SE533460C2 - Unit intended for purification of air in rooms with large air volumes - Google Patents

Description

533 46Ü 2 ions and oxidative stress which under unfavorable conditions can develop into cancer. The particle concentration in e.g. Stockholm's metro has been measured at an average of about 500 micrograms / m3 and can at some stations amount to about 800 micrograms / m3. Data show that the particle levels in the London Underground, for example, are about four times as large. These particle concentrations are extremely alarming and require measures in the form of purification of the air in these environments.

For comparison, according to Sweden's environmental target for outdoor air, Interim target 5, 2010, with regard to particles, the levels of 35 micrograms / m3 as daily average value and 20 micrograms / m3 as annual average value for particles (PM10) must be exceeded in 2010, whereby the daily average value may not be exceeded by a maximum of 37 days / year, and the levels of 20 micrograms / m3 as daily average value and 12 micrograms / m3 as annual average value for particles (PM2.5) may be exceeded in 2010, whereby the daily average value may not be exceeded 37 days / year .

There is thus a great need to purify and improve the quality of the air in metros and similar public environments, such as train stations and the like, where a large number of people are permanently involved, including employed staff. The air in these environments is continuously supplied with a large amount of particles with such a nature and concentration that these both pose a serious health risk to humans and significantly affect the service life of technical installations, such as escalators, lifts and the like.

Due to the size of the platforms and how they are intended to work for travelers, it has not previously been possible to solve the problem of air quality in underground environments with traditional ventilation units, ventilation systems or room air purifiers, as these would be too large or too many with Consideration of the airflows that must be purified, are expensive to operate and can not easily be placed where they do the most good, ie. on the platform or platform in the living area for people, due to excessive noise levels and troublesome air draft. 10 15 20 25 30 533 4613 The idea of the invention The primary object of the present invention is thus to design a unit for purifying air in spaces with large air volumes which can be placed where it makes the greatest benefit, ie. in the residence zone for people, and there contribute to improved air quality as well as to an increased flow of information to people who are in this residence zone. A further object of the present invention is to design a unit for purifying air, which can deliver large air fl destinies with low power demand, has low noise level and low air velocity on the outlet side.

According to the invention, this is achieved by a unit of the kind initially stated and with the features stated in appended claims 1. Other preferred embodiments of the invention appear from subordinate claims, as well as from the following description of embodiments together with the accompanying drawings.

Brief Description of the accompanying Drawings The invention is described in more detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 shows a schematic perspective view of an exemplary embodiment of an air purification unit according to the present invention, which primarily shows the outer casing of the unit, the unit in the exemplary embodiment is a stand-alone unit; Figure 2 shows a schematic cross-sectional view of the unit in the embodiment shown in Figure 1, shown along the line II-II in Figure 1; Figures 3A and 3B, respectively, show schematic and in relation to each other perpendicular cross-sectional views of a second embodiment of the present invention, which constitutes a so-called half-module which is connected to a flat wall portion; Figures 4A-4C show schematic cross-sectional views of different embodiments of the present invention, namely a so-called quartz module, an elongated half-module and a three-quarter module, respectively, and locations thereof at different wall portions. Detailed Description of Preferred Embodiments of the Invention Figure 1 shows a schematic perspective view of an exemplary embodiment of an air purification unit according to the present invention, the illustrated embodiment being a stand-alone unit. Figure 1 shows in particular the outer casing of the device, which is generally denoted by the reference numeral 2.

The housing 2 in the embodiment shown comprises two opposite, substantially flat side portions 4 (of which only one is shown in Figure 1) and two opposite end portions 6. In the embodiment shown, the end portions 6 are substantially semicircular in cross section and connect with their longitudinal members. sides to the vertical edge portions of the side portions, whereby a cohesive outer casing 2 is formed. The end portions 6 are preferably releasably attached to the side portions 4 so that they can be released therefrom. Alternatively, the end portions 6 at one long side are attached by hinges to the adjacent side portion 4 and are thereby openable so that the inside can be reached for service and maintenance work.

The free-standing unit in Figure 1 is provided with support elements 8, in the embodiment shown designed as a plurality of support legs, whereby the unit can be placed on a base in a position slightly raised from the ground. The upper side 10 and lower side 12 of the casing are partially closed, but at least one, preferably both, of these sides are provided with at least one opening 14 preferably formed centrally in these sides 10, 12 (of which only one is shown in Figure 1). . The opening (s) 14 in the embodiment shown have the function of inlet openings for the air which is driven into (arrows I) and through the unit, whereby the position raised from the ground enables an inlet opening 14 to be formed also in the underside 12 of the housing.

The unit shown in Figure 1 is a device for purifying air, which is designed, as explained in more detail below, to be able to be placed as a stand-alone unit in a living area for humans, such as for example on a platform or a platform in a metro station or other public surroundings. The flat side portions 4 of the housing are designed so that they can accommodate different types of public message boxes, such as for example advertising messages and / or purely informative messages in the form of traffic information and the like, which is described in more detail in the following. The two end portions of the l-loop are 6 years in the embodiment shown designed to function as an outlet for the air flowing through the air purifier, as shown by the arrows U and as described in more detail in the following.

Figure 2 shows a horizontal cross-section of the unit in Figure 1, with the housing 2 in this view simply shown as a continuous unit. As shown in Figure 2, the inlet openings 14 in the housing are continuous and thus run in the vertical direction from the top 10 through the housing to the bottom side 12 in the form of an inlet duct 18, the air being driven into the unit from below and from above (arrows 1) being distributed over the entire width of the inlet duct 18. the inlet duct 18 may be provided with built-in guide rails (not shown) which are designed to control the air and further improve the distribution of the air in the inlet duct 18.

In the embodiment shown, the air flowing into the inlet duct 18 in both directions towards the end portions 6 is driven by particle filters 20, which are arranged on each side of the inlet duct 18.

The air is driven through the unit by means of fl spikes 22, which are preferably arranged after the particle filters 20 in the direction of flow of the air. By the fl hubs in this way only coming into contact with air that has been generated and thus released from a significant amount of particles, the pollution of fl hubs and fl engine motors is avoided or reduced.

In the unit according to the present invention, axial fans are preferably used to drive the air through the air purifier. The type of axial drive that is preferably used in the unit is an axial drive with a single-phase EC motor.

An EC motor (electronically commutated motor) is a direct current motor with electronic commutation obtained through a microprocessor. An EC motor is essentially a DC motor that can be connected directly to an AC network and has a low power consumption compared to a standard AC motor. The use of the EC motor as a drive motor in the present invention creates significant advantages, such as a high efficiency with large air flows and low power requirements, less increase of the air temperature in the air stream, efficient speed control, longer service life due to lower operating temperatures and connection to 230 V mains. An example of a suitable fan for use in the present invention is EC Axial Fan, model no.

W3G400-CA22-72 or W3G450-CA14-72, from Ebm-Papst,'yskland The speed control of the fans can be controlled by means of various sensors, such as a particle meter that measures the particle concentration in the air or a microphone that controls the speed depending on the noise level from the traffic in the subway so that the speed increases when the subway train arrives at and departs from the station. The microphone senses the sound level and regulates the control signal to the speed of the kt gears.

Particle filters used in the present invention may have different densities and scavenging capabilities depending on the actual filtration requirements.

Preferably, synthetic polyester fibers, the lowest degree of filter, are used as filter materials in the form of filters in classes EU4 to EU9, preferably class EU5. The unit shown in Figures 1 and 2 uses six interchangeable punching units, three units placed in a row on each side of the inlet duct 18, with the frame dimensions l200x6OO mm and with about 18-23 pockets that are about 300 mm deep. The approximate filter area in the unit shown in Figures 1 and 2 is thus approximately 40 m2 and with an estimated air flow through the unit of 20,000 m3 / h, the air velocity through the filter becomes approximately 0.1 m / sec. The low air velocity through the filter gives a measured pressure drop across the filter of about 9-10 Pa.

A chamber 24 is arranged between the particle filter 20 and the spouts 22. In this chamber, if necessary, a further purification step can be introduced into the unit in the form of UV light from a number of UV lamps 26 evenly distributed in the chamber, which depending on the air can have different lengths. / effect. The UV light eliminates / reduces bacteria and microbes in the air flow that passes through the chamber. To enhance and improve the effect of the UV lamps, the UV chamber can be covered with, for example, sound-absorbing high-density material of grated foam plastic provided with high-gloss aluminum foil or titanium oxide. The fans 22 drive the air into, through and out of the unit through the end surfaces 6. Each end end 27 comprises a distribution chamber 28 arranged in the flow direction after the stands 22, which is primarily designed to distribute the air evenly over the distribution surfaces 6. The distribution chambers 28 may also, if necessary, contain one or more ionizers 30, which supply negatively charged ions to the air. The ionization contributes to the agglomeration of any remaining particles in the air stream, whereby the particles that have not been captured are clumped together into larger and fewer particles that are captured in the next step. The upper and lower surfaces of the distribution chambers 28 are preferably provided with sound-absorbing foam mats.

The last step in the air purifier consists of the distribution mat 32 arranged in each end 27 which distributes and filters the air flowing through the mat. The distribution mat 32, which completely covers the end surface 6, may, for example, consist of polyurethane foam with a thickness of approximately 30 mm.

The distribution mat 32 is preferably impregnated with activated carbon, which by adsorption eliminates / reduces gas compositions and odors and also traps the smallest particles and agglomerates. The distribution mat thus has the dual function of using the activated carbon to reduce odors and trap the smallest particles and to function as a distributor of the air. The low air velocity through the carbon filter also has the advantage that the carbon filter has a better adsorbent ability and a long service life.

With the design of the unit as shown in Figures 1 and 2, and with the effects of the distribution chamber 28 and the distribution mat 32 to achieve an even distribution of the air flow over the entire gift surface 6, the air velocity of the purified air flowing out of the air purifier becomes so low that it is not perceived as drafts or in any way unpleasant for people who are in the residence zone in the vicinity of the air purifier. With the embodiment of the invention shown in Figures 1 and 2, an air velocity of about 0.17 m / sec is measured about 1 meter from the outlet, i.e. the surface area 6, which speed is well within the limit value of the so-called comfort zone (the air speed must not exceed 0.2 m / sec in the residence zone). In a design of the air purifier according to Figures 1 and 2, which is to be considered as exemplary only and thus not limiting, the outer dimensions of the air purifying unit have a width B (see Figure 2) of about 1.2-1.5 m, preferably about 1 , 35 m, a length L (see Figure 2) of about 2.0-2.4 m, preferably about 2.2 m, and a height H (see Figure 1) of about 2.2-2.6 m, preferably about 2.4 m. It will be appreciated that the outer dimensions of the unit may vary as needed, but it is preferred that the height exceed a man's height. This height is preferred so that the purified air that is fed in flows in along a level above head height and / or in the lower leg level of persons who are in the residence zone near the unit, in order to minimize the feeling of drafts in the residence zone.

For air filter systems, the amount of treated air per unit time in the system is an essential factor in the design of a system. This concept of purification of air in an existing space is expressed as "room turnover / hour", which means that a volume of air, which is equal to that required to fill a space, is completely removed and replaced with purified air once every hour. By way of comparison, in a normal public indoor environment, approximately one room turnover / hour is usually required, while in a hospital environment several room turnover / hour is required, and in a laboratory environment, approximately eight turnover / hour is required for a system. an ordinary metro station and with a requirement of approximately one room turnover / hour, a capacity of approximately 40,000 m3 / hour is required by an air purification system in accordance with the present invention, however, it will be appreciated that the capacity is controlled by the actual room volume.

In the unit shown in Figures 1 and 2, eight fans are used as examples, each of which has a capacity of approximately 5000 m3 / h at the calculated system pressure. The fans are placed in groups of four, ie. two and two in a row on each side on each side of the inlet duct 18 and after the particle filter 20. The nominal flow of the air purifier is thus in this design a maximum of about 40,000 m3 / h, which in normal operation means an air turnover of about 20,000 m3 / h for each unit. The required air conversion / hour is thus achieved in an ordinary metro station with two air purification units according to the embodiment shown in Figures 1 and 2, which can be placed on the platform or platform, preferably at a distance from each other and in different parts (ends) of the platform or platform. . The air in the subway is also circulated naturally through the movements of the trains, which contribute to the circulation of the air.

The air purifier according to the invention has a very low system pressure, ie. pressure drop in the system, which is achieved by optimizing a number of different parameters. On the one hand, the system according to the invention is designed so that it completely lacks throttles of air flow along the flow waves through the unit. Furthermore, the surface area of the outlet side (in the embodiment shown in Figures 1-2 approximately 9 m2) is significantly larger than the surface area of the inlet (in the embodiment shown in Figures 1-2 approximately 2 m2), which contributes to the low flow rate. The large surface area of the distribution mat 32 and the design of the distribution space 28 contribute to an even distribution and large distribution of the air flow and a low resistance. In the air purifier, as described above, fl your smaller fans are preferably used instead of one or a few larger fl fins, which contributes to a more even distribution of the air flow and a lower resistance. The low system pressure in the unit according to the invention (approximately 80 Pa) leads to a low power requirement amounting to approximately 0.047 W / m3 air (1900 W at full power, ie 40,000 m3 air).

The low internal system pressure creates conditions for low air velocities on the outlet side to be achieved, so that non-disturbing air velocities that are perceived as drafts occur in the occupancy zone. The low air speeds also result in a low noise level for the system. In the unit designed in accordance with Figures 1 and 2, air velocities of approximately 0.15-0.20 m / s are measured, in particular approximately 0.17 m / s approximately 1 meter from the outlet. Measurement results (IVL - for the embodiment according to Figures 1 and 2) have shown that both the volume of sound and the air draft in the occupancy zone around the unit are sufficiently low to not be disturbing. In the unit according to the invention, sound, air speed, pressure drop and current consumption have thus been optimized.

The unit is preferably provided with operational monitoring of the differential pressure across the particle filter and a rotation monitor on the filters. The monitoring preferably takes place via the GSM network or other wireless transmission that is linked to a central monitoring unit. It is understood that such monitoring may also include other technical installations, such as voltage drop on UV devices, ionizers and information and billboards. The unit can also be equipped with an LED LED loop, for example battery-powered, which can be used as emergency lighting in the event of a power failure.

The advantageous design of the unit according to the invention, which enables the purification of large air volumes with low power requirements and with low air velocities, enables a placement of the unit in a living zone for people where it is most useful. This also means that it is suitable for public messages to the people who are in the residence zone, such as advertising messages and other informative messages, which makes the unit according to the present invention very cost-effective. Revenues from, for example, advertising or efficiency-enhancing information can thus contribute to costs for investments and maintenance of these units. The side portions 4 of the unit are, as described above, intended to function as an information and / or advertising space, preferably by means of digital information boards and digital signage mounted in the side portions, and preferably centrally controlled.

The embodiment of the invention shown in Figures 1-2 is independent and consists of a unit which is built in the form of a so-called complete module. The whole module is, as best seen in Figure 2, made up of four equivalent, and in the embodiment shown mirrored, modules 34, so-called quartz modules, which are joined together into one unit.

An air purification unit according to the invention can, however, consist of different numbers of these quartz modules, which can be joined into different shapes depending on conditions, needs and wishes. With such a modular construction of the unit according to the invention, it is possible to design a unit according to the invention which can take five different forms, ie. the unit can be designed as a full module (see Figures 1-2), as a short half module (see Figures 3A-3B), as a quarter module (see Figure 4A), as an elongated half module (see Figure 4B) and as a three-quarter module (see Figure 4C).

Figures 3A and 3B show a short half-module in a vertical and a horizontal cross-section, respectively. The short half-module is made up of two relatively inverted and joined module units 34 (Figure 3B). The short half-module is designed to be placed with its end portion 36 against a flat surface 38, such as a wall surface or the like. In this way, the unit can easily be adapted to a congested space that has certain spatial limitations. As shown in Figure 3A, in the exemplary embodiment, the half module contains, in the same way as the whole module, a particle filter in the form of three superimposed and exchangeable filter units 20A, 20B, 20C, which are described in more detail above. The I-11 module further contains four fans 22 arranged next to and above each other, which drive an air stream towards a distribution chamber 28 and a distribution mat 32 with impregnated activated carbon, in the same way as described above. Furthermore, UV lamps may be provided, for example between particles 20 and fan 22, and ionizers may be provided, preferably in the distribution chamber 28. The air inlet 14 in this embodiment is arranged in connection with the end portion 36 and the air outlet is formed in the only gavelytan 6.

Figure 4A shows a module unit 34, a so-called quartz module, and how this can be fitted at an inner corner 40 in a dangerous space without stealing much space. Despite the location fitted in the existing space, the air inflow I from the top 10 and the bottom side 12 into the air purifier or the outflow U from it is not disturbed. Furthermore, the flat surface of the public message 16 on the air purifier housing 2 is well visible to the people who are in the residence zone, as described above.

Figure 4B shows two mutually mirrored and joined module units 34 in an elongate configuration, which can be brought against a flat surface 38 in the form of a long wall and with the surface of the public message. 16 well visible.

Figure 4G shows an interconnected unit consisting of three quarter modules or module units 34, a so-called three-quarter module. The three-quarter module is designed to abut against an outer corner 42 in an existing space. Areas for the public messages 16 are also in this module structure well visible towards the residence zone in two directions.

It should be emphasized that the above description of preferred embodiments of the invention are exemplary only and are given as non-limiting examples and that the invention may, of course, be varied in many ways within the scope of the appended claims.

For example, the particle filter 20 can be supplemented with additional particle filters in series for filtering smaller particles.

Furthermore, the organ means can be placed in front of the particle filter in the direction of flow or between the particle filter 20 and a possible additional particle filter for smaller particles.

Furthermore, the ionizers 30 in the distribution chamber 32 can be placed in another relative position in the unit or omitted altogether. The UV lamps may also have a different location in the unit or be omitted altogether.

The activated carbon in the distribution mat can also be omitted.

Furthermore, the surface area of the inlet can be equal to or larger than the surface area of the outlet.

Another possible modification of the above embodiments consists in that the air inlet I is arranged in the end surfaces 6 and that the air outlet is arranged in the upper and / or lower side 10, 12 of the housing 2. In this embodiment the fl spigots 22 are turned so that they drive the air in through the end surfaces 6, which may be latticed and without distribution mats, and out through the upper and / or lower sides 10, 12, which are provided with distribution mats with activated carbon. The particle filter is also in this embodiment preferably placed before the fan in the direction of flow of the air.

Claims (15)

10 15 20 25 30 533 430/3 Patent claims 1.. A unit for purifying air in spaces with large volumes of air, the unit comprising: an outer casing (2) with upper and lower sides (10, 12), laterally arranged end portions (6, 36) and opposite side portions (4) arranged between them. , said upper and lower sides (10, 12) being provided with openings (14) which constitute inlet (I) for untreated air to the unit and at least one of said end portions (6, 36) is formed as an outlet (U ) for purified air from the unit; at least one fan means (22) arranged in the housing for driving purified air from the space with a large volume into (I), through and out of the (U) unit; at least one filter means (20, 32) arranged in the housing for purifying the air driven by the filter means (22) through the unit; characterized in that the housing is free-standing and provided with means (8) which distance the housing from the base on which the unit rests; the openings (14) which form the inlet (I) of the untreated air are continuous and form an inlet duct (18) which runs in the vertical direction between the upper and lower sides (10, 12); the surface area of the inlet (I) is smaller than the surface area of the outlet (U); and at least one of the opposing side panels (4) is formed with a flat surface (16) for a public message. A unit for purifying air according to claim 1, characterized in that both end portions (6) are designed as an outlet (U) for purified air from the unit. 10 15 20 25 30 533 4613 l1 | Air purification unit according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the total surface area of the inlet (I) is between 10 and 50%, preferably between 20 and 30%, of the total surface area of the outlet (U). An air purification unit according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that said âlelxt means (22) consists of an axial fan driven by a single-phase EC motor with built-in electronic commutation and speed control. An air purification unit according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that said filter means (20, 32) comprises at least one particle filter (20) arranged in front of the transport means (22) in the direction of flow of the air. An air purification unit according to claim 5, characterized in that a further filtering unit (32) is arranged at the outlet (U), which filtration unit (32) consists of a distribution mat spread over the entire end portion (6) which is preferably impregnated. with activated carbon. An air purification unit according to claim 6, characterized in that a splicing core (28) is arranged in the end (27) in front of the distribution mat (32) in the air flow direction for uniform distribution of the air flow over the distribution mat (32). An air purification unit according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that it further comprises a chamber (24) with at least one unit for irradiating the air with ultraviolet light (26) for elimination / reduction of bacteria and microbes in the air flow, the chamber (24) preferably being arranged between the organlter means (20) and the fl means (22). An air purification unit according to claim 8, characterized in that it further comprises a unit for ionizing (30) the air stream, the ionization unit (30) preferably being arranged in the distribution core (28). A unit for purifying air according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the unit is intended to be placed in a residence zone for humans, wherein the air flow from the outlet (U) of the unit gives an air velocity in the residence zone of about 1 meters from the outlet (U) of about 0.15 to about 0.20 m / s, preferably about 0.17 rn / s. An air purification unit according to any one of claims 6 to 10, characterized in that the distribution mat (32) in the outlet (U) consists of polyurethane foam impregnated with activated carbon. An air purification unit according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that each flaking means (22) converts a maximum of 5000 m3 of air per hour. An air purification unit according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the speed of the fan means (22) is controlled by means of sensors, such as preferably a microphone depending on the sound level or a particle meter depending on the particle concentration in the air. An air purification unit according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the unit for the public message (16) consists of a digital information board. An air purification unit according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the unit is made up of one or more equivalent module units (34), which in different combinations can be joined together.