Material sterilization device

Abstract

The application discloses a material sterilization and killing device, which comprises a material bin, a plasma generating assembly and a sterilization and killing auxiliary assembly. The material bin is used for storing target material, and the target material is material to be sterilized and killed. The plasma generating assembly is used for generating target low-temperature plasma, and the plasma generating assembly is communicated with the material bin. The sterilization and killing auxiliary assembly is arranged on one side of the plasma generating assembly, and the sterilization and killing auxiliary assembly is communicated with the plasma generating assembly. The sterilization and killing auxiliary assembly is used for assisting the plasma generating assembly to provide circulating target gas for the material bin. The circulating target gas comprises breakdown gas or the circulating target gas comprises mixed gas of excess low-temperature plasma and breakdown gas, and the excess low-temperature plasma is part of the target low-temperature plasma. The technical scheme can provide the plasma generating assembly with breakdown gas in circulation through the sterilization and killing auxiliary assembly, realizes the circulating sterilization and killing of the material, and improves the sterilization and killing precision of the material.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention belongs to the field of disinfection technology, specifically relating to a material disinfection device. Background Technology

[0002] Low-temperature plasma is the fourth state of matter after solid, liquid, and gas. When the applied voltage reaches the breakdown voltage, gas molecules are ionized, producing a mixture including electrons, ions, atoms, and atomic groups. Low-temperature plasma treatment consists of a large number of free electrons and ions, and macroscopically appears as an approximately electrically neutral ionized gas; it is another aggregated state of matter—the plasma state. In low-temperature plasma treatment, electrons gain energy from the electric field, becoming free high-energy electrons. These electrons collide with atoms and molecules in the gas, producing excitation and ionization phenomena, thereby generating excited molecules, atoms, ions, and free radicals. Low-temperature plasma differs significantly in properties from ordinary gases. The electron temperature in low-temperature plasma can reach thousands to tens of thousands of K, while the gas temperature is very low, roughly between room temperature and hundreds of degrees Celsius, and the electron energy is approximately a few to tens of electron volts. Low-temperature plasma is widely used in preservation, sterilization, and deodorization, primarily in refrigerators, air conditioners, and washing machines.

[0003] Currently, disinfection devices based on low-temperature plasma have low disinfection accuracy and cannot meet the low bacterial count requirements for materials. Summary of the Invention

[0004] In view of the shortcomings of the prior art, the purpose of this invention is to provide a material disinfection device that solves the problem of low material disinfection accuracy in the prior art.

[0005] According to one aspect of this application, a material disinfection device is disclosed. Specifically, the material disinfection device includes:

[0006] A material storage silo, used to store target materials, which are materials to be disinfected;

[0007] A plasma generating assembly, which is used to generate target low-temperature plasma, and is connected to the material bin;

[0008] A disinfection auxiliary component is provided to assist the plasma generating component in providing circulating target gas to the material bin. The circulating target gas includes a breakdown gas or a mixture of residual low-temperature plasma and breakdown gas. The residual low-temperature plasma gas is a portion of the target low-temperature plasma.

[0009] Furthermore, the plasma generating assembly includes a plasma generator and a transition chamber, with the plasma generator disposed within the transition chamber.

[0010] Furthermore, the plasma generator includes a first electrode block, a second electrode block, and a discharge assembly connected to the first electrode block and the second electrode block respectively. The discharge assembly includes multiple discharge electrode tubes, which are spaced apart.

[0011] In one example, the discharge electrode tube is constructed as a glass tube or a ceramic tube, with both ends of the discharge electrode tube sealed by insulating plugs, and conductive powder filling the space between the two ends of the discharge electrode tube.

[0012] In one example, the conductive powder is aluminum powder or copper powder.

[0013] Furthermore, the plasma generator also includes a first mounting plate and a second mounting plate, wherein the first mounting plate, the first electrode, the second mounting plate, and the second electrode are connected sequentially.

[0014] Furthermore, the transition chamber includes a melting tank and a ventilation duct, one end of which is connected to the material transfer chamber, and the other end of which is connected to the ventilation duct.

[0015] Furthermore, the disinfection auxiliary device includes a gas regulating valve and an air supply component. One end of the gas regulating valve is connected to the ventilation pipe, and the other end of the gas regulating valve is connected to the air supply component. An adjusting plate is provided inside the gas regulating valve, and the adjusting plate is used to adjust the ventilation opening diameter inside the gas regulating valve.

[0016] Furthermore, the disinfection device also includes a generating chamber and a return air duct. The generating chamber is located on one side of the material chamber, the plasma generating component is located inside the generating chamber, one end of the return air duct is connected to the material chamber, and the other end of the return air duct is connected to the air supply component.

[0017] Furthermore, the material silo is equipped with a baffle plate.

[0018] The material disinfection device of the present invention includes a material silo, a plasma generating component, and a disinfection auxiliary component. The material silo is used to store target material, which is the material to be disinfected. The plasma generating component is used to generate low-temperature plasma and is connected to the material silo. The disinfection auxiliary component is disposed on one side of the plasma generating component and is connected to the plasma generating component. The disinfection auxiliary component assists the plasma generating component in providing circulating target gas to the material silo. The circulating target gas includes a breakdown gas or a mixture of residual low-temperature plasma and breakdown gas. This technical solution achieves circulating disinfection of materials by using the disinfection auxiliary component to circulate breakdown gas to the plasma generating component, thus improving the accuracy of material disinfection. Attached Figure Description

[0019] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention or the prior art, the accompanying drawings used in the description of the embodiments or the prior art will be briefly introduced below.

[0020] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the material disinfection device described in this invention;

[0021] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the material disinfection device described in this invention;

[0022] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of a partial structure of the material disinfection device described in this invention;

[0023] Figure 4 A schematic diagram of the structure of the plasma generating assembly described in this invention;

[0024] Figure 5 This is a cross-sectional view of the plasma generating assembly described in this invention;

[0025] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the plasma generator described in this invention;

[0026] Figure 7 This is a cross-sectional view of the plasma generator described in this invention from one angle;

[0027] Figure 8 This is a cross-sectional view of the plasma generator described in this invention from another angle;

[0028] In the diagram, 10-material silo, 20-plasma generating assembly, 201-plasma generator, 2011-first electrode block, 2012-second electrode block, 2013-first mounting plate, 2014-second mounting plate, 2015-discharge electrode tube, 2016-conductive powder, 2017-insulating plug, 202-transition silo, 2021-melting tank, 2022-ventilation duct, 30-disinfection auxiliary assembly, 301-gas regulating valve, 302-air supply component, 303-regulating plate, 304-return air duct, 40-barrier plate, 50-generating silo. Detailed Implementation

[0029] The technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. All other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0030] To address the problems existing in the prior art, this application discloses a material disinfection device, specifically referring to... Figures 1 to 8 As shown, the material disinfection device includes a material silo 10, a plasma generator, and a disinfection auxiliary component 30. The material silo 10 is used to store the target material; the plasma generator 20 is used to generate low-temperature plasma and is connected to the material silo 10; the disinfection auxiliary component 30 is located on one side of the plasma generator 20 and is connected to the plasma generator 20. The disinfection auxiliary component 30 is used to assist the plasma generator 20 in providing circulating target gas to the material silo 10.

[0031] Understandably, low-temperature plasma is the fourth state of matter after solid, liquid, and gas. When the applied voltage reaches the breakdown voltage, gas molecules are ionized, producing a mixture including electrons, ions, atoms, and atomic groups. The target material is the material to be disinfected. In one example, the target material can be crops such as peanuts, grains, or rice that require disinfection, or items such as vegetables and fruits that require disinfection. Furthermore, the circulating target gas includes breakdown gas or a mixture of residual low-temperature plasma and breakdown gas, with the residual low-temperature plasma being a part of the target low-temperature plasma. Specifically, the disinfection auxiliary component 30 can provide breakdown gas to the plasma generating component 20, allowing the plasma generating component 20 to discharge and break down the breakdown gas to obtain the target low-temperature plasma. Understandably, when the sterilization auxiliary component 30 first provides the breakdown gas to the plasma generating component 20, the plasma generating component 20 obtains the entire target low-temperature plasma based on this breakdown gas. The plasma generating component 20 then provides the target low-temperature plasma to the material storage 10 to sterilize the material flow within it. Furthermore, during the sterilization process, a portion of the target low-temperature plasma diffuses out—the residual low-temperature plasma—which is then recovered by the sterilization auxiliary component 30. This recovered residual low-temperature plasma, along with the breakdown gas provided again by the sterilization auxiliary component 30, is then supplied to the plasma generating component 20. This results in an increase in the low-temperature plasma concentration in the circulating target gas supplied by the plasma generating component 20 to the material storage 10 after several cycles. This technical solution not only achieves cyclic sterilization of materials, improving sterilization accuracy, but also increases the low-temperature plasma concentration in the circulating target gas supplied by the plasma generating component 20 to the material storage 10 after multiple cycles, further enhancing the sterilization accuracy of the materials in the material storage 10.

[0032] For example, this invention employs a dielectric barrier discharge plasma gas flow for sterilization, in which elements such as reactive nitrogen (RNS), excited-state oxygen (O2), nitrogen (N2), and ultraviolet light play key roles in the sterilization process of crops. Besides the bactericidal effect of ultraviolet radiation, these high-energy electrons and free radicals can also effectively remove airborne bacteria and bacteria attached to object surfaces. Studies have shown that plasma can inactivate Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacterial strains, yeast, and even viruses. Plasma selectively disrupts various structures of microorganisms, etches cell walls, damages biofilms and lipid peroxides, causing oxidative damage, base modification, and chain breaks to bacterial DNA and RNA. Furthermore, during plasma generation, a large amount of ultraviolet and visible light is released. These wavelengths can excite active particles into new electronic states through radiation, and these electronic states change under different conditions (such as temperature, pressure, and volume), resulting in diverse emission spectra. The spectrum generated by plasma includes ultraviolet light, which has been widely used in the field of disinfection. Therefore, the method of sterilization using dielectric barrier discharge plasma airflow provides a powerful and comprehensive attack on microorganisms at multiple levels, offering an efficient and reliable technical means for crop sterilization.

[0033] Furthermore, the plasma generating assembly 20 includes a plasma generator 201 and a transition chamber 202, with the plasma generator 201 housed within the transition chamber 202. Specifically, the transition chamber 202 is made of an insulating material, preferably polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE). It is understood that by housing the plasma generator 201 within the transition chamber 202, excessive exposure of the plasma generator 201 can be avoided, reducing the risk of external conductivity and improving the operational safety of the disinfection device. Furthermore, constructing the transition chamber 202 as an insulating material increases the insulation distance of the plasma generator 201, further enhancing the operational safety of the disinfection device.

[0034] Further, continue to refer to Figure 3 As shown in Figure 8, the plasma generator 201 includes a first electrode block 2011, a second electrode block 2012, and a discharge assembly connected to the first electrode block 2011 and the second electrode block 2012 respectively. The discharge assembly includes multiple discharge electrode tubes 2015, which are spaced apart. In one example, the multiple discharge electrode tubes 2015 may include two groups arranged side by side, with nine tubes per group. The nine discharge electrode tubes 2015 in each group are arranged at intervals along the length direction of the first electrode block 2011, where the length direction of the first electrode block 2011 refers to... Figure 6The arrows indicate the direction of the discharge electrode tubes. It is understandable that the arrangement and number of discharge electrode tubes 2015 can be determined according to actual needs. In one example, two adjacent discharge electrode tubes 2015 are electrically connected to positive and negative voltages to achieve discharge operation between adjacent discharge electrode tubes 2015.

[0035] In one example, the discharge electrode tube 2015 can be constructed as a glass tube or as a ceramic tube; preferably, in this example, the discharge electrode tube 2015 is constructed as a glass tube. Further, the two ends of the discharge electrode tube 2015 are sealed by insulating plugs 2017, and conductive powder 2016 is filled between the two ends of the discharge electrode tube 2015. It is understood that by filling the discharge electrode tube 2015 with conductive powder 2016, the powder can fully contact the inner wall of the discharge electrode tube 2015, thereby improving the discharge stability of the discharge electrode tube 2015.

[0036] Furthermore, the conductive powder 2016 can be a metal powder with good conductivity. In one example, the conductive powder 2016 is aluminum powder or copper powder. Furthermore, the plasma generator 201 also includes a first mounting plate 2013 and a second mounting plate 2014, with the first mounting plate 2013, the first electrode, the second mounting plate 2014, and the second electrode connected sequentially.

[0037] Further, continue to refer to Figure 4 and Figure 5 The transition chamber 202 includes a melting tank 2021 and a ventilation duct 2022. One end of the melting tank 2021 is connected to the material chamber 10, and the other end of the melting tank 2021 is connected to the ventilation duct. Specifically, the plasma generator 201 is installed inside the melting tank 2021. The structure of the melting tank 2021 is adapted to the structure of the plasma generator 201.

[0038] Further, continue to refer to Figure 3 The disinfection auxiliary device includes a gas regulating valve 301 and an air supply component 302. One end of the gas regulating valve 301 is connected to a ventilation duct, and the other end is connected to the air supply component 302. By setting the gas regulating valve 301, the airflow force of the air supply component 302 on the low-temperature plasma can be adjusted, thereby adjusting the diffusion rate of the low-temperature plasma to meet the disinfection requirements of target materials of different volumes, realizing the scalability of the material disinfection device. Specifically, the gas regulating valve 301 is equipped with an adjusting plate 303, which is used to adjust the ventilation opening diameter of the gas regulating valve 301, thereby controlling the amount of gas entering the gas regulating valve 301 to meet the disinfection precision requirements of different materials.

[0039] Furthermore, the disinfection device also includes a plasma generation chamber 50 and a return air duct 304. The plasma generation chamber 50 is located on one side of the material chamber 10, and the plasma generation component 20 is located inside the plasma generation chamber 50. One end of the return air duct 304 is connected to the material chamber 10, and the other end is connected to the air supply component 302. Specifically, the air supply component 302 includes an air outlet and a return air outlet. The return air duct 304 is connected to the return air outlet of the air supply component 302, and the air outlet of the air supply component 302 is connected to the gas regulating valve 301. Through this return air design, the gas entering the material chamber 10 can return to the air supply component 302 through the return air duct 304, and the air supply component 302 will again provide airflow to the plasma generation component 20 to assist in the transport of the low-temperature plasma generated by the plasma generation component 20 to the material chamber 10. Through this return air design, the target material can be disinfected in a cyclical manner, improving the disinfection effect of the target material. In one example, the plasma generating chamber 50 includes a first fusion chamber, a second fusion chamber, and a third fusion chamber, arranged sequentially from bottom to top. The plasma generating device is located in the first fusion chamber, the second fusion chamber contains a plasma power supply, and the third fusion chamber houses a power distribution board. Specifically, the power distribution board is located on the upper part of the bottom plate of the third fusion chamber, and the bottom plate of the third fusion chamber is made of insulating material. It is understood that by dividing the generating chamber 50 into three fusion chambers, different power supply devices are placed separately, and the bottom plate of the third fusion chamber is made of insulating material to insulate the power distribution board, reducing the risk of electrical conductivity and improving the electrical safety of the disinfection device.

[0040] Furthermore, a baffle plate 40 is provided in the material hopper 10. By setting the baffle plate 40, the material can be blocked above the baffle plate 40, and the baffle plate 40 has an inclined structure, which allows the material to be discharged slowly when it exits the outlet. It can be understood that the baffle plate 40 is inclined in the material hopper 10, and there is a gap between the baffle plate 40 and the inner wall of the material hopper 10, which allows gas to pass through. Furthermore, the material is piled up above the baffle plate 40. In one example, multiple through holes can be made in the baffle plate 40, so that the low-temperature plasma can pass through and also disinfect the bottom of the piled material, improving the uniformity of material disinfection.

[0041] By setting the baffle plate 40, the low-temperature plasma can be blocked when it moves upward with the gas, isolating it at the bottom, reducing the diffusion rate of the low-temperature plasma away from the target material, and improving the utilization rate of the low-temperature plasma.

[0042] Furthermore, the material disinfection device also includes a material circulation pump, which is located on the side of the material silo 10. The material circulation pump is connected to the material silo 10 through a pipeline. By setting up the material circulation pump, the material in the material 10 can be circulated to achieve material circulation disinfection and improve the disinfection accuracy of the material.

[0043] The material disinfection device of the present invention includes a material silo 10, a plasma generating component 20, and a disinfection auxiliary component 30. The material silo 10 is used to store target material, which is the material to be disinfected. The plasma generating component 20 is used to generate low-temperature plasma and is connected to the material silo 10. The disinfection auxiliary component 30 is disposed on one side of the plasma generating component 20 and is connected to the plasma generating component 20. The disinfection auxiliary component 30 assists the plasma generating component 20 in providing circulating target gas to the material silo 10. The circulating target gas includes a breakdown gas or a mixture of residual low-temperature plasma and breakdown gas, wherein the residual low-temperature plasma is a part of the target low-temperature plasma. This technical solution can achieve cyclic disinfection of materials by circulating breakdown gas to the plasma generating component 20 through the disinfection auxiliary component 30, thereby improving the accuracy of material disinfection.

[0044] The foregoing has shown and described the basic principles, main features, and advantages of the present invention. Those skilled in the art should understand that the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments. The embodiments and descriptions in the specification are merely illustrative of the principles of the invention. Various changes and modifications can be made to the invention without departing from its spirit and scope, and all such changes and modifications fall within the scope of the claimed invention.

Claims

1. A material disinfection device, characterized in that, The disinfection device includes: Material bin (10), the material bin (10) is used to store target material, the target material is material to be disinfected, the material bin (10) is provided with a baffle plate (40), the baffle plate (40) is an inclined structure, the baffle plate (40) is provided with multiple through holes, the through holes allow low temperature plasma to pass through and disinfect the bottom of the accumulated material; A plasma generating assembly (20) is used to generate target low-temperature plasma. The plasma generating assembly (20) is connected to the material chamber (10). The plasma generating assembly (20) also includes a plasma generator (201) and a transition chamber (202). The plasma generator (201) is disposed in the transition chamber (202). The transition chamber (202) includes a melting tank (2021) and a ventilation duct (2022). One end of the melting tank (2021) is connected to the material chamber (10), and the other end of the melting tank (2021) is connected to the ventilation duct (2022). A disinfection auxiliary component (30) is disposed on one side of the plasma generating component (20) and is connected to the plasma generating component (20). The disinfection auxiliary component (30) is used to recover the residual low-temperature plasma during the disinfection of materials by the target low-temperature plasma, and to provide the recovered residual low-temperature plasma together with the breakdown gas provided again by the disinfection auxiliary component (30) to the plasma generating component (20), so that the concentration of low-temperature plasma in the circulating target gas provided by the plasma generating component (20) to the material bin (10) increases after several cycles; the residual low-temperature plasma is a part of the target low-temperature plasma. The disinfection auxiliary device includes a gas regulating valve (301) and an air supply component (302). One end of the gas regulating valve (301) is connected to the ventilation duct (2022), and the other end of the gas regulating valve (301) is connected to the air supply component (302). An adjusting plate (303) is provided inside the gas regulating valve (301), and the adjusting plate (303) is used to adjust the ventilation opening diameter inside the gas regulating valve (301). The disinfection device also includes a generating chamber (50) and a return air duct (304). The generating chamber (50) is located on one side of the material chamber (10). The plasma generating component (20) is located inside the generating chamber (50). One end of the return air duct (304) is connected to the material chamber (10), and the other end of the return air duct (304) is connected to the air supply component (302).

2. The material disinfection device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The plasma generator (201) includes a first electrode block (2011), a second electrode block (2012), and a discharge assembly connected to the first electrode block (2011) and the second electrode block (2012) respectively. The discharge assembly includes multiple discharge electrode tubes (2015), which are spaced apart.

3. The material disinfection device according to claim 2, characterized in that, The discharge electrode tube (2015) is constructed as a glass tube or a ceramic tube, and the two ends of the discharge electrode tube (2015) are sealed by insulating plugs (2017). The two ends of the discharge electrode tube (2015) are filled with conductive powder (2016).

4. The material disinfection device according to claim 3, characterized in that, The conductive powder (2016) is aluminum powder or copper powder.

5. The material disinfection device according to claim 2, characterized in that, The plasma generator (201) further includes a first mounting plate (2013) and a second mounting plate (2014), wherein the first mounting plate (2013), the first electrode block (2011), the second mounting plate (2014) and the second electrode block (2012) are connected end to end in sequence.

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