Air treatment systems and methods

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11027236-B2
Application number	US-201716311005-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 28, 2017
Priority date	Jun 28, 2016
Publication date	Jun 8, 2021
Grant date	Jun 8, 2021

Abstract

An air treatment unit may include an air inlet to receive a flow of input air for treatment and a reaction reservoir configured to hold an aqueous air treatment solution. The air treatment unit may also include an air dispersing element flow connected with the air inlet, wherein the air dispersing element is configured to convert at least a portion of the flow of input air into a plurality of microbubbles for introduction into the aqueous air treatment solution, such that an amount of one or more target gas species contained within the plurality of microbubbles is reduced through reaction with the aqueous air treatment solution. The unit may include an air outlet configured to output treated air from the reaction reservoir.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An air treatment unit, comprising:
an air inlet to receive a flow of input air for treatment;
a reaction reservoir configured to hold an aqueous air treatment solution;
an air dispersing element flow connected with the air inlet, wherein the air dispersing element is configured to convert at least a portion of the flow of input air into a plurality of microbubbles for introduction into the aqueous air treatment solution, such that an amount of one or more target gas species contained within the plurality of microbubbles is reduced through reaction with the aqueous air treatment solution;
a pH sensor configured to generate an output indicative of a pH level of a solution in the reaction reservoir; and
an air outlet configured to output treated air from the reaction reservoir.

2. The air treatment unit of claim 1 , wherein the air dispersing element includes a plurality of holes configured to emit the microbubbles.

3. The air treatment unit of claim 2 , wherein the plurality of holes have an average diameter of between 0.5 microns and 500 microns.

4. The air treatment unit of claim 2 , wherein the plurality holes have an average diameter of between 10 microns and 100 microns.

5. The air treatment unit of claim 2 , wherein the plurality of holes are separated from one another by an average distance that is between two times and 30 times an average diameter of the plurality of holes.

6. The air treatment unit of claim 2 , wherein the plurality of holes are separated from one another by an average distance that is between six times and eight times an average diameter of the plurality of holes.

7. The air treatment unit of claim 2 , wherein the plurality of holes are distributed across at least a portion of the air dispersing element with a distribution density of between one and 100 holes per square centimeter.

8. The air treatment unit of claim 2 , wherein the plurality of holes are distributed across at least a portion of the air dispersing element with a distribution density of between three and seven holes per square centimeter.

9. The air treatment unit of claim 1 , wherein the air dispersing element includes a stainless steel foil.

10. The air treatment unit of claim 9 , wherein the stainless steel foil is at least partially coated with nickel.

11. The air treatment unit of claim 1 , wherein the air dispersing element is configured to generate microbubbles having an average diameter of less than 1 millimeter.

12. The air treatment unit of claim 1 , wherein the air dispersing element is configured to generate microbubbles having an average diameter of between 1 and 100 microns.

13. The air treatment unit of claim 1 , wherein the air dispersing element is configured to generate microbubbles having an average diameter of between 5 and 50 microns.

14. The air treatment unit of claim 1 , wherein the air dispersing element is configured to generate microbubbles of which at least 80% have an average diameter of between 10-70 microns.

15. The air treatment unit of claim 1 , wherein the microbubbles generated by the air dispersing element have a mean free path in the air treatment solution that ranges from 0.01 cm to 25 cm.

16. The air treatment unit of claim 1 , wherein the at least 80% of the microbubbles generated by the air dispersing element have a mean free path of at least 1 mm.

17. The air treatment unit of claim 1 , wherein the aqueous air treatment solution includes an oxidizing agent and at least one alkali hydroxide.

18. The air treatment unit of claim 17 , wherein the oxidizing agent includes at least one of hydrogen peroxide, permanganate, persulfate, or combinations thereof.

19. The air treatment unit of claim 17 , wherein the air treatment solution has an oxidizing agent to alkali hydroxide ratio of at least 1:1 and up to 1.6:1.

20. The air treatment unit of claim 17 , wherein the air treatment solution has an oxidizing agent to alkali hydroxide ratio of at least 1:1 and up to 4:1.

21. The air treatment unit of claim 17 , wherein the alkali hydroxide includes one or more of sodium hydroxide, calcium hydroxide, potassium hydroxide, lithium hydroxide, trisodium phosphate, tripotassium phosphate, triethanolamine, or combinations thereof.

22. The air treatment unit of claim 1 , wherein the aqueous air treatment solution includes hydrogen peroxide having a molarity between SM and SOM.

23. The air treatment unit of claim 1 , wherein the aqueous air treatment solution includes alkali hydroxide having a molarity of between 3M and 30M.

24. The air treatment unit of claim 1 , wherein the aqueous air treatment solution has a pH of between 10 and 12.5.

25. The air treatment unit of claim 1 , wherein the aqueous air treatment solution includes a superoxide anion formed by reaction of hydrogen peroxide with at least one alkali hydroxide.

26. The air treatment unit of claim 1 , wherein the aqueous air treatment further includes a phase transfer catalyst.

27. The air treatment unit of claim 26 , wherein the phase transfer catalyst includes an ammonium salt.

28. The air treatment unit of claim 1 , wherein the reaction reservoir includes a first reagent inlet configured to allow into the reaction reservoir a supply of hydrogen peroxide, and wherein the reaction reservoir includes a second reagent inlet configured to allow into the reaction reservoir a supply of alkali hydroxide.

29. The air treatment unit of claim 28 , wherein the air treatment unit further includes:
an air quality sensor configured to generate an output indicative of a level of at least one constituent in air treatable by the air treatment unit; and
at least one controller programmed to:
monitor the output of the air quality sensor to determine a level of the at least one constituent;
threshold; and determine whether a level of the at least one constituent exceeds a predetermined after a determination that the level of the at least one constituent exceeds the predetermined threshold, initiate transfer into the reaction reservoir of the supply of hydrogen peroxide via the first reagent inlet, initiate transfer into the reaction reservoir of the supply of alkali hydroxide via the second reagent inlet, and cause at least some of the air treatable by the air treatment unit to enter the air inlet.

30. The air treatment unit of claim 29 , wherein the air quality sensor is located remotely with respect to the air treatment unit.

31. The air treatment unit of claim 28 , wherein the air treatment unit further includes:
an air quality sensor configured to generate an output indicative of a level of at least one constituent in treated air output by the air treatment unit; and
at least one controller programmed to:
monitor the output of the air quality sensor to determine a level associated with the at least one constituent;
determine whether a level of the at least one constituent exceeds a predetermined threshold; and
after a determination that the level of the at least one constituent exceeds the predetermined threshold, initiate transfer into the reaction reservoir of a portion of the supply of hydrogen peroxide via the first reagent inlet.

32. The air treatment unit of claim 31 , further comprising initiation of transfer into the reaction reservoir of a portion of the supply of alkali hydroxi

Assignees

• Airovation Tech Ltd
• Yissum Res Dev Co Of Hebrew Univ Jerusalem Ltd

Inventors

• Maayan Marat
• Stoin Uri
• Sasson Yoel
• Weinfeld Doron

Classifications

• F24F8/167

  using catalytic reactions · CPC title

• F24F8/133

  by direct contact with liquid, e.g. with sprayed liquid · CPC title

• Y02B30/70

  Efficient control or regulation technologies, e.g. for control of refrigerant flow, motor or heating · CPC title

• F24F11/30

  for purposes related to the operation of the system, e.g. for safety or monitoring · CPC title

• B66B11/024

  Ventilation systems · CPC title