a hydrogen generator for supplying hydrogen by an electrolytic reaction to the purified water subjected to the heat treatment,
The filter unit includes at least one pair of electrode plates, but in the water purification process, a voltage is applied to the pair of electrode plates so that ions in water are electrically adsorbed and removed from the electrode surface, and in the regeneration process, a reverse voltage is applied to desorb the adsorbed ions. A water purifying apparatus providing hydrogen water with an increased service life of the hydrogen generator, characterized in that it includes a storage type desalination filter that is removed by making the filter. The method of claim 1,
The electrode plate is a water purifying apparatus for providing hydrogen water, characterized in that made of a porous carbon material. The method according to claim 1 or 2,
The electrode plate is a water purifying apparatus for providing hydrogen water, characterized in that it contains 1 to 2% by weight of potassium oxide or 1 to 2% by weight of magnesium oxide on its surface. The method of claim 1 or 2, wherein the power storage type desalination filter,
Provides hydrogen water, characterized in that a pair of storage-type desalination filters are placed in parallel and the storage-type desalination filter on the right is operated as a water purification process while the storage-type desalination filter on the left is performing the regeneration process, so that the water purification process is continuously performed. Water purifier. The method of claim 1,
The storage type desalination filter is a water purifying apparatus for providing hydrogen water, characterized in that a plurality of positive and negative plates are arranged vertically. The method of claim 5,
A water purifying apparatus for providing hydrogen water, characterized in that a through hole is formed in the center of the positive plate and the negative plate to allow water to pass through.

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