Gas purifier and gas purification method

The gas purification device addresses high energy consumption and large size issues by utilizing gas pressure for rotor rotation and optimized flow paths, achieving efficient gas separation with reduced energy and space requirements.

JP2025105005APending Publication Date: 2025-07-10AISAN IND CO LTD
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Patent Information

Application Number
JP2023223251
Authority / Receiving Office
JP · JP
Patent Type
Applications
Current Assignee / Owner
Filing Date
2023-12-28
Publication Date
2025-07-10

AI Technical Summary

Technical Problem

Existing gas purification technologies face issues of high energy consumption and large size due to pressure loss and structural constraints in rotating bodies used for gas separation.

Method used

A gas purification device with a rotor inside a housing, where the rotor rotates along the circumferential direction using gas pressure, and an adsorption section on its outer periphery separates a second gas, reducing the housing size and energy consumption by utilizing gas pressure for rotation.

Benefits of technology

The device effectively separates a second gas while minimizing energy consumption and housing size by using gas pressure for rotor rotation and optimizing gas flow paths, allowing for efficient gas purification with reduced operational costs.

✦ Generated by Eureka AI based on patent content.

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Abstract

To obtain a gas purifier which can inhibit energy consumption during operation while achieving downsizing of a housing, and to obtain a gas purification method.SOLUTION: A gas purifier 10 includes: a housing 20A which has an inlet 22 into which a mixed gas is introduced, a first outlet 24 from which a purified gas is led out, and a second outlet 26 from which a second gas is led out and in which the inlet 22, the first outlet 24, and the second outlet 26 are arranged along a circumferential direction in this order; a rotating body 30A which is provided within the housing 20A, forms a gas passage 50 with the housing, and utilizes a gas pressure of the mixed gas introduced from the inlet 22 to rotate along the circumferential direction of the housing; and a suction part 40 which can suction the second gas and is provided in at least a part of an outer periphery part of the rotating body.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2
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Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a gas purification apparatus and a gas purification method.

Background Art

[0002] In Patent Document 1 and Patent Document 2, it has been proposed to separate a specific substance from a gas or powder to be treated by bringing the gas or powder into contact with the surface of a rotating body and adsorbing the specific substance on the surface of the rotating body for recovery.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Patent Document 2

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] Patent Document 1 describes an air treatment apparatus that brings indoor air into contact with a disk-shaped rotating body and adsorbs harmful substances. In this air treatment apparatus, a rotating body is formed by impregnating a porous base material with a capturing agent that captures harmful substances, and when the indoor air passes through the rotating body, the harmful substances are captured. That is, the rotating body constitutes a filter for the indoor air. Therefore, there is a problem that the pressure loss of the rotating body due to contact with the indoor air is large, and the energy consumption in a drive source such as a motor increases.

[0005] Patent Document 2 describes a magnetic foreign matter recovery unit that provides a rotating body inside a support structure that forms a passage extending in the vertical direction, drops powder from an inlet provided at the upper part of the support structure, and adsorbs magnetic foreign matter contained in the powder on the surface of the rotating body. In this magnetic foreign matter unit, it is necessary to extend the support structure in the vertical direction to ensure the length of the powder passage, and there is a problem that the entire unit becomes large.

[0006] The inventors of the present application have devised a method for separating a specific gas from a mixed gas containing two or more gases to obtain a purified gas, in which a rotor is rotated inside a housing into which the mixed gas is introduced, and the specific gas is adsorbed onto the surface of the rotor. Even in this case, the same problems as those in Patent Documents 1 and 2 arise.

[0007] In consideration of the above, an object of the present invention is to provide a gas purification device and a gas purification method that can reduce energy consumption during operation while reducing the size of the housing. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] The gas purification device described in claim 1 is a gas purification device that separates a second gas from a mixed gas containing at least a first gas and a second gas, and outputs a purified gas in which the concentration of the first gas has been increased, and comprises: a housing having an inlet through which the mixed gas is introduced, a first outlet through which the purified gas is discharged, and a second outlet through which the second gas is discharged, the inlet, the first outlet, and the second outlet being arranged in this order along a circumferential direction; a rotor provided inside the housing, forming a gas flow path between the housing and the rotor, and rotating along the circumferential direction of the housing by utilizing the gas pressure of the mixed gas introduced from the inlet; and a gas adsorption section capable of adsorbing the second gas, provided on at least a portion of the outer periphery of the rotor.

[0009] In the gas purification device described in claim 1, a rotor rotates inside a housing, and an adsorption section provided on an outer periphery of the rotor adsorbs a second gas contained in a mixed gas, whereby the second gas is separated from the mixed gas, and a purified gas with an increased concentration of the first gas is stored in the gas flow path.

[0010] Here, in the gas purification device, a gas flow path is formed between a housing in which an inlet through which a mixed gas is introduced, a first outlet through which a purified gas is led out, and a second outlet through which a second gas is led out are arranged in this order along the circumferential direction, and a rotating body provided inside the housing. Thereby, since the length of the gas flow path can be ensured along the circumferential direction of the housing, the size of the housing can be reduced.

[0011] Further, the rotating body rotates along the circumferential direction of the housing by utilizing the gas pressure of the mixed gas introduced from the inlet. For this reason, the pressure loss of the rotating body due to the movement of the mixed gas is suppressed. Also, part or all of the rotational power of the rotating body can utilize the gas pressure of the mixed gas. Thereby, the energy consumption during operation is suppressed by omitting a motor that requires power or reducing the size of the motor.

[0012] The gas purification device according to claim 2, in the configuration according to claim 1, wherein the rotating body is provided so as to protrude from the outer peripheral portion and includes at least one blade that promotes the rotation of the rotating body by receiving the gas pressure.

[0013] In the gas purification device according to claim 2, by providing blades on the rotating body, the gas pressure is received by the blades and the rotation of the rotating body is promoted. Thereby, the energy consumption during operation is effectively suppressed.

[0014] The gas purification device according to claim 3, in the configuration according to claim 2, wherein the rotating body includes a length adjustment mechanism that enables the protruding length of the blade to be changed.

[0015] In the gas purification device according to claim 3, the rotating body can change the protruding length of the blade by means of the length adjustment mechanism. By changing the protruding length of the blades of the rotating body, it is possible to adjust the rotational speed of the rotating body and the accommodation size of the rotating body according to the capacity of the housing.

[0016] The gas purification device according to claim 4, in the configuration according to claim 3, the length adjustment mechanism can change the protruding length of the blade by the centrifugal force generated by the rotation of the rotating body.

[0017] In the gas purification device according to claim 4, the length adjustment mechanism can change the protruding length of the blade by the centrifugal force generated by the rotation of the rotating body. Therefore, in order to change the protruding length of the blade, no power using an electric actuator or the like is required, so that the energy consumption during operation is effectively suppressed.

[0018] The gas purification device according to claim 5, in the configuration according to any one of claims 1 to 4, the gas flow path includes a first flow path connecting from the inlet to the first outlet, a second flow path connecting from the first outlet to the second outlet, and a third flow path connecting from the second outlet to the inlet, and the first flow path is longer than the second flow path, and the second flow path is set to be equal to or longer than the length of the third flow path.

[0019] In the gas purification device according to claim 5, since the first flow path connecting from the inlet to the first outlet is set to be the longest, the adsorption time of the second gas by the adsorption part can be sufficiently ensured.

[0020] The gas purification device according to claim 6, in the configuration according to any one of claims 1 to 4, the gas flow path includes a first flow path connecting from the inlet to the first outlet, a second flow path connecting from the first outlet to the second outlet, and a third flow path connecting from the second outlet to the inlet, and the cross-sectional area of the first flow path is set to be larger than the cross-sectional area of the second flow path by arranging the rotation center of the rotating body eccentrically with respect to the axis center of the housing.

[0021] In the gas purification device according to claim 6, the rotation center of the rotating body is arranged eccentrically with respect to the axis center of the housing, so that the cross-sectional area of the first flow path is set larger than the cross-sectional area of the second flow path. Thereby, it is possible to sufficiently secure the amount of the mixed gas stored in the first flow path, and it is possible to improve the adsorption efficiency of the second gas.

[0022] The gas purification device according to claim 7 has, in the configuration according to any one of claims 1 to 4, a first adsorption part provided on at least a part of the outer peripheral part of the rotating body, and a second adsorption part provided near the second outlet part of the housing.

[0023] In the gas purification device according to claim 7, a second adsorption part is provided near the second outlet of the housing. For this reason, since the second gas after being detached from the rotating body is attracted to the second outlet, it is possible to promote the derivation of the second gas.

[0024] The gas purification device according to claim 8 further includes a first outlet pipe connected to the first outlet and a second outlet pipe connected to the second outlet, in the configuration according to any one of claims 1 to 4. The pressure in the first outlet pipe is set lower than the pressure in the gas flow path, and the pressure in the second outlet pipe is set lower than the pressure in the first outlet pipe. The purified gas is derived from the first outlet by the suction action due to the negative pressure in the first outlet pipe, and the second gas is detached from the rotating body by the suction action due to the negative pressure in the second outlet pipe and is derived from the second outlet.

[0025] In the gas purification apparatus according to claim 8, the pressure in the first outlet pipe connected to the first outlet is set lower than the pressure in the gas flow path, so that the purified gas flowing through the gas flow path is led out from the first outlet by the suction action due to the negative pressure in the first outlet pipe. Further, the pressure in the second outlet pipe connected to the second outlet is set lower than the pressure in the first outlet pipe, so that the second gas is detached from the rotating body by the suction action due to the negative pressure in the second outlet pipe and is led out from the second outlet. Therefore, due to the pressure difference in the outlet pipe, the mixed gas is moved along the circumferential direction of the rotating body, that is, the circumferential direction of the housing, so that the purified gas obtained by separating the second gas from the mixed gas and the separated second gas can be recovered. For this reason, it is not necessary to introduce gas for separating the second gas from the rotating body, and the regeneration of the adsorption part can be performed in a low-cost and simple cycle.

[0026] The gas purification method according to claim 9 is a gas purification method for separating the second gas from a mixed gas containing at least the first gas and the second gas by using the gas purification apparatus according to claim 1 and leading out a purified gas with an increased concentration of the first gas, comprising introducing the mixed gas from the first outlet, rotating the rotating body, adsorbing the second gas contained in the mixed gas by the adsorption part provided on the rotating body, separating the second gas from the mixed gas, and leading out the purified gas obtained by the separation of the second gas from the first outlet.

[0027] In the gas purification method according to claim 9, in the step of separating the second gas from a mixed gas containing at least the first gas and the second gas and leading out a purified gas with an increased concentration of the first gas, it is possible to suppress the energy consumption during operation while reducing the size of the housing.

Advantages of the Invention

[0028] As described above, the gas purification apparatus and the gas purification method according to the present invention have an excellent effect that they can suppress the energy consumption during operation while reducing the size of the housing.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0029]

Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 3

Figure 4

Figure 5

Figure 6

Figure 7

Figure 8

Embodiments for Carrying Out the Invention

[0030] Hereinafter, with reference to FIGS. 1 to 8, embodiments of the gas purification apparatus and the gas purification method using the same according to the present invention will be described. The gas purification apparatus according to the present invention separates a second gas from a mixed gas containing at least a first gas and a second gas, and derives a purified gas with an increased concentration of the first gas. The type of the mixed gas is not particularly limited, but in each embodiment, a mixed gas containing hydrogen gas and oxygen gas will be described as an example. Hydrogen gas is an example of the first gas, and oxygen gas is an example of the second gas.

[0031] In FIGS. 1 to 8, the direction indicated by the arrow R appropriately shown in each figure indicates the circumferential direction of the housing described later. In each embodiment, the circumferential direction R of the housing coincides with the circumferential direction of the rotating body. Also, in each embodiment, the axial direction of the housing coincides with the axial direction of the rotating body.

[0032] Note that, unless otherwise specified in the specification, each element is not limited to one, and a plurality of them may exist. Also, in the drawings, substantially the same elements are denoted by the same reference numerals, and redundant descriptions in the specification are omitted.

[0033] <First Embodiment> First, referring to FIGS. 1 to 3, the gas purification device 10 according to the first embodiment will be described. As shown in FIG. 1, the gas purification device 10 includes a housing 20A in which a mixed gas is stored, a rotating body 30A provided inside the housing 20A, and an adsorption portion 40A provided on the rotating body 30A.

[0034] In the gas purification device 10, the mixed gas is introduced into the housing 20A and moves along the gas flow path 50 formed between the housing 20A and the rotating body 30A. Inside the housing 20A, the rotating body 30A rotates, and the adsorption portion 40A provided on the outer peripheral portion of the rotating body 30A adsorbs the second gas contained in the mixed gas. Thereby, the second gas is separated from the mixed gas, and a purified gas with an increased concentration of the first gas is stored in the gas flow path 50.

[0035] (Housing) The housing 20A is, for example, composed of a cylindrical tank and has a side wall 21 that constitutes the outer peripheral portion. The side wall 21 is provided with an inlet 22 through which the mixed gas is introduced, a first outlet 24 through which the purified gas is led out, and a second outlet 26 through which the second gas is led out. The inlet 22, the first outlet 24, and the second outlet 26 are arranged in this order along the circumferential direction R of the housing 20A.

[0036] A gas introduction pipe 12 is connected to the gas introduction port 22. The gas introduction pipe 12 connects between the gas introduction port 22 of the housing 20A and a storage tank for mixed gas (not shown). A first pump 12A is provided in the gas introduction pipe 12. The first pump 12A supplies the mixed gas stored in the storage tank into the housing 20A.

[0037] A first discharge pipe 14 is connected to the first discharge port 24. The purified gas purified in the housing 20A is discharged through the first discharge pipe 14. Also, a second pump 14A is provided in the first discharge pipe 14. By controlling the second pump 14A, the pressure in the first discharge pipe 14 is set lower than the pressure in the housing 20A. That is, the pressure in the first discharge pipe 14 is set to a negative pressure with respect to the pressure in the housing 20A. Therefore, a suction force acts on the gas stored in the housing 20A due to the negative pressure in the first discharge pipe 14.

[0038] A second discharge pipe 16 is connected to the second discharge port 26. The second gas separated from the mixed gas is discharged through the second discharge pipe 16. Also, a third pump 16A is provided in the second discharge pipe 16. By controlling the third pump 16A, the pressure in the second discharge pipe 16 is set lower than the pressure in the first discharge pipe 14. That is, the pressure in the second discharge pipe 16 is set to be the lowest and is set to a negative pressure with respect to the pressures in the housing 20A and the first discharge pipe 14. Therefore, the suction force acting on the gas due to the negative pressure in the second discharge pipe 16 becomes larger than the suction force acting on the gas due to the negative pressure in the first discharge pipe 14. In this embodiment, the extending directions of the gas introduction pipe 12, the first discharge pipe 14, and the second discharge pipe 16 are parallel to each other. Also, in order to suppress the pressure loss in the gas flow path connecting the gas introduction port 22 and the first discharge port 24, the gas introduction port 22 and the first discharge pipe 14 are arranged on the same straight line.

[0039] (Rotating body) As shown in FIG. 2, the rotating body 30A is composed of a box-shaped rotating drum 32. The rotating drum 32 is formed in a cylindrical shape and is arranged coaxially with the housing 20A. The rotating drum 32 has a cylindrical outer peripheral portion 32A, and the inner diameter of the outer peripheral portion 32A is smaller than the inner diameter of the housing 20A. Thereby, an annular gas flow path 50 is formed between the rotating drum 32 and the housing 20A along the circumferential direction R of the housing 20A.

[0040] Note that it is not essential for the rotating body 30A to be arranged coaxially with the housing 20A. As in the second modification example described later, the axis center of the rotating body 30A (the center of the support shaft 36) may be arranged eccentrically with respect to the axis center C1 of the housing 20A. Also, the rotating body 30A is not limited to a cylindrical shape. For example, it may be formed in a prismatic shape.

[0041] The rotating drum 32 has at least one blade 34 provided so as to protrude from the outer peripheral portion 32A. The blade 34 is provided so as to protrude along the radial direction of the rotating drum 32. Note that the term "along the radial direction" includes both "the direction coinciding with the radial direction of the rotating drum 32" and "the direction inclined at an acute angle with respect to the radial direction of the rotating drum 32". In the present embodiment, a plurality of blades 34 protruding along the radial direction of the rotating drum 32 are arranged at equal intervals on the outer peripheral surface of the rotating drum 32.

[0042] The rotating body 30A is supported by the housing 20A via a support shaft 36. An electric motor (not shown) is connected to the support shaft 36, and the housing 20A is rotatable around the support shaft 36 by the driving force of the electric motor.

[0043] Here, in the present embodiment, a part of the outer peripheral portion 32A of the rotating drum 32 faces the inlet 22 provided in the housing 20A, and is arranged to receive the gas pressure of the mixed gas G1 introduced through the inlet 22. Since the gas introduction pipe 12 connected to the inlet 22 extends along the rotation direction of the rotating body 30A (in FIG. 2, rotation counterclockwise around the support shaft 36), the rotation of the rotating body 30A is promoted by the gas pressure of the mixed gas introduced from the gas introduction pipe 12 and the inlet 22. Therefore, the rotating body 30A utilizes the gas pressure of the mixed gas as auxiliary rotational power.

[0044] Furthermore, the plurality of blades 34 provided on the rotating body 30A can receive the gas pressure of the mixed gas introduced from the inlet 22 and promote the rotation of the rotating body 30A.

[0045] It should be noted that it is not essential for the support shaft 36 of the rotating body 30A to be connected to an electric motor. The rotating body 30A may be rotated with the gas pressure of the mixed gas as the main power by omitting the electric motor.

[0046] (Adsorbing part) As shown in FIG. 2, at least a part of the outer peripheral portion 32A of the rotating drum 32 is provided with an adsorbing part 40A having the adsorption performance of the second gas. As an example, the adsorbing part 40A is composed of a thin film of an adsorbent formed on the outer peripheral portion 32A of the rotating drum 32. In the present embodiment, the adsorbing part 40A is provided on the entire circumference of the outer peripheral surface of the outer peripheral portion 32A facing the gas flow path 50. The type of the adsorbent is not particularly limited as long as it has the gas adsorption performance. In the present embodiment, a thin film of an adsorbent capable of adsorbing oxygen as the second gas is formed on the outer peripheral surface of the rotating drum 32.

[0047] As the adsorbent, for example, zeolite having a porous skeleton structure or metal organic frameworks (MOF) can be adopted, and a thin film may be formed on the surface of the rotating body 30A with an adsorbent synthesized from these materials and a binder material.

[0048] Further, the adsorption part 40A is not limited to a thin film of an adsorbent. For example, it may be composed of powdered zeolite or a sheet-shaped nonwoven fabric carrying a metal-organic framework. Further, when the second gas has properties as a paramagnetic substance, the adsorption part 40A may be composed of a magnet. Further, the adsorption part 40A may be composed of a photocatalyst formed in a sheet shape. When purifying hydrogen gas from a mixed gas containing hydrogen and oxygen as in the present embodiment, as the photocatalyst, LaMg x Ta 1-x O 1+3x N 2-3x or TiO2, NaTaO3, etc. can be adopted.

[0049] (Gas flow path) As described above, an annular gas flow path 50 is formed inside the housing 20A between the rotating body 30A. The gas flow path 50 has a first flow path 51 connecting from the inlet 22 to the first outlet 24, a second flow path 52 connecting from the first outlet 24 to the second outlet, and a third flow path 53 connecting from the second outlet 26 to the inlet 22. The length of the first flow path 51 is preferably set longer than that of the second flow path 52 from the viewpoint of ensuring the adsorption time of the second gas described later.

[0050] FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram for explaining a cycle in which the second gas is separated from the mixed gas using the gas purification apparatus 10 and a purified gas with an increased concentration of the first gas is derived. In FIG. 3, as an example, a mixed gas G1 containing hydrogen H as the first gas and oxygen O as the second gas is shown.

[0051] As shown in FIG. 3, the mixed gas G1 introduced into the housing 20A from the first inlet 22 through the gas introduction pipe 12 is guided to the first flow path 51 by the rotation of the rotating body 30A. Oxygen O contained in the mixed gas G1 is adsorbed and separated by the adsorption part 40A of the rotating body 30A in the first flow path 51. As a result, in the first flow path 51, the purified gas G2 with an increased concentration of hydrogen H moves in a state separated from oxygen O (see FIG. 3(A)).

[0052] In the vicinity of the first outlet 24, the purified gas G2 with an increased hydrogen H concentration is drawn out by the negative pressure in the first outlet pipe 14 and led out from the first outlet 24. Since the suction force due to the negative pressure in the first outlet pipe 14 is smaller than the oxygen O adsorption force of the adsorption part 40A of the rotating body 30A, oxygen O does not desorb from the rotating body 30A (Fig. 3(B)). Thereby, the purified gas G2 can be obtained.

[0053] On the other hand, in the vicinity of the second outlet 26, a suction force acts on the oxygen O adsorbed to the adsorption part 40A due to the negative pressure in the second outlet pipe 16. The suction force due to the negative pressure in the second outlet pipe 16 is set to be larger than the adsorption force between the adsorption part 40A and oxygen O. For this reason, due to the negative pressure in the second outlet pipe 16, the oxygen O adsorbed to the adsorption part 40A desorbs and is led out from the second outlet 26.

[0054] (Function and Effect) As described above, in the gas purification apparatus 10 according to the first embodiment, the mixed gas G1 is introduced from the first outlet 24, the rotating body 30A is rotated, and the oxygen O (second gas) contained in the mixed gas G1 is adsorbed by the adsorption part 40A provided on the rotating body 30A, separating the oxygen O from the mixed gas, and the purified gas G2 obtained by the separation of the oxygen O is led out from the first outlet 24. Thereby, the oxygen O is separated from the mixed gas G1, and the purified gas G2 with an increased concentration of hydrogen H (first gas) is stored in the gas flow path 50.

[0055] Here, the gas purification apparatus 10 is composed of a housing 20A in which an inlet 22 into which the mixed gas G1 is introduced, a first outlet 24 from which the purified gas G2 is led out, and a second outlet 26 from which oxygen O (second gas) is led out are arranged in this order along the circumferential direction. And a gas flow path 50 extending along the circumferential direction R of the housing 20A is formed between the housing 20A and the rotating body 30A provided inside the housing 20A. Thereby, the length of the gas flow path 50 can be ensured along the circumferential direction R of the housing 20A, and the miniaturization of the housing 20A can be achieved.

[0056] In addition, the rotating body 30A rotates along the circumferential direction R of the housing 20A by utilizing the gas pressure of the mixed gas G1 introduced from the introduction port 22. Therefore, the pressure loss of the rotating body 30A due to the movement of the mixed gas G1 is suppressed. Further, the gas pressure of the mixed gas G1 can be utilized as the rotational power of the rotating body 30A. Thereby, it is possible to omit the electric motor as a drive source or to reduce the size of the electric motor, and the energy consumption during operation is suppressed.

[0057] In addition, in the present embodiment, by providing the blades 34 on the rotating body 30A, the rotation of the rotating body 30A is promoted by receiving the gas pressure with the blades. Thereby, the energy consumption during operation is effectively suppressed.

[0058] In addition, in the present embodiment, the pressure in the first lead-out pipe 14 connected to the first lead-out port 24 is set lower than the pressure in the gas flow path 50. As a result, the purified gas G2 flowing through the gas flow path 50 is led out from the first lead-out port 24 by the suction action due to the negative pressure in the first lead-out pipe 14 (see FIG. 3(B)). Further, the pressure in the second lead-out pipe 16 connected to the second lead-out port 26 is set lower than the pressure in the first lead-out pipe 14. As a result, oxygen O (second gas) is detached from the rotating body 30A by the suction action due to the negative pressure in the second lead-out pipe 16 and is led out from the second lead-out port 26. Therefore, by the pressure difference between the first lead-out pipe 14 and the second lead-out pipe 16, the mixed gas G1 is moved along the circumferential direction R of the rotating body 30A, that is, the circumferential direction of the housing 20A, so that the purified gas G2 obtained by separating oxygen O from the mixed gas G1 and the separated oxygen O can be recovered. For this reason, it is not necessary to introduce gas for separating oxygen O from the rotating body 30A, and the regeneration of the adsorption part 40A can be performed at low cost and in a simple cycle.

[0059] As described above, the gas purification apparatus according to the first embodiment has been described, but the present invention is not limited thereto. Modifications of the first embodiment are listed below. Since each modification basically follows the configuration of the gas purification apparatus according to the first embodiment, the same operations and effects can be obtained.

[0060] (First Modification Example) The adsorption unit according to the present invention is not limited to the adsorption unit 40A according to the above embodiment. When the second gas has paramagnetic properties, the first adsorption unit 40B and the second adsorption unit 40C may be provided in the gas purification device 10 as shown in FIG. 4. The first adsorption unit 40B is composed of a magnet 41 installed along the inner circumferential surface of the rotating drum 32 constituting the rotor 30A. As in this embodiment, oxygen as the second gas has paramagnetic properties, and is attracted to the magnet 41 and adsorbed to the outer circumferential surface of the rotating drum 32. On the other hand, hydrogen as the first gas has diamagnetic properties, and is repelled by the magnet 41 and is not adsorbed to the outer circumferential surface of the rotating drum 32, and can be discharged from the first outlet 24 to the outside of the housing 20A. Since magnet 41 is disposed on the inner circumferential surface of rotating drum 32 and does not come into contact with the second gas, maintenance inside the housing can be easily performed.

[0061] The second attraction portion 40C is composed of magnets 42, 43 provided in the vicinity of the second outlet 26 of the housing 20A. The magnets 42, 43 include a first magnet 42 arranged on the outer circumferential surface of the housing 20A in the vicinity of the second outlet 26, and a second magnet 43 arranged on the outer circumferential surface of the second outlet pipe 16 in the vicinity of the second outlet 26. One of the first magnet 42 and the second magnet 43 may be omitted. Since the second gas desorbed from the rotor 30A is attracted toward the second outlet 26 by the second adsorption portion 40C, the discharge of the second gas can be promoted. The second suction portion 40C may be configured by providing the suction portion 40A according to the first embodiment on the inner circumferential surface of the housing 20A or the inner circumferential surface of the second outlet pipe 16.

[0062] (Second Modification) The rotor according to the present invention is not limited to the rotor 30A according to the above embodiment. As shown in Fig. 5, the rotor 30B may be provided with a length adjustment mechanism 60. The rotor 30B has a length adjustment mechanism 60 that allows the protruding length of the blades 64 to be changed.

[0063] The rotating body 30B is composed of a columnar rotor 61 rotatably supported via a support shaft 36. The length adjustment mechanism 60 is composed of a slot 62 formed on the outer peripheral portion of the rotor 61 and a blade 64 slidably supported inside the slot 62. In the present embodiment, a plurality of slots 62 are radially arranged around the support shaft 36 of the rotor 61, and the blades 64 protruding from the openings of the respective slots 62 are arranged at equal intervals on the outer peripheral surface of the rotor 61. The length adjustment mechanism 60 follows the mechanism of a known vane pump and is configured such that the protruding length of the blade 64 can be changed by the centrifugal force generated by the rotation of the rotating body 30B. That is, the protruding length of the blade 64 is changed according to the width W1 of the gas flow path 50 (51, 52, 53) in a cross section (shown in FIG. 5) orthogonal to the axial direction of the housing 20A. Note that it is not essential to use the mechanism of a vane pump as the length adjustment mechanism, and the protruding length of the blade 64 may be changed using an electric actuator.

[0064] Further, in the present modification, the rotation center (support shaft 36) of the rotating body 30B is eccentrically arranged with respect to the axial center C1 of the housing 20A. Thereby, the cross-sectional area of the first flow path 51 is set to be larger than the cross-sectional area of the second flow path 52. Note that when the length adjustment mechanism 60 is provided, it is not essential for the rotation center (support shaft 36) of the rotating body 30B to be eccentrically arranged with respect to the axial center C1 of the housing 20A.

[0065] According to the second modification described above, by changing the protruding length of the blade 64 of the rotating body 30B, it is possible to adjust the rotation speed of the rotating body 30B and the accommodation size of the rotating body 30B according to the capacity of the housing 20A. In addition, since the protruding length of the blade can be changed by the centrifugal force generated by the rotation of the rotating body, no power using an electric actuator or the like is required. As a result, the energy consumption during operation is effectively suppressed.

[0066] Furthermore, since the cross-sectional area of the first flow path 51 is set to be larger than that of the second flow path 52, it is possible to sufficiently secure the amount of the mixed gas stored in the first flow path 51, and the adsorption efficiency of the second gas can be increased.

[0067] (Third Modification Example) In addition, as shown in FIG. 6, the rotating body according to the present invention may be configured to include an angle adjustment mechanism 70 that can change the inclination angle of the blade 74 by the gas pressure in the gas flow path 50. The angle adjustment mechanism 70 includes a coupling portion 72 that rotatably couples the base end portion of the blade 74 to the outer peripheral portion 32A of the rotary drum 32. The coupling portion 72 is configured by, for example, a hinge coupling, and the axial direction of the rotation axis coincides with the axial direction of the housing 20A. The blade 74 is configured to open along the radial direction of the rotary drum 32 by the gas pressure when passing near the inlet 22 where the gas pressure of the mixed gas is the highest, and promotes the rotation of the rotating body 30C. Note that it is not essential to be able to change the inclination angle of the blade 74 by the gas pressure in the gas flow path 50 as the angle adjustment mechanism, and the protruding length of the blade 74 may be changed using an electric actuator.

[0068] According to the second modification example described above, since the inclination angle of the blade 74 can be changed by the angle adjustment mechanism, by adjusting the angle according to the gas pressure in the gas flow path, while suppressing the pressure loss of the rotating body 30C, the rotational power of the rotating body 30C can be obtained. In addition, since the inclination angle of the blade 74 can be changed by the gas pressure in the gas flow path 50, power using an electric actuator or the like is not required. As a result, the energy consumption during operation is effectively suppressed.

[0069] (Fourth Modification Example) Alternatively, the housing according to the present invention may be constituted by the housing 20B shown in FIG. 7 instead of the housing 20A according to the first embodiment. In the housing 20B, the first flow path 51 constituting the gas flow path 50 is set to be longer than the second flow path 52, and the second flow path 52 is set to be equal to or longer than the length of the third flow path 53. More preferably, the second flow path 52 is set to be longer than the third flow path 53. FIG. 7 shows the length L1 of the first flow path 51, the length L2 of the second flow path 52, and the length L3 of the third flow path 53. Regarding other configurations, since they are the same as those of the gas purification apparatus 10 according to the first embodiment, detailed description and illustration are omitted.

[0070] According to the fourth modification, since the first flow path 51 connecting the inlet 22 to the first outlet 24 is set to be the longest, it is possible to sufficiently secure the adsorption time of the second gas by the adsorption unit 40. Further, by setting the second flow path 52 to be longer than the length of the third flow path 53, while shortening the length L3 of the third flow path 53 that is not involved in the adsorption and desorption of the second gas, and securing the length L2 of the second flow path 52, it is possible to sufficiently secure the time for the second gas to desorb from the rotating body 30A.

[0071] (Fifth Modification Example) Also, as shown in FIG. 8, the housing according to the present invention may be constituted by a housing 20C having an oval shape in a cross-sectional view in a direction perpendicular to the axial direction. In this case, the rotating body 30D may be constituted by an annular belt body 80 supported in rotation by two rotating gears 82. The rotational power of the rotating gear 82 may utilize a driving force such as an electric motor (not shown). Alternatively, the blades 84 provided protruding from the outer peripheral surface of the belt body 80 may receive the gas pressure in the gas flow path 50, and the gas pressure may be utilized as the rotational power.

Explanation of Reference Numerals

[0072] 10 Gas purification apparatus 12 Gas introduction pipe 14 First outlet pipe 16 Second outlet pipe 20A Housing 20B Housing 22 Inlet 24 First Outlet 26 Second Outlet 30A Rotating Body 30B Rotating Body 30C Rotating Body 30D Rotating Body 34 Blade 40A Adsorbing Part 40B First Adsorbing Part 40C Second Adsorbing Part 50 Gas Flow Path 51 First Flow Path 52 Second Flow Path 53 Third Flow Path 60 Length Adjustment Mechanism L1 Length of the First Flow Path L2 Length of the Second Flow Path L3 Length of the Third Flow Path

Claims

1. A gas purification apparatus for separating the second gas from a mixed gas containing at least a first gas and a second gas and deriving a purified gas with an increased concentration of the first gas, comprising: a housing having an inlet through which the mixed gas is introduced, a first outlet through which the purified gas is derived, and a second outlet through which the second gas is derived, the inlet, the first outlet, and the second outlet being arranged in this order along the circumferential direction; a rotating body provided inside the housing, forming a gas flow path between the housing and rotating along the circumferential direction of the housing by utilizing the gas pressure of the mixed gas introduced from the inlet; an adsorption part provided on at least a part of the outer peripheral part of the rotating body, enabling adsorption of the second gas; A gas purification apparatus comprising the above.

2. The rotating body is provided with at least one blade protruding from the outer peripheral part and promoting the rotation of the rotating body by receiving the gas pressure. The gas purification apparatus according to Claim 1. The gas purification apparatus according to Claim 1.

3. The rotating body is provided with a length adjustment mechanism capable of changing the protruding length of the blade. The gas purification apparatus according to Claim 2. The gas purification apparatus according to Claim 2.

4. The length adjustment mechanism can change the protruding length of the blade by the centrifugal force generated by the rotation of the rotating body. The gas purification apparatus according to Claim 3. The gas purification apparatus according to Claim 3.

5. The gas flow path includes: a first flow path connecting from the inlet to the first outlet; a second flow path connecting from the first outlet to the second outlet; a third flow path connecting from the second outlet to the inlet, and the first flow path is set to be longer than the second flow path, and the second flow path is set to be equal to or longer than the third flow path. The gas purification apparatus according to any one of Claims 1 to 4. The gas purification apparatus according to any one of Claims 1 to 4.

6. The gas flow path includes: a first flow path connecting from the inlet to the first outlet; a second flow path connecting from the first outlet to the second outlet; a third flow path connecting from the second outlet to the inlet, and the cross-sectional area of the first flow path is set to be larger than the cross-sectional area of the second flow path by arranging the rotation center of the rotating body eccentrically with respect to the axis center of the housing. The gas purification apparatus according to any one of Claims 1 to 4. The gas purification apparatus according to any one of Claims 1 to 4.

7. The adsorption part has: a first adsorption part provided on at least a part of the outer peripheral part of the rotating body; a second adsorption part provided near the second outlet of the housing. The gas purification apparatus according to any one of Claims 1 to 4. The gas purification apparatus according to any one of Claims 1 to 4. ​ ​

8. A first outlet pipe connected to the first outlet; A second outlet pipe connected to the second outlet, a pressure in the first outlet pipe is set lower than a pressure in the gas flow passage, and a pressure in the second outlet pipe is set lower than a pressure in the first outlet pipe, the purified gas is drawn out from the first outlet by a drawing action caused by a negative pressure in the first outlet pipe, and the second gas is desorbed from the rotor by a drawing action caused by a negative pressure in the second outlet pipe, and is drawn out from the second outlet. The gas purification apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 4.

9. A gas purification method for separating a second gas from a mixed gas containing at least a first gas and a second gas by using the gas purification apparatus according to claim 1, and extracting a purified gas having an increased concentration of the first gas, The mixed gas is introduced from the first outlet, rotating the rotor, adsorbing a second gas contained in the mixed gas by the adsorption unit provided on the rotor, and separating the second gas from the mixed gas; The purified gas obtained by separating the second gas is discharged from the first outlet. Gas purification methods.

Citation Information

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