WO1999015258A1

WO1999015258A1 - A liquid-based cleaning device for a gas, e.g. air

Info

Publication number: WO1999015258A1
Application number: PCT/NO1998/000282
Authority: WO
Inventors: Kjetil Barane; Karl Jonny BØ
Original assignee: Kjetil Barane; Boe Karl Jonny
Priority date: 1997-09-24
Filing date: 1998-09-23
Publication date: 1999-04-01
Also published as: AU9653398A; NO306981B1; NO974406D0; NO974406L

Abstract

In a water-based air cleaning apparatus, polluted air is passed through a water bath within the apparatus by means of a fan (24). The apparatus may comprise a container (10) having an inlet (22) for untreated air and an outlet (12') for treated, cleaned air. The container (10) surrounds concentrically an internal container (14), forming an annulus (18) between the opposing faces of the containers (10, 14), and the inner face of the external container bottom (10') is spaced a certain distance from the opposing face of the internal container's (14) bottom wall (16), which is formed with through-going flow holes (26) for the suction of air and water into the internal container from a water bath within the bottom area (20) of the external container (10). The inlet (22) for untreated air extends preferably tangentially in relation to the cylindrical external container (10), causing inlet air and water to be put into rotation during operation.

Description

A LIQUID-BASED CLEANING DEVICE FOR A GAS, E.G. AIR

The present invention relates to a liquid/water-based gas cleaning device, e.g. an air cleaning apparatus, where water constitutes the cleaning/filtering medium, i.e. an apparatus in which polluted air is forced through water in a container, and upon its forced flow through the volume of water and past internal apparatus portions, is caused to liberate and give off its contaminating particles to the replaceable water.

It is previously known to establish a forced flow of air through a water column, in order to liberate the air from contaminating particles, thereupon accommodated in the water, in order to subsequently settling out at the bottom of the water container. Particles dissolvable in water and from which the air is freed, will, of course, dissolve in the water in the container, the water thus functioning as a kind of an absorbing filtering medium.

Known water-based air cleaners are not sufficiently efficient for satisfactory cleaning of larger amounts of air, because the air follows an unsuitable air flow pattern and has a non- adjusted speed when it is in contact with the water. One practical use for such water-based air cleaners is e.g. as components of air conditioners, or they may be used separately. In order to establish a forced air flow through the cleaning apparatus, it may advantageously be used a fan, preferably a suction fan disposed below a container's upwardly facing outlet opening through which cleaned air escapes into the room or is conducted further in an air conditioner.

It has been a main object of the present invention to arrange the conditions so as to be favourable for forced flows of air in the process of being cleaned, in the cleaning -water, in boundary layers and in zones in which mixing is taking place. The flows favour the separation of contaminating particles from the air for accommodation in the water, where the particles separated from the air either settle directly or subsequently to having floated in the volumes of water for some time. Particles having a lower density than water will keep themselves floating, and particles of materials dissolvable in water, will dissolve in the water. The two last-mentioned types of particles as well as dissolvable dyes from the deposited particles will gradually colour the cleaning water and, thus, indicate that it should be replaced.

Some cleaning water will evaporate or get lost in other ways, and the water will as mentioned require replacements, the frequency of which is dependent on how polluted the now cleaned air was originally. The air cleaner may possibly be connected to a water conduit supplying water thereto.

The water-based air cleaner according to the invention comprises a preferably upright standing, cylindrical external container and a cylindrical internal container concentrically spaced from the external container's inner wall face and inner bottom face, the internal container having a perforated bottom wall exhibiting through-going holes. The inlet sleeve for the air is orientated tangentially to the wall of the external container, and this causes a cyclone effect. The air is sucked through this tangential inlet into the annulus between the inner wall face of the external container and the outer face of the internal container by means of said suction fan, from where the suction effect propagates to the lower area of the external container below the perforated bottom wall, and from there to the overlying annulus, upwards to the level of the air inlet. In the area of the perforated bottom wall, the orientation of the holes in relation to the initial circulating movements of the air along helical paths of flow through the annulus causes a change of flow direction for the air which first is drawn downward into the water beneath the perforated bottom wall of the internal container and, thereafter, upward together with water particles brought along therewith through the vertically orientated flow holes.

When the external container has been filled with water, establishing a water surface which, related to a volume of water not influenced by any outer forces yet, is positioned somewhat above the internal container ' s perforated bottom wall, the subsequent cyclone effect and the strong whirl formations in air and water will be most dominating in the area just above the perforated bottom wall of the internal cylindrical container.

Above this air treatment area, above the perforated bottom wall of the internal container, is preferably disposed a first obstacle, e.g. in the form of a downwardly conically tapering, bowl-shaped body. Particles in the partially whirling, partially circulating air (air water mixture) hitting said first obstracle, will be prevented from being passed further upwardly and fall down into the underlying volumes of water admixed air. The lowermost bowl-shaped body has uppermost as large an outer diameter as the inner diameter of the internal container and is attached to the latter. Lowermost, the bowl body has a relatively large central aperture through which cleaned air will pass, and during this passage it may hit an upwardly tapering, conical, inverted bowl-shaped body which will stop further contamination particles which might have followed this cleaner air flow or spurts of water up to this level.

Above said obstacles, further obstacles of the same or similar kind may follow and, after having passed -these in an upward direction, the cleaned air will eventually flow out through the aforesaid large, central, upwardly open outlet opening.

Above or below the suction fan, a filter may possibly be disposed.

The upright standing, external container may have an upper bell-shaped hood within which the suction fan is mounted. This hood is removably disposed, so that removal of the hood creates access possibilities to the internal components.

A non-restricting exemplary embodiment of a cleaning device in accordance with the invention is shown on the accompanying drawings which are explained in the following, and wherein:

Figure 1 shows a perspective view through a water-based air cleaning apparatus, in which the walls of two concentric, cylindrical containers are cut through vertically, in order to show interior accessories;

Figure 2 shows the cleaning apparatus in side elevation view, partially in vertical axial section, partly filled with water and with the fan out of function; Figure 3 corresponds to figure 2, but here the fan is in operation and has caused water and air to be drawn up into the lower area of the internal cylindrical container;

Figure 4 shows a horizontal section along the line IV -IV in figure 3.

According to the shown exemplary embodiment, a water-based air cleaning apparatus comprises an upright external container 10 having a cylindrical container wall, a sealed bottom 10' and an upper bell-shaped hood 12, which is removably disposed on top of the external container's 10 upper horizontal end face.

The external container 10 surrounds concentrically an internal container 14 having a sealed wall and a perforated bottom 16 , the spacing being such that an annulus 18 is created between the opposed wall faces of the containers.

Between the opposing wall faces of the concentric containers 10 and 14, a lower water-filled area 20 is defined, figures 2 and 3.

Air to be cleaned is supplied through an air inlet 22 which, according to the exemplary embodiment, extends tangentially in relation to the external container's jacket. The orientation of the inlet 22 in combination with the suction effect of a fan 24 puts the air flow through the annulus 18 into a strong downward helical-shaped circulation, so that the air enters into the lower, water-filled area 20 of the external container 10 exhibiting vigorous circulating flowing movements putting the water into rotation.

Through holes 26 in the bottom wall 16 and the suction effect of the fan 24 cause air and water to be drawn into the bottom area 28 of the internal container 14, said bottom area 28 being partly filled with water when the fan 24 is operating and the water level is approximately as indicated in figure 2 when the apparatus is not in use.

Due to the fact that the water within the lower water-filled area 20 has been put into rotation, the water within the internal container 14 will also rotate and, thus, be changed with underlying water from the water-filled area 20.

In the partly water-filled bottom area 28 and in the water- filled bottom area 20 of the external container 10 immediately below the internal container bottom Ϊ6, the major part of the contaminating particle mass of the air is separated therefrom.

However, a particle separation takes also place through the helical-shaped downward flow of air within the annulus 18, wherein especially larger, heavier particles are separated in the same way as in a cyclone.

Above the particle separation area 28 in the bottom of the internal container 14, a centrically positioned, downwardly conically tapering, bowl-shaped body 30 is disposed, said body having a lower aperture receiving an upwardly flow of air more or less freed from its contaminating particles.

Air and water circulate still to a certain degree below the bowl body 30 which forms a water and particle trap. Above the bowl body 30, a corresponding inverted bowl-shaped body 32 has been disposed. Air passing the first free flow preventing bowl body 30 on its way upwardly, enters into this inverted bowl-shaped, flow preventing body 32, and this body 32 will catch further spurt of water and particles that might have followed with the air, prior to the air continues upwardly, after first having passed the outer edge of the body 32. Above the two vertically opposing particle traps 30, 32, follows a corresponding pair of traps 34, 36 and, above the latter, a large, downwardly conically tapering hollow body has been disposed, the upper edge thereof extending completely out to the inner face of the external container 10 in the area between this external container 10 and its bell- shaped hood 12, the upper, central portion thereof being formed with an outlet 12' for cleaned air.

Within the hood 12, the motor 24' of the suction fan 24 is mounted on a cross of mounting bars 40. The hood 12 has an upper, centrally directed outlet for cleaned air. The hood 12 including mounting bar cross 40, fan 24 and motor- 24' are removably disposed on the upper circular end edge face of the external cylindrical container 10. Subsequently to the removal of the hood with these components, an access possibility from above is created to the interior components. A central column 42 extends supportedly from the perforated bottom 16 to the underside of the fan motor housing 24 ' .

The inverted bowl-shaped bodies 32, 36 are attached to the column 42.

In the area above or below the fan, a mechanical filter may possibly be disposed.

The shown water-based air cleaning apparatus can be connected to the pipe network through a device for permanent water supply/periodically replacement in a manner known per se.

Claims

C l a i m s

1. Arrangements in a liquid-based gas cleaning apparatus, especially an air cleaning apparatus wherein air by means of a fan (24) is passed through a water bath; comprising a container (10) having an inlet (22) for untreated air, the apparatus including an outlet (12') for treated, cleaned air, c h a r a c t e r i z e d i n that said container (10) surrounds preferably concentrically an internal container (14), forming an annulus (18) between opposing faces of the containers (10, 14), and that the inner face of the external container bottom (10') is spaced a certain distance from the opposed face of the bottom wall (16) of the internal container (14) , said bottom wall (16) being formed with through-going holes (26) for air and water from a water bath in the bottom area of the external container (10) , and that said water bath may have a water level positioned somewhat higher than the perforated bottom wall (16) when the fan (24) is not functioning, the inlet (22) for untreated air preferably extending tangentially or substantially tangentially in relation to the cylindrical external container (10) .

2. Arrangements in a liquid-based gas cleaning apparatus as set forth in claim 1, c h a r a c t e r i z e d i n that the external container (10) has an upper outlet (12 ') for treated, cleaned air, the fan (24) being disposed in the external container's (10) upper area below said outlet (12') and that, below the fan (24) , is placed a central, downwardly conically tapering, funnel-shaped body (38) , closing the annulus (18) from above at the same level as the upper circumferential edge of the internal container (14) , so that the suction effect from the fan (24) is concentrated to the cavity of the internal container (14) , including the through- going flow holes (26) of the bottom wall (16) .

3. Arrangements in a liquid-based gas cleaning apparatus as set forth in claim 1 or 2 , c h a r a c t e r i z e d i n that, across a lower area (28) in the internal container's (14) bottom area, a first air flow restraining body/particle trap has been disposed in the form of a downwardly conically tapering body (30) having a central opening and an outer circumferential edge reaching out to and being attached to the internal container's (14) inner wall face and that, above this first particle trap (30) , a second, correspondingly formed, but upwardly conically tapering particle trap (32) has been attached to a column (42) having a common axis with the two concentric containers (10, 14) , said two oppositely facing bodies (30, 32) cooperating with each other, forming a first pair of particle traps.

4. Arrangements in a liquid-based gas cleaning apparatus as set forth in claim 3, c h a r a c t e r i z e d i n that, above said first pair of particle traps (30, 32), at least one further pair of particle traps (34, 36) has been disposed.