Organic compound decomposing apparatus

Abstract

To provide a technology capable of promoting the decomposition of organic compounds.SOLUTION: According to an aspect of the invention, there is provided an organic compound decomposing apparatus, including: an active oxygen generator that produces active oxygen from oxygen contained in supplied air; a reactor in which the organic compound is decomposed by the active oxygen; and a cooler, connected through piping to the active oxygen generator, for cooling air supplied to the active oxygen generator.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to an organic compound decomposition device. [Background technology]

[0002] BACKGROUND ART An organic compound decomposition device that decomposes organic compounds using active oxygen is known (see, for example, Patent Document 1). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2007-117946 (paragraphs

[0028] ,

[0029] , etc.) Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] There is a need to develop technologies to accelerate the decomposition of organic compounds. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] One aspect of the invention is an organic compound decomposition apparatus comprising an active oxygen generator that generates active oxygen from oxygen in supplied air, a reactor in which organic compounds are decomposed by the active oxygen, and a cooling device that is connected to the active oxygen generator by piping and cools the air that is supplied to the active oxygen generator. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0006] [Figure 1] Schematic diagram of organic compound decomposition equipment [Figure 2] Cross-section of the cooling device DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0007] [First embodiment] FIG. 1 shows an organic compound decomposition apparatus 10 (hereinafter referred to as "decomposition apparatus 10" where appropriate) according to a first embodiment. The decomposition apparatus 10 decomposes organic compounds 80 using active oxygen. The decomposition apparatus 10 is equipped with an active oxygen generator 20 that generates active oxygen from oxygen in the air, and a reactor 30 that accommodates organic compounds 80 to be decomposed. Note that the organic compounds 80 are not particularly limited as long as they can be decomposed by active oxygen, and may be made of resin such as synthetic resin, or may be food waste, for example.

[0008] In the example of the decomposition device 10 of this embodiment, an air supply device 11 is provided that supplies air to the active oxygen generator 20. Air from the air supply device 11 is supplied to the active oxygen generator 20 through an air supply path 12. In the example of this embodiment, a compressor that supplies compressed air is provided as the air supply device 11. Note that the air supply device 11 may also supply uncompressed air.

[0009] In this embodiment, the decomposition apparatus 10 is equipped with a heating device 40 that heats the organic compound 80 in the reactor 30. The decomposition of the organic compound can be promoted by the heating device 40. For example, the reactor 30 may be configured to include a stage 31 (e.g., a plate-shaped member extending across opposing inner walls of the reactor 30) on which the organic compound 80 is placed, and the stage 31 may be heated by the heating device 40 (a heater, etc.). Note that, for example, ceramic ash or the like may be placed on the stage 31 as an underlay, and the organic compound 80 may be placed on top of that. In this configuration, the organic compound 80 may be heated by heating the ceramic ash with the heating device 40.

[0010] In the decomposition apparatus 10 of this embodiment, the heating device 40 heats the organic compound 80 to a temperature range lower than the ignition temperature, and it is preferable to heat the organic compound 80 to a temperature 10 to 50°C lower than the ignition temperature.

[0011] The details of the decomposition process of the organic compound 80 by the decomposition apparatus 10 of this embodiment are as follows. First, air is supplied from the air supply device 11 to the active oxygen generator 20. In the active oxygen generator 20, free electrons generated by electrical discharge (corona discharge in this embodiment) are given to oxygen molecules in the supplied air to generate active oxygen. Then, the active oxygen is supplied to the reactor 30, and the organic compound 80 in the reactor 30 is decomposed by the active oxygen.

[0012] In detail, the active oxygen generated by the active oxygen generator 20 includes superoxide radicals (·O2 - ), hydroxyl radicals (·OH), etc., are thought to be included in the generation of active oxygen. These radicals are thought to decompose organic compounds 80. The generation of active oxygen begins as follows: First, as shown in chemical reaction formula (A), free electrons react with oxygen in the air to produce superoxide radicals (·O2 - ) is thought to be generated. When the superoxide radical reacts with ozone generated by discharge, etc. (see chemical reaction formula (B)), ozonide ions (·O3 - ) is thought to be generated. Furthermore, when the ozonide ions react with moisture in the air (see chemical reaction formula (C)), hydroxyl radicals (·OH - ) is thought to be generated. O2+ e - = O2 - (A) O2 - + O3= O2+ O3 - (B) O3 - + HO = OH + O 2 + OH - (C)

[0013] Incidentally, it is desirable to improve the decomposition efficiency of organic compounds 80 in conventional devices that decompose organic compounds 80. Therefore, the present inventors have investigated methods for increasing the generation efficiency of radicals such as superoxide radicals and hydroxyl radicals in order to improve the decomposition efficiency of organic compounds 80. To achieve this, the present inventors have focused on increasing the oxygen concentration in the air supplied to active oxygen generator 20, and as a result of extensive research, have found that it is possible to increase the oxygen concentration in the air by cooling the air supplied to active oxygen generator 20. Based on this finding, the present inventors have invented a decomposition device 10 having the following characteristic configuration.

[0014] Specifically, the decomposition apparatus 10 of this embodiment is provided with a cooling device 50 that cools the air to be supplied to the active oxygen generator 20. In this embodiment, the cooling device 50 is disposed midway along an air supply path 12 that supplies air from the air supply device 11 to the active oxygen generator 20. In the decomposition apparatus 10, the cooling device 50 and the active oxygen generator 20 are connected by a pipe 13A. In this embodiment, the air supply device 11 and the cooling device 50 are connected by a pipe 13C. The air supply path 12 is formed inside the pipes 13A and 13C. In this embodiment, a pipe 13B that connects the active oxygen generator 20 and the reactor 30 is also provided, and active oxygen from the active oxygen generator 20 is supplied to the reactor 30 through the inside of the pipe 13B.

[0015] In this embodiment, the cooling device 50 is equipped with a vortex tube 50B (see FIG. 2). The vortex tube 50B separates the air flowing in from an inlet 53 into low-temperature air C (cooled air) that is lower in temperature than the inlet air and high-temperature air H that is higher in temperature, and discharges them from a first outlet 51 and a second outlet 52, respectively. The low-temperature air C that has flowed out from the first outlet 51 is supplied to the active oxygen generator 20 as air for generating active oxygen. Note that in the decomposition device 10, the high-temperature air H from the second outlet 52 is not supplied as air for generating active oxygen. For example, the high-temperature air H may be used for heating by the heating device 40.

[0016] For example, vortex tube 50B has inlet 53 opening on the outer circumferential surface at one end, first outlet 51 opening on one end, and second outlet 52 opening near the outer periphery of the other end. Air flowing in from inlet 53 forms a spiral vortex along the inner circumferential surface of vortex tube 50B and flows to the other end of vortex tube 50B, with a portion of the vortex flow flowing out from second outlet 52 as high-temperature air H, and the remaining portion of the vortex air is reflected at the center of bottom 56 at the other end of vortex tube 50B, flows along the central axis of vortex tube 50B, and flows out from first outlet 51 as low-temperature air C.

[0017] 1, an expansion chamber 19 that widens the cross-sectional area of ​​the air supply path 12 may be provided in the air supply path 12 (in the middle of the piping 13A) through which air is supplied from the cooling device 50 to the active oxygen generator 20. For example, when the piping 13A has a circular cross-section, the expansion chamber 19 may have a circular cross-section with a larger diameter than that of the piping 13A. By providing the expansion chamber 19, it is possible to rectify the air flow and also reduce noise. A thermostat that controls the temperature of the supply air to a constant value may be provided in the expansion chamber 19 or in the air intake section of the active oxygen generator 20.

[0018] According to the decomposition device 10 of this embodiment, the air supplied to the active oxygen generator 20 is cooled by the cooling device 50, which makes it possible to increase the concentration of oxygen in the air and improve the efficiency of generating active oxygen. This makes it possible to promote the decomposition of the organic compound 80. Furthermore, by using a vortex tube 50B as the cooling device 50, the cooling device 50 can be configured inexpensively and the power consumption of the cooling device 50 can be reduced.

[0019] The decomposition apparatus 10 of this embodiment is provided with the heating device 40, which makes it possible to heat the organic compounds 80 in the reactor 30 and promote their decomposition. In particular, if the decomposition apparatus 10 is provided with the cooling device 50, the temperature of the organic compounds 80 may drop, but by heating the organic compounds 80 with the heating device 40, it is possible to prevent a drop in decomposition efficiency due to a drop in temperature.

[0020] [Confirmation experiment] An organic compound 80 (specifically, polyurethane foam) was decomposed using an organic compound decomposition apparatus 10 (Example 1), which is an example of the first embodiment and is equipped with a cooling device 50, and a conventional organic compound decomposition apparatus (Comparative Example 1) not equipped with a cooling device 50, and the degree of decomposition was confirmed. Note that the organic compound decomposition apparatus of Comparative Example 1 differs from the organic compound decomposition apparatus 10 of Example 1 in that it does not have a cooling device 50, but other configurations and conditions (such as the time and temperature over which the organic compound 80 was decomposed in the reactor 30) are similar. Note that neither Example 1 nor Comparative Example 1 is provided with an extension chamber 19.

[0021] When the decomposition products of organic compound 80 after the decomposition process were checked for Example 1 and Comparative Example 1, it was found that the decomposition products of Example 1 were fragmented (finer) and the volume of the decomposition products was 11% smaller than that of Comparative Example 1. From these confirmed results, it is considered that the organic compound decomposition apparatus 10 of Example 1 can increase the concentration of oxygen in the air supplied to active oxygen generator 20 compared to the conventional organic compound decomposition apparatus of Comparative Example 1, and can promote the decomposition of organic compound 80.

[0022] [Other embodiments] In the example shown in FIG. 1, the reactor 30 is box-shaped, but the structure of the reactor 30 is not limited thereto, and it may be, for example, tubular.

[0023] In the above embodiment, the cooling device 50 does not have to include the vortex tube 50B, and may be, for example, a device that cools air using electricity.

[0024] In the above embodiment, air is used as an example of the gas that contains oxygen and is supplied to the active oxygen generator 20, but gases other than air can also be used.

[0025] [Note] The following describes the group of features extracted from the above embodiment, while indicating, as necessary, the effects, etc. Note that, for ease of understanding, the corresponding configurations in the above embodiment are indicated in parentheses as appropriate below, but these group of features are not limited to the specific configurations indicated in parentheses.

[0026] For example, the following group of features can be considered to have been conceived in relation to an organic compound decomposition device or an active oxygen generator, in response to the problem that "the development of technology to promote the decomposition of organic compounds is desired" in the background art of "organic compound decomposition devices that decompose organic compounds using active oxygen are known (see, for example, JP 2007-117946 A (paragraphs

[0028] ,

[0029] , etc.)." Furthermore, there has long been a need for new technology related to devices that decompose organic compounds and devices that generate active oxygen.

[0027] [Feature 1] an active oxygen generator that generates active oxygen from oxygen in the supplied air; a reactor in which organic compounds are decomposed by the active oxygen; an organic compound decomposition apparatus comprising: a cooling device connected to the active oxygen generator by a pipe and configured to cool air supplied to the active oxygen generator.

[0028] According to the organic compound decomposition device of Feature 1, the air supplied to the active oxygen generator is cooled by a cooling device, which makes it possible to increase the oxygen concentration in the air and improve the efficiency of generating active oxygen, thereby accelerating the decomposition of organic compounds.

[0029] [Feature 2] an air supply device for supplying compressed air to the cooling device; 2. The organic compound decomposition apparatus according to Feature 1, wherein the cooling device comprises a vortex tube.

[0030] [Feature 3] 3. The organic compound decomposition apparatus according to Feature 1 or 2, further comprising an expansion chamber in an air supply path (air supply path 12) from the cooling device to the active oxygen generator.

[0031] [Feature 4] 4. The organic compound decomposition apparatus according to any one of Features 1 to 3, further comprising a heating device for heating the organic compound in the reactor.

[0032] [Feature 5] 5. The organic compound decomposition apparatus according to any one of Features 1 to 4, wherein the active oxygen generation device is a device that provides electrons to oxygen molecules by corona discharge.

[0033] [Feature 6] an active oxygen generator that generates active oxygen from oxygen in the supplied air; a cooling device connected to the active oxygen generator by a pipe and configured to cool air supplied to the active oxygen generator.

[0034] According to Feature 6, the air supplied to the active oxygen generator is cooled by a cooling device, which makes it possible to increase the oxygen concentration in the air and improve the efficiency of generating active oxygen. This makes it possible to provide an apparatus and method that are more effective than conventional ones in technical fields that use active oxygen.

[0035] Although the present specification and drawings disclose specific examples of the technology included in the scope of the claims, the technology described in the claims is not limited to these specific examples, but also includes various modifications and variations of the specific examples, and also includes parts of the specific examples taken out alone. [Explanation of symbols]

[0036] 10 Organic compound decomposition equipment 11 Air supply device 12 Air supply line 13A piping 13B Piping 13C Piping 19 Expansion Room 20. Active oxygen generator 30 reactor 40 Heating device 50 Cooling device 50B Vortex Tube 51 1st outlet 52 2nd outlet 53 Inlet 56 Bottom of the other end 80 Organic compounds C. Cold air H Hot air

Claims

1. an active oxygen generator that generates active oxygen from oxygen in the supplied air; a reactor in which organic compounds are decomposed by the active oxygen; an organic compound decomposition apparatus comprising: a cooling device connected to the active oxygen generator by a pipe and configured to cool air supplied to the active oxygen generator.

2. an air supply device for supplying compressed air to the cooling device; The organic compound decomposition apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the cooling device comprises a vortex tube.

3. 3. The organic compound decomposition apparatus according to claim 2, further comprising an expansion chamber provided in an air supply path from the cooling device to the active oxygen generator.

4. The organic compound decomposition apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising a heating device for heating the organic compound in the reactor.

5. 5. The organic compound decomposition apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the active oxygen generator is a device that provides electrons to oxygen molecules by corona discharge.

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