COOLING APPARATUS FOR KILLING FUNGI ON DEW CONDENSATION PART BY MEANS OF HYDROGEN GENERATED BY ELECTROLYZING WATER CONDENSED AT DEW CONDENSATION PART OF COOLING APPARATUS

Abstract

Provided are: a vehicle cooling apparatus and a residential and office cooling apparatus, which are improved so as to prevent offensive odors and respiratory diseases by killing fungi and bacteria inside of a cooling part by means of hydrogen generated by electrolyzing the water condensed at the cooling part of the cooling apparatus; or a cooling apparatus and an air conditioning apparatus having a health-beneficial hydrogen generation device added thereto in which bacteria do not propagate since hydrogen is mixed and supplied to the interior air by means of a heat pump such that air quality is improved and the quality-improved air is supplied.

Claims

1. A sterilizing apparatus configured to electrolyze water condensed at cooling parts or evaporators of the cooling apparatus or the dehumidifier or the freezer or the refrigerator to generate hydrogen and sterilize fungi and bacteria in vicinity of the evaporators, wherein the sterilizing apparatus includes: an electrolysis electrode configured to perform electrolysis when the condensed water is in contact therewith, and at which a porous ceramic catalyst which combines with oxygen generated during the electrolysis is placed to prevent generation of ozone while the water is electrolyzed; a resistance value measurement part configured to measure a resistance value of the water that changes according to a concentration of an electrolyte dissolved in the water; a controller configured to adjust an application time by varying a voltage according to the resistance value measured by the resistance value measurement part and control a power supply; the power supply provided to be isolated such that the voltage isolated from a power device is applied to the electrolysis electrode, which has platinum-plated titanium, to prevent a metal part of the evaporator and the electrolysis electrode from being electrochemically electrolyzed; and a relay part configured to be controlled to apply the voltage to the electrolysis electrode while changing a direction of an electrical current at a certain time interval.

2. A sterilizing apparatus in which an electrolysis electrode is installed inside a funnel of a water holder into which water condensed and frozen at an evaporator of a cooling apparatus falls, wherein an electrical resistance of the water is measured when the water is in contact with the electrode, a current which is completely isolated from a voltage of a power source flows to the electrode to electrolyze the water and generate hydrogen, and thus fungi is killed and the hydrogen is supplied to air.

3. A sterilizing apparatus in which a water bucket including an electrolysis electrode is installed under a funnel of a water holder into which water condensed and frozen at an evaporator of a cooling apparatus falls, wherein, when an electrical resistance of water in contact with the electrode is measured, a current which is completely isolated from a voltage of a power source flows to the electrode to electrolyze the water and generate hydrogen, and thus fungi is killed and the hydrogen is supplied to air.

4. A cooling apparatus or a dehumidifier or a humidifier or a heat pump or an air conditioner in which hydrogen generated by a sterilizing apparatus of any one of claims 1 to 3 is transferred to an inlet of a wingless blower configured to blow air mixed with the hydrogen to a cooling part or an evaporator with a primary noise, which is a low noise of 40 dB or less, to sterilize the cooling part of the evaporator and blow wind mixed with the hydrogen into an indoor space.

5. A good agricultural practice (GAP) process system configured to sterilize indoor air of a cattle shed, a henhouse, a pigsty, a plant factory, and a greenhouse using hydrogen generated by a sterilizing apparatus of any one of claims 1 to 4 to prevent animals from contracting avian influenza and foot-and-mouth disease and prevent odors caused by excretion.

6. A system configured to sterilize indoor air of a food processing and manufacturing factory, a pharmaceutical factory, and a food distribution and sales store that follow the Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCP) standard and a good manufacturing practice (GMP) process using hydrogen generated by a sterilizing apparatus of any one of claims 1 to 4 to prevent spoilage of food and medicine.

7. A drinkable water manufacturing apparatus has a sterilizing apparatus in which condensed water, and rainwater and ground water in addition to the condensed water are filtered by a filter prior to the rainwater and ground water being supplied to a water tank, and, when a water bucket including an electrolysis electrode is installed and an electrical resistance according to salinity or an electrolyte of water which is in contact with the electrolysis electrode is measured, a current which is completely isolated from a voltage of a power source flows to the electrode, and then the water is electrolyzed to generate hydrogen and the hydrogen is dissolved in the water to kill fungi and bacteria.

Description

DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0020] FIG. 1 illustrates an example of propagation of fungi caused by condensation and freezing of water at an evaporator of a conventional cooling apparatus.

[0021] FIG. 2 illustrates an example in which an electrolysis hydrogen generator is applied to a water holder of an evaporator of a cooling apparatus.

[0022] FIG. 3 illustrates an example of air circulation of a low noise cooling device to which a water bucket including an electrolysis electrode at an outlet of the water holder is applied.

[0023] FIG. 4 illustrates a detailed view showing electrolysis of an electrolysis electrode which is completely isolated from an electrode of a power source.

[0024] FIG. 5 illustrates a measured resistance and voltage waveform of an electrolyte which operates an apparatus according to the present invention.

MODES OF THE INVENTION

[0025] Hereinafter, exemplary embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail. However, the present invention is not limited to the exemplary embodiments disclosed below and may be implemented in various forms. The following exemplary embodiments are described in order to enable those of ordinary skill in the art to embody and practice the invention.

[0026] Hydrogen produced by electrolyzing water 4 which underwent condensation, was frozen 3 at a cooling part (hereinafter, referred to as an evaporator 1) of a cooling apparatus or a dehumidifier, was then melted, and fell from the evaporator is used to kill fungi 8 and bacteria inside the evaporator, and therefore an improvement can be made to prevent a problem of odors being caused by fungi at a vehicle cooling apparatus and residential and office air conditioners and to prevent a respiratory disease.

[0027] When the water 4 which underwent condensation 3, was frozen at the evaporator 1 of the cooling apparatus, was then melted, and fell from the evaporator is in contact with an electrolysis electrode 10, electrical resistance of an electrolyte which is a metal constituent dissolved in the water when the water is condensed in the evaporator 1 is detected by a resistance value measurement circuit 26, and then water 4 and 14 is electrolyzed to produce oxygen and hydrogen.

[0028] Here, production of ozone (O.sub.3) is prevented by the oxygen and a porous ceramic catalyst 18 in vicinity of the electrolysis electrode 10 so that only oxygen (O) is dissolved in the water, some hydrogen atoms among electrolyzed hydrogen (H) are dissolved in the water, and a hydrogen bubble 15 evaporates and kills the fungi 8 and bacteria having the possibility of propagation, and therefore, pure cooling for supplying fresh and clean cold air 11 from which the fungi 8 is removed using hydrogen after sterilization mixed in the air is possible. That is, even though the water 4 and 14 is electrolyzed, the porous ceramic catalyst 16 preventing the production of ozone (O.sub.3) in conjunction with the oxygen produced in the electrolysis is placed in the vicinity of the electrolysis electrode 10, and therefore, the production of ozone may be prevented during the electrolysis of water and hydrogen is produced.

[0029] When water vapor in the air is in contact with metal of the evaporator 1, undergoes condensation 3 and is frozen, resistance values of a product of the metal in contact with the water and the water 4 and 14 having a concentration of an electrolyte changed by dust in the air may be measured. When the resistance value of the water is measured by the resistance value measuring circuit 26 for measuring a resistance value of water that is changed according to a concentration of an electrolyte, the resistance is converted into a voltage 27 which is completely isolated 25 from a voltage 24 of a power source 21 according to the resistance value, and an isolated power supply 25 is controlled by a microcontroller 23 so that the voltage 27 is applied to electrolysis electrodes 10-1 and 10-2, as shown in FIG. 5.

[0030] Because a negative electrode of a commercialized battery 21 for a vehicle, which is used in most vehicles, is connected to a chassis of a vehicle, electrolysis with a ground 24 of the chassis of the vehicle is prevented only when the voltage 27 completely isolated from the power source 21 of the vehicle is generated and applied to the electrolysis electrodes 10-1 and 10-2 to produce hydrogen.

[0031] Therefore, the voltage 27 which is completely isolated from the voltage 24 of the power device 21 is applied to the platinum-plated titanium electrolysis electrodes 10-1 and 10-2, and the power supply 25 which is isolated such that a metal part of the evaporator 1 and the electrolysis electrodes 10-1 and 10-2 are not electrochemically reacted by electrolysis is operated.

[0032] In addition, a 2-circuit and 2-contact point relay 20 or a solid state relay is configured to change a direction of an electrical current to the electrolysis electrodes 10-1 and 10-2 at a certain time interval (about 10 seconds), a control signal 28 is controlled by the microcontroller 23 so that changes 32 and 22 of the direction of the electrical current are made at the certain time interval, and therefore an electrochemical reaction of the platinum-plated titanium electrodes is prevented.

[0033] Besides the above-described cooling apparatus for vehicles and indoor spaces, a hydrogen generating sterilizer using condensation of a cooling part may be applied to a refrigerator, a dehumidifier, a freezer, an air conditioner, and a water manufacturing device to prevent propagation of bacteria and fungi.

[0034] The electrolysis electrodes 10 are installed inside a water holder 5 for receiving water drops 4 of water which underwent condensation 3, was frozen at the evaporator 1 of the cooling apparatus, was then melted, and fell. When the water 4 and 14 is in contact with the electrodes, an electrical resistance of the water is measured 26, and then the current 27 of the power source 25 which is completely isolated from the voltage of the power source flows to the electrolysis electrodes 10 to electrolyze the water 4 and 14, and thus generation 15 of hydrogen occurs, which kills fungi and supplies hydrogen to air so that fresh, clean, and healthy cooling is realized.

[0035] In addition, when a water bucket 13 including the electrolysis electrodes 10 is installed under a funnel 6 of the water holder 5 to which water, which underwent condensation 3, was frozen at the evaporator 1 of the cooling apparatus, was melted, and fell therefrom, and the electrical resistance of the water 4 and 14 in contact with the electrolysis electrodes 10 is measured, the current 27 which is completely isolated from the voltage of the power source flows to the electrolysis electrodes 10 and electrolyzes the water to generate hydrogen. When the vaporized hydrogen is transferred to an entrance of a wingless blower 2-2 through a pipe 17, mixed air in which hydrogen and air are mixed is discharged through disks of the wingless blower using centrifugal force, fungi which may occur at the evaporator 1 are killed, and the pure cool air 11 mixed with hydrogen is discharged.

[0036] In addition, when indoor air of a cage in which chickens, pigs, and cows are kept, such as a cattle shed, a henhouse, a pigsty, and the like, a plant factory, and a greenhouse to which the GAP process is applied is sterilized using a hydrogen dehumidifying and humidifying apparatus, a hydrogen air conditioner, and a hydrogen cooling apparatus using a technique of spraying hydrogen electrolyzed from water into the air, an infectious disease, avian influenza, and foot-and-mouth disease of animals and plants can be prevented, and odors caused by excretion can be prevented, and therefore animals can be healthily raised.

[0037] Furthermore, when indoor air of a food processing and manufacturing factory, a pharmaceutical factory, and a food distribution and sales store that follow the HACCP standard and GMP process is sterilized using hydrogen electrolyzed from water, a hydrogen dehumidifying and humidifying apparatus, a hydrogen air conditioner, and a hydrogen cooling apparatus, and then processed food, manufactured food, and medicine are processed, manufactured, distributed, and sold, spoilage of the food and medicine is prevented. Therefore, shelf life can be extended as much as possible with electrolyzed hydrogen and a method of using the same rather than a conventional method of time temperature tolerance (TTT), which is a method of using a temperature tolerance of storage and distribution.

[0038] As described above, hydrogen is supplied to air while killing fungi, and water 12 into which hydrogen is dissolved is drinkable because the water is sterilized with the hydrogen, and therefore the apparatus according to the present invention may be applied to a water manufacturing device.

[0039] Therefore, prior to supplying ground water drawn by a pump to a water tank or supplying received rainwater to the water tank, when a water bucket including an electrolysis electrode is installed and an electrical resistance of water in contact with the electrode is measured, a current completely isolated from a voltage of a power source flows to the electrode according to salinity of ground water and an electrical resistance of an electrolyte, and the water is electrolyzed to generate hydrogen. Therefore, a water manufacturing device for killing fungi and bacteria by dissolving hydrogen into water and manufacturing drinkable water can be realized.