WO1998001211A1

WO1998001211A1 - Apparatus and method for purifying gas and annular filter thereof

Info

Publication number: WO1998001211A1
Application number: PCT/KR1996/000130
Authority: WO
Inventors: Moon Chan Park
Original assignee: Moon Chan Park
Priority date: 1996-07-10
Filing date: 1996-08-05
Publication date: 1998-01-15
Also published as: KR960040418A; AU6670996A; KR100212301B1

Abstract

Disclosed are an apparatus and a method for purifying gas and an annular filter thereof, by which direct and continuous filtering the gas and cleaning the filter are possible. In the method, each of the filters (100) performs a tracking movement along a track which is formed through a first and a second chamber. Each filter (100) has an endless annular belt-type construction disposed through the first and the second chambers. The first and the second chambers are fluid-separated from each other. During the tracking movement, cleaning solution is sprayed onto a front side (100a) of each filter and then compressed air is sprayed onto a front side (100a) thereof in the first chamber. The front side (100a) is transformed to the rear side (100b) in the first chamber due to the tracking movement. Simultaneously, the gas successively passes through the front (100a) and the rear (100b) sides of the filter (100) in the second chamber.

Description

TITLE OF THE INVENTION

APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR PURIFYING GAS AND ANNULAR FILTER THEREOF

Background of the Invention

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to an apparatus and a method for purifying gas and an annular filter used therein, and more particularly to a compact sized direct-and- continuous cleaning and regenerating type apparatus and method for purifying exhaust gas or polluted air, in which the polluted air or the exhaust gas is purified by passing directly and continuously through an annular filter, and the present invention further relates to the annular filter used in the apparatus and the method, which is continuously cleaned and regenerated simultaneously while the gas is purified by the filter. 2. Prior Arts

In a general air conditioner or a general exhaust gas purifier, no direct and continuous cleaning or regenerating a filter is carried out simultaneously with purifying polluted air or exhaust gas (hereinafter, gas) by the filter. That is, when the filter is regenerated, the air conditioner or the purifier is stopped and the filter is cleaned by a separate vacuum sucking means or a separate spray -type cleaner in a state where the filter is separated from the air conditioner or the purifier or is maintained integrally therein. Thereafter, the purifying operation of the air conditioner or the purifier is restarted.

In this case, and particularly in case of a general electric dirt -collector for air-conditioning, when the cleaning solution is sprayed, the sprayed solution is dispersed so as to cause electric discharge. Therefore, the purifying operation of the dirt-collector can not but be stopped when a filter of the dirt -collector is cleaned by the cleaning solution.

Further, the separate vacuum sucking means or the separate spray -type cleaner can not clean the filter completely but enables the filter to be reused temporarily. That is, it is very difficult to regenerate the filter to restore its original life by the separate vacuum sucking means or the separate spray - type cleaner. Furthermore, not complete but only temporal regeneration is possible depending on the material of the filter such as non-woven cloth or glass fiber .

summary of the Invention The present invention has been made to overcome the above described problems of the prior arts, and accordingly it is an object of the present invention to provide an apparatus and a method for purifying gas, and a filter used in the apparatus and the method, in which gas is purified by passing through the filter directly and continuously and at the same time the filter is continuously cleaned, and accordingly by which not only the filter can be regenerated semi -permanently but also a large quantity of gas can be processed even with a small -sized construction thereof.

To achieve the above object, the present invention provides a method for purifying gas by means of filters, the gas including polluted air and exhaust gas, said method comprising the steps of :

(1) making each of the filters perform a tracking movement along a track, said each of the filters having an endless annular belt -type construction disposed through a first chamber and a second chamber, the track being formed through the first chamber and the second chamber, the first chamber enclosing one end of said each of the filters and one end of the track, the first chamber and the second chamber being fluid- separated from each other;

(2) simultaneously with step 1, spraying cleaning solution onto a front side of said each of the filters in the first chamber; (3) simultaneously with step 1 and after step 2, spraying compressed air onto a rear side of said each of the filters in the first chamber, said front side being transformed to the rear side in the first chamber due to the tracking movement; and

(4) simultaneously with steps 1, 2, 3, and 4, passing the gas through said each of the filters in the second chamber, the gas successively passing the front side and the rear side of said each of the filters in the second chamber .

Preferably, the spray of the cleaning solution and the compressed air may be carried out from interior to exterior of the filter, thereby improving the cleaning effect of the filters.

The present invention further provides an apparatus for purifying gas, the gas including polluted air and exhaust gas, said apparatus comprising: at least a filter for purifying the gas, the filter performing tracking movement by one pair of rotating means disposed at opposite ends of the filter in a longitudinal direction of the filter, the filter having an endless belt -type construction, the filter having a front filtering surface and a rear filtering surface; means for fluid- separating one end portion of the filter from a remaining portion of the filter; means for cleaning the filter, said cleaning means including a cleaning solution spray tube having a plurality of cleaning solution spray nozzles, the cleaning solution spray nozzles spraying cleaning solution onto the front filtering surface of said one end portion of the filter; a compressed air spray tube having a plurality of compressed air spray nozzles, the compressed air spray nozzles spraying compressed air onto the rear filtering surface of said one end portion of the filter, so that the filter is cleaned at said one end portion and simultaneously purifies the gas at said remaining portion.

Particularly when the strength of the filter is weak, the apparatus may include a plurality of steel bars mounted longitudinally therein.

More preferably, the filter includes a plurality of support members fixedly attached to the filter with predetermined intervals and in a transverse direction of the filter so that the filter can perform the tracking movement. In this case, said one pair of rotating means include a pair of chains fixedly attached to opposite ends of the support members along entire length of the filter and two pairs of chain sprockets assembled with opposite ends of said pair of the chains in a longitudinal direction of the chains, the chain sprockets being connected to a driving means through a transmission so as to rotate, the chain sprockets making said pair of the chains perform the tracking movement. In the meantime, the apparatus may further include separation meas for preventing the gas from being blown into the cleaning means and rotating means. The separation eas may preferably be disposed at the front and the rear sides of the filter, and between the front and the rear surfaces of the filter, so as to improve the purifying efficiency and the cleaning efficiency. It is preferred that the filters may be disposed perpendicularly to the blowing direction of the gas and connected to each other in a transverse direction thereof when the apparatus is required to have a large capacity. Further, the apparatus may include a plurality of filters, every two of the filters being disposed as one set to form a V- shape, the filters being arranged to form serial W- letters depending on a capacity of the apparatus. Otherwise, the front and the rear filtering surfaces of each of the filter may be formed as a V- shape, the filters being arranged to form serial - letters depending on a capacity of the apparatus, so that resistance to blowing of the gas is minimized, and that filtering area is enlarged, while the apparatus has a compact size. In this case, the upper and lower ends of the V- shape and the serial - letters provide fluid- separation, and the gas is blown upward and downward of the V-shape and the W-letters.

The present invention further provides an annular filter comprising: a plurality of brush shells, each of the brush shells including a plurality of wires, a support rod, and a brush fixing cover, the wires being wound on and supported by the support rod, the brush fixing cover being fitted to the support rod so as to fix the wires to the support rod; and a pair of chains connected to the chain sprockets so as to enable the brush shells to perform the tracking movement, the brush shells being compactly connected to opposite connecting portions of the support rod without non- filtering gap, so as to form an endless belt construction.

Brief Description of the Drawings

The above object, and other features and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent by describing in detail preferred embodiments thereof with reference to the attached drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a front elevation of an apparatus for purifying gas according to an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a sectional view of the apparatus taken along line 2-2 in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a front elevation of an apparatus for purifying gas according to other embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 4 is an enlarged sectional view of the apparatus taken along line 4-4 in FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is a front elevation of an apparatus for purifying gas according to another embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 6 is a right-side view of the apparatus shown in FIG. 5;

FIG. 7 is a sectional view of the apparatus taken along line 7-7 in FIG. 5, an upper cover of which is eliminated;

FIG. 8 is a sectional view of the apparatus taken along line 8-8 in FIG. 5;

FIG. 9 is a sectional view of the apparatus taken along line 9-9 in FIG. 5, which shows a rotating means and a cleaning means for the filter in detail;

FIG. 10 is a sectional view of the apparatus taken along line 10-10 in FIG. 8;

FIG. 11 is a sectional view similar to FIG. 7, in which the filter is eliminated and a modified rotating means for the filter is shown in detail;

FIG. 12 is a sectional view of the apparatus taken along line 12-12 in FIG. 11;

FIG. 13 is a sectional view of the apparatus taken along line 13-13 in FIG. 12;

FIG. 14 is a sectional view of an apparatus according to another embodiment of the present invention, which is similar to FIG. 8 but has an electric dirt -collector; FIG. 15 is a sectional view similar to FIG. 7, in which the filter is eliminated and another modified rotating means for the filter is shown in detail; FIG. 16 is a sectional view of an apparatus according to another embodiment of the present invention, which is similar to FIG. 10;

FIGs . 17A and 17B are respectively a partial front view and a side view of a filter employed in an apparatus for purifying gas according to the present invention; and

FIG. 17C is a partly-abridged front view of a brush shell employed in the filter shown in FIG. 17A.

Description of the Preferred Embodiments

Several preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings . At first, briefly described will be a method for purifying gas according to the present invention, in which the gas is purified by a filter 100 and the filter 100 is cleaned by a cleaner.

Referring to FIGs. 1 and 2, the filter 100 has an endless belt type annular construction and performs a tracking movement. That is, the filter 100 circulates along an annular track. A part of the filter 100 located in the lower end portion of the track in the course of the tracking movement is fluid- separated from the other part of the filter 100 by a frame 30 which separates cleaning solution and a rotating means from each other . When the part of the filter 100 is located in the lower end portion of the track, the cleaning solution is sprayed onto a front filtering surface 100a which constitutes an upstream side or a front side of the filter 100, while compressed air is sprayed onto a rear filtering surface 100b which constitutes a downstream side or a rear side of the filter 100, so as to remove the cleaning solution adhered to the filter 100. Thereafter, the part of the filter 100 dried by the compressed air proceeds out of the lower end portion of the track, and the gas passes through and purified by the filter 100.

Though the above description is given about only a part of the filter 100, the cleaning solution and the compressed air are sprayed onto all the filtering surface of the filter 100 without interruption while the filter 100 circulates along the track. Therefore, the method enables continuous purifying the gas simultaneously with continuous and direct regenerating the filter.

It is preferred that the cleaning solution and the compressed air may be sprayed from the interior to the exterior of the filter 100 as shown by the dotted line in FIG. 2, thereby improving the cleaning effect. Referring to FIGs. 1 and 2 for showing the construction and the operation of an apparatus for purifying gas according to an embodiment of the present invention, the filter 100 has an endless annular belt construction which performs a tracking movement by means of a pair of rotating means, that is, a geared motor 29- 2, rotation shafts 20, and chain sprockets 1-2 and 2-2 as shown, which are respectively disposed at the opposite longitudinal ends of the filter 100. The filter 100 has a front and a rear filtering surfaces 100a and 100b.

Frames 30 are disposed at a front side and a rear side of the filter 100, and between the front and the rear filtering surfaces 100a and 100b along a transverse direction of the filter 100. The frames 30 fluid- separate a part of the filter 100 located m the lower end portion of the track from the other part of the filter 100.

A cleaning solution spray tube 42 having a plurality of cleaning solution spray nozzles 43 is disposed at a front side of the lower end portion of the track and transversely to the filter 100. The cleaning solution spray tube 42 sprays cleaning solution onto the front filtering surface 100a. The cleaning solution spray tube 42 is connected to the exterior via a cleaning solution connecting socket 41.

A compressed air spray tube 52 having a plurality of compressed air spray nozzles 53 is disposed at a rear side of the lower end portion of the track and transversely to the filter 100. The compressed air spray tube 52 sprays compressed air onto the rear filtering surface 100b. The compressed air is supplied from the exterior into the compressed air spray tube 52 via a compressed air connecting socket 51. The cleaning solution spray tube 42 and the compressed air spray tube 52 may be disposed in the filter 100, that is, between the front and the rear filtering surfaces 100a and 100b as shown by the dotted lines (phantom lines) in FIG. 2. Otherwise, they may be disposed outside of the filter 100 as shown by the solid lines when the gas is blown and the filter 100 tracks in the directions indicated by the arrows in FIG. 2. When the cleaning solution is sprayed to the front filtering surface 100b of the filter 100, the rear filtering surfaces 100b is maintained in a clearer state, thereby improving the purity of the gas outputted from the filter 100.

Though a chain and sprockets are employed as means for rotating the filter 100 in the present and the following embodiments of the present invention, which are not as limitations to the present invention but only for description, other elements such as a hollow drum disposed over entire width of the filter, timing belt suspended on the opposite ends of the filter, etc., may enable the filter 100 to perform the tracking movement. Further, the filter 100 has the annular construction as shown in FIGs. 17A to 17C in the description of embodiments of an apparatus and a method according to the present invention. However, the construction of the filter 100 is not restricted in the depicted construction, and instead, the filter 100 may further include transverse or longitudinal support members if only the construction is endless annular construction.

Referring to FIGs. 17A to 17C, the filter 100 includes a plurality of brush shells 100' . Each brush shell 100' includes a plurality of wires 101, a support rod 103, and a brush fixing cover 102. The wires 101 are wound on and supported by the support rod 103. The brush fixing cover 102 is fitted to the support rod 103 so as to fix the wires 101 to the support rod 103. The filter 100 further includes a pair of chains 106 and 107 connected to the chain sprockets so as to enable the brush shells 100' to perform the tracking movement. The brush shells 100' are compactly connected to the chains 106 and 107 without non- filtering gap, so as to form an endless belt construction. In each brush shell 100' , opposite connecting portions 104 of the support rod 103 are connected to the chain brackets 106 and 107 by means of a connecting member 105 such as pin, bolt, and rivet. The connection by the connecting member 105 such as pin, bolt, and rivet at the opposite connecting portions 104 of the support rod 103 is made as a fixed- type in the embodiments shown in FIGs. 1 to 4, while as a pivoting- type in the embodiments shown in FIGs. 5 to 16.

The operation of the apparatus for purifying gas having the above described filter 100 according to the present embodiment of the present invention will be described hereinafter.

Referring to FIGs. 1 and 2, one upper pair of the sprockets 1-2 and 2-2 of the two pairs which are disposed at the transversely and the longitudinally opposite ends are rotated by means of the rotation shaft 20 by the geared motor 29-2. Then, the chains 106 and 107 perform a tracking movement along with the filter 100, and the front and the rear filtering surfaces 100a and 100b respectively move upward and downward as shown by the arrows .

In this case, the gas is blown from left to right as shown by the horizontal arrow in FIG. 2. At the same time, cleaning solution and compressed air are respectively supplied to the cleaning solution supply tube 42 and the compressed air spray tube 52. Then, the gas is filtered by the front filtering surface 100a at the upper portion of the track, and the front filtering surface 100a is cleaned at the lower portion of the track by the cleaning solution sprayed through the cleaning solution spray nozzles 43 of the cleaning solution spray tube 42. The cleaning solution washes out impurities from the filter 100 and is collected in a cleaning solution tank 31 disposed thereunder together with the impurities.

The fine particles of the cleaning solution remaining on the front filtering surface 100a are eliminated by the compressed air sprayed by the compressed air spray nozzles 53 of the compressed air spray tube 52 and collected in the cleaning solution tank 31 when the front filtering surface 100a moves along the track and becomes the rear filtering surface 100b. Then, the rear filtering surface 100b is regenerated. The rear filtering surface 100b goes on tracking upward, and the gas is filtered again by the regenerated clean rear filtering surface 100b when it is located at the upper portion of the track. Such double filtration by the front and the rear filtering surfaces 100a and 100b further improving the purity of the gas. Through the above process, simultaneous cleaning and purifying is enabled.

A lower frame 30 or a separate partitioning member is disposed at a front side and a rear side of the filter 100, and between the front and the rear filtering surfaces 100a and 100b along a transverse direction of the filter 100. The lower frame 30 fluid- separates a part of the filter 100 located in the lower end portion of the track from the other part of the filter 100. In the meantime, an upper frame 30 or a separate partitioning member is disposed at similar positions above the lower frame 30. The upper frame 30 protects the rotating means disposed at upper portions of the apparatus from impurities.

The rotation shaft 20 may be disposed rotatably with respect to the frame 30 by means of bearings 18 and 19 and bearing fixing brackets 25 and 26 fixed to the frame 30 as shown in FIG. 1.

Referring to FIGs. 3 and 4 for showing an apparatus according to another embodiment of the present invention, the filter 100 is disposed in parallel with the blowing direction. Further, the apparatus includes blowing- separation members 27' which are disposed every other between the transverse front ends of the filters 100 and alternatingly every other between the transverse rear ends of the filters 100. The blowing -separation members 27' make the filters 100 be disposed compactly to each other .

In the apparatus, the gas is blown from the front side to the rear side of FIG. 3, that is, in the direction indicated by the arrows in FIG. 4, or in the inverse direction thereof, while the gas passes through and is purified by the filters 100. The filters 100 are continuously cleaned and regenerated by the cleaning solution spray tube 42, the cleaning solution spray nozzles 43, the compressed air spray tube 52, and the compressed air spray nozzles 53 in the same manner as that in the embodiment shown in FIG. 2. Therefore, there is provided a compact-sized apparatus capable of purifying a large amount of gas simultaneously with continuously cleaning and regenerating the filters. Though the filters 100 are disposed in parallel and the gas is filtered double times by the filters 100 as shown in FIGs. 1 and 2 in the present embodiment, the intervals between the front and the rear filtering surfaces 100a and 100b may be enlarged as shown in FIG. 4 depending on the surrounding conditions, so that the gas is filtered single time by each of the front and the rear filtering surfaces 100a and 100b. To achieve the above extension of the intervals, each of the upper pair and each of the lower pair of the chain sprockets must include two chain sprockets 1-2 and 2-2 which are respectively disposed at the intervals at the longitudinally opposite ends of each of the chains 106 and 107. That is, the upper pair and lower pair of the two chain sprockets enable the chains 106 and 107 fixedly attached to the opposite ends of the support members 103 along the entire length of each filter 100 to perform the tracking movement at the intervals. In the event, four pairs of the chain sprockets 1-2 and 2-2 are connected to one pair of the chains 106 and 107 , so as to be rotated by driving means through a transmission. Therefore, the filters 100 perform the tracking movements in a state that the front and the rear filtering surfaces 100a and 100b are spaced apart from each other with a predetermined gap for passing the gas therethrough.

Therefore, the length of the apparatus having the construction shown in FIGs. 1 and 2 must be long when the apparatus is required to purify a large quantity of gas because the filters 100 are disposed and connected to each other in the transverse direction thereof. However, the apparatus shown in FIGs. 3 and 4 can process a large quantity of gas while having a short length.

FIGs. 5 to 13 show an apparatus for purifying gas according to another embodiment of the present invention. Referring to the FIGs. 5 to 13, the front and the rear filtering surfaces 100a and 100b of the filter 100 have a V-shaped transverse section so that the filter 100 can perform a tracking movement. Further, the filters 100 are arranged to form a shape of serial W- letters.

The upper and lower portions of filters 100 which connect the V- shapes or the serial W- letters provide fluid- separation. Therefore, the gas is blown in the longitudinal direction of the V- shapes or the serial w- letters, that is, the gas passes through and purified by the filters 100 as shown by the arrows in FIG. 8. At the same time, the filters 100 are cleaned and regenerated by the cleaning solution and the compressed air respectively sprayed by the cleaning solution spray nozzles 43 of the cleaning solution spray tube 42 and the compressed air spray nozzles 53 of the compressed air spray tube 52, as shown in FIG. 9.

Furthermore, separation members 30' separate the cleaning means and rotating means from the filtering portion as shown in FIGs. 7 and 9, so as to improve the purifying efficiency of the gas and the cleaning efficiency of the filter 100 and prevent pollution of the rotating means as described above referring to FIGs. 1 and 2. For the above described supply and collection of the cleaning solution, a cleaning solution tank 31 is on the base 32 of the purifier under the filter 100 as shown in FIGs. 5 and 6.

According to the above described construction of the apparatus in the present embodiment, the filters 100 are disposed with more inclination than that in the embodiment shown in FIGs. 3 and 4, and the gas passes through the filters 100. Therefore, the resistance to the blowing of the gas is reduced and the filtering area is enlarged.

Hereinafter, the operation of the filter 100 having a V- shape as described above will be described shortly. When the filters 100 perform tracking movements by means of the chains and chain sprockets, one transverse end of each filter 100 as shown in FIGs. 11 to 13, that is, each filter 100 and each chain 106 disposed at the lower side of FIGs. 11 and 13 perform a narrow tracking movement at the opposite longitudinal ends of the opposit transversal one ends of the filter 100 respectively by means of one chain sprocket 1. In the meantime, the other transverse opposite ends of each filter 100, that is, each filter 100 and each chain 106 disposed at the upper side of FIGs. 11 and 13 perform a wide tracking movement at the opposite longitudinal ends of the filter 100 respectively by means of two chain sprockets 2 and 3 spaced from each other with a predetermined interval. Therefore, each filter 100 respectively performing the tracking movement has a V- shaped section. Each of the chain sprockets l, 2, and 3 is rotatably supported on the frame by means of bearing fixing brackets 25 and 26 and bearings 11, 12, and 13.

Preferably, in order to achieve a smooth tracking movement, the two pairs of the chain sprockets 2 and 3 may be disposed at the upper and the lower ends of the filter 100 at the upper end of the V- shape in such a manner that they make a right angle with the upper part of the V- shape, thereby being disposed inward of the V- shape. More preferably, in order to achieve a smooth tracking movement, the one pair of the chain sprockets 106 may be disposed in the horizontal direction of the V- shape at the lower end of the V- shape.

Furthermore, in order to secure a smooth tracking movement of the chain 107 disposed at the upper end of the V- shape between the two pairs of the chain sprockets 107, a chain guide sprocket 4 may be disposed in the middle of each pair of the two pairs of the chain sprockets 107 as shown in FIG. 13. In addition, in order to secure smooth tracking movement of the chains 106 and 107, guide rails 27 are fixedly installed at the frame 30 shown in FIGs. 5 and 6, as shown in FIGs. 10 to 13. The above described chain sprockets 1, 2, and 3 are rotated in the same direction and at the same rotational speed by means of the rotation shaft 20, the transmission chains 5a, 7a, and 9a, and a pair of bevel gear sets 16 and 17, thereby enabling the filter 100 to smoothly perform a tracking movement with forming V- shaped section. For such a tracking movement, the bevel gear sets 16 and 17 are constructed as three stages. The transmission chain 5a, 7a, and 9a and chain sprockets 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, and 10 enable the angle of the V- shape of the filter 100 to be freely changed without hindrance, thereby optimizing the purifier under various conditions. However, according to other embodiments of the present invention, they may be replaced by gears for transmission or timing belts. Further, the one pair of the bevel gear sets 16 and 17 may be replaced by universal joints 16-1 as shown in FIG. 15.

The above described rotation shaft 20 is connected to the output side of a decelerator 22 by means of a coupling 21 as shown in FIGs. 12 and 13. The decelerators 22 are connected to each other through connecting shafts 24 and couplings 23 as shown best in FIGs. 5 and 13, and the driving force for the filters 100 is transferred from the geared motor 29 to the decelerators 22. While the decelerators 22 and the geared motor 29 are attached to the frame 30 or the guide rail 27 by means of a decelerator base 22a in FIG. 12, they may be disposed in the middle of the rotation shaft 20 which is separated into two parts at the middle parts according to other embodiment of the present invention.

Though not shown, every two of the filters 100 may be disposed as one set to form a V- shape and the filters 100 may be arranged to form serial W- letters depending on the capacity of the apparatus as described above with reference to FIGs. 3 and 4. In this case, the apparatus of the present invention has a compact construction having an enlarged filtering area in which the gas is purified doubly. The lower end of the V-shape of the filter 100 is fluid- separated from the upper end of the adjacent V- shape by a separation member, so that the filtering efficiency is improved and the filter chain is protected.

Further, in order to prevent the gas from passing through peripheral parts of the filter 100 without being filtered by the filter 100, a periphery separation plate 28 may be fixedly installed to the guide rail 27 as shown in FIGs. 8, 14 and 16. It is preferred that a protection net 108 may be disposed at the front and rear sides of the filtering surface of the filter 100 so as to firstly remove impurities having large bulk.

Also in the present embodiment, the compressed air spray nozzles 53, the compressed air spray tube 52, the cleaning solution spray nozzles 43, and the cleaning solution spray tube 42 may be disposed between the front and the rear filtering surfaces 100a and 100b of the filter 100 performing the tracking movement, as described above.

As shown by the two -dot chain line in FIG. 16, an interlocking shaft 22' may be installed between the upper and the lower rotating means in order to synchronically operate them. The interlocking shaft 22' may be replaced by a timing belt or a chain for the synchronic operation, otherwise the upper and the lower rotating means may be operated separate geared motors without the synchronic operation.

Further to the above described construction according to the present invention, heaters 61 and 62 may be provided so as to prevent the cleaning solution from being frozen on the filtering surface of the filter 100 as shown in FIGs. 5 and 16. In addition, electric charging means may be disposed upstream of the filter 100 so as to further improve the purifying efficiency, and simultaneously electric dirt -collecting operation can be carried out when the filter 100 is grounded to form a dirt-collecting electrode. In the constructions and operations according to the embodiments of the present invention as described above, annular filters respectively having an endless belt -type construction perform tracking movements. In the course of the tracking movements, cleaning solution is sprayed onto one end portion of each filter located at one end of the track so as to clean the filter, and at the same time the gas passes through and purified by the other portion of the filter continuously and directly. Therefore, the filter can be used semi- permanently. Further, the construction of the apparatus may be changed easily corresponding to the required capacity and environment . Furthermore, the apparatus has a compact -sized construction capable of processing a large quantity of gas, since it has a V-shaped construction.

While the present invention has been particularly shown and described with reference to the particular embodiments thereof, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes in form and details may be effected therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims .

Claims

What is claimed is:

1. A method for purifying gas by means of filters, the gas including polluted air and exhaust gas, said method comprising the steps of:

(1) making each of the filters perform a tracking movement along a track, said each of the filters having an endless annular belt -type construction disposed through a first chamber and a second chamber, the track being formed through the first chamber and the second chamber, the first chamber enclosing one end of said each of the filters and one end of the track, the first chamber and the second chamber being fluid- separated from each other; (2) simultaneously with step 1, spraying cleaning solution onto one side of a front and a rear sides of said each of the filters in the first chamber,- and

(3) simultaneously with steps 1 and 2, passing the gas through said each of the filters in the second chamber, the gas successively passing the front side and the rear side of said each of the filters in the second chamber .

2. A method for purifying gas by means of filters, as claimed in Claim l, said method further comprising the step of: (4) simultaneously with steps 1 to 3 , spraying compressed air onto other one side of the front and the rear sides of said each of the filters in the first chamber .

3. An apparatus for purifying gas, the gas including polluted air and exhaust gas, said apparatus comprising : at least a filter for purifying the gas, the filter performing tracking movement by one pair of rotating means disposed at opposite ends of the filter in a longitudinal direction of the filter, the filter having an endless belt -type construction, the filter having a front filtering surface and a rear filtering surface; means for fluid- separating one end portion of the filter from a remaining portion of the filter; means for cleaning the filter, said cleaning means including a cleaning solution spray tube having a plurality of cleaning solution spray nozzles, the cleaning solution spray nozzles spraying cleaning solution onto the front filtering surface of said one end portion of the filter; a compressed air spray tube having a plurality of compressed air spray nozzles, the compressed air spray nozzles spraying compressed air onto the rear filtering surface of said one end portion of the filter, so that the filter is cleaned at said one end portion and simultaneously purifies the gas at said remaining portion.

4. An apparatus as claimed in claim 3, wherein the filter comprises a plurality of support members fixedly attached to the filter with predetermined intervals and in a transverse direction of the filter so that the filter can perform the tracking movement, and said one pair of rotating means comprise a pair of chains fixedly attached to opposite ends of the support members along entire length of the filter and two pairs of chain sprockets assembled with opposite ends of said pair of the chains in a longitudinal direction of the chains, the chain sprockets being connected to a driving means through a transmission so as to rotate, the chain sprockets making said pair of the chains perform the tracking movement .

5. An apparatus as claimed in claim 3 or claim 4, wherein said filters are connected to each other in a transverse direction of the filters when the apparatus has a large capacity, and each of the filters is disposed at a right angle to a blowing direction of the gas .

6. An apparatus as claimed in claim 3 or claim 4, wherein the filters are disposed in parallel with a blowing direction of the gas, and said apparatus further comprises blowing separation members disposed every other between transversally front ends of the filters and alternatingly every other between transverally rear ends of the filters, the blowing separation members enabling the filters to be disposed compactly to each other with a capacity capable of processing a large quantity of the gas.

7. An apparatus as claimed in claim 6, wherein said rotating means of the filter comprise four pairs of the chain sprockets instead of the two pairs of the chain sprockets, so as to enlarge a gap between the front and the rear filtering surfaces to the tracking movement and the blowing separation members are disposed every other between transversally front ends of the front filtering surfaces and the rear filtering surfaces of the filters and alternatingly every other between transverally rear ends of the front filtering surfaces and the rear filtering surfaces of the filters, the gas passing through between the front filtering surfaces and the rear filtering surfaces of the filters.

8. An apparatus as claimed in claim 3 or claim 4, wherein the apparatus comprises a plurality of filters, every two of the filters being disposed as one set to form a V- shape, the filters being arranged to form serial W-letters depending on a capacity of the apparatus, a lower end of the V- shape of the filters being fluid- separated from an upper end of an adjacent V- shape by a separation member, the gas being blown upward and downward of the V- shape and the W- letters, so that resistance to blowing of the gas is minimized, that filtering area is enlarged, and that the gas is purified doubly, while the apparatus has a compact size.

9. An apparatus as claimed in claim 3 or claim 4, wherein the apparatus comprises a plurality of filters, the front and the rear filtering surfaces of each of the filter being formed as a V- shape, the filters being arranged to form serial W- letters depending on a capacity of the apparatus, upper and lower ends of the V- shape and the serial W- letters providing fluid- separation, the gas being blown upward and downward of the V- shape and the W- letters, so that resistance to blowing of the gas is minimized, and that filtering area is enlarged, while the apparatus has a compact size.

10. An apparatus as claimed in claim 9, wherein each of the filters performs a tracking movement by chains and chain sprockets, and the chain sprockets comprise two pairs of chain sprockets disposed at an upper end of the V- shape of the filter and one pair of chain sprockets disposed at a lower end of the V- shape, the two pairs of chain sprockets being disposed at an upper and lower ends of the filter so as to face inward perpendicularly to the upper end of the V- shape, the one pair of chain sprockets being disposed in a horizontal direction of the V- shape, Wherein each pair of the two pairs of chain sprockets are respectively connected to each rotation shaft of the one pair of chain sprockets via power transmitting means, so that said each pair of the two pairs of chain sprockets rotate along with the one pair of chain sprockets at a same rotational speed and in a same direction.

11. An apparatus as claimed in claim 10, said apparatus further comprising: separating means for preventing the gas from being introduced into the rotating means disposed at one end of said remaining portion of the filter; a cleaning solution tank disposed under said one end portion of the filter, the cleaning solution tank supplying and collecting the cleaning solution; means for interlockingly driving both rotating means disposed at longitudinally opposite ends of the filter, the driving means being one of an interlocking shaft, interlocking chains, and timing belts; a periphery separation plate for preventing the gas from passing through periphery of the filter; a protection net disposed at front and rear sides of the filtering surface of the filter so as to firstly remove impurities having large bulk and protect the filtering surface; heaters for preventing the cleaning solution from being frozen on the filtering surface of the filter and the cleaning solution tank; and electric charging means disposed upstream of the filter so as to perform electric dirt- collecting operation simultaneously while the filter being grounded to form a dirt-collecting electrode, wherein the power transmitting means comprises at least one of a pair of three-stepped bevel gears, power - transmission chains, timing belts, and universal joints.

12. An annular filter comprising: a plurality of brush shells, each of the brush shells including a plurality of wires, a support rod, and a brush fixing cover, the wires being wound on and supported by the support rod, the brush fixing cover being fitted to the support rod so as to fix the wires to the support rod; and a pair of chains connected to the chain sprockets so as to enable the brush shells to perform the tracking movement, the brush shells being compactly connected to opposite connecting portions of the support rod without non- filtering gap, so as to form an endless belt construction.