AIR CLEANING APPARATUS

Abstract: For the cleaning of dusty room air it is known to use various filtering and washing devices of a more or less complicated design. The invention provides for an extremely simple air washing apparatus based on the blowing down of an air flow through a pipe (16) directly against a water surface in an underlying vessel (2), an axial fan (24, 26) in the pipe (16) operating to create rotation in both the air flow and the water surface, whereby the latter is agitaged for breaking of the surface tension of the water; the air dust, centered in the air flow by the cyclone effect therein, hits the water and is easily assimilated therein, while the air flow is deflected without meeting any particular resistance, such that the simple apparatus can be operated with a very low energy consumption.

Description: Air cleaning apparatus. The present invention relates to an air cleaning apparatus for room air, primarily for current segrega¬ tion of dust therefrom. Various filtering devices exist which can solve this function in a more or less effici¬ ent way, but it is often a matter of noising devices de¬ manding maintenance, viz. change of the active filtering units. Besides, various devices for air washing by means of water are known, but they are relatively complicated and offer noticeable air flow resistance, whereby they call for a relatively high energy consumption. The invention is based on the recognition that a dust-bearing air flow sent down against a water surface will deliver most of the dust to the water, when this is not quite still. At completely still water a delivery of dust will take place as well, but only in a starting phase, until a thin dust film on the water surface is formed. With only a faint agitation of the water the dust will be assimilated therein, whereby large amounts of dust can be absorbed. As to devices, it will be sufficient that in a lead-down pipe against the water surface in a vessel is placed an axial fan forcing the air downwards with a screw motion, which in itself is enough to agitate the water surface, as some rotation in the water occurs. Already this may be sufficient for the surface tension to break in such a way that the dust travels freely down into the water. The receptivity of the water portion for the dust will generally speaking be preserved unchanged by the increasing dust concentration in the water, i.e. there will be no equivalence to a progressing choking of a filter, by which choking a change in operating condi¬ tions occurs. Thus, a water portion can normally assimi¬ late a very large amount of dust before it becomes necessary to change the water, and so this change is limited to an outlet of the water portion and an inlet of an new portion, which should be an extremely easy and non-expensive arrangement. By the said design of the cleaner the dust in the air flow will be exposed to a cyclone effect, whereby it is concentrated in the middle of the air flow, so that it easily hits the water though simultaneously a deflec¬ tion of the air flow occurs. Likewise, the suspended dust will gather in the middle of the vessel the more distinct the quicker the water rotates, and it will thus be possible to work with for instance a current, local drain with a compensating inlet of new water, whereby the apparatus can be working almost continually. When only the air flow hits the water surface with a reasonable speed, it will not be particularly critical to control the air for contact with the water surface for that matter, i.e. the air can deflect freely from the downdraught area. In principle, there is no need for introducing any significant air flow resistance, whereby the apparatus can work with high efficiency with a rela¬ tively low energy consumption. The conduct will, how¬ ever, be optimizable so that the best possible air sweeping of the water surface be effected. All in all, it will be possible to produce various apparatus designs based on said recognition. It is thus no condition that the air flow be effected by an axial fan being placed so close to the water surface that the air flow runs helically at the very down-draught, as a quiet air flow may have the same effect, if in any other way there is provided for a breaking of the surface tension of the water, which may be effected by mechani¬ cal agitation means such as stirring devices or by blow¬ ing with air blow from one ore more nozzles and/or even by chemical additives, respectively. In a simple design with an axial fan the effect can be intensified in that directly on the fan axle is placed a submerging pro- longation, reaching into the water and there carrying a stirring blade. In the following the invention is explained further in connection with an embodiment of an apparatus shown in the drawing, which is a sectional view of the appara¬ tus. The apparatus shown is specially adapted for use in rooms with light inhalable dust, whereby the apparatus advantageously can be placed close to the ceiling, for instance in a car paint garage. The apparatus comprises a vessel 2 with a centre-oriented downwards sloping base 4, having a central drainage stub 6 and an upper, pro¬ truding edge flange 8. In the circular side wall of the vessel are shaped three holes 10, which through radial pipes 12 are connected to corresponding holes 14 in an inner, vertical centre pipe 16. On top this pipe is closed with a widely protruding plate 18, which, toget¬ her with the underlying edge flange 8, forms an outwards open ring gap 20 situated significantly outside the circle of the holes 10 in the sides of the vessel 2. The central pipe 16 is at the bottom crowned with a protruding collar portion 22 placed in a certain dis¬ tance above the bottom of the vessel 4, and in this lower end piece of the pipe 16 is placed an axial fan with a motor 24 and a fan blade 26, the motor 24 being fixed to the pipe 16 by means of non-shown radial ribbs. The blade 26 is placed almost completely down at the lower end pipe 16. Water is filled into the vessel 2 to the level marked a in a relatively short distance beneath the pipe end flange 22. This inlet may be arranged automatically by means of an inlet valve controlled by a non-shown level sensor. During operation of the blower 24,26 room air will be sucked in through the holes 10 and this air will by the rotating blade 26 be pressed directly down against the water surface a, which will then happen with such a powerful rotation of the air that this will actuate the water surface to conduct a rotating and an associated turbolent movement, which spreads to the lower water levels in the vessel 2. Hereby the water is stirred sufficiently for breaking of its surface tension, and thus the dust or liquid particles in the sucked in air will willingly be taken to assimilation in the water, while the thereby cleaned air will escape through the ring gap between the water surface and the outer edge of the lower pipe flange 22, from where the air is pressed upwards in the vessel 2, up to a horizontal blow-out through the upper and outer ring gap 20. By the rotation of the water filling created by the blade 26, the suspended light dust will gather at the middle of the vessel 2, and therefore through the stub 6 there can be conducted a drainage of a special dirty water, which then can be let to the sewerage system or to a special reservoir through a non-shown conduit. If the occurring inhalable dust is of a heavier kind, it may be appropriate to arrange the apparatus down by the floor, whereby it obviously will be actual to let the central pipe 16 be open upwards under avoid¬ ance of the radial pipes 12 and the plate parts 8 and 20. As mentioned above, it is not a condition that it must be the inflowing air which actuates the water sur¬ face, but it is evident that this effect is achieved so to speak free by a suitable placing of the blower creat¬ ing the air flow. If, for specific reasons, a blower in a great distance from the surface or a blower which does not provoke a rotation of the air flow is used, then it may be necessary to use separate means for suitably agitating of the water or only crushing of the water surface, respectively. If desired, the apparatus may be designed with an inlet pipe 16 being connected with more different inlet openings in the room, in which the air dust abatement is desired. Originally the apparatus is meant as a lightweight unit, for instance for mobile position on a floor, how¬ ever, it may very well be placed as a fixed installation whereever in the relevant room, and besides, it may be designed as a big central system for servicing more rooms through suitable channel connections.

Claims: C L A I M S : 1. Apparatus for cleaning/washing of dust-laden room air by contact between an air flow and a cleaning fluid, preferably water, characterized in comprising a fluid vessel for containing a fluid portion and a down¬ lead pipe arranged thereabove for piloting down a flow of the room air, generated by suitable means, directly down against the fluid surface in the vessel, means also being provided for agitating at least the underlying surface area of the water portion. 2. Apparatus according to claim 1, characterized by the means for both generating the air flow and agitating the fluid surface comprising an axial blower placed in the downlead pipe in such a short distance from the fluid surface that the latter is set into rotation by the screw motion imparted to the air flow by the axial blower in order to additionally achieve a cyclone effect in this flow. 3. Apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that it comprises separate fluid agitation means such as stirring devices, blowing nozzles or vibrator means. 4. Apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that the agitation means for the fluid are designed to create a rotating movement of the fluid in the vessel, and in that at the bottom of said vessel is placed a drainage connection underneath the central area of said rotation. 5. Apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that the lower mouthing of the downlead pipe is located in such a hight position relative to the vessel that the latter can be filled with fluid to a level at which there will occur, below the pipe mouthing, an annular open exhaust slit for the air flow without any signifi¬ cantly reduced outflow area therefor. 6. Apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that it is designed with means for intermittent or cur¬ rent drainage of fluid from the vessel and means for level controlled inlet of fresh fluid thereto. 7. Apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that the vessel has an upper, protruding edge plate and one or more side holes above the fluid level, which or each of which holes are connected with an inwards lead¬ ing pipe being connected with a side hole in said down¬ lead pipe, which stretches upwards to a level slightly above said edge plate of the vessel, where the downlead pipe is terminated with a cover plate, which protrudes beyond the edge plate of the vessel for forming of an annular exhaust slit located above and outside the air intake hole or -holes in the side wall of the vessel. 8. Apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that the downlead pipe at its lower end being crowned with a protruding collar portion (22).

Inventors: JENSEN FINN HARLEY, JENSEN, FINN, HARLEY
Applicants: ECHBERG VENTILATION OG FODERAN, JENSEN FINN HARLEY, ECHBERG VENTILATION OG FODERANLAEG APS, JENSEN, FINN, HARLEY
Application year: 1995
Main classification: B01D47
IPC codes: B01D47, B01D50, F24F3