METHODS OF AUTOMATED GARBAGE CHUTE AIR EVACUATION TO IMPROVE AIR QUALITY

Abstract

This description relates to waste disposal garbage chutes and more particularly to automated air quality management in and around the disposal chute and collection rooms where garbage chutes are present utilizing automated air quality sensing hardware and evacuation devices to provide a clean, sanitary waste room environment. A system according to the present invention includes a 3 step design using an air sensor to determine air cleaning cycle, and an air intake port with specular reflective surfaces in the inside to provide a reflective element to reflect UV light into the airborne particulates thereby killing 99% of the bacteria and fungi before entering an electrified gravity fed fluid filament air filter which collects the dead bacteria and fungi and settles in a collection reservoir. The fluid in the reservoir is then further filtered to clean the fluid for reuse in the automated air cleaning system.

Claims

1. A garbage collection room automated air quality cleaning system which monitors waste collection room airborne particulates, said system comprising: an air quality sensor configured to sense particulates in air; a microcontroller unit (MCU) configured to, based on the sensed particulates: activate or deactivate a UVC light source contained within a specular reflective angular tubing which refracts UVC light rays emitted by the UVC light source in concentration to disinfect said air, activate or deactivate a fan source which is located behind a wet filter to provide back pressure stagnating airflow of said air, activate or deactivate a disinfectant fluid flow which keeps said wet filter saturated, a fluid reservoir to capture excess disinfectant fluid and a changeable filter which keeps said fluid reservoir clean.

2. The system according to claim 1, further comprising means to perpetually fill fluids lost in evaporation of a disinfecting cycle.

3. The system according to claim 2, wherein said perpetually filled fluids are chemically treated with a disinfectant used in killing germs and/or pathogens.

4. The system according to claim 1, wherein said UVC lamp is contained within an angular specular reflective coated intake port.

5. The system according to claim 1, wherein said MCU is configured to activate back pressure stagnating airflow caused by said wet filter to ensure proper stagnation or restriction of airflow and timing of UVC light exposure to airborne bacteria and fungi.

6. The system according to claim 1, wherein said wet filter is porous to allow passage of air while providing both sufficient means free path (MFP) of air flow and cellular pavementing with increased surface area.

7. The system according to claim 6, wherein said cellular pavementing is harmful bacteria and fungi which lyse due to primary interaction of UVC light exposure and disinfectant.

8. A system comprising: means of filtering garbage room airborne contaminated fluids in a gravity fed silver lined fluid collection container which further provides a long term exposure of disinfectant to captured airborne contaminations in said airborne contaminated fluids.

9. The system according to claim 8, wherein said means is further configured to ensure proper fill level of said gravity fed silver lined container with disinfecting fluids.

10. The system according to claim 9, wherein disinfecting fluids are pumped over the top of a wet air filter and gravity fed excess of said disinfecting fluids back in the silver lined fluid collection container.

11. The system according to claim 8, wherein said means is further configured to filter and decontaminate said contaminated fluids contained in said silver lined fluid collection container.

12. The system according to claim 11, wherein said means is further configured to allow access for changing a filter used to decontaminate said contaminated fluids in said silver lined fluid collection container.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0022] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of an air quality cleaning system including a Microcontroller Unit (MCU) a MQ135 Air Quality Sensor, a motorized fan, a PC for intelligent integration of control software, a relay representing actions or functions from the results collected from the MQ135 to the MCU and a wireless control option.

[0023] FIG. 2 is a simplified drawing of a schematic diagram containing basic elements of a MQ135 for air quality sensing, a MCU for processing and a Relay for acting upon air quality threshold events.

[0024] FIG. 3 is a 3D rendering of the intake tube with specular reflective coatings showing UVC light refracting from the angular tubing refraction angles.

[0025] FIG. 4 is a drawing of an air quality management system containing a first MQ135 sensor, an intake angular tubing intake chute, a fan, a filter component and a fluid storage component and a filter to clean said fluid for easy maintenance.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS

[0026] Airborne particulates are generated in high concentrations in garbage collection rooms found beneath garbage chutes where tenants in the above floors utilize a chute to drop their waste. As the waste falls inside the garbage chute, it collides with areas meant to slow the fall of the garbage. These areas are angular which are impacted by said garbage waste. In many cases, the garbage waste is within a bag that breaks such that the waste is separated from said bag allowing waste material containing rotting or decaying bacteria and fungus to spread or be exposed. In this application we propose a simple method to detect particulates and gases released by said waste bacteria and fungi and filter it from the air to ensure a more safe and healthy environment for waste collection facilities.

[0027] According to an embodiment, an air quality improvement or cleaning system contains an air quality sensor. In the present embodiment, an MQ135 is exemplified as an air quality sensor. The MP135 is connected to a MCU which handles conversion of sensor readings to data and then acts upon preset threshold variables. Once a preset threshold has been exceeded, the MCU activates a series of actions which allow proper operation of an automated garbage chute air evacuation system according to an embodiment. This includes a first element high powered UVC lamp which operates a light wave between >150 and <300 nm respectively which is optimum light spectrum for disinfectant of bacteria and fungi, a second angular tubing with specular reflective surfaces which has sufficient angles to refract light waves covering all areas of said angular tubing, a third induction fan to decrease pressure in said specular reflective coated angular tubing which draws outside air containing airborne bacteria and fungi into said angular tubing whereby said air containing airborne particulates is bombarded by the high powered UVC light rays, a fourth element being a filter containing a fluid which has a disinfectant (Chemical) that further ensures both airborne particulates of bacteria and fungi are collected or captured, and a fifth element which collects said fluid containing said disinfectant and stores said disinfected fluid in a silver lined container which further ensures all living harmful bacteria and fungi are disinfected.

[0028] The MQ-135 Gas sensor is used in air quality control equipment and is suitable for detecting or measuring of NH3, NOx, Alcohol, Benzene, Smoke, CO2 and other harmful particulates. MQ-135 gas sensor applies SnO2 which has a higher resistance in the clear air as a gas-sensing material. When there is an increase in polluting gases, the resistance of the gas sensor decreases. This value can be determined by utilizing a MCU where the values are converted to an integer and compared to a threshold.

TABLE-US-00002 int sensorValue; int digitalValue; void setup( ) { Serial.begin(9600); // sets the serial port to 9600 pinMode(13, OUTPUT); pinMode( 3, INPUT); } void loop( ) { sensorValue = analogRead(0); // read analog input pin 0 digitalValue = digitalRead(2); if(sensorValue>51) { digitalWrite(13, HIGH); // Action or function if value exceeds the threshold delay(1000*60*5); // Runs action for 5 minutes and then rechecks air quality status } else digitalWrite(13, LOW); //Action stopped Serial.println(sensorValue, DEC); // prints the value read to a computer (101 fig l) Serial.println(digital Value, DEC); delay(1000); // wait 100ms for next reading }
In the code, the MCU reads the Analog input from the MQ135 10 times per second. This constant reading of the concentration of air quality will raise and lower in the garbage chute collection room according to the proposed cleaning device activation. When the code detects 50 parts per million (50 ppm) or more, the Relay (pin 13) activates for 5 minutes. This relay represents actions taken once the threshold of airborne contaminants is detected to be above the AQI (Air Quality Index) of 50.

[0029] The actuation of the relay can set off a series of events as per requirement of said air decontamination process. These events include a UVC lamp to provide the proper range of UV light to disinfect a first stage of collected airborne contaminants, a wet filter which further contains proper chemicals to further disinfect and collect contaminants and a fluid collection bin which further contains a silver lining which also acts as a disinfectant for killing germs collected in the wet filter stage of decontaminating the air to improve said air quality index (AQI).

[0030] FIG. 1 shows a schematic diagram containing a first element of a MQ135 (105) connected by an analog bus (141) which provides a variable sensor reading to the MCU (125). If said variable sensor reading reaches a threshold preset value, the MCU (125) passes a high output voltage to the Relay Controller (121) which causes the fan (119) to turn on. This starts the air flow. A wireless (115) or wired bus (RS232) can link to a PC which monitors information of the air quality improvement application according to embodiments.

[0031] The MQ135 operates on 5V which is connected to VCC (127) and GND (133) where all elements share like voltages. Said PC contains relevant Natural Event Processing (NEP) logic to monitor, control and report actions of hardware through a remote server application or network.

[0032] FIG. 2 is a fundamental schematic diagram showing the basic essentials of the circuit to actuate an event using an Air Quality Sensor (267) connected to both digital input and analog input of the MCU (255) which is connected to a relay (272) where contactors of said relay are connected to a motor which controls a fan, a UVC lamp and necessary pumps to control proper fluid flow (Not Shown). The Relay, MCU (255) and air quality sensor (267) is connected to VCC (199) and GND (201).

[0033] FIG. 3 shows dirty air (303) entering the opening of an angular tubing (315) which contains a specular reflective coating (311) whereby UVC light rays (322) bounce off various angles provided by the reflective surface (311) of the angular tubing (315). Said angular tubing contains a UVC light source (330) which provides the interior of said angular tubing (315) with sufficient UVC light rays (322) which is refracted off the specular reflective walls (311) of the angular tubing port (315). The exhaust air (333) is a clean air which exits the UVC chambered (315) specular reflective (311) coated angular intake port (315).

[0034] FIG. 4 is s combined system containing a first air quality sensor (378) which resides external to the intake port (315) where incoming dirty air (303) containing airborne particulates enters internally in said specular reflective (322) angular tubing (315) whereby said air particulates containing bacteria and fungi are bombarded with a UVC light (330) where said UVC light rays bounce off specular reflective coatings (322) inside the angular tubing (315). A MCU (377) provides control for the external peripherals of the fan (401), first fluid pump (412) which pumps disinfectant fluid in fluid chamber (431) which is silver lined to further decontaminate said living bacteria and fungi. A pump (422) to push fluid to the top of the wet filter (445) whereby gravity draws droplets containing dead bacteria and fungi back into the reservoir (431). A fluid intake is controlled by a float system (430) which keeps the fluid at a proper level. Finally, a filter (420) in a filter chamber (415) is utilized to filter any decontaminants found in the fluid which captures said harmful particulates and can easily be discarded by opening the said filter chamber (415) and removing the fluid filter (420) and replacing it with a new one on a periodic basis. Cleaned air (333) exits the wet filter.