JPH11278810A - Ozone and ion generator - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To continuously and efficiently generate a gas contg. ozone of ion. SOLUTION: The membrane filters 14a to 14c on the upstream side and the membrane filters 24a to 24c on the downstream side have a hollow-fiber membrane, respectively. Oxygen is mainly permeated from a gas flowing inside and discharged from its outlets 16 and 26, and the residual gas is discharged from its outlets 17 and 27. A permeated gas feed pipe 31 provided with a vacuum pump 34 is connected to the outlet 16, a pass-through gas feed pipe 33 is connected to the outlet 27, and either of the feed pipes 31 and 33 is connected to a discharge device 40 through a switching valve 35 to supply its gas. A gas rich in nitrogen is supplied to the discharge device 40 to generate an ion- contg. gas, and a gas rich in oxygen is supplied to generate an ozone-contg. gas.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

The present invention relates to an ozone and ion generator for generating air containing ozone or air containing ions.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art A physical cleaning method and a chemical cleaning method are used to sterilize and clean foods, sterilize and clean food manufacturing equipment for manufacturing and packing foods, and sterilize and clean food packaging containers or packages. There is a washing method. The same cleaning method is used in semiconductor device and liquid crystal substrate manufacturing apparatuses. As a chemical cleaning method, there is a method of spraying a cleaning liquid containing a bactericide onto an object to be cleaned. However, since it is unsuitable for food, food packaging containers, semiconductor devices, and the like, air containing ozone is blown onto the object to be cleaned. Technology is being developed. As a physical cleaning method, there is a method in which a foreign substance attached to an object to be cleaned is scraped or air is blown to blow off the foreign substance.

On the other hand, in manufacturing a semiconductor device, the manufacturing apparatus may be charged, and it is necessary to remove the charge. To prevent the charging, the manufacturing apparatus is grounded or ions are removed. Although a gas containing gas is blown to prevent electrification, when blowing ionized gas, a large amount of ionized gas is required at low cost.

[0004]

When ozone is sprayed on an object to be cleaned such as a food or a manufacturing apparatus thereof, bacteria adhered to the surface of the object to be cleaned can be sterilized. It is used for cleaning. However, it is difficult to continuously generate a large amount of ozone with the ozone generator developed so far, and it is very expensive to generate a large amount of ozone. In addition, when ozone is continuously blown from a nozzle or the like to a cleaning object, there is a problem that effective cleaning cannot be performed unless only a small amount of ozone is generated. Therefore, it is necessary to continuously and efficiently generate ozone.

On the other hand, even when ionized gas is used for antistatic purposes, it is necessary to continuously and efficiently generate ozone.

An object of the present invention is to make it possible to continuously and efficiently generate a gas containing ozone or ions.

[0007]

The ozone and ion generator of the present invention has one end open to the primary inlet connected to the air compression source and the other end opening to the primary through outlet. Having a primary-side hollow fiber membrane, and having a primary-side permeation outlet for allowing gas permeated through the primary-side hollow fiber membrane to flow, and a concentration of oxygen in air flowing in from the primary-side inlet. And a primary membrane filter that flows out of the primary side permeation outlet and flows out remaining gas from the primary side throughflow outlet, and is connected to the throughflow outlet of the primary side membrane filter. A secondary-side hollow fiber membrane having one end open to the secondary-side inflow port and the other end opening to the secondary-side throughflow outlet, and gas permeating the secondary-side hollow fiber membrane is provided. It has a secondary permeate outlet that flows out, and flows in from the secondary inlet. A secondary membrane filter that increases the oxygen concentration of the gas and flows out of the secondary side permeation outlet and the gas with a high nitrogen concentration flows out of the secondary side permeate outlet, and the primary side permeate flow A primary-side permeated gas supply pipe provided with a vacuum pump that is connected to an outlet and sucks gas flowing out from the outlet, and discharges a secondary-side through gas supply pipe connected to the secondary-side through-flow outlet. Flow path switching means for switching between a position connected to the means and a position connected to the primary side permeated gas supply pipe to the discharge means,
A gas having a high nitrogen concentration is supplied to the discharge means through the secondary-side through gas supply pipe to generate a gas containing ions, and a gas having a high oxygen concentration is supplied through the primary-side permeated gas supply pipe. A gas containing ozone is supplied to the discharge means to generate gas.

The ozone and ion generator according to the present invention has a nozzle for discharging gas and a diffuser provided with a suction port communicating with the nozzle, and connects the suction port to a gas outlet of the discharge means. A gas that does not flow into the discharge unit is supplied to the nozzle unit.

In the present invention, a membrane filter having a hollow fiber membrane for transmitting oxygen from air in the atmosphere is used, and is connected to a primary side permeation outlet for guiding oxygen permeated through the hollow fiber membrane. Since a vacuum pump is provided in the primary side permeated gas supply pipe, a gas containing high concentration of oxygen can be efficiently obtained even if the length of the primary side membrane filter is shortened. By allowing the air in the atmosphere to penetrate into the hollow fiber membrane, it is possible to obtain a gas having a high oxygen concentration and the remaining nitrogen having a high concentration, with low airflow resistance. By guiding a gas having a high oxygen concentration to the discharge means, a gas containing ozone is generated, and by guiding a gas having a high nitrogen concentration to the discharge means, a gas containing ions is generated.

According to the present invention, the flow of the fluid passing through the discharge means is made smooth by connecting the gas to be guided to the discharge means to the suction port of the diffuser and the other gas to the nozzle portion of the diffuser. Thus, a gas containing ozone or a gas containing ions can be efficiently ejected to a predetermined portion.

[0011]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below in detail with reference to the drawings.

1 and 2 are piping diagrams showing an ozone and ion generator according to an embodiment of the present invention. The apparatus has a pump 11 for compressing and discharging air in the atmosphere. The air supply pipe 12 for guiding the air pressurized by the pump 11 is provided with a dry filter 13 for removing moisture in the air. The air supply pipe 12 has three primary membrane filters 14a to 14c.
The three primary membrane filters are connected to the air supply pipe 12 in parallel with each other.

[0013] Primary membrane filters 14a to 14a
c have the same structure, and FIG. 3 is a sectional view showing the internal structure of one primary-side membrane filter 14a.

As shown in FIG. 3, the membrane filter has a container 21 having a primary inlet 15 at one end and a primary outlet 17 at the other end. The part is provided with a primary side permeation outlet 16. A large number of hollow fiber membranes 2 arranged in this container 21
2 are held by end plates 23 provided at both ends in the container 21, one end of each hollow fiber membrane 22 is open to the inlet 15, and the other end is open to the through outlet 17. doing. As the illustrated hollow fiber membrane 22, a hollow fiber membrane having a through-hole formed therein using a porous membrane or a non-porous membrane is used.

About 78% of the air in the atmosphere is nitrogen gas and about 21% is oxygen gas. The air flowing into the membrane filters 14a to 14c from the inlet 15 is connected to one end of each hollow fiber membrane 22. In the process of flowing from the portion to the other end, oxygen is mainly transmitted from the side wall of each hollow fiber membrane 22, the oxygen concentration is about 36% from the primary side permeation outlet 16, and the oxygen concentration is in the air. The gas of concentrated oxygen that has become higher than the air flows out, and oxygen is partially extracted from the air in the atmosphere from the through-flow outlet 17 on the primary side, so that the nitrogen concentration becomes about 84% and the nitrogen concentration becomes high. The remaining gas will flow out.

As described above, the air in the atmosphere flowing from the inlet 15 flows through the hollow fiber membranes 22 while
Oxygen is mainly transmitted from the side wall portion, and the concentrated oxygen gas having an increased oxygen concentration flows out from the permeation outlet 16,
The remaining gas having a high nitrogen concentration flows out of the through-flow outlet 17.

Each of the permeation outlets 16 is connected to a permeate gas supply pipe 31 on the primary side. In order to increase the flow rate of the concentrated oxygen gas flowing into these, three membrane filters on the primary side are provided. Although 14a to 14c are provided, the number can be set to any number.

Each of the membrane filters 14a-1
The secondary inlets 25 of the secondary membrane filters 24a to 24c are connected to the secondary outlets 17 through the primary through-gas supply pipes, respectively. , Has the same structure as the primary-side membrane filters 14a to 14c. Therefore, each of the membrane filters 14a
14c, a secondary-side inflow port 25 is provided at one end, a secondary-side throughflow port 27 is provided at the other end, and a secondary-side permeation outlet 26 is provided at a side wall portion.

Each secondary-side membrane filter 2
4a to 24c, after the gas flowing out from the through-flow outlet 17 flows into the inlet 25, oxygen is mainly transmitted through the side wall of the hollow fiber membrane, and the gas is connected to the respective permeation outlets 26. The permeated gas flows out to the permeated gas supply pipe 32 on the secondary side. The oxygen concentration in the gas flowing into the secondary membrane filter is lower than the oxygen concentration in the air flowing into the primary membrane filter. A gas having a lower oxygen concentration than the supply pipe 31 is discharged. The gas flowing through the permeated gas supply pipe 32 has an oxygen concentration of about 15% and a nitrogen concentration of about 84%. On the other hand, the concentration of nitrogen is higher in the gas flowing out of the through-flow outlet 27 of the secondary membrane filter than in the gas flowing out of the through-flow outlet 17 of the primary membrane filter. A gas having a nitrogen concentration of about% is discharged.

Each of the through-flow outlets 17 is connected to a through-gas supply pipe 33, into which a concentrated nitrogen gas having a high nitrogen concentration flows. The primary side permeated gas supply pipe 31 is provided with each membrane filter 1.
A vacuum pump 34 is provided in order to increase the amount of permeated gas that permeates the side wall of the hollow fiber membrane 22 in the permeation outlet 16 and flows into the permeated gas supply pipe 31 in 4a to 14c. The negative pressure side opens to the permeation outlet 16, and the positive pressure side opens to the downstream side of the permeated gas supply pipe 31.

The primary-side through-gas supply pipe connecting the through-flow outlet 17 and the inflow port 25, and the through-gas supply pipe 3
3 has a variable throttle valve 30 for adjusting the flow rate.
Is provided. By adjusting the pressure in the membrane filters 14a to 24c by these throttles 30 to reduce the flow rate, the concentration on the nitrogen side when separating oxygen and nitrogen can be adjusted. When the flow rate is increased, the oxygen that could not be separated by the membrane filter flows to the throughflow outlet side, and the nitrogen concentration does not increase. Therefore, the flow rate can be determined by the throttle valve 30.

As shown by the two-dot chain line in FIGS. 1 and 2, all the membrane filters are covered with a case or the like, and the membrane filters are heated by the radiant heat of the vacuum pump 34 so that the hollow fiber membrane is heated to, for example, 25 ° C. From 30
The transmittance in the filter may be increased by maintaining the temperature at about ° C, and the vacuum pump 34 may be disposed in a case indicated by a two-dot chain line.

Downstream of the primary-side permeated gas supply pipe 31 and the secondary-side through-gas supply pipe 33, a discharge device 40 is disposed. The discharge device 40 includes a gas inlet 41 and a gas outlet 42. , And a discharge electrode 44 is incorporated therein.

When a gas having a high oxygen concentration is supplied to the discharge device 40 and a current is supplied to the discharge electrode 44, a gas containing ozone is generated. When a gas is supplied while a gas having a high nitrogen concentration is supplied, a gas containing ions is generated. Will happen. In the case where the temperature of the gas supplied into the discharge device 40 is changed between the case where ozone is generated and the case where ions are generated, the temperature in the case indicated by the two-dot chain line may be adjusted.

A switching valve 35 is provided at the gas inlet 41 of the discharge device 40 for selectively connecting either the primary side permeated gas supply pipe 31 or the secondary side through gas supply pipe 33. I have. FIG. 1 shows a state in which the permeated gas supply pipe 31 is connected to the discharge device 40 by the operation of the switching valve 35. In this state, the concentrated oxygen gas is supplied to the discharge device 40 by the permeated gas supply pipe 31. As a result, the gas containing ozone is discharged from the gas outlet 42 by the discharge device 40.

On the other hand, FIG. 2 shows a state in which the secondary side through gas supply pipe 33 is connected to the discharge device 40 by the operation of the switching valve 35. In this state, the through gas supply pipe 33 As a result, the gas of concentrated nitrogen is supplied to the discharge device 40, and the gas containing ions is discharged from the gas outlet 42 by the discharge device 40.

A diffuser 50 having the same principle as the ejector is disposed adjacent to the discharge device 40. The diffuser 50 has a nozzle portion 51 for discharging gas, and the nozzle portion 51 and an exhaust port facing the nozzle portion 51. 52, a diffusion part 53 and a mixing part 54 are formed.
A suction port 55 is open between the and the mixing section 54.
When the gas is ejected from the nozzle portion 51, the gas flowing into the suction port 55 is drawn in by the function of the diffuser of the gas flowing from the diffusion portion 53 to the mixing portion 54,
The fluid in the pipe connected to the suction port 55 is sucked by the diffuser 50.

The suction pipe 36 connected to the suction port 55 is connected to the gas outlet 42 of the discharge device 40. The permeated gas supply pipe 32 and the supply pipes 37 and 38 on the secondary side are connected to the nozzle part 51, and among the gases guided by the permeated gas supply pipe 31 and the through-fluid supply pipe 33, the switching valve 35 is used. The gas that has not been supplied to the discharge device 40 due to the operation is supplied to the nozzle 51 via one of the two supply pipes 37 and 38, and the gas that has passed through the permeated gas supply pipe 32 is also supplied to the nozzle 51. It is supplied to the unit 51. The secondary side permeated gas supply pipe 32 is connected to the suction port 55.

Therefore, as shown in FIG. 1, when the switching valve 35 is operated to connect the secondary side permeated gas supply pipe 31 to the discharge device 40, the permeated gas supply pipe 32 is connected to the nozzle 51. Then, the gas including the ozone in the discharge device 40 connected to the suction port 55 is sucked by the gas ejected from the nozzle portion 51 and exhausted. Port 5
2 to the outside. At this time, the nozzle 51
Is regulated by the throttle valve 30 so as to be higher than the pressure of the gas supplied to the suction port 55.

On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 2, the switching valve 3 is switched to a state in which the through gas supply pipe 33 is connected to the discharge device 40.
5 is operated, the supply pipe 3
7, the primary-side permeated gas supply pipe 31 is connected, and the gas ejected from the permeated gas supply pipe 31 to the nozzle 51 causes ions in the discharge device 40 connected to the suction port 55 to be ionized. The contained gas is supplied and discharged from the exhaust port 52 to the outside. Also at this time, the pressure of the gas ejected to the nozzle portion 51 is adjusted by the throttle valve 30 so as to be higher than the pressure of the gas supplied to the suction port 55.

With the piping connected to the exhaust port 52,
Either a gas containing ozone or a gas containing ions is supplied to a predetermined portion.

As described above, when the gas in the atmosphere is separated into high-concentration oxygen and high-concentration nitrogen from the air in the atmosphere by the primary and secondary membrane filters and the gas containing ozone is generated, the gas having a high oxygen concentration is used. Is supplied to the discharge device 40, and another gas is used as a gas to be supplied to the nozzle portion 51 for generating a vacuum. On the other hand, when generating a gas containing ions, a gas having a high nitrogen concentration is supplied to the discharge device 40, and another gas is supplied to the nozzle portion 51 for generating a vacuum, thereby generating a vacuum. .

If the primary-side permeated gas supply pipe 31 is always connected to the discharge device 40 without providing the switching valve 35, it becomes a device for generating ozone, and the secondary-side through-gas supply pipe 33 is provided. Is always connected to the discharge device, the device becomes a device for generating ions.

The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and it goes without saying that various modifications can be made without departing from the scope of the present invention.

For example, not only the number of membrane filters on the primary side and the secondary side but also the number of each stage may be not only one as shown but also a plurality of stages. A primary-side permeated gas supply pipe is connected to the permeate outlet of the primary-side membrane filter, and a permeate gas is supplied to the secondary-side permeate outlet of the multistage secondary membrane filter. Make sure to connect the tubing. A gas containing ions or ozone may be supplied to a predetermined portion by a pump without using the diffuser 50.

[0036]

As described above, according to the present invention, air in the atmosphere can be separated into a gas having a high oxygen concentration and a gas having a high nitrogen concentration with a simple structure by a membrane filter provided with hollow fibers. Then, one of the gases can be guided to the discharge device to selectively generate both a gas containing ozone and a gas containing ions.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a piping diagram showing an ozone and ion generator according to an embodiment of the present invention in a state where ozone is being generated.

FIG. 2 is a piping diagram showing an ozone and ion generator according to an embodiment of the present invention in a state where ions are being generated.

FIG. 3 is a sectional view showing the internal structure of the membrane filter.

[Explanation of symbols]

 Reference Signs List 11 pump 12 air supply pipe 13 dry filter 14 membrane filter (primary side) 15 inlet (primary side) 16 permeation outlet (primary side) 17 through-flow outlet (primary side) 21 container 22 hollow fiber membrane 23 end plate 24 Membrane filter (secondary side) 25 Inlet (secondary side) 26 Permeate outlet (secondary side) 27 Through outlet (secondary side) 30 Variable throttle valve 31 Permeate gas supply pipe (primary side) 32 Permeate gas supply Pipe (secondary side) 33 Through gas supply pipe (secondary side) 34 Vacuum pump 35 Switching valve 36 Suction pipe 37, 38 Supply pipe 40 Discharge device 41 Gas inlet 42 Gas outlet 43 Discharge device main body 44 Discharge electrode 50 Diffuser 51 Nozzle part 52 Exhaust port 53 Diffusion part 54 Mixing part 55 Suction port

Claims (2)

[Claims] 1. A primary hollow fiber membrane having one end open to an inlet on the primary side connected to an air compression source and the other end opening to a through-flow outlet on the primary side; A primary-side permeation outlet for allowing gas permeated through the hollow fiber membrane to flow out, increasing the concentration of oxygen in the air that has flowed in from the primary-side inlet, and flowing out of the primary-side permeation outlet; A primary-side membrane filter that allows the remaining gas to flow out from the primary-side through-flow outlet, one end opens to the secondary-side inlet connected to the through-flow outlet of the primary-side membrane filter, and the other end opens. A secondary-side hollow fiber membrane that opens to the secondary-side through-flow outlet, and a secondary-side permeation outlet that discharges gas that has passed through the secondary-side hollow fiber membrane; Increases the oxygen concentration of the gas flowing in from the inlet on the secondary side and flows out from the permeate outlet on the secondary side A secondary membrane filter for flowing out a gas having a high nitrogen concentration from the secondary through-flow outlet, and a vacuum pump connected to the primary-side permeate outlet for sucking the gas flowing out therefrom are provided. A primary-side permeated gas supply pipe, a position at which the secondary-side permeated gas supply pipe connected to the secondary-side through-flow outlet is connected to a discharge means, and the primary-side permeated gas supply pipe is discharged. And a flow path switching means for performing a switching operation to a position connected to the means, wherein a gas having a high nitrogen concentration is supplied to the discharge means through the secondary-side through gas supply pipe to generate a gas containing ions. And a gas having a high oxygen concentration is supplied to the discharge means through the primary-side permeated gas supply pipe to generate a gas containing ozone. 2. The ozone and ion generator according to claim 1, further comprising: a nozzle for discharging a gas, and a diffuser provided with a suction port communicating with the nozzle, wherein the gas of the suction port and the gas of the discharge means is provided. An ozone and ion generator, wherein an outlet is connected to supply gas that does not flow into the discharge means to the nozzle portion.