TW202210423A - Water production apparatus and water production method - Google Patents

Abstract

Provided is a water production apparatus which makes it possible to prevent the contamination of dew condensation water with viruses in the air to thereby produce high-purity water from the air. A water production apparatus for producing water from the air, which is a water production apparatus 10 comprising: an air introduction unit 1 for introducing the air A; an air sterilization treatment unit 2 for decomposing an organic substance in the introduced air that has been introduced from the air intake unit 1 into water and carbon dioxide to sterilize the introduced air; and a water production unit 3 which is arranged on the downstream side of the air sterilization treatment unit 2 and condenses moisture in the sterilized air that has been sterilized in the air sterilization treatment unit 2 to produce dew condensation water.

Description

Water production device and water production method

The present invention relates to a water generating device and a water generating method.

Conventionally, various apparatuses have been developed as water production apparatuses that condense moisture in the air to produce drinking water or the like. In each of these devices, after condensing the moisture in the air, the removal of foreign matter is realized by performing physical filtration treatment using various filters, etc., or by administering a chemical as needed. The sterilization treatment ensures safety as drinking water (refer to Patent Documents 1 and 2).

However, in the conventional water generating apparatus, it is extremely difficult to remove extremely small contaminants such as viruses mixed in the air by filtering the generated water or the like.

In addition, in the case of performing sterilization treatment by the administration of chemicals as described above to the generated water, the cost of quality management is pursued in order to ensure a high degree of safety of the water after the administration of chemicals. On the other hand, there are cases in which the product value/image of the generated water is lowered for consumers who seek safe "pure water". [Prior Art Literature] [Patent Literature]

[Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2013-94757 [Patent Document 2] Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2016-209810

[The problem to be solved by the invention]

The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and its object is to provide a water generating device capable of generating high-purity and high-safety water by preventing viruses in the air from being mixed into the condensed water in a device for generating water from air, and water generation method. [Technical means to solve the problem]

The inventors of the present invention have considered that the basic process of water generation in a water generation device that generates water from air is different from the previous one, and changed to a process of decomposing the air itself by decomposing the organic matter before condensing the water in the air. The process of sterilizing treatment and then condensing the air after the sterilization treatment can prevent viruses in the air from mixing into the condensed water, and can generate high-purity water, thereby completing the present invention. Specifically, the present invention provides the following contents.

(1) A water generating device that generates water from air, and includes: an air introduction part that introduces air; and an air sterilization treatment part that includes an organic matter decomposing part by introducing the air introduced from the air introduction part The organic matter in it is decomposed into water and carbon dioxide, and the above-mentioned introduced air is sterilized; Moisture in the air condenses to form condensed water.

According to the water generating device of (1), by decomposing all organic substances mixed into the air into water and carbon dioxide for sterilization, and preventing viruses and the like introduced into the air from being mixed into the condensed water, high-purity and safe production from the air is possible. High water.

(2) The water generating device according to (1), wherein a device for performing chemical sterilization treatment is not provided on the downstream side of the water generating portion.

According to the water generating apparatus of (2), by setting the produced water after coagulation as an apparatus that does not perform chemical sterilization treatment such as sterilization treatment by a chemical for sterilization, the cost of quality control can be suppressed, and the cost of quality control can be reduced. For consumers who pursue safe "pure water", improve the product value/image of generated water. In addition, the so-called "chemical sterilization treatment" in this specification refers to the removal, sterilization, or Inactivation treatment.

(3) The water generating apparatus according to (1) or (2), wherein the organic substance decomposing part is a photocatalyst filter.

According to the water generating apparatus of (3), the photocatalyst filter is used for decomposition|disassembly of an organic substance. Thereby, the decomposition performance of the organic matter in the water generating device of (2) can be significantly improved, and the removal function of the organic matter can be stably maintained at a high level for a long period of time. In addition, unlike the case of the irradiation of ultraviolet rays, which are considered as other decomposition methods, or the decomposition methods by chemical reactions such as ozone or hypochlorous acid, the adverse effects on the human body are virtually zero. The face is also very beneficial.

(4) A water generation method for generating water from air, and comprising: an air introduction step which introduces air; an air sterilization treatment step by which the air introduced in the aforementioned air introduction step is introduced into the air. The organic matter decomposition treatment in which the organic matter is decomposed into water and carbon dioxide, and the sterilization treatment is performed on the introduced air; and the water generation step, which condenses the moisture in the air that has been sterilized and sterilized in the air sterilization treatment step to generate condensed water .

According to the water production method of (4), all organic substances mixed into the air are decomposed into water and carbon dioxide and sterilized, thereby more reliably preventing viruses from mixing into the condensed water, and producing higher purity and higher safety from the air. of water.

(5) The water production method according to (4), wherein in the water production step, moisture in the air that has been sterilized and sterilized in the air sterilization treatment step and the decomposition product of the organic matter, that is, moisture is condensed.

According to the water production method of (5), in the water production method of (4), the water produced in the intermediate process (water as the decomposition product of organic matter) can be effectively used without omission, so that the production of water can be improved. efficiency.

(6) A drinking water supply method, which supplies the condensed water produced by the water production method of (4) or (5) as drinking water.

According to the drinking water supply method of (6), the above-mentioned effects obtained by the water production method of (4) or (5) can be enjoyed, and drinking water with high safety can be supplied.

(7) The drinking water supply method according to (6), wherein the condensed water is supplied as drinking water without chemically sterilizing the condensed water.

According to the drinking water supply method of (7), the cost of quality control can be suppressed, and the pursuit of For consumers of safe "pure water", the commodity value/image of the generated water is improved. [Effect of invention]

According to the present invention, viruses in the air are prevented from being mixed into the condensed water, and high-purity and high-safety water can be generated from the air.

Hereinafter, the best form for carrying out this invention is demonstrated in detail, referring drawings etc. suitably.

＜Water generator＞ The water generating device of the present invention (hereinafter also simply referred to as "water generating device") is a device that generates water from air. The air used in the water generating apparatus of the present invention may be air containing moisture or a gas based on the composition, and the atmosphere of the place where the water generating apparatus is used may be taken in as it is and used. In addition, the above-mentioned air may be a gas collected at a place other than the installation place of the water generating device, as long as it is a gas containing moisture.

In addition, the water system generated from the air by the water generator is a highly safe water that removes minute organic substances such as viruses with a very high removal rate. Of course, it can be used as general domestic water such as bath water and washing water. , is water that can be used as drinking water.

[Overall composition] The basic structure of the water generation apparatus 10 which is an example of embodiment of this invention is as shown in FIG. The water generating device 10 is constituted by the following parts: an air introduction part 1, which introduces air containing moisture; In the specification, it is referred to as "introduced air") for sterilization treatment; and a water generation part 3, which condenses moisture in the air that has been sterilized and sterilized in the air sterilization treatment part 2 to generate condensed water.

Moreover, the air sterilization processing part 2 which comprises the water generation apparatus 10 is comprised including the organic substance decomposition part 21, and this organic substance decomposition part 21 decomposes organic substances, such as viruses and other microorganisms, into water and carbon dioxide. Specifically, the organic matter decomposition unit 21 is preferably a photocatalyst filter.

Furthermore, the water production device of the present invention can be implemented not only as a device in which the above-mentioned components are integrated, but also as a whole system in which the above-mentioned components are distributed and arranged, and each component is linked to generate water. form implemented. As an example, it is of course also within the technical scope of the present invention to implement a system in which the components including the air introduction unit 1 and the air sterilization treatment unit 2 are distributed and arranged in a plurality of different In a place, these are connected to a single water generating part 3 to generate water.

(air introduction part) The device constituting the air introduction portion 1 is not limited to a specific device, and may be any device having a function of sucking and introducing air such as air containing moisture into the water generating device 10 . As an example, the air introduction part 1 may be constituted by various fans, pumps, or a combination of these.

(Air Sterilization Department) The air sterilization treatment unit 2 may be composed of various apparatuses having a function of sterilizing the air (referred to as "introduction air" in this specification) introduced into the water generating device 10 from the air introduction unit 1 .

Here, the term "sterilization treatment" in this specification refers to any treatment that kills or removes proliferative microorganisms such as viruses and bacteria, or fine organic matter. The "sterilization treatment" may be carried out as long as it satisfies the removal rate according to the specific standard required by the usage of the water generated by the water generating device. The air sterilization processing unit 2 that performs such "sterilization processing" is not limited to a specific device, and may be a configuration including the organic matter decomposition section 21 for decomposing organic matter into water and carbon dioxide.

Specifically, it is preferable that the organic substance decomposition part 21 is a photocatalyst filter. The photocatalyst filter is, for example, a device that supports a photocatalyst such as titanium oxide on a filter through which gas can flow, and decomposes/removes organic matter passing through the filter by irradiating the photocatalyst with light. Furthermore, the optimum wavelength of light irradiated to the photocatalyst varies depending on the type of catalyst, but in the case of using titanium oxide, irradiation with ultraviolet rays is the most effective. The photocatalyst filter preferably has a built-in light source that irradiates the photocatalyst with light of a suitable wavelength, but sunlight can also be used, and by optimizing the catalyst, even visible light can be used to enjoy the effects of the present invention.

Furthermore, in the field of photocatalyst filters, in recent years, devices that are small but capable of handling an extremely large amount of air, such as the photocatalyst filter disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2019-103963, have been increasingly developed. In the water generating apparatus of the present invention, a photocatalyst filter having such a high organic matter decomposing function can be suitably used as an apparatus constituting the organic matter decomposing section 21 . By using a photocatalyst filter having such a high organic matter decomposing function as the organic matter decomposing unit 21 constituting the air sterilizing treatment unit 2, it is possible to realize sterilization of the degree of completely killing viruses and the like mixed in the air. deal with.

In addition, the air sterilization processing part 2 may be a structure in which other various adsorbents, filters, etc. are combined in an auxiliary manner in addition to the organic substance decomposition part 21 . For example, as an example of a preferable configuration of the air sterilization treatment section 2, the following configuration can be mentioned: in the upstream stage before the air is introduced to pass through the photocatalyst filter, a filter that can preliminarily remove particles of a certain size or larger is arranged; In the downstream stage after passing through the photocatalyst filter, various adsorbents and the like are arranged to capture particles and the like from the remaining components after decomposition.

(Water production department) As long as the water generation part 3 is provided on the downstream side of the air sterilization treatment part 2, it can condense the moisture contained in the air sterilized in the air sterilization treatment part 2 (referred to as "sterilized air" in this specification). It is sufficient to generate condensed water, and it is not limited to a specific machine, as long as it has such a function. As an example, the water generation part 3 may be comprised by the thing which formed the fin on the back surface side of a metal part.

(other components) In order to further purify the condensed water, for example, to ensure a higher level of safety as drinking water, the water generating device 10 may further include a purification unit (not shown) composed of an activated carbon filter, an RO membrane, or the like. In addition, although the sterilization treatment can be performed within a necessary range with a sterilization agent, etc., the water generating device 10 performs the necessary sterilization treatment at the stage of introducing air, and the generated water after condensation is not treated by a sterilization treatment. The sterilization treatment of the chemical can still ensure sufficient safety as drinking water, and in this regard, it is a device that can be particularly advantageous.

＜How to generate water＞ The water production method of the present invention (hereinafter simply referred to as "water production method") is a method of producing water from air. The air used in the water production method is the same as the air used in the water production device of the present invention, as long as it is a gas containing moisture, and the atmosphere of the place where the water production method is carried out can be directly introduced and used. In addition, the air may be gas collected at a place other than the place where the water production method is carried out. The water produced from the air by the water production method is similar to the water produced by the water production device of the present invention, and can be used not only as general domestic water such as bath water and washing water, but also as drinking water. water of water.

[Overall composition] FIG. 3 is a flow chart showing the steps of the water production method P1 of the present invention. The water production method P1 is a method of producing water W from the air A, and is a process of sequentially executing at least three steps of the air introduction step St1, the air sterilization treatment step St2, and the water production step St3.

The water production method P1 can be implemented using the water production apparatus of the present invention. However, the specific means for implementing the water production method P1 is not necessarily limited to the water production apparatus of the present invention. Even if it is a process performed by other means of implementation, as long as it is a method for producing water that satisfies the requirements related to the above-mentioned three steps, it also falls within the technical scope of the present invention. However, the following describes the details of the water production method of the present invention, using the embodiment of the water production device 10 as a specific example of a preferred embodiment.

(air introduction step) In the air introduction step St1 , the air A is introduced into the water generating device 10 through the air introduction part 1 . As the air A, the atmosphere around the place where the water production method is implemented can be used.

(air sterilization treatment step) In the air sterilization treatment step St2, the air sterilization treatment part 2 performs the treatment of sterilizing the introduced air. In this way, the main feature of the water production method P1 is that before the introduction air is condensed, the sterilized air is preliminarily made into the sterilized air in the upstream process, and then the sterilized air is condensed. sequence of steps.

In the sterilization treatment in the air sterilization treatment step St2, the organic matter decomposition treatment St21 for decomposing the organic matter introduced into the air into water and carbon dioxide is performed. In addition, it is preferable that this organic substance decomposition process St21 is performed by a photocatalyst filter (refer FIG. 2).

By maximizing the function of the photocatalyst filter, it is possible to almost completely decompose the fine organic matter O mixed with the introduced air into water W ₂ (H ₂ O) in the process on the upstream side of the step of generating condensate water. ) and carbon dioxide (CO ₂ ) to become the sterilized air that removes organic substances such as viruses and other bacteria with a very high removal rate (see Figure 3).

(Water generation step) In the water generation step St3, the air sterilized by the sterilization treatment in the air sterilization treatment step St2 is condensed to obtain condensed water with a very small amount of organic substances such as viruses and other bacteria.

In addition, in the air sterilization treatment step St2, in the case of performing the organic matter decomposition treatment St21 using a photocatalyst filter or the like, the condensed water obtained in the water production step St3 can be mixed in the amount of organic matter such as viruses and the like can be reduced to a smaller amount. within the content range. In addition, in the case of performing the organic matter decomposition treatment St21 in this way, in addition to the water W1 contained in the air A that is the introduced air at the time of self _- introduction, the water W2, which is _a part of the decomposition product of the organic matter O, is also used. Parts are condensed together, whereby the water generation efficiency in the water generation step St3 can be further improved (refer to FIG. 6 ).

[Drinking water supply method] The condensed water produced by the water production method P1, that is, the water W, is sterilized at the stage of the gas before condensation, so that the contamination of viruses and the like is suppressed to an extremely small amount. Therefore, the coagulated liquid state can be supplied as safe drinking water without chemical sterilization treatment, as it is or only by physical filtration or adsorption treatment again. The condensate produced by the water production method P1 adopts the production method that excludes chemical sterilization treatment, so that the cost of quality control can be suppressed, and the production of "pure water" consumers who pursue safety can be increased. The commodity value/image of water.

1: Air introduction unit 2: Air sterilization treatment unit 3: Water generation unit 10: Water generation device 21: Organic matter decomposition unit (photocatalyst filter) A: Air O: Organic matter (virus) P1: Water generation method St1: Air introduction step St2: air sterilization treatment step St3: water production step St21: organic matter decomposition treatment W, W ₁ , W ₂ : water

FIG. 1 is a block diagram schematically showing the constitution of the water generating apparatus of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a diagram schematically showing an example of the configuration of the air sterilization treatment section constituting the water generating apparatus of the present invention. FIG. 3 is a flow chart showing the steps of the water production method of the present invention. FIG. 4 is a diagram schematically showing an example of an embodiment of the air sterilization treatment step performed in the water production method of the present invention. FIG. 5 is a diagram schematically showing an example of an embodiment of the decomposition of organic matter carried out in the water production method of the present invention. FIG. 6 is a diagram schematically showing an example of an embodiment of the water production step performed in the water production method of the present invention.

1: Air inlet

2: Air Sterilization Department

3: Water generation part

10: Water generation device

A: air

W: water

Claims (7)

A water generating device, which generates water from air, and has: an air introduction portion, which introduces air; an air sterilization treatment part, which includes an organic matter decomposing part, which sterilizes the introduced air by decomposing the organic matter introduced into the air introduced from the air introduction part into water and carbon dioxide; and The water generation part is provided on the downstream side of the air sterilization treatment part, and condenses moisture in the air sterilized and sterilized in the air sterilization treatment part to generate condensed water. The water generating device of claim 1, wherein a device for chemical sterilization is not provided on the downstream side of the water generating portion. The water generating apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the organic substance decomposing part is a photocatalyst filter. A method for generating water for generating water from air, comprising: an air introduction step, which introduces air; an air sterilization treatment step, which sterilizes the introduced air by decomposing the organic matter introduced in the air introduction step into water and carbon dioxide; and The water generation step is to condense the moisture in the air that has been sterilized and sterilized in the aforementioned air sterilization treatment step to generate condensed water. The water production method according to claim 4, wherein in the water production step, the moisture in the air sterilized and sterilized in the air sterilization treatment step and the decomposed product of the organic matter, that is, moisture are condensed. A drinking water supply method which supplies the condensed water produced by the water production method of claim 4 or 5 as drinking water. The drinking water supply method according to claim 6, wherein the condensed water is supplied as drinking water without chemical sterilization treatment.

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