Spiral electrode structure, plasma generator and air purifier

Abstract

This invention relates to a spiral electrode structure, a plasma generator, and an air purifier. The spiral electrode structure includes: an insulating support frame; a first outer electrode spirally wound around the insulating support frame and adapted for grounding; and a second outer electrode comprising an electrode body and a discharge tip formed on the electrode body. The second outer electrode spirally wound around the insulating support frame and spaced apart from the first outer electrode, with the same pitch as the first outer electrode. The second outer electrode is adapted for connection to a DC power supply. Due to the small radius of curvature of the discharge tip, the second outer electrode can generate corona discharge at a lower voltage. The initial electrons generated by the corona discharge can serve as excitation electrons for glow discharge, which can induce glow discharge between the first and second outer electrodes, thereby effectively reducing the corona initiation voltage of the spiral electrode structure. Furthermore, the spiral electrode structure of this invention is simple in structure, easy to manufacture, and convenient for implementation and widespread application.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of air purification technology, specifically to a spiral electrode structure, a plasma generator, and an air purifier. Background Technology

[0002] With socio-economic development, residents have increasingly higher requirements for residential interior decoration. The large-scale use of decoration and building materials has led to excessive concentrations of pollutants such as formaldehyde and TVOCs in indoor air, impacting people's health. Currently, methods for purifying indoor air pollution include ventilation, plant purification, microbial methods, physicochemical adsorption, and plasma methods.

[0003] Because low-temperature plasmas contain high-energy electrons, excited-state particles, and active groups, plasma discharge can effectively catalyze the degradation of harmful gases, thus it is increasingly being used in fields such as air purification. Plasma discharge includes corona discharge and glow discharge. Due to its larger discharge area and higher plasma density, glow discharge has excellent application prospects. Under normal circumstances, glow discharge plasma is mostly generated in low-pressure or rare gas environments.

[0004] Plasma generators can efficiently remove gaseous pollutants such as formaldehyde and TVOCs from the air by generating plasma through glow discharge. However, existing plasma generators can generally only produce glow discharges under vacuum, and the corona initiation voltage of glow discharges is relatively high (generally above 10,000 volts). This results in demanding operating conditions and high power consumption for plasma generators, making them difficult to widely apply. Summary of the Invention

[0005] Therefore, the technical problem to be solved by the present invention is to overcome the defects of the existing plasma generators, such as harsh operating conditions and high power consumption, so as to provide a spiral electrode structure, a plasma generator and an air purifier that can generate glow discharge under atmospheric pressure, with low corona voltage and low power consumption.

[0006] To address the aforementioned problems, a first aspect of the present invention provides a spiral electrode structure, comprising: an insulating support frame; a first outer electrode spirally wound around the insulating support frame and adapted to be grounded; and a second outer electrode comprising an electrode body and a discharge tip formed on the electrode body, the second outer electrode spirally wound around the insulating support frame and spaced apart from the first outer electrode, the pitch of the second outer electrode being equal to that of the first outer electrode, and the second outer electrode being adapted to be connected to a DC power supply.

[0007] Furthermore, there are multiple discharge tips that are radially distributed on the electrode body.

[0008] Furthermore, the discharge tip is a metal spike or a carbon fiber.

[0009] Furthermore, the electrode body is a conductive metal structure.

[0010] Furthermore, the electrode body includes at least two metal wires spirally wound together, and the discharge tip consists of multiple carbon fibers sandwiched between the at least two metal wires, with the extension direction of the carbon fibers forming an angle with the extension direction of the metal wires.

[0011] Furthermore, the second external electrode and the first external electrode are evenly and alternately wrapped around the insulating support frame.

[0012] Furthermore, the distance between the second external electrode and the first external electrode along the axial direction of the insulating support frame is L1, where 1mm≤L1≤100mm.

[0013] Furthermore, there are two second external electrodes, with the first external electrode located between the two second external electrodes.

[0014] Furthermore, the distance between the second external electrode and the first external electrode along the axial direction of the insulating support frame is L2, where 1mm≤L2≤100mm.

[0015] Furthermore, the first outer electrode is an electrode sheet spirally wound around an insulating support frame, and the tangent at any point on the electrode sheet forms an angle with the extending direction of the insulating support frame.

[0016] Furthermore, an accommodating cavity extending along the length of the insulating support frame is formed within the insulating support frame, and the spiral electrode structure also includes an inner electrode disposed within the accommodating cavity, the inner electrode being adapted to be connected to an AC power source.

[0017] Furthermore, the material of the internal electrode is metal;

[0018] And / or, the material of the insulating support frame is polytetrafluoroethylene.

[0019] A second aspect of the present invention relates to a plasma generating apparatus, comprising a helical electrode structure according to the first aspect of the present invention.

[0020] A third aspect of the present invention relates to an air purifier, comprising a spiral electrode structure according to a first aspect of the present invention.

[0021] The present invention has the following advantages:

[0022] As can be seen from the above technical solution, the spiral electrode structure of the first aspect of the present invention mainly includes an insulating support frame, a first external electrode, and a second external electrode. The second external electrode is configured to include an electrode body and a discharge tip formed on the electrode body. Due to the small radius of curvature of the discharge tip, the second external electrode can generate corona discharge at a lower voltage. The initial electrons generated by the corona discharge can serve as excitation electrons for glow discharge, which can induce glow discharge between the first and second external electrodes, thereby effectively reducing the corona initiation voltage of the spiral electrode structure. Furthermore, since the spiral electrode structure of the present invention spirally surrounds the first and second external electrodes on the surface of the insulating support frame, the insulating support frame can support the first and second external electrodes, allowing the wire diameters of the first and second external electrodes to be made thinner and less prone to breakage, with a smaller spacing, thus further reducing the corona initiation voltage of the glow discharge. Therefore, the spiral electrode structure of the present invention can generate corona discharge and glow discharge under atmospheric pressure, producing a small amount of ozone and exhibiting good sterilization and disinfection effects. In addition, the spiral electrode structure of the first aspect of the present invention has a simple structure, is easy to manufacture, practical, safe, and reliable, and is easy to implement and promote.

[0023] 2. The plasma purification device of the second aspect of the present invention includes or uses the spiral electrode structure of the first aspect of the present invention, and therefore has the beneficial effects of the spiral electrode structure of the first aspect of the present invention, namely, it can generate corona discharge and glow discharge under atmospheric pressure, and has a low corona initiation voltage and low power consumption, which makes it easy to promote and apply.

[0024] 3. The air purifier of the third aspect of the present invention includes or uses the spiral electrode structure of the first aspect of the present invention, and therefore has the beneficial effects of the spiral electrode structure of the first aspect of the present invention, namely, it can generate corona discharge and glow discharge under atmospheric pressure, and has a low corona initiation voltage and low power consumption, which makes it easy to promote and apply. Attached Figure Description

[0025] To more clearly illustrate the specific embodiments of the present invention or the technical solutions in the prior art, the drawings used in the description of the specific embodiments or the prior art will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are some embodiments of the present invention. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained from these drawings without creative effort.

[0026] Figure 1 The spiral electrode structure of Embodiment 1 of the present invention is shown;

[0027] Figure 2 This is a diagram showing the usage state of the spiral electrode structure in Embodiment 1 of the present invention.

[0028] Explanation of reference numerals in the attached figures:

[0029] 1. Spiral electrode structure; 11. Inner electrode; 12. First outer electrode; 13. Insulating support frame; 14. Second outer electrode; 141. Electrode body; 142. Discharge tip. Detailed Implementation

[0030] The technical solution of the present invention will now be clearly and completely described with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some, not all, of the embodiments of the present invention. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0031] In the description of this invention, it should be noted that the terms "center," "upper," "lower," "left," "right," "vertical," "horizontal," "inner," and "outer," etc., indicate the orientation or positional relationship based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings. They are used only for the convenience of describing the invention and for simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation. Therefore, they should not be construed as limitations on the invention. Furthermore, the terms "first," "second," and "third" are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance.

[0032] In the description of this invention, it should be noted that, unless otherwise explicitly specified and limited, the terms "installation," "connection," and "linking" should be interpreted broadly. For example, they can refer to a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection; they can refer to a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; they can refer to a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium; and they can refer to the internal connection of two components. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms in this invention according to the specific circumstances.

[0033] Furthermore, the technical features involved in the different embodiments of the present invention described below can be combined with each other as long as they do not conflict with each other.

[0034] Figure 1 The spiral electrode structure of Embodiment 1 of the present invention is shown. Figure 2 This is a diagram showing the usage state of the spiral electrode structure according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention. Figure 1 and Figure 2As shown, the spiral electrode structure 1 of this embodiment mainly includes an insulating support frame 13, a first external electrode 12, and a second external electrode 14. The first external electrode 12 is spirally wound around the insulating support frame 13 and is adapted to be grounded. The second external electrode 14 includes an electrode body 141 and a discharge tip 142 formed on the electrode body 141. The second external electrode 14 spirally wound around the insulating support frame 13 and spaced apart from the first external electrode 12. The pitch of the second external electrode 14 is equal to that of the first external electrode 12. The second external electrode 14 is adapted to be connected to a DC power supply. The first external electrode 12 may optionally have a discharge tip 142, or it may optionally not have a discharge tip 142.

[0035] As can be seen from the above technical solution, the spiral electrode structure 1 of this embodiment mainly includes an insulating support frame 13, a first external electrode 12, and a second external electrode 14. The second external electrode 14 is configured to include an electrode body 141 and a discharge tip 142 formed on the electrode body 141. Due to the small radius of curvature of the discharge tip 142, the second external electrode 14 can generate corona discharge at a lower voltage. The initial electrons generated by the corona discharge can serve as excitation electrons for glow discharge. These excitation electrons can induce glow discharge between the first external electrode 12 and the second external electrode 14, thereby effectively reducing the corona initiation voltage of the spiral electrode structure 1. Furthermore, since the spiral electrode structure 1 of this embodiment spirally surrounds the first external electrode 12 and the second external electrode 14 on the surface of the insulating support frame 13, the insulating support frame 13 can support the first external electrode 12 and the second external electrode 14, allowing the wire diameters of the first external electrode 12 and the second external electrode 14 to be made thinner and less prone to breakage, and the spacing between them to be smaller, thus further reducing the corona initiation voltage of the glow discharge. Therefore, the spiral electrode structure 1 of this embodiment can generate corona discharge and glow discharge under atmospheric pressure, producing a small amount of ozone, and has good sterilization, disinfection, and organic matter removal effects. Furthermore, the spiral electrode structure 1 of this embodiment is simple in structure, easy to manufacture, practical, safe, and reliable, and easy to implement and promote.

[0036] The discharge tip 142 can be positioned towards the first external electrode 12. Preferably, in this embodiment, there are multiple discharge tips 142 radially distributed on the electrode body 141, which can generate a large number of excitation electrons around the second external electrode 14, which helps to reduce the corona initiation voltage of the glow discharge. The discharge tip 142 can be a metal spike or carbon fiber. Preferably, in this embodiment, the discharge tip 142 is made of carbon fiber. Since carbon fiber is a semiconductor material, compared with ordinary metals, the electron emission capacity per unit volume or unit surface area of ​​carbon fiber is relatively weak. Therefore, the number of electrons released can be effectively controlled during the discharge process, thereby preventing the discharge from being too violent. Furthermore, since the single filament of carbon fiber has a very small radius of curvature and its diameter is only 7-10 μm, the discharge tip 142 made of carbon fiber has a good corona initiation effect and a very low corona initiation voltage, which can provide excitation electrons for glow discharge using a lower initiation corona voltage.

[0037] The electrode body 141 is preferably, but not limited to, a conductive metal structure or carbon fiber, for example, in this embodiment, the electrode body 141 is a conductive metal structure, preferably made of nanoscale conductive materials, such as nanoscale silver-plated copper wire or silver wire. Using a conductive metal structure instead of carbon fiber discharge can solve the problem of easy burr generation caused by carbon fiber discharge, avoid the phenomenon of discharge breakdown at the burr tip, help extend the life of the second external electrode 14, and also avoid the problem of excessive useless work generated by burr discharge, which affects the discharge efficiency.

[0038] When the discharge tip 142 is selected as a metal spike, the discharge tip 142 can be integrally formed with the electrode body 141. Preferably, in this embodiment, the electrode body 141 includes at least two metal wires spirally wound together, and the discharge tip 142 is a plurality of carbon fibers sandwiched between the at least two metal wires, with the extending direction of the carbon fibers forming an angle with the extending direction of the metal wires. Preferably, the extending direction of the carbon fibers is perpendicular to the extending direction of the metal wires.

[0039] Preferably, in this embodiment, the second external electrode 14 and the first external electrode 12 are uniformly and alternately wound around the insulating support frame 13. This promotes a more uniform glow discharge on the insulating support frame 13 between the first external electrode 12 and the second external electrode 14. The distance between the second external electrode 14 and the first external electrode 12 along the axial direction of the insulating support frame 13 is L1, where 1mm ≤ L1 ≤ 100mm. The above-mentioned distance range is the optimal range obtained through extensive testing. When L1 is within the above range, the glow discharge effect will not be affected by excessive distance, nor will the discharge develop into a violent filamentary discharge. When different pitches are selected, the applicable DC and AC power supply voltage values ​​will also be different. For example, in this embodiment, the distance between the first external electrode 12 and the second external electrode 14 is 2mm. Optionally, the diameter of the insulating support frame is D10, where 0.5mm ≤ D10 ≤ 80mm. Preferably, it is 1.2mm.

[0040] Preferably, the negative terminal of the DC power supply is connected to the second external electrode 14, and the positive terminal of the DC power supply is grounded. In this configuration, compared to connecting the positive terminal to the second external electrode 14 and grounding the negative terminal, the resulting glow discharge is more uniform, less prone to filamentary discharge, and requires less stringent electrode manufacturing. This improves the safety of the spiral electrode structure 1, reduces the scrap rate, and lowers the manufacturing cost of the spiral electrode structure 1. Simultaneously, when the negative terminal of the DC power supply is connected to the second external electrode 14 and the positive terminal is grounded, the second external electrode 14 can generate a large number of negative ions during the discharge process, resulting in better sterilization, disinfection, and air purification effects.

[0041] The number of second external electrodes 14 can be either one or two. When there are two second external electrodes 14, the first external electrode 12 is preferably located between the two second external electrodes 14. Glow discharge can be formed between the second external electrodes 14 and the first external electrodes 12 on both sides. The two second external electrodes 14 can be connected to the same high-voltage DC power supply or to different high-voltage DC power supplies. Preferably, the two second external electrodes 14 are connected to the same high-voltage DC power supply, and the first external electrodes 12 and the second external electrodes 14 are evenly and alternately distributed on the insulating support frame 13, which can save one power supply and simplify the installation method. The distance between the second external electrode 14 and the first external electrode 12 along the axial direction of the insulating support frame 13 is L2, where 1mm ≤ L2 ≤ 100mm. The above distance range is the optimal range obtained through a large number of tests. When L2 is within the above range, the glow discharge effect will not be affected due to excessive distance, nor will the discharge develop into a violent filamentary discharge. When different pitches are selected, the applicable DC and AC power supply voltage values ​​will also be different. For example, in this embodiment, the distance between the first external electrode 12 and the second external electrode 14 is 0.5mm-5mm.

[0042] Preferably, the negative terminal of the DC power supply is connected to the second external electrode 14, and the positive terminal of the DC power supply is grounded. In this configuration, compared to connecting the positive terminal to the second external electrode 14 and grounding the negative terminal, the resulting glow discharge is more uniform, less prone to filamentary discharge, and requires less stringent electrode manufacturing. This improves the safety of the spiral electrode structure 1, reduces the scrap rate, and lowers the manufacturing cost of the spiral electrode structure 1. Simultaneously, when the negative terminal of the DC power supply is connected to the second external electrode 14 and the positive terminal is grounded, the second external electrode 14 can generate a large number of negative ions during the discharge process, resulting in better sterilization, disinfection, and air purification effects.

[0043] In this embodiment, the first external electrode 12 can be made of a wire with an insulating layer, or it can be made of a nanoscale conductive material, such as nanoscale silver-plated copper wire or silver wire. In a preferred embodiment, the first external electrode 12 is an electrode sheet spirally wound around an insulating support frame 13. The tangent at any point on the electrode sheet forms an angle with the extending direction of the insulating support frame 13. This allows a spatial glow discharge to be generated between adjacent first external electrodes 12 and second external electrodes 14, increasing the discharge area of ​​the spiral electrode structure 1. Since an electric field is formed between the first external electrodes 12 and second external electrodes 14, when airflow enters between the first external electrodes 12 and second external electrodes 14, impurities carried in the airflow can become charged when passing through the discharge area. Then, under the action of the electric field, they adhere to the surface of the electrode sheet. This gives the spiral electrode structure 1 a dust collection effect, further improving the air purification effect of the spiral electrode structure 1 in this embodiment.

[0044] Preferably, in this embodiment, an accommodating cavity extending along the length direction of the insulating support frame 13 is formed within the insulating support frame 13. The spiral electrode structure 1 further includes an inner electrode 11 disposed within the accommodating cavity, the inner electrode 11 being adapted to be connected to an AC power source. When the inner electrode 11 is connected to the AC power source, after the initial electrons generated by the corona discharge of the second outer electrode 14, the inner electrode 11 and the first outer electrode 12 can use the initial electrons as excitation electrons for glow discharge, thereby performing glow discharge at the contact end. Furthermore, dielectric barrier discharge is employed to increase the initial electron density. The inner electrode 11 and the first outer electrode 12 can discharge under atmospheric pressure, and the corona initiation voltage is low, with the discharge occurring around the first outer electrode 12. Therefore, the spiral electrode structure 1 of the present invention significantly reduces the voltage requirement for discharge, has a low corona initiation voltage, low power consumption, is safe and stable, is not prone to filamentary discharge, and can simultaneously generate corona discharge and glow discharge, possessing bactericidal and airborne organic matter removal effects, and can also reduce the amount of ozone generated during the discharge process.

[0045] In this embodiment, the material of the inner electrode 11 is preferably a conductive metal such as copper or silver. The cross-section of the inner electrode 11 is circular, elliptical, rectangular, or other polygonal. Preferably, the cross-section of the inner electrode 11 is circular. Preferably, the inner electrode 11 is made of silver-plated copper wire, which provides better conductivity. The diameter of the inner electrode 11 is D10, where 0.1 mm ≤ D10 ≤ 100 mm.

[0046] The material of the insulating support frame 13 is preferably, but not limited to, polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE), polyamide, or aramid. PTFE is preferred. The thickness of the PTFE layer is D4, where 0.03 mm ≤ D4 ≤ 3 mm. When the thickness of the PTFE insulating support frame 13 is within the above range, the spiral electrode structure 1 has a lower corona initiation voltage, and the insulating support frame 13 is less prone to breakdown. For example, in this embodiment, the insulating support frame 13 is selected as 0.2 mm thick PTFE, which can be uniformly sprayed onto the outer surface of the inner electrode 11 using a spraying process to form the insulating support frame 13.

[0047] Example 2 relates to a plasma generating device, including the helical electrode structure 1 provided in Example 1.

[0048] Example 3

[0049] Example 3 relates to an air purifier, including the spiral electrode structure 1 provided in Example 1.

[0050] In summary, the spiral electrode structure 1 of Embodiment 1, the plasma generating device of Embodiment 2, and the air purifier of Embodiment 3 can overcome the shortcomings of the existing plasma generating devices, such as harsh operating conditions and high power consumption. They can generate corona discharge and glow discharge under atmospheric pressure, greatly reducing the voltage requirement for discharge, with low power consumption, and are safe and stable. They are not prone to filamentary discharge and can reduce the amount of ozone generated during the discharge process.

[0051] Obviously, the above embodiments are merely examples for clarity of explanation and are not intended to limit the implementation methods. Those skilled in the art will readily appreciate that other variations or modifications based on the above descriptions are possible. It is not necessary and impossible to enumerate all implementation methods here. Obvious variations or modifications arising therefrom remain within the scope of protection of the present invention.

Claims

1. A spiral electrode structure, characterized in that, include: Insulating support frame (13); The first external electrode (12) is spirally wound around the insulating support frame (13) and is adapted to be grounded; The second external electrode (14) includes an electrode body (141) and a discharge tip (142) formed on the electrode body (141). The second external electrode (14) is spirally wrapped around the insulating support frame (13) and spaced apart from the first external electrode (12). The pitch of the second external electrode (14) is equal to that of the first external electrode (12). The second external electrode (14) is adapted to be connected to a DC power supply. The first external electrode (12) is an electrode sheet spirally wrapped around the insulating support frame (13), and the tangent at any point on the electrode sheet forms an angle with the extending direction of the insulating support frame (13); The insulating support frame (13) has a receiving cavity extending along the length direction of the insulating support frame (13), and the spiral electrode structure (1) further includes an inner electrode (11) disposed in the receiving cavity, the inner electrode (11) being adapted to be connected to an AC power source.

2. The spiral electrode structure according to claim 1, characterized in that, The discharge tips (142) are multiple and radially distributed on the electrode body (141).

3. The spiral electrode structure according to claim 2, characterized in that, The discharge tip (142) is a metal spike or a carbon fiber.

4. The spiral electrode structure according to claim 1, characterized in that, The electrode body (141) is a conductive metal structure.

5. The spiral electrode structure according to claim 4, characterized in that, The electrode body (141) includes at least two metal wires that are spirally wound together, and the discharge tip (142) is a plurality of carbon fibers sandwiched between the at least two metal wires, wherein the extension direction of the carbon fibers forms an angle with the extension direction of the metal wires.

6. The spiral electrode structure according to claim 1, characterized in that, The second external electrode (14) and the first external electrode (12) are evenly and alternately wrapped around the insulating support frame (13).

7. The spiral electrode structure according to claim 6, characterized in that, The distance between the second external electrode (14) and the first external electrode (12) along the axial direction of the insulating support frame (13) is L1, where 1mm≤L1≤100mm.

8. The spiral electrode structure according to claim 1, characterized in that, There are two second external electrodes (14), and the first external electrode (12) is located between the two second external electrodes (14).

9. The spiral electrode structure according to claim 8, characterized in that, The distance between the second external electrode (14) and the first external electrode (12) along the axial direction of the insulating support frame (13) is L2, where 1mm≤L2≤100mm.

10. The spiral electrode structure according to claim 9, characterized in that, The material of the internal electrode (11) is metal; And / or, the insulating support frame (13) is made of polytetrafluoroethylene.

11. A plasma generating device, characterized in that, Includes the spiral electrode structure (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 10.

12. An air purifier, characterized in that, Includes the spiral electrode structure (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 10.

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