Technique for denaturing of small organic items in premises

Abstract

A system and a method are proposed for sanitizing air in premises. The system comprises an air compressor for sucking and then compressing the air supposedly comprising noxious and/or allergenic small items up to a denaturing pressure. The system is provided with a controllable pressure tank for denaturing there-inside the mentioned small items supplied with the compressed air. The tank controllably receives the compressed air from the compressor, heats and maintains the compressed air within a denaturing temperature range and discharges the compressed sanitized air to the premises, so that the discharged sanitized air cools down while expanding.

Claims

1. A system for sanitizing air in a premises, comprising: an air compressor for sucking air comprising noxious and/or allergenic small items, and compressing the sucked air up to a denaturing pressure, a controllable pressure tank for denaturing there-inside said noxious and/or allergenic small items, said tank being adapted for controllably introducing the compressed air from the compressor to the tank heating the compressed air in the tank and maintaining the compressed air within a denaturing temperature range, discharging the compressed sanitized air to the premises, wherein the discharged air cools down while expanding.

2. The system according to claim 1, comprising controllable valves for introducing the compressed air into the pressure tank, and for discharging air from the pressure tank.

3. The system according to claim 1, comprising a first and/or a second heatsink(s) to cool the air compressor.

4. The system according to claim 1, configured as a stand-alone device.

5. The system according to claim 1, adapted for being integrated in an internal unit of an air conditioner.

6. The system according to claim 5, wherein a first heatsink comprises a first radiator configured to be positioned in a flow of outgoing air produced by the air conditioner.

7. The system according to claim 1, wherein a second heatsink is a water heatsink configured for cooling the air compressor by water.

8. The system according to claim 7, wherein a second water sink comprises a water reservoir refillable by condensate produced by an air conditioner.

9. The system according to claim 1, provided with a control circuit comprising a control unit and at least a first temperature sensor of air temperature in the pressure tank, for controllably heating the compressed air in the pressure tank.

10. The system according to any claim 1 wherein the pressure tank is equipped with one or more heating elements adapted to controllably keep the air inside the tank at a selected working temperature.

11. The system according to claim 10, wherein said one or more heating elements comprise at least one member of the group consisting of the pressure tank itself, an inner layer of a heating and insulating blanket covering the pressure tank, and internal heating members installed in the pressure tank.

12. An air conditioner (A/C) accommodating, in its internal unit, a system according to claim 1 for sanitizing air in the premises.

13. The air conditioner (A/C) according to claim 12, adapted to discharge a combined air stream comprising sanitized air mixed with conditioned air.

14. The air conditioner (A/C) according to claim 12, comprising more than one air inlets for collecting air from different collecting locations in the premises for treatment in said internal unit, and further comprising more than one outlets for returning, from said internal unit to different air discharge locations in the premises, sanitized air mixed with conditioned air.

15. The system according to claim 1, adapted to operate periodically or continuously.

16. A method tor sanitizing air in a premises, comprising: sucking air comprising noxious and/or allergenic small items into an air compressor and compressing the sucked air up to a denaturing pressure, controllably introducing the compressed air from the compressor to a pressure tank heating the compressed air in the tank and maintaining the compressed air within a denaturing temperature range, discharging the compressed sanitized air to the premises, so that the discharged air cools down while expanding.

17. The method according to claim 16, wherein the denaturing pressure is in an approximate range (8-10) atm, and the denaturing temperature is in an approximate range (170-250°) C.

18. The method according to claim 16, wherein the heated air is maintained in the tank during of about 3-12 seconds before discharging it.

19. The method according to claim 16, comprising selection of the denaturing temperature suitable for a type of organisms to be denatured.

20. The method according to any claim 16, performed periodically or continuously.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) The invention will be further described in more details with reference to the following non-limiting drawings in which:

(2) FIG. 1 illustrates an exemplary block-diagram illustrating the proposed concept.

(3) FIG. 2 illustrates one schematic exemplary embodiment of the proposed air sanitizing system which is a stand-alone device.

(4) FIG. 3 is another schematic exemplary embodiment of the proposed air sanitizing system; in this embodiment, the system forms part of the inner unit of an A/C and is accommodated in the unit's housing.

(5) FIG. 4 is yet another schematic embodiment of the combined air sanitizing and air conditioning system.

(6) FIG. 5 depicts one embodiment of a compressor for the proposed air sanitizing system, which is provided with sound reducing means.

(7) FIG. 6 schematically illustrates one embodiment of sound reducing means for an egress duct of the air sanitizing device.

(8) FIG. 7 schematically illustrates one embodiment of the pressure tank provided with heating elements.

(9) FIG. 8 is a schematic plan view of a house with an exemplary central air conditioning (A/C) system, combined with the proposed air sanitizing system.

(10) FIG. 9 is a schematic block diagram illustrating operation of the combined central air conditioning (A/C) and air sanitizing system shown in FIG. 8.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF SPECIFIC EMBODIMENTS

(11) FIG. 1 illustrates one schematic block diagram of the proposed denaturation system 10.

(12) Air from the room to be sanitized is sucked into an air compressor (compressor head) 12 via inlet marked 11. The air compressor 12 may be cooled via two heatsinks 14 and 16.

(13) Volumetric flow rate of the compressor head may be, for example, 50-100 or even up to 200 liter per minute, which is considered high for the proposed denaturation device. The air sucked in by the compressor head may be compressed up to 8-10 atm which is called the denaturation pressure range. The temperature of the air raises due to compression; in addition, the air may further heated in the pressure tank. While being useful for further denaturing of small organisms in the pressure tank, the mentioned air pressure afterwards allows sufficiently cooling the air during its expansion, when the air is discharged from the tank to the premises.

(14) Meanwhile, the compressed air is fed (see arrow 15) to the pressure tank 18 via a non-return valve 20. In the tank, the air is additionally heated up to the sanitizing (denaturing) temperature (170-250)° C. so as to kill/denature the small organisms if present in the air.

(15) The pressure tank 18 may be heated using a heating element 22 and an insulation layer 24, which both may be parts of a heating & insulation blanket.

(16) For denaturing/killing of an organism such as a mite and for denaturing its associated allergens, the mite may be kept in the air pressure tank at the denaturation temperature during of about 3 to 12 seconds. It should be noted that due to the dynamic principle of the tank operation, some organisms sucked into the tank are kept there-inside quite enough time to be killed, but some of them make a faster transfer from the entrance to the exit. The continuous or periodic operation of the system ensures that the room air passes through the device multiple times and finally becomes fully sanitized (i.e., free from active small organisms/items/allergens).

(17) The proposed system 10 takes air from the room and discharges it back to the room.

(18) The air is discharged from the tank 18 via a controllable valve 26 to a diffuser 28, which gradually returns it to the room. The expanded air will be cooled to the temperature which does not cause excessive heating of the room (to of about 25° C.). The system may be controlled by a control unit and be provided with a control panel (block 30). The control unit 30 controls the system based on a selected denaturation temperature, readings of temperature sensor 19 of the tank 18, pressure sensor 15 of the tank 18, by using status of valves 20 and 26, and using readings of some other sensors 32, 34 (humidity and room temperature). In a simple version of the method, pressure sensor 15 checks the pressure inside the pressure tank to signal the compressor to stop or start working.

(19) The proposed system 10 may additionally be provided with a filthiness sensor 36 to detect air filthiness. The filthiness sensor may be coupled with the control unit 30 which may be adapted to controllably adjust operation of the system according to the filthiness sensor's readings. Readings of the filthiness sensor may be used for indirectly checking the sterility assurance level SAL.

(20) Control panel of the unit 30 may comprise buttons for selecting denaturation temperature, night mode, indication bulb of air quality, indication bulb that water should be filled (if the heatsink 16 is a water heatsink), etc.

(21) The Inventor checked quality of air in exemplary premises before and after the proposed sanitizing, and came to the conclusion that the proposed technique achieves full sanitizing of the air, i.e. it is much more effective than known technologies.

(22) The present invention improves efficiency of the small organisms' denaturation and improves overall quality of the technique owing to: introducing a pressure tank, using high temperature and high pressure in the pressure tank. The results are positively affected also by using greater CFM than in other denaturation devices, due to greater air exchanging efficiency and lesser heating of the room, and due to location of air discharge as far as possible from the air inlet.

(23) All this is achieved with a relatively small volume of the proposed system which may be a stand-alone portable device or may form part of an A/C system in the premises. Examples of various implementations will be shown in FIGS. 2-4.

(24) FIG. 2 is a schematic example of a stand-alone device 40 for sanitizing air in a premises, for example in one room. The device 40 comprises the same units as in FIG. 1. Those which are shown in this figure, are marked with similar numbers. In FIG. 2 the units are implemented as follows.

(25) The air inlet 11 may optionally be fed from more than one ducts (11′, 11″, marked by dash lines) bringing air from different collecting locations in the premises to the compressor 12.

(26) In this drawing, the first heat sink 14 is an air heat sink: the compressor head 12 is provided, for example, with radiator ridges 13. The ridges/cooling fins 13 may be cooled by the ambient air. An external, protective housing covering the ridges 13 may be made of a net/mesh (not shown).

(27) The second, lower heatsink 16 is a water sink comprising ridges 17 immersed in the water filled in a pan provided under the device. The pan should be filled by a customer. The outlet 27 of the diffuser 28 may be provided with a hose 29 in order to discharge the sanitized air as far as possible from the air inlet 11 (Room air IN) of the Compressor 12. The hose 29 may be placed so that the output opening thereof is positioned close to a ventilator or to an outlet of an air conditioner, in order to mix the sanitized air from the hose 29 with the main air flow serving the room.

(28) An additional outlet 27′ with an additional hose 29′ (shown in dashed lines) may be provided to supply the sanitized air to another discharge location in the premises (for example, an additional discharge location in a room with poor air circulation, or in another room).

(29) Block 30 of device 40 accommodates its autonomous control unit and control panel.

(30) The proposed air sanitizing system may form part of a combined system which also comprises any version of air-conditioner (A/C).

(31) In a combined system comprising a room A/C unit, one air sanitizing system may be used. The air sanitizing system may be installed to receive a polluted air flow from the room and to output a purified/sanitized air flow to the room, together with the air conditioned by the air conditioner unit. Such options will be shown, for example, in FIGS. 3, 4.

(32) FIG. 3 illustrates one possible embodiment 50 of the device integrated in an internal unit of an air conditioner (A/C), schematically shown as 52. Inlet for air to be cooled/heated by the air conditioner 52 is not shown. Inlet for room air is marked with arrow 54. Outlet 56 is for the sanitized air discharged and mixed with the cooled/heated air produced by the A/C 52. Air pipes are shown as 59 and 60. A controllable valve 26 may be used for regulating air flow through the outlet pipe 60, in order to reduce noise of the egressing air.

(33) In any case, and especially in case the proposed system forms part of the A/C, the air discharged from the pressure tank 18 should be output in the direction of air coming out from the air conditioner (so it will be carried as far from the inlet as possible). In this figure, the discharged air is output via outlet 56 which is quite far from the inlet 54.

(34) The A/C indoor unit, if used, may allow faster replacement of air in the room, since the faster the air is blown away from the outlet, the farther it gets so it will not be immediately sucked again into the described air sanitizing system.

(35) In FIG. 3, the integrated denaturation device 50 comprises two heatsinks 14 and 16.

(36) The device may use the AC heatsinks, but may have its separate heatsinks which are illustrated in FIG. 3.

(37) The heatsink 14 comprises a heat conductive element/radiator cooled by air produced by the A/C. The radiator may be connected with the compressor 12 via heat pipes/heat connectors 58.

(38) The heatsink 16 comprises a water container which is filled with water by condensate produced by the fan coil of A/C. The heatsink 16 also comprises a heat conductive element/radiator (for example, a saw-like, toothed or ribbed metal plate) at least partially submerged in the water container. In this drawings, the radiator is connected with the compressor 12 via heat pipes (heat connections) also marked 58.

(39) Water in the heat sink container 16 will be heated until it is evaporated (or drained). The container may be continuously refilled by the A/C condensate. By computing the water rate of a specific AC, a specialist may estimate how much water will accumulate in the water container.

(40) Both heatsinks 14 and 16 are designed to reduce the heat of the compressor head 12.

(41) In case AC 52 works in a cooling mode, condensate will be condensed in the water container and cool the heatsink 16.

(42) In case the AC 52 works in its heating mode, there will be no condensate and the heatsink 14 will be cooled by the hot air from the AC (and still cooled from about 180 to 30° C. Both heatsinks 14, 16 are connected to the compressor head 12, so they (and the head 12) maintain a similar temperature.

(43) FIG. 4 illustrates one additional exemplary implementation 70, where a device 40′ (quite similar to the configuration shown in FIG. 2) is accommodated in a common modified housing 53 of the internal unit 52 of the air conditioner A/C. Inlet of outside air to the unit 52 (from an external unit of the A/C) is marked 72. Its optional duct is marked 72′.

(44) Inlet 74 is for the room air to be sucked into the compressor 12. An optional inlet air duct is shown as 74′.

(45) Outlet 78 is for the sanitized air discharged from the device 40′.

(46) Outlet 80 is for outputting to the premises the resulting air flow produced by the unit 52 and the device 40′.

(47) Let the A/C is in its cooling mode.

(48) The flow of the cooled air produced by the unit 52 is indicated by arrows 76.

(49) The sanitized air is discharged from the pressure tank 18 via the diffuser 28 and the outlet 78. The discharged air may have temperature of about 25° C. due to the pressure drop from of about 10 atm to of about 1 atm.

(50) The cooled air flow 76 produced by the inner A/C unit 52 performs two functions: a) it cools the radiator of the heatsink 14 and b) it is simultaneously mixed with the sanitized air while discharged from the outlet 78. The mixed air is output to the room via the outlet 80 in the housing 53. The outlet 80 is shown schematically in the drawing. In practice it may have a standard rectangular shape and be provided with a conventional shutter. The water sink 16 may be filled with condensate from the unit 52, via a pipe 82.

(51) Let the A/C is in its heating mode or in its air ventilation mode.

(52) In this case, the airflow 76 of the A/C unit 52 will still be able to successfully perform cooling of the heat sink radiator 14. The air stream produced by the system 70 and outputted from the outlet 80 will comprise: the sanitized air discharged from the device 40′ at a temperature of about 25° C. and the air 76 produced by the A/C in its heating or ventilation mode.

(53) The water pan of the heatsink 16 may be refilled by water by a customer (a suitable opening may be provided, though not shown in the drawing). In case the housing 53 is configured so that air flow 76 reaches the radiator of heatsink 16, the heatsink 16 may also be air cooled.

(54) The proposed system 70 may comprise the A/C control panel, which incorporates the control panel of the device 40′ (marked 30 in the drawing).

(55) FIG. 5 depicts one specific embodiment of a compressor 12 for the proposed air sanitizing system, which is provided with noise reducing means. The proposed air sanitizing system is supposed to be ON quite often, and sometimes during all the day/night, it should not disturb the customers by noise.

(56) In FIG. 5, the air compressor of the system is provided with a sound reducing box (casing) 120. Air inlet from a room is indicated as 11, while outlet of the high pressure air is marked by 15. The casing 120 may be made of metal and may serve as a heat sink. Its second function is blocking the sound waves by creating a barrier between the air inside and outside the casing, while ensuring that heat is transferred away from the compressor to another heat sink (for example, via heat tube 58′). The casing 120 may be empty (i.e., shaped just as a shell) or may comprise any filling material like fabric or fibers.

(57) FIG. 6 schematically illustrates another embodiment of sound reducing means for an egress line of the air sanitizing device. FIG. 6 is an enlarged portion showing the outlet portion of line 60 in FIG. 3, positioned in proximity to the outlet opening 56 of the air conditioner.

(58) The compressed purified air, egressing from the air sanitizing system, may be silenced by one or more of the following: 1) a flow regulator 26 introduced into an egress line/pipe 60, 2) an air silencer 60′ connected in parallel to the egress line, 3) an air silencer 60″ connected in series or combined with the flow regulator 26. The air silencer may be implemented as an exhaust silencer, for example may comprise just a plastic body with a sintered polyethylene membrane.

(59) FIG. 7 schematically illustrates an exemplary embodiment 18′ of the pressure tank provided with heating elements (members) 22′. As mentioned, the pressure tank of the air sanitizing system may be heated in various ways. It may be heated directly (i.e., may itself be a heating element) and/or may be provided with one or more separate heating elements. In any option, the heating element(s) will be energized from a suitable power source.

(60) In one example (which is not illustrated here), the heating element forms part of an outer blanket enveloping the pressure tank. The blanket may comprise the heating element as an inner layer intended to be placed in close proximity to the tank, and an outer, heat insulating layer which covers the inner heating layer.

(61) FIG. 7 illustrates a specific embodiment of an internal heating element installed in the pressure tank; in this example, the internal heating element comprises two heating members (marked as 22′) installed in the pressure tank radially and fixed hermetically within the pressure tank. The heating members 22′ may be made of metal and be connected to an electric power source 30′. Pin-like members 22′ may be axially shifted from one another when installed in the tank 18′. Alternatively, heating members 22′ may have shapes differing from the pin-like shape shown in FIG. 7 near the tank 18′, and thus may be installed in the tank as shown in the figure. Yet another option is that only one heating element 22′ is installed, while additional orifices in the pressure tank may be equipped with means (not shown) for drainage of the tank.

(62) As mentioned above, the proposed air sanitizing system may form part of a central or a semi-central A/C system, and be combined therein with a common internal unit of the A/C system.

(63) The function of such a modified A/C system will be:

(64) to collect air from one or more rooms in a premises (for example, into an air collector),

(65) to pass one portion of the air collected from said rooms, through the air sanitizing device, thus obtaining a sanitized air flow,

(66) to pass another portion of the air, collected from said rooms, via the internal unit of the A/C system, thus obtaining a conditioned air flow,

(67) to mix the sanitized air flow with the conditioned air flow in a common egress line (for example, in an air distributor) of the A/C system, thereby obtaining a mixed partially sanitized air flow, and then

(68) to spread the mixed (partially sanitized and conditioned) air flow back to the rooms.

(69) FIGS. 8 and 9 schematically show such a modified central A/C system 110 in a house having at least two rooms. System 110 provides sanitizing and conditioning of the air circulating in the premises.

(70) FIG. 8 is a schematic plan view of a house with an exemplary central air conditioning (A/C) system, combined with the proposed air sanitizing system, while FIG. 9 is a schematic block diagram illustrating operation of the combined central air conditioning (A/C) and air sanitizing system shown in FIG. 8.

(71) An air sanitizing system and an internal central A/C unit are combined into a central modified block indicated 70′ (which may be similar to block 70 of FIG. 4). In FIG. 9, the air sanitizing system is marked as 10′ (40′, 50′) since it may be configured similarly to systems 10, 40, 50 respectively shown in FIGS. 1,2, 3.

(72) In FIGS. 8 and 9, two ingress lines 72′, 74′ of the central modified block 70′ are connected to an air collector 90, while a common egress line of block 70′ is connected to an air distributer 100. The air collector 90 and the air distributor 100 are parts of the conventional central A/C system.

(73) The air collector 90 collects air from rooms of the premises. Ingress ducts leading air from the rooms are not shown in FIG. 8, but shown in FIG. 9 as exemplary ducts 91, 92.

(74) As mentioned, the air collector 90 is connected to the central modified block 70′ via the two ingress lines 72′ and 74′, which supply one part of the room air to the air sanitizing system (marked as 10′, 40′, 50′ in FIG. 9), and another part of the room air—to the A/C central unit (shown as 52′ in FIG. 9). The sanitized air from the sanitizing system 10′ is mixed with the conditioned air from the A/C unit 52′ in the common egress line 80 which terminates with air distributor 100.

(75) From the distributor 100, egress ducts (101, 102 and the like) of the modified A/C unit 70′ conduct the mixed, partially sanitized and partially conditioned air to corresponding rooms. After a number of repeating cycles, the air in the rooms becomes completely sanitized.

(76) The air egress ducts 101, 102 and the like may be arranged to pass through walls/ceilings of the rooms.

(77) While the invention has been described with reference to a number of specific implementation and versions of the method, it should be appreciated that other embodiments and versions may be proposed and should be considered part of the invention whenever defined by the claims which follow.