Gas purifying apparatus

Abstract

A gas purifying apparatus, including: at least one cylindrical ground electrode configured to receive gas flowing therethrough; a discharge electrode disposed centrally within each of the at least one cylindrical ground electrode; and a power supply electrically connected to the discharge electrode and the at least one cylindrical ground electrode so as to produce an electric field and a corona discharge from the discharge electrode to a corresponding cylindrical ground electrode to generate ions and free electrons into the gas to ionise substances in the gas for gas purification, wherein the discharge electrode and the corresponding cylindrical ground electrode form at least one plasma chamber when power from the power supply is applied, and wherein the discharge electrode includes: at least one annular plate having an outer edge extending towards the corresponding cylindrical ground electrode.

Claims

1. A gas purifying apparatus comprising: at least one cylindrical ground electrode configured to receive gas flowing therethrough; a discharge electrode disposed centrally within each of the at least one cylindrical ground electrode; and a power supply electrically connected to the discharge electrode and the at least one cylindrical ground electrode to produce, in use, an electric field and a corona discharge from the discharge electrode to a corresponding cylindrical ground electrode to generate ions and free electrons into the gas to ionise substances in the gas for gas purification, wherein the discharge electrode and the corresponding cylindrical ground electrode form at least one plasma chamber when power from the power supply is applied, and wherein the discharge electrode includes: two or more annular plates that each have a respective outer edge extending towards the corresponding cylindrical ground electrode, wherein the outer edge of each annular plate has a plurality of spaced apart needles extending from the annular plate towards the corresponding cylindrical ground electrode at any angle between 1 and 89 degrees, and a rod disposed centrally within the corresponding cylindrical ground electrode and connected to the power supply, wherein each annular plate is mounted to the rod, wherein the discharge electrode includes each annular plate mounted at regular intervals to the rod, and whereby the electric field produced between the outer edge and the corresponding cylindrical ground electrode is uniform in a plasma region of the at least one plasma chamber such that the gas flowing through the at least one plasma chamber is exposed to a uniform electric field and to the ions and free electrons for gas purification in the plasma region of the at least one plasma chamber, wherein at least some of the ions and free electrons in the gas flowing through the at least one cylindrical ground electrode into a gaseous atmosphere for purification of the gaseous atmosphere, and the spaced apart needles extending towards the corresponding cylindrical ground electrode at any angle between 1 and 89 degrees increase a number of the ions and free electrons that flow into the at least one plasma chamber.

2. A gas purifying apparatus according to claim 1, further including a fan configured to force the gas to flow through the at least one cylindrical ground electrode.

3. A gas purifying apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the rod is mounted to a support electrically isolated from the at least one cylindrical ground electrode.

4. A gas purifying apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the at least one cylindrical ground electrode is mounted to the support and electrically isolated from the support.

5. A gas purifying apparatus according to claim 1, further including a laminar flow filter disposed at an input or an output to the at least one cylindrical ground electrode, the laminar flow filter configured to produce a laminar flow for the gas flowing through the at least one cylindrical ground electrode.

6. A gas purifying apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the laminar flow filter is a honeycomb filter configured to produce the laminar flow.

7. A gas purifying apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the laminar flow filter is electrically connected to the at least one cylindrical ground electrode.

8. A gas purifying apparatus according to claim 1, further including a controller configured to control the power supply to control an intensity of the electric field and to control an amount of said ions and free electrons generated by the discharge electrode.

9. A gas purifying apparatus according to claim 8, further including at least one sensor configured to detect designated substances in a gas, whereby the controller is configured to receive a signal from the at least one sensor indicative of a detected level of the designated substances and is configured to control the power supply to control the intensity of the electric field and the amount of said ions and free electrons generated by the discharge electrode based on the signal.

10. A gas purifying apparatus according to claim 8, further including a fan configured to force the gas to flow through the at least one cylindrical ground electrode and the controller is further configured to control the fan.

11. A gas purifying apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the controller further includes a communications interface configured to transmit and receive data over a communications network to and from at least one communications device.

12. A gas purifying apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the communications interface is further configured to receive data from one or more remote sensors deployed in an area configured to detect designated substances in the area.

13. A gas purifying apparatus according to claim 1, further including a water vapour inlet configured to input water vapour into the gas flowing through the at least one cylindrical ground electrode.

14. A gas purifying apparatus according to claim 13, wherein the corona discharge from the discharge electrode generates additional ions into the gas from the water vapour.

15. A gas purifying apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the discharge electrode further includes a central needle disposed on a first one of the two or more annular plates and extending perpendicularly from the first one of the two or more annular plates.

16. An air purifying apparatus, including: the gas purifying apparatus according to claim 1, whereby the gas is air.

17. A gas purifying apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a negative high voltage from the power supply is applied to the discharge electrode and negative air or gas ions are generated.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

(1) Embodiments of the present invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

(2) FIG. 1 shows a discharge electrode and a ground electrode forming a plasma chamber of a gas purifying apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention;

(3) FIG. 2 shows a discharge electrode of a gas purifying apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention;

(4) FIG. 3 shows twelve plasma chambers of a gas purifying apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention;

(5) FIG. 4 shows a gas purifying apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention;

(6) FIG. 5 shows a gas purifying apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention; and

(7) FIG. 6 shows a gas purifying apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

(8) FIG. 1 shows a plasma chamber 10 of a gas purifying apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention when power from a power supply is applied to the gas purifying apparatus 10. The plasma chamber 10 includes a cylindrical ground electrode 12 configured to receive gas flowing therethrough and a discharge electrode 14 disposed centrally within the cylindrical ground electrode 12. As mentioned above, the gas purifying apparatus typically has a number of these plasma chambers 10, which is shown more clearly in FIG. 3. The gas purifying apparatus also includes a power supply electrically connected to the discharge electrode 14 and the cylindrical ground electrode 12 so as to produce an electric field and a corona discharge from the discharge electrode 14 to the cylindrical ground electrode 12 and to generate ions and free electrons into the gas to ionise substances in the gas for gas purification. Also, as described, the ions and free electrons in the gas can flow through the cylindrical ground electrode 12 into a gaseous atmosphere for purification of the gaseous atmosphere. In this embodiment, the input voltage for the power supply is 100-240 VAC, 50/60 Hz, 75 VA (max) and the maximum output voltage is a high voltage of 10-15 Kv.

(9) The gas purifying apparatus shown in the Figures is an air purifying apparatus and the gas is air. FIGS. 5 and 6 show an embodiment of an air purifying apparatus 100 in more detail. Accordingly, the gas purifying apparatus will hereinafter be referred to in the detail description as an air purifying apparatus 100 and the gas will hereinafter be referred to as air. That is, the corona discharge from the discharge electrode 14 in each plasma chamber 10 generates ions and free electrons into the air in the cylindrical ground electrode 12 to ionise any substances in the air in the cylindrical ground electrode 12 for air purification and also expels ions and free electrons into the air in say a room for purification of the air in the room. The air purifying apparatus 100 further includes a fan 50 (as illustrated in FIG. 5) to force the air to flow through the cylindrical ground electrode 12 and to force the generated ions and free electrons into the air in the room to purify the air in the room.

(10) The ions and free electrons generated by the air purifying apparatus 100 attach to airborne particles which are either degraded by ionisation or they precipitate out of the air due to their agglomeration and therefore additional weight. That is, the air purifying apparatus 100 generates air ions for ionisation using the plasma chambers 10. Additionally, the plasma chamber 10 further including a water vapour inlet 70 (as illustrated in FIG. 6) configured to input water vapour into the air flowing through the cylindrical ground electrode 12 to decompose water molecules to generate water ions which enhance the ionisation process, as well as oxygen clusters and active particles such as ozone. Further, the electric field produced in the plasma chamber 10 by the air purifying apparatus 100 is of a sufficiently high intensity to destroy microorganisms flowing in the air past the electric field by electroporation of the microorganisms.

(11) The discharge electrode 14 of the air purifying apparatus 100 shown in the Figures includes three annular plates 16 having an outer edge 18 with a plurality of spaced apart needles 20 extending radially from each plate 16 towards the cylindrical ground electrode 12. The spaced apart needles 20 are uniformly spaced so that the electric field produced between the needles 20 and the corresponding cylindrical ground electrode 12 is uniform and the air flowing through the plasma chamber 10 is exposed to the uniform electric field and to the ions and free electrons for air purification. Further, in the embodiment shown in the Figures, there are sixteen spaced apart needles 20 extending radially from each plate 16. It will be appreciated by those persons skilled in the art that other configurations of spaced apart needles 20 are envisaged, such as the spaced apart needles extending at angles to the radius of the plate 18 but still generally towards the cylindrical ground electrode 12, or other numbers of spaced apart needles 20.

(12) In the embodiments shown in the Figures, the discharge electrode 14 includes a rod 22 disposed centrally within the cylindrical ground electrode 12, and three annular plates 16 are mounted at regular intervals to the rod 22. The rod 22 is mounted to a support 24 shown in FIG. 3 that is electrically isolated from the cylindrical ground electrodes 12. Also, the rod 22 is connected to the power supply by a brass fitting 25. The rod 22 is also fixed to cross members 26 of the support 24, which hold the rod 22 centrally within the corresponding cylindrical ground electrode 12. Further, the cylindrical ground electrodes 12 shown in FIG. 3 are also mounted to the support 24 using a latch lock arrangement 28.

(13) In the embodiment shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the discharge electrode 14 further includes a central needle 21 disposed on a first one of the three annular plates 16 extending perpendicularly from the first one of the plates 16. The central needle 21 is employed in a embodiment where the number of the ions and free electrons that flow into the gaseous atmosphere are desired to be increased for further purification of the gaseous atmosphere.

(14) The cylindrical ground electrodes 12 of the plasma chambers 10 shown in FIGS. 3 and 4 are contained by a frame 27 that is attached to the support 24 and to all the cylindrical ground electrodes 12. Accordingly, all the cylindrical ground electrodes 12 of the plasma chambers 10 can be easily removed together from the support 24and their respective discharge electrodes 14using the latch lock 28 to be accessed and cleaned.

(15) Specifically, in the embodiment shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, there are twelve plasma chambers 10 of the air purifying apparatus 100 contained by the frame 27. FIG. 4 also shows an input laminar flow filter 30 disposed at an input to the 12 plasma chambers 10 and an output laminar flow filter disposed at the output of the plasma chambers 10. As described, the laminar flow filters 30 32 are honeycomb type filters configured to produce a laminar flow for the air flowing through the cylindrical ground electrodes 12 of the plasma chambers 10 so that the air flowing through the electric field is uniform, and for the outgoing air from the cylindrical ground electrodes 12 so that it is also uniform. The plasma chambers 10 are also aligned with the inlet and outlet of the apparatus 10 so that the air flowing through the cylindrical ground electrodes 12 is laminar.

(16) FIGS. 5 and 6 also show the air purifying apparatus 100 with a housing 33 having an inlet 36 for air to flow into the plasma chambers 10 and an outlet 34 for the air to flow out of the plasma chambers 10. The air purifying apparatus 100 of the embodiment has a High-Efficiency Particulate Arresting (HEPA) filter (not shown) disposed at the output 34 to filter particles greater than, for instance, 0.3 m. Also, the air purifying apparatus 100 of FIG. 5 is installed on its side for use say inside a central air conditioning unit, and the air purifying apparatus 100 of FIG. 6 is mounted on legs 38 for use say between air ducting and air vents of an air conditioning system. The dimension of the air purifying apparatus 100 in these embodiments is 403030 cm.

(17) The air purifying apparatus 100 further includes a controller 60 configured to control the power supply 40 electrically connected to the discharge electrodes 14 to control an intensity of the electric field and an amount of ions and free electrons that are generated by the discharge electrodes 14 in the plasma chambers 10. It will be appreciated by those persons skilled in the art that the controller could be implemented electrically, for example via phase control dimmer circuits, or electronically via a microprocessor. In the case of a microprocessor, the controller includes a processor and a memory in communication with the processor, and the memory stores programming instructions for implementing control of the air purifying apparatus 100.

(18) In an embodiment, the air purifying apparatus 100 also includes a sensor (not shown) configured to detect designated substances in the air, such as Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs). The controller is in this embodiment is configured to receive a signal from the sensor indicative of a detected level of these and other substances in the air in the air purifying apparatus 100 so as to control the power supply to control the voltage provided to the discharge electrodes 14 to control the intensity of the electric field, the amount of generated ions and free electrons, and the fan speed, based on the detected level of designated substances. As described, the sensor may be a remote sensor or it may be located on the apparatus 100.

(19) Further, in the embodiment where the controller is a microprocessor, the controller also includes a communications interface configured to transmit and receive data over a communications network, such as Wi-Fi, to and from a communications device, such as a mobile computing device (e.g. smart phone). It will be appreciated by those persons skilled in the art the communications network may further include any suitable communications network which support data communications, such as internet packet (IP) protocol based networks. The communication device may include any wireless or wired communication device which is compatible for communication with the communications network, and for displaying a graphical user interface (GUI) to the user to control the controller of the air purifying apparatus 100. Thus, for example, a user can adjust the voltage applied to the discharge electrodes 14 to control the electric field intensity and the amount of generated ions and free electrons using the GUI on their portable computing device in data communication with the air purifying apparatus 100 via a Wi-Fi network. In another example, the user can program into the memory using the GUI designated times for the air purifying apparatus 100 to be run during the week, and to control other components of the air purifying apparatus 100 such as the fan speed to control the amount of ions and free electrons emitted into the room.

(20) In addition, the communications interface of the air purifying apparatus 100 is further configured to receive data from remote sensors deployed in say the room that are also configured to detect designated substances in the area. In this example, the air purifying apparatus 100 can operate automatically to adjust the electric field and the amount of ions and free electrons generated based on the detection of ambient substances or contaminants in the room.

(21) It will be understood that there may be other variations and modifications to the configurations described herein that are also within the scope of the present invention.

(22) The discussion of documents, acts, materials, devices, articles and the like is included in this specification solely for the purpose of providing context for the present invention. It is not suggested or represented that any of these matters formed part of the prior art base or were common general knowledge as it existed before the priority date of each claim of this application.