Air purifier and air purifying method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12345443-B2
Application number	US-202217981684-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 7, 2022
Priority date	Nov 15, 2021
Publication date	Jul 1, 2025
Grant date	Jul 1, 2025

Abstract

An air purifier includes an air inlet portion through which polluted air flows in, a plasma reaction portion connected to and in fluid communication with the air inlet portion and including a discharge region generating discharge plasma, a gas-liquid mixing portion connected to and in fluid communication with the plasma reaction portion, and including a gas-liquid mixing portion housing, a droplet spraying device arranged in the gas-liquid mixing portion housing and including at least one spray nozzle spraying fine droplets, and a fluid mixing device which mixes the fine droplets with first purified air transferred from the plasma reaction portion, and a gas-liquid contact portion connected to and in fluid communication with the gas-liquid mixing portion, defining micro-channels through which a gas-liquid mixture fluid transferred from the gas-liquid mixing portion passes, and including an impactor which captures droplets from the gas-liquid mixture fluid.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An air purifier comprising:
an air inlet portion through which polluted air flows in;
a plasma reaction portion connected to and in fluid communication with the air inlet portion and comprising a discharge region generating discharge plasma;
a gas-liquid mixing portion connected to and in fluid communication with the plasma reaction portion, and comprising a gas-liquid mixing portion housing, a droplet spraying device arranged in the gas-liquid mixing portion housing and including at least one spray nozzle spraying fine droplets, and a fluid mixing device which mixes the fine droplets with first purified air transferred from the plasma reaction portion; and
a gas-liquid contact portion connected to and in fluid communication with the gas-liquid mixing portion, defining micro-channels through which a gas-liquid mixture fluid transferred from the gas-liquid mixing portion passes, and including an impactor which captures droplets from the gas-liquid mixture fluid,
wherein the gas-liquid mixing portion and the gas-liquid contact portion are sequentially arranged in an opposite direction to a gravity direction,
wherein the air purifier further comprises a fluid communication portion extending in the gravity direction and arranged between the gas-liquid mixing portion and the gas-liquid contact portion, and
wherein the fluid communication portion comprises a vortex finder.

2. The air purifier of claim 1 , wherein at least one spray nozzle is provided in plural, and a plurality of spray nozzles is arranged apart from each other at predetermined distances in an upper portion of the gas-liquid mixing portion housing.

3. The air purifier of claim 1 , wherein at least one spray nozzle is provided in plural, and a plurality of spray nozzles is arranged apart from each other at predetermined distances in a lower portion of the gas-liquid mixing portion housing.

4. The air purifier of claim 1 , wherein at least one spray nozzle is provided in plural, and a plurality of spray nozzles is arranged apart from each other at predetermined distances on a side portion of the gas-liquid mixing portion housing.

5. The air purifier of claim 1 , wherein the impactor comprises a porous member for capturing the droplets from the gas-liquid mixture fluid.

6. The air purifier of claim 5 , wherein the impactor comprises a housing and a plurality of fillers filled in the housing.

7. The air purifier of claim 6 , wherein the impactor comprises a mesh screen arranged on a side surface of the housing and supporting the plurality of fillers.

8. The air purifier of claim 5 , wherein a porosity of the porous member is about 0.5 or more.

9. The air purifier of claim 1 , wherein the gas-liquid contact portion comprises a gas discharge portion through which an uncaptured gas from among the gas-liquid mixture fluid is discharged, and
wherein the gas discharge portion is disposed along a direction different from the gravity direction.

10. The air purifier of claim 1 , wherein the impactor has one of a polyprism shape or a cylindrical shape.

11. The air purifier of claim 1 , wherein the impactor has one of a square pillar shape or a cylindrical shape.

12. The air purifier of claim 1 , wherein a voltage of about 2 kilovolts to about 500 kilovolts is applied to the discharge region.

13. The air purifier of claim 1 , wherein the plasma reaction portion comprises a plurality of dielectric particles arranged in the discharge region.

14. The air purifier of claim 1 , further comprising a liquid collecting portion which collects a liquid discharged from the gas-liquid contact portion.

15. An air purifying method for purifying polluted air by an air purifier, the air purifying method comprising:
allowing the polluted air to flow into a plasma reaction portion connected to be in fluid communication with an air inlet portion through which polluted air flows in and comprising a discharge region generating discharge plasma;
purifying the polluted air into first purified air by the discharge plasma;
generating a gas-liquid mixture fluid by mixing the first purified air with the fine droplets;
capturing, by a gas-liquid contact portion, droplets from a gas-liquid mixture fluid transferred, via a fluid communication portion, from a gas-liquid mixing portion connected to be in fluid communication with the plasma reaction portion; and
discharging the captured liquid in a gravity direction and discharging a purified gas in a direction different from the gravity direction,
wherein the gas-liquid mixing portion and the gas-liquid contact portion are sequentially arranged in an opposite direction to the gravity direction,
wherein the air purifier further comprises a fluid communication portion extending in the gravity direction and arranged between the gas-liquid mixing portion and the gas-liquid contact portion, and
wherein the fluid communication portion comprises a vortex finder.

16. The air purifying method of claim 15 , further comprising collecting and purifying a liquid discharged from the gas-liquid contact portion and re-supplying the purified air to a droplet spraying device.

Assignees

• Samsung Electronics Co Ltd
• Iucf Hyu

Inventors

• Jeong Joonseon
• An Ikhyun
• Yook Sejin
• Kim Dongwook
• Kang Jinkyu
• Lee Hyun Chul
• Choi Hyoungwoo

Classifications

• B01D45/12

  by centrifugal forces (centrifuges B04B; cyclones B04C) · CPC title

• B01D47/00

  Separating dispersed particles from gases, air or vapours by liquid as separating agent (B01D45/10 takes precedence; fractionating columns or parts thereof B01D3/16) · CPC title

• B01D50/00

  Combinations of methods or devices for separating particles from gases or vapours · CPC title

• F24F8/95

  specially adapted for specific purposes · CPC title

• B01D2259/818

  Employing electrical discharges or the generation of a plasma · CPC title