JP4531162B2 - Air purification device - Google Patents

Description

[0001]
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a device for purifying air or air and water by living organisms. More specifically, the present invention relates to a plant purification technology that uses plants and microorganisms that grow at the roots of the plant, and an apparatus or system that purifies contaminated air or contaminated water using ultraviolet light and a cleaning device technology.
[0002]
[Prior art]
It is well known that plants maintain a complex ecosystem of microbial communities within the plant and in the root and rhizosphere of the plant (region surrounding the root of a cultivation medium such as soil on which the plant is vegetated). It is also known that the various biological activities associated with the presence of these organisms tend to biodegrade various chemicals and other pollutants, especially consisting of hydrocarbon materials in air and water.
[0003]
This type of prior art is also described in many patent specifications described below.
It is also known that ultraviolet light lamps sterilize viruses and bacteria in the air. For many years, ultraviolet light has been used to prevent airborne infections in public places and surgical rooms.
[0004]
For the fact that indoor plants propagate microorganisms in the medium on and around the plant roots that decompose and destroy volatile organic chemicals, Wallbarton et al. “Remove indoor air pollutants from energy-saving houses. Foliage Plants for Removing Indoor Air Pollutants from Energy-Efficient Homes, 1984, Economic Botany 38 (2): 224-228), B.C. C. Walburton and John D. Wall Burton's “Plant and Soil Microorganisms: Removal of Formaldehyde, Xylene and Ammonia from the Indoor Environment, 1993, Journal of the Mississippi Academy of Sciences 28” 2): 11-15). The results of research on how indoor plants improve indoor air quality are C. Walburton's “Environmentally Friendly Indoor Plants” (Eco – Friendly Houseplants, Weidenfeld & Nicholson: London, UK; 1996), “How to Grow Fresh Air” in the United States (How to Grow Fresh Air Viking Penguin; 1997), and “Eco-friendly House Plants, 1998” in Japan.
[0005]
Also, the fact that indoor plants cultivate microorganisms that decompose, destroy and further remove organic chemicals and purify wastewater on and around the roots is described by Walburton et al., “Microorganisms for wastewater treatment and higher Plants "(Microorganisms and Higher Plants for Wastewater Treatment, 1983, Journal of Environmental Quality 12 (2): 236-242) and" Biotransformation of Priority Pollutants Using Biofilms and Vascular Plants " Using Biofilms and Vascular Plants, 1986, Journal of Mississippi Academy of Sciences 31: 79-89).
[0006]
Conventional air purification devices utilize physical or physicochemical effects. Highly functional equipment uses a combination of highly adsorbent materials such as high-efficiency particle capture filters (HEPA) that remove particulate matter in flowing air and activated carbon that removes gaseous organic chemicals. ing. The filters of these purifiers trap and accumulate contaminants and gradually become clogged or reach saturation. Therefore, in order for these purification apparatuses to function effectively, it is essential for the user to periodically replace the filter member.
[0007]
In large wet scrubbers, it is necessary to maintain the pH of the water appropriately in order to remove contaminated water, including chemical pollutants, odors or particulates, and air pollutants that are considered hazardous waste.
[0008]
Most mechanical devices for wastewater treatment are expensive and energy consuming and have a limited period of use.
[0009]
Many devices for air purification have been developed. Representative examples of such inventions are US Pat. Nos. 5,656,242, 5,351,438, 5,277,877, 5,221,520, and 5,217,696. No. 5,433,923, No. 5,407,470, No. 5,190,570 and No. 5,089,036. Representative examples of the invention using an ultraviolet lamp as a part of an air purification device are US Pat. Nos. 5,433,923, 5,217,696, 5,074,894, and 5,399. 319 and 4,210,429, and the like. Furthermore, representative examples of inventions that utilize plant-based action to treat wastewater and combine air and wastewater are US Pat. Nos. 4,415,450, 5,137,625, 4,959,084 and 5,269,094.
[0010]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
There are essential problems with most currently available air purification and wastewater treatment means. There is a growing need for technology that removes odors and pollutants from air and wastewater biologically, economically and with high energy efficiency without requiring replacement of filters and the like. A technology for biodegrading a filter-filtered medium in a natural process using microorganisms that grow on plants and plant roots in a controlled environment has been rapidly developed as a promising treatment means in the future.
[0011]
The present invention provides an apparatus or system for performing air purification, wastewater treatment, and both in an indoor or outdoor environment in a broad range of biological planter modules. It is something that is going to be solved. The indoor air purification planter is used in combination with a sterilizing ultraviolet light lamp to remove microorganisms in the air.
[0012]
That is, the present invention aims to provide a device that combines a wet air cleaning and biological treatment process by adsorption, which is different from the prior art, and without wasteful replacement of the filter member. It is a basic object to provide an apparatus or facility for removing air pollutants more effectively in combination with treatment.
[0013]
It is another object of the present invention to provide a base made of inert cobbles or igneous rocks and activated carbon, or other substances having a property of adsorbing gaseous chemical substances, and whose basic goal is air purification.
[0014]
Furthermore, the invention is not intended to limit the scope of the patent, but by way of example, indoor or outdoor air or wastewater treatment, purification of indoor air in commercial or residential buildings, or commercial and agricultural point source air purification. It aims to provide a plant growth module for various applications such as.
[0015]
Furthermore, an object of the present invention is to provide a sterilization chamber in which an ultraviolet lamp is arranged for indoor air purification. Ultraviolet light destroys residual airborne bacteria that exit from the biological wet air cleaning planter module according to the invention.
[0016]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
The apparatus provided by the present invention includes a planter module for treating air and water by the action of microorganisms in the plant and its root. The apparatus of the present invention captures and removes pollutants in the air that passes through the roots of plants provided in the apparatus, microorganisms involved in the roots, and a wet porous cultivation medium affected by these microorganisms. Or convert these air pollutants to water pollutants and biodegrade them to destroy them. The apparatus of the present invention is a means for forcibly introducing odorous air or particulate matter in the air into a planter module including a water container, and converts water-soluble odors and harmful substances from air pollutants to water pollutants. Therefore, it comprises means for biodegradation by microorganisms related to the roots and roots of plants.
[0017]
According to claim 1 of this application, a watertight container partitioned into a first part for holding water and a second part for holding cultivation or adsorption medium , and the first part in the container are stably disposed. An opening for inserting a plant; an air inlet for introducing an air flow into the first part; and a communication path provided to allow fluid to flow between the first part and the second part in the container, It is an air purifier that re-releases the air flow introduced from the mouth into the atmosphere through the second portion of the adsorption medium .
[0020]
It claims 2 4, essentially comprises a device of the invention of claim 1, Ru der those further provides a unified system on the improvement or implementation.
[0021]
Claim 2 maintains the water level in the container at a predetermined level by a float valve disposed in the container, and Claim 3 includes a fan that sucks the gas passing through the cultivation or adsorption medium. According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, the air discharged from the container is guided to the irradiation area of the ultraviolet lamp and then released to the outside air. Water-insoluble air pollutants are trapped by highly porous inert plant growing media, activated carbon and other highly adsorbent materials where they are biodegraded and destroyed. Residual airborne bacteria are destroyed by passing air through a sterilizing chamber with an ultraviolet lamp. In addition, the system is equipped with a plurality of lid openings to increase the capacity of water or waste water and to reduce the amount of inert cobble required for each module container. When used for wastewater treatment, the number of modules required to treat larger volumes of wastewater can be reduced by inserting a lid. The system is also equipped with an automatic float valve to ensure that a water level that can be wet-washed at maximum is maintained. Furthermore, the system is equipped with a pipe insert in the groove of the system so that a larger amount of air or waste water can be accommodated.
[0022]
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
In order to further understand the nature, purpose and advantages of the present invention, it will be described below with reference to the embodiments shown in the drawings. The same reference numerals in the drawings denote the same members. 1 through 7 show some of the preferred embodiments of the present invention.
[0023]
In the apparatus 10 shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, a support frame 12 is formed so as to form a first portion 15 for holding water in a watertight container 11 having an open upper surface and to close the open upper surface of the container 11. The recess forms a second portion 36. The support frame 12 includes a plurality of openings 22 on the upper surface for holding a plant container 21 in which the plant 20 is planted. The support frame 12 also includes a recess (second portion) 36 filled with a plant cultivation medium (for example, soil) and an adsorption medium (for example, activated carbon) on the upper surface. The container 11 is filled with water, a liquid region is formed below, and the upper part sealed with a support frame is a gas region. The recess 36 and the liquid region communicate with each other through a communication hole 37.
[0024]
Air is introduced from the inlet 14 into the sealed first part 15 of the container. The air 16 cleaned in contact with water in the liquid region is introduced from the first portion 15 into the recesses 36 disposed on both sides of the plant container 21 through the communication hole 37. The lip packing 34 provided at the fitting portion between the container and the support frame forms an airtight seal for forcibly introducing air into the cultivation medium and the adsorption medium 18 through the communication hole 37. A part of the air is introduced into the plant container 21.
[0025]
These air passes between the cultivation medium and the adsorption medium 18 in the recess 36 and is purified while passing through the cultivation medium and the adsorption medium 18. Part of the air is purified by the plant roots and the microorganisms 19 in the plant container 21. Microorganisms that grow on the roots of plants also extend their living areas in the recesses 36 using water in the liquid area as a medium.
[0026]
The purified air 23 is then discharged from the device 10. Water used for plant cultivation and cleaning of contaminated air is supplied from an inflow pipe 13. In order to ensure the wetness of the cultivation medium for optimal plant growth and to ensure effective wet cleaning of the passing air, the liquid region water level 17 must be maintained by the float valve 35 and the manual valve 25. is there. The plant roots and microorganisms 19 in the plant container supported by the opening 22 of the support frame are used to purify water contaminated by substances eluted from the washed air. The purified water flows out of the apparatus 10 through the outflow pipe 24.
[0027]
3 and 4 are diagrams showing an example in which some changes are made to the apparatus of FIGS. 1 and 2. The changes will be described below. In the apparatus 10 of the second embodiment, the container 11 is filled with the cultivation medium and the adsorption medium 18 for cultivating the plant 20 to form the second part, and is inserted into the container 11 in a state of being embedded in the cultivation medium and the adsorption medium 18. A thick pipe 26 forms the first part 15 of the container. Air and water supplied from the inlet 14 and the inflow pipe 13 are supplied to the pipe 26 through the conduit 27. The pipe 26 is provided with a communication hole 37 communicating with the first portion filled with the cultivation medium and the adsorption medium 18. The action of purifying the air and water supplied by the plant roots, the microorganisms that propagate in the roots and the adsorption medium is the same as in the first embodiment.
[0028]
Figure 5 is a diagram showing the overall concept of the indoor air purification facilities using a plurality of the illustrated device 10 in FIG. 1. Here, the indoor air 29 is introduced into the apparatus 10 and the cultivation medium and the adsorption medium 18 in the apparatus 10 by the fan 38, and the exhaust air is forced to pass through the ultraviolet sterilization chamber 32, and the purified air 23. As discharged.
[0029]
Figure 6 shows an example of forming the air purification equipment commercial or buildings for residential using illustrated apparatus 10 in FIG. 1. The air 23 cleaned in the heating device or the air conditioning device 31 provided with the device 10 is introduced into the ultraviolet sterilization chamber 32 where a plurality of ultraviolet lamps are arranged, and the cleaned air return device 33 is installed in the building. Supply purified and sterilized air.
[0030]
FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating an example in which the apparatus 10 illustrated in FIG. 3 is used as an odor removing apparatus, and illustrates an example in which the apparatus 10 is applied to an air pollution source such as an intensive animal breeding facility, an incinerator, or a power plant. . The air 16 cleaned with water is mixed with water 28 being sprayed to increase the amount of odor removal in large volume air cleaning.
[0031]
The above examples are only used to present examples. The scope of the invention is limited only by the appended claims.
[Brief description of the drawings]
1 is a side view of a module for plant growth in which an upper insertion portion is arranged. FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of FIG. 1. FIG. 3 is a side view of the module for plant growth in which a bottom pipe insertion port is arranged. Fig. 5 is a conceptual diagram when the module of Fig. 1 is installed in a classroom with an ultraviolet light lamp sterilization chamber. Fig. 6 is a commercial building air with the module of Fig. 1 together with an ultraviolet light lamp sterilization chamber. Schematic diagram when installed as a purification / circulation device [FIG. 7] Schematic diagram when the module of FIG. 3 is used for industrial / agricultural air scrubber and odor control
14 Air intake
15 First part
18 Adsorption medium
21 Plant container
22 opening
36 Second part

Claims (4)

A watertight container partitioned into a first part for holding water and a second part for holding a cultivation medium or an adsorption medium , and a plant container in which plants are planted so as to be stably placed in the first part in the container An opening for holding, an air inlet for introducing an air flow into the first part, and a communication passage provided to allow fluid to flow between the first part and the second part in the container, from the air inlet An air purifier that re-releases the introduced air flow into the atmosphere through the communication path through the cultivation medium or adsorption medium of the second part. The air purifier according to claim 1, wherein the water level in the container is maintained at a predetermined level by a float valve disposed in the container . The air purification apparatus of Claim 1 provided with the fan which attracts | sucks the gas which passes through the inside of a cultivation medium or an adsorption medium . The air purifier according to claim 1, wherein the air discharged from the container is led to the irradiation area of the ultraviolet lamp and then released to the outside air.

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