NOX reduction of in-vehicle space

Abstract

The invention relates to a filter unit (1) for removing nitrogen oxides in air, comprising a closed housing, which has at one end a tube (4) for introducing air into the filter unit (1) and at the opposite end a tube (2) for discharging air out of the filter unit, according to the invention, a ventilation device (3) is arranged in each of the tubes (2, 4), each of the tubes (2, 4) being connected to a pressure chamber (5) in the housing, at least two particle chambers (6) containing adsorbent particles capable of adsorbing nitrogen oxides being arranged between the pressure chambers (5), the at least two particle chambers (6) being separated from each other by an intermediate insert / filter insert (7).

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The invention relates to a filter unit for removing nitrogen oxides from the air, a device for reducing the nitrogen oxide content in the air in a closed space, a motor vehicle comprising the device and a method for removing nitrogen oxides from the air in a closed space. Background Art

[0002] Currently, there are very limited options for reducing exhaust gas components in the vehicle interior (e.g. from vehicles driving ahead). One option is to use the "recirculation setting" in the air conditioning system. This prevents large amounts of air from being drawn in from the outside. Another option is to use HEPA / activated carbon filters, which are already installed in some vehicles. However, these two technical solutions are not very effective in reducing NO X Are very limited.

[0003] The disadvantage of the “internal circulation setting” is that harmful substances such as CO2 and NO X It accumulates quickly in the interior air, so this is only a short-term emergency measure. In addition, the air humidity also rises rapidly. Although HEPA filters combined with activated carbon filters have a filtering effect, many filters have only a very limited capacity and full filters must be replaced, and full materials cannot be recycled.

[0004] DE 198 38 996 A1 relates to an air conditioning system having an activated carbon filter for purifying air supplied to the interior of a motor vehicle. A device is provided for purifying by heating the filter and the air in the filter, and air laden with pollutants can be discharged from the filter by means of a clean air flow, wherein the activated carbon is in contact with a temperature-regulated or temperature-controlled heating device, by which the activated carbon and the air in the filter are heated while the clean air flow passes through the filter.

[0005] A filter for removing odors and harmful substances entering a vehicle cabin via a ventilation system is known from DE 38 19 002 A1. The filter material is designed as a cassette structure, which is inserted into the air flow of the ventilation system and can be easily replaced, and comprises a carrier material composed of PU foam, on the outer and inner surfaces of which adsorption particles composed of a polymer material are fixed by means of an adhesive.

[0006] DE 10 2017 201 367 A1 discloses a device for purifying air containing CO2 in a closed space, which device comprises an adsorption device for adsorbing CO2 in air supplied to the adsorption device, a desorption device assigned to the adsorption device for desorbing the adsorbed CO2, and a discharge device for discharging the desorbed CO2.

[0007] DE 10 2018 000 378 A1 relates to a system and a method for utilizing nitrogen oxides formed in an internal combustion engine, by means of which the nitrogen oxides can be used to produce liquid or solid chemicals. Summary of the invention

[0008] In this context, an object of the present invention is to provide an apparatus and a method for removing nitrogen oxides from internal air, and the removed nitrogen oxides can be subsequently recycled and utilized as resources.

[0009] According to the invention, this object is achieved by a device having the features of claim 1, claim 6 or claim 7 and by a method having the features of claim 10. Embodiments and developments of the invention are apparent from the dependent claims, the description and the drawings.

[0010] The subject of the present invention is a filter unit / filter unit for removing nitrogen oxides in the air (internal air) in a closed space. The filter unit comprises a closed housing, which has a pipe for introducing air into the filter unit at one end and a pipe for guiding air out of the filter unit at the opposite end, wherein ventilation devices / fans are arranged in the pipes respectively. The pipes are connected to pressure chambers in the housing respectively. At least two particle chambers are arranged between the pressure chambers, and these particle chambers contain adsorption particles that can adsorb nitrogen oxides. At least two particle chambers are separated from each other by an intermediate plug-in or a filter plug-in respectively.

[0011] In one embodiment, the enclosed space is a vehicle interior, in particular a passenger compartment. In another embodiment, the enclosed space is a building interior, such as a living space or a warehouse.

[0012] In one embodiment, the housing has the shape of a closed cylinder. The pipes for introducing air into the filter unit and for guiding air out of the filter unit can be arranged radially or axially on the housing. The ventilation device can work in an exhaust mode or a pressure mode according to the selection.

[0013] The filter unit comprises at least two particle chambers. In one embodiment, the filter unit comprises three particle chambers. The number of particle chambers in the filter unit and the distribution of the volume in the filter unit can vary depending on the application area. The presence of multiple particle chambers in the filter unit enables different adsorption particles to be arranged in one filter unit. In this case, the particle size and / or chemical composition of the adsorption particles can be different from each other.

[0014] In one embodiment, the adsorbent particles comprise at least one zeolite. Zeolites capable of adsorbing nitrogen oxides are in principle well known to those skilled in the art. Examples include ZSM-5, Y-zeolite and mordenite.

[0015] In another embodiment, the adsorbent particles comprise alkali metal oxides or alkaline earth metal oxides or alkali metal carbonates or alkaline earth metal carbonates, optionally supported on a particulate support material. In a special embodiment, the adsorbent particles comprise barium oxide, optionally in combination with platinum or rhodium.

[0016] The filter unit according to the invention is filled with adsorption particles which can be easily replaced and recycled. The filter unit can be used not only for filtering fresh air supplied to the interior space, but also for filtering the interior air and can be placed accordingly in the air inlet or in the interior space. By using the filter unit, a continuous reduction of NO in the interior space can be achieved. X concentration.

[0017] In one embodiment, the filter unit and / or the adsorbent particles are configured to be replaced and regenerated / reused after use. X When saturated, the adsorbent particles can be easily removed and replaced. The particles can be recycled, for example by heating the particles to remove NO X Molecular separation. NO produced X The gas stream is collected and sent to the conversion process.

[0018] In one embodiment, the filter unit is portable, so that the filter unit can be used variably in various interior spaces. For example, the filter unit can be selectively used in the interior space of a vehicle or in a building.

[0019] The present invention also relates to a method for reducing the nitrogen oxide content (NO XThe device comprises a conveying system for conveying ambient air into a closed space and / or a circulation system for circulating the air in the closed space, wherein the conveying system and / or the circulation system comprises a nitrogen oxide filter for reducing the nitrogen oxide content of the conveyed ambient air. According to the invention, at least one nitrogen oxide filter comprises a filter unit according to the invention, which has a filter unit for NO X of adsorbed particles.

[0020] In one embodiment, the device comprises both a delivery system for delivering ambient air into the enclosed space and a circulation system for circulating the air in the enclosed space. In another embodiment, both the delivery system and the circulation system comprise a filter unit according to the invention.

[0021] In one embodiment, the enclosed space is a vehicle interior, in particular a passenger compartment. In another embodiment, the enclosed space is a space in a building, such as a living space or a warehouse.

[0022] The subject matter of the invention also includes a motor vehicle having an interior and an air-conditioning system for the interior, wherein the air-conditioning system comprises the device according to the invention.

[0023] In one embodiment, a motor vehicle comprises a device according to the invention, which has two filter units, namely a first filter unit (fresh air filter) which is arranged in a leaf collector or a water tank of the motor vehicle and filters the air sucked into the motor vehicle before it enters the air conditioning system, and a second filter unit (interior space filter), which is arranged in the passenger compartment of the motor vehicle and filters the interior air.

[0024] In one embodiment, the motor vehicle comprises control electronics which are also configured to operate the device according to the invention. In another embodiment, the filter unit can be individually controlled by means of a software application ("App"). In one embodiment, the App is installed on a mobile terminal device of a user (e.g. a laptop, tablet or smartphone). In another embodiment, the App is a component of a user interface of the onboard electronics of the motor vehicle.

[0025] The subject matter of the present invention also includes a method for removing nitrogen oxides from the air in a closed space, in which method, ambient air is guided to flow through at least one filter unit according to the invention and then the ambient air is delivered to the closed space. In one embodiment of the method, the ambient air is external air that should be delivered to the closed space. In one embodiment of the method, the ambient air is the air in the closed space. In one embodiment of the method, not only the external air that should be delivered to the closed space but also the air in the closed space is guided to flow through the filter unit according to the invention.

[0026] In one embodiment, the enclosed space is a vehicle interior, in particular a passenger compartment. In another embodiment, the enclosed space is a space inside a building, such as a living space or a warehouse.

[0027] By using the device according to the invention, good fresh air is continuously produced for the vehicle occupants. X After saturation, the adsorbent particles inserted into the filter cartridge can be easily removed and replaced. The particles can be recycled and the desorbed NO X Other advantages and design solutions of the present invention can be obtained from the description and the accompanying drawings.

[0028] It goes without saying that the features described above and still to be explained below can be used not only in the respectively stated combination but also in other combinations or alone without departing from the scope of the present invention. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0029] The present invention is schematically shown according to the embodiments in the accompanying drawings and is further described with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0030] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of a motor vehicle having an interior air purification device according to an embodiment of the present invention is shown;

[0031] Figure 2 Shown in Figure 1 a graph of nitrogen oxide levels measured during a test drive of a motor vehicle;

[0032] Figure 3 A schematic diagram of an embodiment of a filter unit according to the invention is shown. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0033] Figure 1A motor vehicle 10 is shown with an embodiment of the device according to the invention for cleaning the interior air. Two filter cartridges 11, 12 are used, namely a fresh air filter 11, which is arranged, for example, in a leaf collector or in a water tank of the motor vehicle, and an interior filter device 12, which is arranged in the passenger compartment, for example in the area of ​​the rear seats.

[0034] The inhaled air is continuously filtered in the fresh air filter 11 before entering the air conditioning system by one or more adsorption filter particles (500ml - 2000ml), which are specially designed to trap NO X After passing through the particles once, about 95% of nitrogen oxides in the air are removed.

[0035] In the inner space filter 12, the inner air is continuously filtered by one or more adsorption filter particles (1000ml - 2000ml). The inner air flows through this particle multiple times and is filtered, NO X The absorption rate is generally about 90%. The interior space filter can be fixedly mounted or can also be mounted in a detachable manner so that it can be taken away when leaving the vehicle and used in a domestic environment.

[0036] Figure 2 Shows the Figure 1 The results of the nitrogen oxide measurement during a test drive of a motor vehicle shown in . It can be clearly seen that the NO2 limit values ​​within the test drive range were mostly exceeded in the outside air (raw air) supplied to the motor vehicle. The NO2 load to the vehicle occupants was always very high. The NO2 load was significantly reduced by using a fresh air filter 11 arranged in the leaf collector and an interior filter 12 arranged in the interior. The NO load was also significantly reduced by using the interior filter 12. As a result, the newly formed NO2 in the vehicle interior was significantly reduced.

[0037] Figure 3 The structure of an embodiment of a filter unit 1 according to the present invention is schematically shown. The cylindrical housing of the filter unit 1 has an air inlet 4 for air containing harmful substances at one of its longitudinal ends, which can be arranged radially or axially. A ventilation device 3 that can be used variably in an exhaust mode or a pressure mode is arranged in the air inlet 4. An air outlet 2 for purified air is provided at the other longitudinal end of the housing, which can also be arranged radially or axially. A ventilation device 3 that can be used variably in an exhaust mode or a pressure mode is also arranged in the air outlet 2.

[0038] Internally, the filter unit 1 has a pressure chamber 5 at each end, which serves to homogenize the air entering or leaving the filter unit 1 and to ensure a uniform air flow over the entire cross section of the filter unit 1. The filter unit 1 shown has three particle chambers 6, which are separated from each other or from the pressure chambers 5 by filter inserts 7. In one embodiment, the filter insert 7 is a stainless steel screen or a wire screen, in another embodiment the filter insert is a plastic screen. The filter insert 7 has a mesh size that is smaller than the particle size of the particles in the particle chambers 6. The filter insert 7 prevents the particles in different particle chambers 6 from mixing. The number of particle chambers 6 and their distribution within the filter unit 1 can vary depending on the application.

[0039] List of reference numerals:

[0040] 1Filter unit having a housing

[0041] 2 filtered air outlets

[0042] 3. Ventilation

[0043] 4 Polluted air inlet

[0044] 5Pressure Chamber

[0045] 6 Particle Chamber

[0046] 7Intermediate plugins / filter plugins

[0047] 10 Motor Vehicles

[0048] 11 Filter cartridge

[0049] 12 Internal space filters.

Claims

1. A filter unit (1) comprising a closed housing, which has a tube (4) at one end for introducing air into the filter unit (1) and a tube (2) at the opposite end for conducting air out of the filter unit, wherein: A ventilation device (3) is arranged in each of the pipes (2, 4), wherein the pipes (3) are connected to a pressure chamber (5) in the housing, wherein at least two particle chambers (6) are arranged between the pressure chambers (5), the particle chambers containing adsorption particles capable of adsorbing nitrogen oxides, wherein the at least two particle chambers (6) are separated from each other by an intermediate insert / filter insert (7).

2. The filter unit (1) according to claim 1, characterized in that The housing has the shape of a closed cylinder, and the pipes (2, 4) are arranged radially on the housing.

3. The filter unit (1) according to claim 1, characterized in that The housing has the shape of a closed cylinder, and the pipes (2, 4) are arranged axially on the housing.

4. The filter unit (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that The adsorbent particles include at least one zeolite.

5. The filter unit (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that The filter unit (1) and / or the adsorbent particles are configured to be replaced and regenerated after use.

6. A device for reducing the nitrogen oxide content of the air in a closed space, the device comprising a conveying system for conveying ambient air into the closed space and / or a circulation system for circulating the air in the closed space, wherein: The delivery system and / or the circulation system comprises a nitrogen oxide filter for reducing the nitrogen oxide content of the delivered ambient air, wherein at least one nitrogen oxide filter comprises a filter unit (1) according to any of the above claims.

7. A motor vehicle (10) having an interior space and an air-conditioning system for the interior space, the air-conditioning system comprising the device according to claim 6.

8. The motor vehicle (10) according to claim 7, characterized in that The device comprises a first filter unit (11) and a second filter unit (12), wherein the first filter unit is arranged in a leaf collector or a water tank of a motor vehicle (10) and filters the air before the air sucked into the motor vehicle enters an air conditioning system, and the second filter unit is arranged in a passenger compartment of the motor vehicle (10) and filters the interior air.

9. The motor vehicle (10) according to claim 7 or 8, characterized in that The motor vehicle comprises control electronics which are provided for actuating the device.

10. A method for removing nitrogen oxides from the air in an enclosed space, in which method ambient air is conducted through at least one filter unit (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 5 and the ambient air is subsequently conveyed to the enclosed space.

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