Adsorption device

Abstract

The utility model relates to an adsorption device which is provided with a shell forming at least one part of a gas flow path; a granular first adsorbent which is filled in the housing and adsorbs a specific substance contained in the gas; and a deformation member which is disposed on the inner surface of the housing, reduces the void ratio between the inner surface of the housing and the first adsorption body by deformation of the surface facing the first adsorption body, and has a second adsorption body for adsorbing the specific substance fixed to at least the surface facing the first adsorption body. By the adoption of the air purifier, the gap between the wall face of the shell and the adsorption body can be restrained, the situation that air in the shell flows unevenly is restrained, and the adsorption performance near the wall face is improved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model relates to an adsorption device. Background Technology

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses an evaporative fuel processing apparatus in which a particulate adsorbent material for adsorbing and desorbing evaporative fuel is filled in a gas passage formed inside a housing. In this evaporative fuel processing apparatus, the particle size of a first adsorbent material filling the central portion of the passage cross-section is larger than the particle size of a second adsorbent material filling the outer peripheral portion of the housing. Therefore, the desorption of evaporative fuel in the central portion of the passage cross-section is promoted compared to the outer peripheral portion of the gas passage cross-section.

[0003] Patent document 1: Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2014-118896.

[0004] However, inside the shell, each adsorbent is in contact with the generally flat shell wall. Therefore, the gap between the adsorbent and the shell wall is larger than the gap between the adsorbents themselves. Consequently, the gas introduced into the shell tends to flow towards the inner circumferential surface, where the pressure loss is less than in the central part of the shell, resulting in a technical problem of uneven gas flow within the shell. Furthermore, the shell wall itself lacks adsorption properties, leading to a technical problem of poor adsorption performance near the shell wall. Utility Model Content

[0005] To solve the above-mentioned technical problems, this utility model provides an adsorption device that can suppress the gap between the wall of the shell and the adsorbent, thereby suppressing the uneven flow of gas in the shell and improving the adsorption performance near the wall.

[0006] The adsorption device of the first technical solution comprises: a housing forming at least a portion of a gas flow path; a granular first adsorbent filling the housing to adsorb a specific substance contained in the gas; and a deformable member disposed on the inner side of the housing, wherein the porosity between the inner side of the housing and the first adsorbent is reduced by deformation of the surface of the deformable member facing the first adsorbent, and a second adsorbent adsorbing the specific substance is fixed at least on the surface of the deformable member facing the first adsorbent.

[0007] According to the adsorption apparatus of the first technical solution, when a gas containing a specific substance passes through the housing, the first adsorbent adsorbs the specific substance contained in the gas as the gas passes between the particles of the first adsorbent. Here, a deformable member is disposed on the inner surface of the housing. This deformable member reduces the porosity between the inner surface of the housing and the first adsorbent by deforming its surface facing the first adsorbent. Therefore, the pressure loss difference between the central side and the outer periphery of the housing can be reduced, suppressing uneven gas flow within the housing. Furthermore, a second adsorbent adsorbing the specific substance is fixed at least on the surface facing the first adsorbent of the deformable member. Therefore, when the gas passes between the inner surface of the housing and the first adsorbent, the second adsorbent adsorbs the specific substance contained in the gas, thus improving the adsorption performance near the inner surface. In this way, in the adsorption apparatus of the first technical solution, the gap between the housing wall and the adsorbent can be suppressed, uneven gas flow within the housing can be suppressed, and the adsorption performance near the wall can be improved.

[0008] The second technical solution is the adsorption device according to the first technical solution, wherein the deformable component is formed of sheet-like nonwoven fabric, and the second adsorbent is fixed to the fibers of the nonwoven fabric.

[0009] According to the adsorption device of the second technical solution, a deformable component is formed from a sheet of nonwoven fabric, and the second adsorbent is fixed on the fibers of the nonwoven fabric. Thus, the deformable component is breathable and can disperse the second adsorbent within the nonwoven fabric, thereby improving the contact efficiency between specific substances contained in the gas and the second adsorbent.

[0010] The third technical solution is the adsorption device according to the first technical solution, wherein the deformable component is sheet-shaped and is made of foamed material with multiple pores, and the second adsorbent is fixed on the surface of the pores.

[0011] In the adsorption device described in the third technical solution, the deformable component is made of sheet-like foamed material, and the first adsorbent is fixed to the surface of the pores of the foamed material. Therefore, the adsorption surface of the second adsorbent can obtain a sufficient surface area, which can improve the contact efficiency between the specific substance and the second adsorbent.

[0012] The fourth technical solution is the adsorption device according to the first technical solution, wherein the deformable component is formed of a sheet-like rubber plate, and the second adsorbent is fixed on the surface of the deformable component facing the first adsorbent.

[0013] According to the adsorption device of the fourth technical solution, the second adsorbent is fixed on the surface of a deformable component formed by a sheet-like rubber plate, which can be implemented simply and at low cost.

[0014] The fifth technical solution is an adsorption device according to any one of the first to fourth technical solutions, wherein the particle size of the second adsorbent is smaller than the particle size of the first adsorbent.

[0015] According to the adsorption device of the fifth technical solution, since the particle size of the second adsorbent is smaller than that of the first adsorbent, the deformation amount of the deformable component can be ensured, and the gap between the wall of the shell and the first adsorbent can be effectively suppressed.

[0016] The sixth technical solution is an adsorption device according to any one of the technical solutions 1 to 4, wherein the second adsorbent is a powdered metal-organic framework compound.

[0017] In the adsorption device described in the sixth technical solution, by using a metal-organic framework compound that is easily synthesized into tiny particles as the second adsorbent, the second adsorbent can be well dispersed on the surface of the deformable part, thereby improving the contact efficiency with specific substances.

[0018] As explained above, the adsorption device of this invention has the following effects: it suppresses the gap between the wall of the shell and the adsorbent, suppresses uneven gas flow inside the shell, and improves the adsorption performance near the wall. Attached Figure Description

[0019] Figure 1 This is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of the adsorption device of this embodiment, showing the state in which the adsorbent is filled inside.

[0020] Figure 2 It is an enlarged representation Figure 1 A magnified view of a portion of the wall near the casing of the adsorption device.

[0021] Figure 3 This refers to the adsorption device of the first modified example of this embodiment. Figure 2 The corresponding magnified view.

[0022] Figure 4 This refers to the adsorption device of the second variation of this embodiment. Figure 2 The corresponding magnified view.

[0023] Figure 5 This refers to the adsorption device of the comparative example. Figure 2 The corresponding magnified view. Detailed Implementation

[0024] The following is for reference Figure 1 and Figure 2One embodiment of the adsorption device of this invention will be described. The adsorption device of this invention is a device that fills the interior of a shell constituting part of a gas flow path with granular adsorbents, and adsorbs specific substances contained in a gas from a gas passing through the shell. The adsorption device 10 of one embodiment will be described in detail below. Figure 1 and Figure 2 In the figures, the arrow H, appropriately indicated, points in the axial direction of the housing 20 described later. Additionally, in... Figure 2 In the diagram, the direction indicated by arrow F represents the direction of gas flow within the casing 20.

[0025] Furthermore, unless otherwise specified in the specification, each element is not limited to one and multiple elements may exist. Additionally, in the accompanying drawings, substantially identical elements are given the same reference numerals, omitting redundant descriptions from the specification.

[0026] As an example, the adsorption device 10 is an evaporative fuel treatment device installed in vehicles with internal combustion engines, etc., and is also called an adsorption tank. The adsorption device 10 adsorbs and desorbs evaporative fuel (gasoline vapor, etc.) generated in the vehicle's fuel tank.

[0027] Figure 1 This is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of the adsorption device 10 of this embodiment, showing the state in which the interior is filled with adsorbent. Figure 1 As shown, the adsorption device 10 has a bottomed rectangular cylindrical shell 20 whose interior is divided into multiple spaces, and an opening blocking one side of the shell 20 along the axial direction H. Figure 1 The cover 22 has an opening on the upper side of the paper surface. The housing 20 and the cover 22 are both made of thermoplastic resin.

[0028] The housing 20 has partition walls 24 that divide the internal space of the housing 20 into chambers that are generally rectangular parallelepiped in shape. In this embodiment, the partition walls 24 divide the internal space of the housing 20 into a main chamber 26 and a secondary chamber 28.

[0029] On the other side of the housing 20 along the axial direction H ( Figure 1 The opening on the lower side of the middle paper surface) is provided with a box opening 31, a purification port 32, and an atmospheric port 34 arranged side by side on the bottom wall of the housing 20. The atmospheric port 34 is connected to the secondary chamber 28 via a perforated plate 36 with multiple small openings. In addition, the box opening 31 and the purification port 32 are also connected to the main chamber 26 via a perforated plate 38 with multiple small openings.

[0030] A partition wall 40 is formed on the bottom wall of the main chamber 26 side of the housing 20, protruding into the main chamber 26. The partition wall 40 separates the internal space of the main chamber 26 that communicates with the box opening 31 from the internal space of the main chamber 26 that communicates with the purification port 32.

[0031] Here, the inlet 31 is connected to the fuel tank via an evaporation fuel passage (not shown), thus guiding the evaporating fuel that evaporates in the fuel tank into the adsorption device 10, i.e., the main chamber 26. The purification port 32 connects the intake pipe of the engine (internal combustion engine) to the main chamber 26. In addition, the atmospheric port 34 is configured to communicate with the external space, enabling the introduction of atmosphere (air) into the adsorption device 10.

[0032] A first adsorbent 12 is filled in the main chamber 26 and the secondary chamber 28 of the shell 20. The first adsorbent 12 is composed of activated carbon or the like, which is capable of adsorbing and desorbing evaporation fuel as a specific substance. As the first adsorbent 12, activated carbon such as powdered activated carbon, crushed carbon, and granulated carbon can be used, but when using powdered activated carbon, the air resistance in the main chamber 26 and the secondary chamber 28 may be too high. Based on this viewpoint, the first adsorbent 12 of this embodiment is composed of granulated carbon with a particle size larger than that of powdered activated carbon.

[0033] The first adsorbent 12 uses granulated carbon shaped into spheres. Here, the openings of the porous plates 36 and 38 are set to a size smaller than that of the first adsorbent 12, so as to retain the first adsorbent 12 in the main chamber 26 and the secondary chamber 28.

[0034] The opening of the main chamber 26 of the housing 20 is blocked by the inner cover 42. The configuration of the inner cover 42 is the same in both the main chamber 26 and the secondary chamber 28; therefore, only the case of the main chamber 26 will be described, and the description of the inner cover 42 in the secondary chamber 28 will be omitted. The inner cover 42 is a ventilated cover composed of a filter 44 and a perforated plate 46, which holds the first adsorbent 12 within the main chamber 26. The inner cover 42 is configured to slide along the inner circumferential surface of the housing 20, i.e., the circumferential surface of the main chamber 26, even when the opening of the main chamber 26 is blocked. Furthermore, one end of a helical spring 48 is mounted at the center of the back of the inner cover 42, and the other end of the helical spring 48 is supported by the cover 22. Therefore, when the opening of the housing 20 is closed by the cover 22, the inner cover 42 is subjected to a force that pushes it into the main chamber 26 via the helical spring 48. Figure 1 The downward force (in the middle) pushes. As a result, unnecessary gaps are not formed between the particles of the first adsorbent 12. Here, the connecting chamber 54 formed between the inner cover 42 and the cover 22 of the main chamber 26 and the sub-chamber 28 respectively can connect the main chamber 26 and the sub-chamber 28. That is, the adsorption device 10 forms an inverted U-shaped flow path inside the housing 20.

[0035] Figure 2This is a partially enlarged view showing the vicinity of the inner surface 21 of the walls of the main chamber 26 and the auxiliary chamber 28 constituting the housing 20. Here, the inner surface 21 of the side wall portion (reference numerals omitted) that is erected axially from the outer peripheral end of the bottom wall portion of the housing 20 is shown. Furthermore, the configuration of the inner surface 21 of the housing 20 is the same in both the main chamber 26 and the auxiliary chamber 28; therefore, only the case of the main chamber 26 will be described, and the description of the inner surface 21 of the auxiliary chamber 28 will be omitted.

[0036] like Figure 2 As shown, a sheet-like deformable component 30 is disposed on the inner side 21 of the housing 20. Figure 2 The deformable member 30 shown is disposed along the inner side 21 of the housing 20, which extends in the ventilation direction (aligned with the axial direction H of the housing 20). The deformable member 30 is formed of an elastic material that can deform due to the filling pressure input from the first adsorbent 12 to the deformable member 30 when the first adsorbent 12 is filled into the main chamber 26 and the sub-chamber 28. In one example of this embodiment, the deformable member 30 is made of a sheet-like nonwoven fabric having a predetermined thickness, thus having a predetermined air permeability.

[0037] The deformable member 30 has a first side surface 30A facing the first adsorbent 12 and a second side surface 30B facing the inner side surface 21 of the housing 20. The first side surface 30A, by deforming along the surface shape of the first adsorbent 12, suppresses the increase of the void D2 formed between it and the first adsorbent 12. Thus, in the adsorption device 10, the porosity between the inner side surface 21 of the housing 20 and the first adsorbent 12 is reduced. In this embodiment, the size of the void D2 formed between the wall of the housing 20 and the first adsorbent 12 is the same as or less than the interparticle void D1 of the first adsorbent 12.

[0038] In addition, the second side 30B of the deformable part 30 is fixed to the inner side 21 of the housing 20 by an adhesive or the like.

[0039] Here, a second adsorbent 14, different from the first adsorbent 12, is fixed on the deformable component 30. This second adsorbent 14 is capable of adsorbing evaporated fuel as a specific substance and has the same adsorption performance as the first adsorbent 12.

[0040] exist Figure 2 In the figure, the fibers 33 of the nonwoven fabric constituting the deformable member 30 are partially enlarged. As shown in the figure, the second absorbent 14 is fixed to the fibers 33 of the nonwoven fabric constituting the deformable member 30 by means of an adhesive or the like. Therefore, the second absorbent 14 is dispersedly disposed on the first side 30A, the second side 30B and the interior of the deformable member 30.

[0041] From the viewpoint of ensuring the amount of deformation of the first side 30A of the deformable member 30, it is preferable that the particle size of the second adsorbent 14 is smaller than that of the first adsorbent 12. As the second adsorbent 14, activated carbon such as powdered activated carbon, crushed carbon and granulated carbon, and metal-organic framework compounds (MOFs) can be used. In this embodiment, the second adsorbent 14 is composed of powdered metal-organic framework compounds.

[0042] Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) are materials with highly regular network structures formed by metal ions and organic ligands. MOFs can trap (adsorb) tiny particles within their network structure and separate them under specified conditions. For example, metal ions extracted from inorganic metal compounds such as zinc (Zn), copper (Cu), cobalt (Co), and zirconium (Zr) oxides and salts can be used. Furthermore, for organic ligands, organic ligands with functional groups such as carboxyl, imidazole, and amide groups that can coordinate with metal atoms can be used.

[0043] The metal-organic framework compound in the powder has a relatively small particle size, ranging from hundreds of nanometers to several micrometers, making it suitable for fixing to fibers in nonwoven fabrics. Furthermore, it is also suitable in terms of ensuring sufficient deformation of the first side 30A of the deformable component 30.

[0044] According to the above structure, a portion of the evaporated fuel (gas) near the inner side 21 of the housing 20 passes through the interior of the deformable member 30 and is adsorbed onto the second adsorbent 14 fixed on the fiber 33.

[0045] The function and effects of this implementation method are explained.

[0046] As explained above, in the adsorption apparatus 10 of this embodiment, when a gas containing evaporated fuel passes through the housing 20, specific substances contained in the gas are adsorbed onto the first adsorbent 12 as the gas passes through the gap D1 between the particles of the first adsorbent 12. Furthermore, in the adsorption apparatus 10, by providing a deformable member 30 on the inner surface 21 of the housing 20, the gap D2 between the inner surface 21 of the housing 20 and the first adsorbent 12 is suppressed. This suppresses uneven gas flow within the housing 20 and improves the adsorption performance near the inner surface 21.

[0047] Here, a comparative example is used to illustrate the relationship between the non-uniformity of gas flow within the casing 20 and the gap D2. Figure 5 In the example shown, as a comparison, the state in which the first adsorbent 12 is filled in the adsorption device 500 without the deformable part 30 on the inner side 504 of the housing 502.

[0048] like Figure 5 As shown, in the comparative example adsorption device 500, each particle of the first adsorbent 12 is in contact with the inner surface 504 of the generally flat housing 502. In this state, the gap D2 between the first adsorbent 12 and the inner surface 504 of the housing 502 is larger than the gap D1 between the first adsorbents 12. Therefore, the porosity of the portion of the inner surface 504 of the housing 502 in contact with the first adsorbent 12 (the outer periphery of the housing) is higher than that of the portion of the first adsorbents 12 in contact with each other (the central portion of the housing), and the air resistance (pressure loss) of the outer periphery is smaller than that of the central portion.

[0049] If evaporated fuel flows into the gas flow path, the gas flow within the housing 502 will be uneven because a large amount of evaporated fuel passes through the outer periphery where the air resistance is low. This may make it difficult for the first adsorbent 12, located in the central part of the housing 502, to efficiently adsorb the evaporated fuel. Furthermore, while most of the evaporated fuel passes through the outer periphery where the air resistance is low, the inner surface 504 of the housing 502 lacks adsorption capacity; therefore, the adsorption performance near the inner surface 504 of the housing 502 is worse than that in the central part. This uneven gas flow within the housing 502 may lead to a decrease in the overall adsorption performance of the adsorption device.

[0050] Furthermore, if air flows into such a gas path, similar to the case of evaporated fuel, a large amount of air passes through the outer periphery of the shell 502 with low ventilation resistance, making it difficult for the evaporated fuel to be effectively desorbed from the first adsorbent 12 located in the central part.

[0051] These problems become significant when the movement distance of evaporated fuel and air within the flow path of casing 502 cannot be adequately ensured.

[0052] In contrast, in the adsorption apparatus 10 of this embodiment, a deformable member 30 is disposed on the inner surface 21 of the housing 20. This deformable member 30 reduces the porosity between the inner surface 21 of the housing 20 and the first adsorbent 12 by deforming the first side 30A facing the first adsorbent 12. Therefore, the pressure loss difference between the central and outer periphery of the housing 20 can be reduced, suppressing uneven gas flow within the housing 20. Furthermore, the deformable member 30 has at least one second adsorbent 14 fixed on the first side 30A facing the first adsorbent 12, which adsorbs evaporated fuel. Therefore, if gas passes through the gap D2 between the inner surface 21 of the housing 20 and the first adsorbent 12, the second adsorbent 14 adsorbs the evaporated fuel contained in the gas, thus improving the adsorption performance near the inner surface 21. In this way, in the adsorption apparatus 10 of this embodiment, the gap between the wall of the housing 20 and the first adsorbent 12 can be suppressed, uneven gas flow within the housing 20 can be suppressed, and the adsorption performance near the wall can be improved.

[0053] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the deformable member 30 is formed from a sheet of nonwoven fabric, and the second adsorbent 14 is fixed onto the fibers 33 of the nonwoven fabric. Thus, the deformable member 30 is breathable and can disperse the second adsorbent 14 within the interior of the nonwoven fabric, thereby improving the contact efficiency between the evaporated fuel contained in the gas and the second adsorbent 14.

[0054] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the particle size of the second adsorbent 14 is smaller than that of the first adsorbent, thus ensuring the deformation amount of the deformable member 30 and effectively suppressing the gap D2 between the inner surface 21 of the shell 20 and the first adsorbent 12.

[0055] Furthermore, in this embodiment, by using a metal-organic framework compound that is easily synthesized into tiny particles as the second adsorbent 14, the second adsorbent 14 can be well dispersed on the surface of the deformable component 30, thereby improving the contact efficiency with the evaporated fuel.

[0056] The adsorption device 10 of this embodiment has been described above, but the present invention is not limited thereto. The following are examples of variations of this embodiment. Each variation basically follows the configuration of the adsorption device 10 of the above embodiment, and therefore the same function and effect can be obtained. Furthermore, in the illustrations of each variation, the same reference numerals are used for configurations identical to those in the above embodiment, and their descriptions are omitted.

[0057] Reference Figure 3 A first modification of the adsorption device 10 is described. In this first modification, a deformable member 50 made of foamed material is disposed on the inner surface 21 of the housing 20. The deformable member 50 is formed of a foamed material such as polyurethane, and is sheet-shaped with a plurality of pores 52. In addition, a second adsorbent 14 is fixed to the surface of the pores 52 of the foamed material by an adhesive or the like. Thus, the second adsorbent 14 is dispersedly disposed on the first surface 50A, the second side surface 50B, and the interior of the surface portion of the deformable member 50.

[0058] On the other hand, the second side 50B of the deformable member 50 (the surface facing the inner side 21 of the housing 20) is fixed to the inner side 21 of the housing 20 by an adhesive or the like.

[0059] According to the first modified example described above, since the second adsorbent 14 is fixed on the surface of the pores 52 of the foamed material, the adsorption surface of the second adsorbent 14 can obtain a sufficient surface area, thereby improving the contact efficiency between the evaporated fuel and the second adsorbent 14.

[0060] In addition, in the first modified example described above, it is also preferable that the size of the gap D2 formed between the wall of the shell 20 and the first adsorbent 12 is the same as or less than the gap D1 between the particles of the first adsorbent 12.

[0061] Reference Figure 4 A second modification of the adsorption device 10 will be described. In this second modification, a deformable member 60 formed of a rubber sheet is disposed on the inner surface 21 of the housing 20. The deformable member 60 is formed, for example, of a sheet-like rubber sheet, and the second adsorbent 14 is fixed to the first side surface 60A, which is the surface facing the first adsorbent 12, by means of an adhesive or the like. In addition, the second side surface 60B, which is the surface facing the inner surface 21 of the housing 20, is fixed to the inner surface 21 of the housing 20 by means of an adhesive or the like.

[0062] According to the second modified example described above, by forming the deformable component 60 with a sheet-like rubber plate and fixing the second adsorbent 14 on its surface, it can be implemented simply and at low cost.

[0063] In addition, in the second modified example described above, it is also preferable that the size of the gap D2 formed between the wall of the shell 20 and the first adsorbent 12 is the same as or less than the gap D1 between the particles of the first adsorbent 12.

[0064] The present invention will be further described.

[0065] In this invention, the specific substances that are adsorbed by the first adsorbent 12 and the second adsorbent 14 are not limited to evaporated fuels. For example, they can also be gases such as oxygen, hydrogen, or carbon dioxide.

[0066] Therefore, in this invention, the adsorption device does not necessarily have to be a fuel processing device. It can also be configured as a gas purification device that generates a specific gas from a mixture of multiple gases. For example, if the specific substance is oxygen, a gas purification device that purifies hydrogen from a mixture of oxygen and hydrogen can be cited. In this case, oxygen can be adsorbed from the mixed gas passing through the housing using the first adsorbent 12 and the second adsorbent 14, and hydrogen can be separated. Alternatively, in this case, at least one of the first adsorbent 12 and the second adsorbent 14 can be made of granular adsorbents formed from silica gel or the like.

[0067] Alternatively, the adsorption device can also be configured as an air purification device that allows air to pass through the housing and purifies the air by adsorbing pollutants such as carbon dioxide.

Claims

1. An adsorption device, characterized in that, have: The casing forms at least a portion of the gas flow path; A granular first adsorbent fills the shell and adsorbs specific substances contained in the gas; and A deformable component is disposed on the inner side of the housing. The deformation of the surface of the deformable component facing the first adsorbent reduces the porosity between the inner side of the housing and the first adsorbent. A second adsorbent that adsorbs the specific substance is fixed at least on the surface of the deformable component facing the first adsorbent.

2. The adsorption device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The deformable component is formed from a sheet of nonwoven fabric, and the second absorbent is fixed to the fibers of the nonwoven fabric.

3. The adsorption device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The deformable component is sheet-shaped and is made of foamed material with multiple pores, and the second adsorbent is fixed to the surface of the pores.

4. The adsorption device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The deformable component is formed of a sheet-like rubber plate, and the second adsorbent is fixed on the surface of the deformable component facing the first adsorbent.

5. The adsorption device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that, The particle size of the second adsorbent is smaller than that of the first adsorbent.

6. The adsorption device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that, The second adsorbent is a metal-organic framework compound in powder form.

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