Air purification device and method

Abstract

To efficiently purify a larger amount of air at low cost.SOLUTION: An air purification device comprises a housing, a blower that generates a swirling flow, a light source that irradiates a photocatalyst with deep ultraviolet light, a light source that irradiates the inflowing air with vacuum ultraviolet light to generate ozone, a partition wall that divides a space where the generated ozone and the inflowing air are mixed by the swirling flow to produce a mixed gas, into a first mixing chamber and a second mixing chamber, and a catalyst group that is composed of the photocatalyst and an ozone decomposition catalyst and decomposes ozone to generate active oxygen and purifies the air contained in the mixed gas with the generated active oxygen.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an air purification device and a method for purifying air. [Background technology]

[0002] Air purifiers that take in air and purify it are known (see, for example, Patent Documents 1 to 3). Such air purifiers utilize the sterilization and deodorization effects of HEPA filters, ultraviolet rays, ozone, etc. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2011-101748 [Patent Document 2] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2013-153897 [Patent Document 3] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2019-111268 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] In such air purifiers, a combination of multiple technologies has generally been used to remove various particles to be sterilized and deodorized, such as odor molecules, viruses, pollen, etc. Deep ultraviolet light is effective in cutting the genes of viruses, bacteria, etc. and suppressing their growth, but it cannot break down the bacteria themselves or the toxins they excrete, so its effectiveness is limited. Vacuum ultraviolet light can deodorize and disinfect by producing ozone when it reacts with oxygen in the air, but since ozone is harmful to the human body, it is dangerous to release it into a manned space. In addition, the action of ozone is extremely slow, making it impractical. Converting ozone into active oxygen using a catalyst can achieve fast and powerful sterilization and deodorization. However, it can take longer to kill bacteria, mold, pollen, and other pollen that are larger than viruses, making it difficult to quickly purify the air in an entire room. Accelerating deodorizing and disinfecting actions using various catalysts is an effective way to improve purification capabilities. Because catalysts are substances that promote reactions while remaining unchanged themselves, they also contribute to extending the lifespan of equipment. Furthermore, using multiple types of catalysts can expand the scope of deodorizing and disinfecting applications. However, catalysts are subject to a phenomenon known as poisoning, whereby their function deteriorates when they come into contact with certain substances. For example, titanium dioxide catalysts experience a decline in performance when they come into contact with sulfur compounds, while manganese dioxide catalysts experience a decline in performance when they come into contact with acetaldehyde and nitrogen oxides. Therefore, there has been a need for methods to protect catalysts with strong purification capabilities from performance degradation due to poisoning.

[0005] The present invention has been made in view of these points, and has as its object to make it possible to purify a larger amount of air efficiently at low cost. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] In a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a housing having an intake port and an exhaust port, a blower that generates a swirling flow that causes air to be purified to flow into the housing from the intake port and exhaust the purified air from the exhaust port, a light source that generates ozone by irradiating the flowing-in air with vacuum ultraviolet light within the housing, a dividing wall that divides a space between the light source and the exhaust port into a first mixing chamber and a second mixing chamber, where the generated ozone and the flowing-in air are mixed by the swirling flow to generate a mixed gas, and a dividing wall that divides the space into a first mixing chamber and a second mixing chamber, where the generated mixed gas flows in by the swirling flow and decomposes the ozone into activated oxygen. the first catalyst group consisting of three layers of a first photocatalyst, an ozone decomposition catalyst, and a third catalyst that generate active oxygen and purify the air contained in the mixed gas with the generated active oxygen; the dividing wall divides the space where the mixed gas is generated into two regions, and is provided so that the longitudinal movement speed of the mixed gas moving from the second mixing chamber to the first catalyst group is smaller than the longitudinal movement speed of the mixed gas moving from the first mixing chamber to the first catalyst group; and the dividing wall has a through hole for allowing a part of the swirling flow to flow from the first mixing chamber to the second mixing chamber.

[0007] The first catalyst group may be configured in the downstream direction of the mixed gas in the order of at least a photocatalyst and an ozone decomposition catalyst.

[0008] A second catalyst group may be provided in the second mixing chamber.

[0009] The housing may have a cylindrical shape with the direction from the intake port toward the exhaust port as the longitudinal direction, and the second mixing chamber may be located farther from the longitudinal central axis of the housing than the first mixing chamber.

[0010] The air purification device may further include a humidifier for humidifying the second mixing chamber. The light source may irradiate the air with the vacuum ultraviolet light containing light with a wavelength of 185 nm and the deep ultraviolet light containing light with a wavelength of 254 nm.

[0011] The air purifying device may further include a light shielding plate that blocks and reduces the light emitted by the light source that leaks from the air intake port to the outside of the housing, and reflects the light directed toward the blower into the space in which the first mixing chamber or the second mixing chamber is located.

[0012] The air purification device may further include an ozone sensor provided between the first catalyst group and the exhaust port, for detecting the concentration of the ozone.

[0013] The air purifying device may further include a control unit that adjusts at least one of the flow rate of the swirling flow of the blower, the timing of turning on and off the light source, and the light intensity of the light source based on the detection result of the ozone concentration by the ozone sensor so that the detection result of the ozone concentration is below a predetermined value.

[0014] In a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method for purifying air using a housing having an intake port and an exhaust port opposite the intake port, the method including the steps of generating a swirling flow that causes the air to be purified to flow from the intake port into the housing; irradiating the flowed-in air with vacuum ultraviolet light inside the housing to generate ozone; mixing the generated ozone and the flowed-in air by the swirling flow in a first mixing chamber and a second mixing chamber inside the housing to generate a mixed gas; a dividing wall that divides the first mixing chamber and the second mixing chamber has a through hole, and allowing a portion of the swirling flow to flow from the first mixing chamber to the second mixing chamber; and causing the mixed gas generated in the first mixing chamber to flow into a first catalyst group by the swirling flow to generate active oxygen that decomposes the ozone, and the mixed gas generated in the second mixing chamber and the mixed gas flowing into the second mixing chamber from the first mixing chamber through the through-hole are caused to flow into the first catalyst group by the swirling flow to generate active oxygen that decomposes the ozone, and the air contained in the mixed gas is purified by the generated active oxygen; and the purified air is exhausted from the exhaust port by the swirling flow, wherein the dividing wall divides the space in which the mixed gas is generated into two regions and is arranged so that the longitudinal movement speed of the mixed gas moving from the second mixing chamber to the first catalyst group is smaller than the longitudinal movement speed of the mixed gas moving from the first mixing chamber to the first catalyst group. [Effects of the Invention]

[0015] The present invention has the effect of being able to purify a larger amount of air efficiently at low cost. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0016] [Figure 1] 1 shows an example of the configuration of an air purifying device 10 according to this embodiment. [Figure 2] 1 shows an example of the cross-sectional configuration of an air purifying device 10 according to this embodiment. [Figure 3] 1 shows an example of the cross-sectional configuration of a partition wall of the air purification device 10 according to this embodiment. [Figure 4] An example of an operation flow of the air purification device 10 according to this embodiment will be shown. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0017] <Configuration example of air purifier 10> FIG. 1 shows an example of the configuration of an air purifying device 10 according to this embodiment. In this embodiment, three mutually orthogonal axes are designated as the X-axis, Y-axis, and Z-axis. The air purifying device 10 takes in and purifies indoor air using ozone, germicidal rays, and active oxygen. The air purifying device 10 has multiple spaces with different purification speeds, and purifies the air to be purified by dividing it into appropriate spaces, thereby efficiently purifying the air.

[0018] The air purifying device 10 includes a housing 13 having an intake port 11 and an exhaust port 12. FIG. 1 shows an example in which the exhaust port 12 is provided facing the intake port 11. FIG. 1 also shows an example in which the housing 13 has a cylindrical shape with the direction from the intake port 11 toward the exhaust port 12 as the longitudinal direction (the direction of the Z-axis). The air purifying device 10 further includes a blower 110, a light source 120, a light shielding plate 130, a partition wall 140, a first mixing chamber 150, a second mixing chamber 160, a first catalyst group 170, an activated carbon filter 200, an ozone sensor 210, and a control unit 220. The first catalyst group 170 is formed by connecting a first photocatalyst 171, an ozone decomposition catalyst 172, and a third catalyst 173.

[0019] Air to be purified flows in through the air intake 11. The air intake 11 preferably has a filter 14 for preventing dust and other particles from entering the interior of the housing 13. The filter 14 is, for example, an air filter known as a medium-performance filter. The filter 14 may also be an electrically charged filter, an antibacterial agent-coated filter, or the like. The air taken in through the air intake 11 is purified by the air purifier 10, and the purified air is exhausted from the exhaust outlet 12.

[0020] Blower 110 generates a swirling flow that causes air to be purified to flow into housing 13 from intake port 11 and exhaust the purified air from exhaust port 12. Blower 110 is, for example, a blower fan that generates a swirling flow by rotating a propeller-shaped member. For example, blower 110 is installed so that the back surface of blower 110, which is the side that takes in air, faces intake port 11, and the front surface of blower 110, which is the side that releases the swirling flow, faces exhaust port 12. As a result, when blower 110 operates, a swirling wind is generated inside housing 13 that flows from intake port 11 to exhaust port 12.

[0021] Light source 120 irradiates the air flowing into housing 13 with vacuum ultraviolet (VUV) rays to generate ozone. Vacuum ultraviolet rays are light with wavelengths ranging from approximately 10 nm to approximately 200 nm. Light source 120 is, for example, an excimer lamp or a mercury lamp. When such vacuum ultraviolet rays are irradiated onto air, ozone is generated. Ozone has sterilizing and deodorizing effects, and can therefore purify the air.

[0022] The light source 120 is preferably a two-wavelength light source that irradiates the air to be purified with vacuum ultraviolet light containing light with a wavelength of 185 nm and deep ultraviolet light (UVC: Ultra Violet C) containing light with a wavelength of 254 nm. Deep ultraviolet light can cleave nucleic acids such as DNA and RNA that constitute the genes of viruses, bacteria, etc. contained in the air, and sterilizes the air by deactivating the viruses, bacteria, etc. Furthermore, deep ultraviolet light irradiates and activates the photocatalysts that constitute the first catalyst group, and sterilizes and deodorizes the air by decomposing ozone, organic matter, and acetaldehyde. An example of such a two-wavelength light source is a low-pressure mercury lamp. Low-pressure mercury lamps emit light stably, long life Since it is inexpensive, the cost of the air purification device 10 can be reduced.

[0023] It is desirable that light source 120 be disposed near the outlet from which blower 110 discharges the swirling flow. For example, blower 110 is provided between air intake 11 and light source 120, and light source 120 irradiates the swirling flow generated by blower 110 with vacuum ultraviolet rays. In other words, light source 120 and blower 110 are disposed so that vacuum ultraviolet rays are irradiated onto the air to be purified in the space behind blower 110 to generate ozone, and the generated ozone is mixed with the air in the space in front of blower 110.

[0024] For example, by arranging the blower 110 immediately before the light source 120, a mixed gas of ozone and air can be effectively generated. If ozone remains around the light source 120, oxygen, which is the raw material for ozone, will be insufficient. Therefore, by arranging the blower 110 immediately before the light source 120, the generated ozone can be blown away and air, which is the raw material for ozone, can be appropriately supplied, thereby enabling efficient generation of ozone. The light source 120 may have an optical filter that reduces light of wavelengths different from vacuum ultraviolet and deep ultraviolet rays.

[0025] The light shielding plate 130 shields and reduces light that leaks from the air intake port 11 to the outside of the housing 13, out of the light emitted by the light source 120. The light shielding plate 130 may also reflect light directed toward the blower 110 into the space where the first mixing chamber or the second mixing chamber is located. The light shielding plate 130 is provided, for example, between the blower 110 and the light source 120.

[0026] In this case, the light shielding plate 130 has a reflective surface whose longitudinal cross section is a parabola, an ellipse, an arc, or the like. The light shielding plate 130 may also hinder the direction of the air emitted by the blower 110 to generate turbulence, thereby facilitating mixing of the ozone and air. The light shielding plate 130 is preferably made of an aluminum alloy or the like, which has a high ability to reflect ultraviolet rays.

[0027] The dividing wall 140 divides the space between the light source 120 and the exhaust port 12, where the generated ozone and the inflowing air are mixed by a swirling flow to generate a mixed gas, into a first mixing chamber 150 and a second mixing chamber 160. The dividing wall 140 divides the space where the mixed gas is generated into two regions with different longitudinal velocity components of the swirling flow. In this embodiment, an example will be described in which the dividing wall 140 is provided so that the longitudinal velocity component of the swirling flow in the first mixing chamber 150 is faster than the longitudinal velocity component of the swirling flow in the second mixing chamber 160.

[0028] For example, if the rotation axis of the propeller-shaped member of blower 110 is approximately aligned with or close to the longitudinal central axis of casing 13, the longitudinal velocity component of the swirling flow will be faster in the region including the longitudinal central axis of casing 13 than in the region on the wall side of casing 13. Therefore, dividing wall 140 is provided to divide the internal space of casing 13 into a region including the longitudinal central axis of casing 13 (first mixing chamber 150) and a region not including the central axis (second mixing chamber 160). In FIG. 1, the longitudinal central axis of casing 13 is indicated by a dashed line.

[0029] The dividing wall 140 is, for example, a cylindrical partition plate extending in the longitudinal direction of the housing 13. The dividing wall 140 may be provided in the longitudinal direction of the housing 13 so as to become increasingly distant from the central axis of the longitudinal direction as it approaches the exhaust port 12. In other words, the dividing wall 140 expands in a fan-shaped manner toward the downstream direction of the air flow. Here, the upstream direction is the direction toward the intake port 11, and the downstream direction is the direction toward the exhaust port 12. The dividing wall 140 has, for example, a part of a pyramidal shape such as a cone or a polygonal pyramid. In other words, the volume of the first mixing chamber 150 increases and the volume of the second mixing chamber 160 decreases toward the exhaust port 12 in the longitudinal direction of the housing 13.

[0030] In this way, dividing wall 140 is formed so that the air resistance to the longitudinal velocity component of the swirling flow in second mixing chamber 160 is greater than the air resistance to the swirling flow in first mixing chamber 150. This makes it possible to further increase the difference between the longitudinal velocity component of the swirling flow in first mixing chamber 150 and the longitudinal velocity component of the swirling flow in second mixing chamber 160. It is desirable that dividing wall 140 be provided so that light from light source 120 reaches first mixing chamber 150 and second mixing chamber 160.

[0031] Furthermore, dividing wall 140 has through-holes 141 for allowing a portion of the swirling flow to flow from first mixing chamber 150 into second mixing chamber 160. Through-holes 141 allow particles to pass through that are larger than viruses, such as bacteria, mold, and pollen, and are to be sterilized and deodorized. Through-holes 141 also allow light from light source 120 that is reflected by dividing wall 140 in first mixing chamber 150 to pass through to second mixing chamber 160.

[0032] Here, the velocity component perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the swirling flow is a flow that moves from the center to the circumference at a rotational velocity v with an almost constant angular velocity ω. In this case, the centrifugal force acting on a particle of mass m located at a distance r from the center is mrω 2 Therefore, the velocity component perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the swirling flow moves heavier particles from the center of the swirling flow to the outside.

[0033] Therefore, when blower 110 generates a swirling flow, bacteria, mold, pollen, and the like contained in the air in first mixing chamber 150 pass through through-holes 141 and move to second mixing chamber 160, which is located outside first mixing chamber 150. Dividing wall 140 is preferably made of an aluminum alloy or the like that has a high ability to reflect ultraviolet rays.

[0034] <Example of Cross-Sectional Configuration of Air Purifier 10> Fig. 2 shows an example of the cross-sectional configuration of the air purifying device 10 according to this embodiment. Fig. 2 shows a cross-sectional view taken along line A-A' of the air purifying device 10 shown in Fig. 1. The example in Fig. 2 shows an example in which a dividing wall 140 divides the internal space of the housing 13 into circular sections.

[0035] The first mixing chamber 150 is provided at a position including the central axis in the longitudinal direction of the housing 13. The second mixing chamber 160 is provided at a position farther away from the central axis in the longitudinal direction of the housing 13 than the first mixing chamber 150. The second mixing chamber 160 is provided so as to surround the periphery of the first mixing chamber 150.

[0036] Furthermore, a portion of the inner wall of housing 13 becomes a portion of the wall that constitutes second mixing chamber 160. It is desirable that at least a portion of such inner wall of housing 13 is formed from stainless steel or the like that is highly resistant to ozone and ultraviolet light. Furthermore, at least a portion of the inner wall of housing 13 and the surface of dividing wall 140 facing second mixing chamber 160 may further be provided with a material that serves as a decomposition catalyst, such as copper oxide or nickel oxide.

[0037] 2, when the cross section of the housing 13 is rectangular, it is desirable that the light source 120 be arranged on a diagonal of the rectangle. This allows the size of the housing 13 to be compact while still allowing the light from the light source 120 to reach the first mixing chamber 150 and the second mixing chamber 160.

[0038] The swirling flow generated by blower 110 becomes a vortex-shaped air flow centered on the central axis in the longitudinal direction, for example, on the XY plane. The vortex-shaped air flow has an outward flow component that flows from the central axis in the longitudinal direction toward the periphery of the central axis, and therefore bacteria, mold, pollen, and the like contained in the air can easily move through through-holes 141 into second mixing chamber 160.

[0039] As an example, if the diameter of the fan of blower 110 is approximately 12 cm and the fan is rotated at approximately 3,000 revolutions per minute, the centrifugal force generated at the tip of the fan is approximately 600 G. The rotation speed of the swirling flow generated by the fan is estimated to be approximately 1 / 6 of the rotation speed of the fan, so the centrifugal force of the swirling flow is thought to be approximately 100 G.

[0040] Since the mass of particles such as bacteria, mold, and pollen is more than 10,000 times that of air molecules, a centrifugal force of about 100 G can separate bacteria, mold, pollen, etc. from viruses and odor-causing molecules that are lighter than air molecules. In other words, most of the bacteria, mold, pollen, etc. particles can be moved to the second mixing chamber 160. Furthermore, the viruses and odor-causing molecules are distributed roughly in volume between the first mixing chamber 150 and the second mixing chamber 160.

[0041] As described above, the first mixing chamber 150 has a swirling flow with a higher wind speed than the second mixing chamber 160, and serves as a space in which a mixture of ozone and air to be purified, which contains viruses, odor-causing molecules, etc., swirls. The second mixing chamber 160 has a swirling flow with a lower wind speed than the first mixing chamber 150, and serves as a space in which a mixture of ozone and air, which contains bacteria, mold, pollen, etc., in addition to viruses and odor-causing molecules, swirls.

[0042] In the first mixing chamber 150 and the second mixing chamber 160, the mixed gas swirls, so that the air to be purified and the ozone are mixed almost uniformly. As a result, at least a portion of the air to be purified is purified by the ozone. In particular, the ozone decomposes sulfur compounds contained in the air to be purified, thereby preventing poisoning of the photocatalyst 171 and maintaining the performance of the photocatalyst. Furthermore, when the light source 120 is a two-wavelength light source, deep ultraviolet light can inactivate viruses, bacteria, etc. in the first mixing chamber 150 and the second mixing chamber 160, thereby sterilizing them.

[0043] Furthermore, dividing wall 140 is formed with through-holes 141 that allow light from light source 120 to pass from first mixing chamber 150 to second mixing chamber 160. As a result, even if second mixing chamber 160 is a smaller space than first mixing chamber 150 and the opening of second mixing chamber 160 facing light source 120 is smaller than the opening of first mixing chamber 150 facing light source 120, it is possible to obtain an amount of light sufficient to sterilize viruses, bacteria, and the like.

[0044] Furthermore, deep ultraviolet rays decompose ozone, generating active oxygen (OH radicals) that have a high sterilizing effect. In other words, deep ultraviolet rays can sterilize and deodorize the air while reducing the concentration of ozone. As described above, the air purifier 10 can purify at least a portion of the air contained in the mixed gas in the first mixing chamber 150 and the second mixing chamber 160 using ozone, sterilizing rays, and active oxygen.

[0045] The mixed gas generated inside the housing 13 flows into the first photocatalyst 171 from the first mixing chamber 150 and the second mixing chamber 160 due to the swirling flow. The first photocatalyst 171 is activated by irradiation with deep ultraviolet light, decomposing ozone to generate active oxygen, which then purifies the air contained in the mixed gas. The active oxygen can sterilize and deodorize the air more quickly than ozone, etc. Furthermore, because the active oxygen disappears more quickly than ozone, etc., almost no active oxygen flows out of the air purifier 10. The first photocatalyst 171 also decomposes organic matter that comes into contact with its surface into carbon dioxide and water vapor, thereby sterilizing mold, bacteria, viruses, etc. The first photocatalyst 171 has a structure in which titanium dioxide or the like is supported on a coarse mesh of metal or ceramic so that ultraviolet rays can reach the interior, and therefore the air that flows into the first photocatalyst 171 flows out of the photocatalyst without losing its swirling flow characteristics and flows into the ozone decomposition catalyst 172.

[0046] The ozone decomposition catalyst 172 reduces the concentration of ozone contained in the mixed gas and generates active oxygen, which has a high sterilizing effect. The active oxygen decomposes organic matter into carbon dioxide and water vapor, and can kill mold, bacteria, viruses, etc. The ozone decomposition catalyst 172 decomposes ozone on the surface that comes into contact with ozone, so it is desirable for the catalyst to have a structure with a large surface area. The ozone decomposition catalyst 172 is configured, for example, to have multiple through-holes and decompose ozone as the mixed gas passes through each of the through-holes.

[0047] The cross section of the through hole is preferably a circle, an ellipse, a polygon, or the like. When the cross section of the through hole is circular, it is preferably formed so that the diameter of the circle is about 1 mm. When the cross section of the through hole is other than circular, it is preferably formed so that the cross section area is about the area of ​​a circle with a diameter of 1 mm. A catalyst such as manganese dioxide or nickel oxide is fixed to the inner wall of the through hole.

[0048] Ozone is decomposed on the inner walls of these through-holes to generate active oxygen, which then oxidizes and decomposes organic matter and returns to oxygen. The particles to be sterilized and deodorized that flow into the through-holes are repeatedly reflected off the inner walls of the through-holes by the swirling flow, increasing their chances of coming into contact with the generated active oxygen, resulting in efficient purification within the through-holes. In other words, the concentration of active oxygen is high near the inner walls of the through-holes, and the air is purified near the inner walls of these through-holes. It is estimated that the lifetime of active oxygen is approximately 1 / 10,000 seconds, and the distance that active oxygen travels is approximately 20 μm.

[0049] As an example, the ozone decomposition catalyst 172 has a honeycomb structure in which the cross sections of the through holes are regular hexagons. This allows the ozone decomposition catalyst 172 to have a large contact area between the ozone and the catalyst while maintaining air permeability that allows the purified air to pass through to the third catalyst 173, thereby enabling efficient decomposition of ozone.

[0050] The mixed gas in first mixing chamber 150 reaches ozone decomposition catalyst 172 faster than the mixed gas in second mixing chamber 160. For example, if the longitudinal movement speed of the mixed gas in first mixing chamber 150 is approximately 1 m / s and the rotation speed of the swirling flow is approximately 300 rpm (= 50 rpm), the horizontal velocity component perpendicular to the longitudinal direction is approximately 18 m / s.

[0051] In other words, the mixed gas in the first mixing chamber 150 passes through the first photocatalyst 171 and enters the wall surface of the through-holes of the ozone decomposition catalyst 172 at an angle close to perpendicular, effectively generating active oxygen. This reduces the ozone concentration in the mixed gas, and the air in the mixed gas is purified by the active oxygen. The horizontal kinetic energy is converted into linear energy that moves along the through-holes toward the third catalyst 173, and the swirling flow that entered the ozone decomposition catalyst 172 becomes a rectified flow and moves toward the third catalyst 173. In addition, deep ultraviolet light emitted from the light source 120 passes through the through-holes of the honeycomb structure of the ozone decomposition catalyst 172 and reaches the third photocatalyst 173. Because the mixed gas reaches a high level of purity through the first photocatalyst 171 and the ozone decomposition catalyst, multiple options are available for the action of the third photocatalyst 173. The third photocatalyst 173 may be the same as the first photocatalyst 171. The first photocatalyst 171 has a greater ability to decompose organic matter that it comes into contact with than the ozone decomposition catalyst 172 in terms of sterilization and deodorization performance. As a result, sterilization and deodorization performance is improved and the amount of ozone decomposition catalyst 172 can be reduced, which is economical. Furthermore, even if the ozone catalyst 172 becomes poisoned for some reason and emits an unpleasant odor due to performance degradation, the third photocatalyst 173 is activated by ultraviolet light that passes through the through-holes and can break down the unpleasant odor, preventing it from reaching the exhaust port.

[0050] The first catalyst group 170 consists of a first photocatalyst 171, an ozone decomposition catalyst 172, and a third photocatalyst 173. However, an enzyme filter with bacteriolytic properties may be used instead of the third photocatalyst 173. In this case, airborne microorganisms can be effectively removed, improving the safety of processed foods. For example, the air purifier 10 can also be used in a rice cooking factory.

[0052] As described above, in air purifying device 10, by generating a swirling flow using blower 110, it is possible to efficiently enhance the reaction between ozone and first catalyst group 170 and also improve the ventilation capacity for exhausting air that has passed through first catalyst group 170 from exhaust port 12. Meanwhile, the mixed gas in second mixing chamber 160 moves slower in the longitudinal direction toward first catalyst group 170 than the mixed gas in first mixing chamber 150, and therefore the speed at which it passes through first catalyst group 170 is also slower. This increases the time it takes for the air contained in the mixed gas in second mixing chamber 160 to pass through first catalyst group 170, allowing the active oxygen to effectively sterilize the air over time.

[0053] The activated carbon filter 180 is provided between the first catalyst group 170 and the exhaust port 12, and the air purified by the first catalyst group 170 flows into the activated carbon filter 180, where it decomposes any ozone remaining in the air. The exhaust port 12 exhausts the air that has passed through the activated carbon filter 180 and been purified. While the first catalyst group 170 can reduce ozone to a sufficiently low concentration, if a trace amount of ozone remains in the air that flows in, the activated carbon filter 180 removes the remaining ozone, thereby reliably reducing the concentration of ozone leaking outside the air purifier 10.

[0054] The ozone decomposition capacity of the activated carbon filter 180 is determined approximately by the amount of activated carbon and the flow rate of the incoming air. As an example, the activated carbon filter 180 can be designed to reduce the residual ozone concentration by approximately 95% or more using activated carbon, so that the concentration of ozone exhausted from the exhaust port 12 is approximately 0.05 ppm or less. In other words, the air purifying device 10 according to this embodiment can purify the air by using the first catalyst group 170 and the activated carbon filter 180 to reduce the residual ozone concentration to approximately 0.05 ppm or less, which is safe for the human body.

[0055] The ozone sensor 210 is provided between the first catalyst group 170 and the activated carbon filter 180, and detects the concentration of ozone. It is desirable for the air purifying device 10 to be able to monitor that it is discharging highly safe air, and for example, to be able to detect the concentration of ozone discharged from the exhaust port 12. However, ozone detectors that can detect ozone concentrations below about 0.03 ppm are expensive and the device size is large.

[0056] Therefore, in the air purifying device 10 according to this embodiment, the ozone sensor 210 is disposed between the first catalyst group 170 and the activated carbon filter 180. The ozone sensor 210 detects whether the concentration of ozone flowing in from the first catalyst group 170 has been sufficiently reduced. For example, the ozone sensor 210 detects whether the ozone concentration is about 0.3 ppm or less.

[0057] The ozone sensor 210 is, for example, an element that uses indium-tin composite oxide. This type of ozone sensor 210 has high sensitivity to ozone in the concentration range of approximately 0.02 ppm to approximately 0.5 ppm, and can detect ozone at concentrations of 0.06 ppm or less, as defined by the Basic Environment Law.

[0058] The control unit 220 calculates the ozone concentration based on the detection result of the ozone sensor 210. The control unit 220 may output the calculated ozone concentration to a display unit or the like, or may transmit the information on the ozone concentration to a server or a user terminal or the like via a network or the like.

[0059] The control unit 220 estimates the residual ozone concentration contained in the air exhausted from the exhaust port 12, for example, by subtracting a predetermined value from the detection result of the ozone sensor 210 or by multiplying the detection result by a predetermined coefficient. Here, the predetermined value or the predetermined coefficient is a value based on at least one of the ozone decomposition capabilities of the first catalyst group 170 and the activated carbon filter 180.

[0060] For example, the predetermined value or predetermined coefficient is the amount of ozone that is reduced as a result of decomposition in the activated carbon filter 180. Furthermore, if the ozone decomposition ability of the first catalyst group 170 is sufficiently high and the ozone concentration can be reduced to below the detection limit of the ozone sensor 210, the detection result of the ozone sensor 210 will be higher than the actual ozone concentration. Therefore, the predetermined value or predetermined coefficient can be determined by measuring the ozone decomposition ability of the first catalyst group 170 in advance and measuring the tendency of the error between the detection result of the ozone sensor 210 and the actual ozone concentration.

[0061] This allows the minimum sensitivity of ozone sensor 210 to be greater than the allowable residual ozone concentration contained in the air exhausted from exhaust port 12. For example, air purifier 10 can use, as ozone sensor 210, an inexpensive ozone detector with an ozone concentration detection sensitivity of approximately 0.03 ppm to 0.5 ppm.

[0062] Furthermore, the control unit 220 may control each part of the air purifying device 10, such as the blower 110 and the light source 120. For example, based on the result of detection of the ozone concentration by the ozone sensor 210, the control unit 220 adjusts the flow rate of the swirling flow of the blower 110 so that the detection result of the ozone concentration becomes equal to or less than a predetermined value.

[0063] For example, the control unit 220 may reduce the rotation speed of the motor of the blower 110 when the ozone concentration is higher than a first threshold. The control unit 220 may increase the rotation speed of the motor when the ozone concentration is lower than a second threshold. The second threshold is a value smaller than the first threshold. Furthermore, the control unit 220 may return the rotation speed of the motor to the initial value when the ozone concentration returns to a value between the first and second thresholds.

[0064] Alternatively, the control unit 220 may adjust the timing of turning on and off the light source 120 or the light intensity based on the ozone concentration detection result by the ozone sensor 210 so that the ozone concentration detection result is equal to or less than a predetermined value. For example, when the ozone concentration is higher than a first threshold and the light source 120 is on, the control unit 220 turns off the light source 120 to reduce the amount of ozone generated. The control unit 220 adjusts the on and off times of the light source 120, and may shorten the time that the light source 120 is on when the ozone concentration is higher than the first threshold.

[0065] When the ozone concentration is lower than the second threshold, the control unit 220 may turn on the light source 120, or alternatively, may extend the time for which the light source 120 is turned on. Furthermore, when the ozone concentration returns to between the first and second thresholds, the control unit 220 may return the control method for the light source 120 to the initial value.

[0066] Alternatively, the control unit 220 may control the blower 110 and the light source 120 based on the detection result of the ozone concentration. For example, when the ozone concentration is higher than a first threshold and the light source 120 is on, the control unit 220 turns off the light source 120 while reducing the rotation speed of the motor of the blower 110. Here, the control unit 220 may extend the time for which the light source 120 is turned off. When the ozone concentration is lower than a second threshold, the control unit 220 turns on the light source 120 without changing the rotation speed of the motor of the blower 110.

[0067] When the ozone concentration is lower than a third threshold, the control unit 220 may reduce the rotation speed of the motor of the fan 110. Here, the third threshold is a value smaller than the second threshold. Furthermore, when the ozone concentration returns to a value between the first threshold and the second threshold, the control unit 220 may return the control method of the fan 110 and the light source 120 to the initial value.

[0068] Alternatively or in addition, the control unit 220 may decrease the light intensity of the light source 120 when the ozone concentration is higher than a first threshold. The control unit 220 may, for example, supply the light source 120 with a control signal that increases or decreases the value of the current that drives the light source 120. The control unit 220 may increase the light intensity of the light source 120 when the ozone concentration is lower than a second threshold. Furthermore, the control unit 220 may return the light intensity of the light source 120 to its initial value when the ozone concentration returns to a value between the first and second thresholds.

[0069] The control unit 220 may be configured with a CPU, a storage unit, etc. For example, when a computer functions as the control unit 220, the storage unit stores information such as an OS (Operating System) that causes the computer to function, and programs. The storage unit may also store various information including a database that is referenced when the program is executed. For example, the computer functions as the control unit 220 by executing a program stored in the storage unit.

[0070] The storage unit includes at least one of, for example, a ROM (Read Only Memory) that stores various programs, data, various tables, etc. executed by a computer, an EPROM (Erasable Programmable Read Only Memory) such as an EEPROM (Electrically Erasable Programmable Read Only Memory), a RAM (Random Access Memory) that serves as a working area, etc. The storage unit may also include a large-capacity storage device such as an HDD (Hard Disk Drive) and / or an SSD (Solid State Drive).

[0071] As described above, air purifying device 10 according to this embodiment generates a swirling flow inside housing 13 and purifies air in each of two mixing chambers where the swirling flow has a different flow speed. The longitudinal flow speed of the swirling flow is faster in first mixing chamber 150 than in second mixing chamber 160. As a result, the longitudinal movement speed of the mixed gas moving from first mixing chamber 150 to first catalyst group 170 is greater than the longitudinal movement speed of the mixed gas moving from second mixing chamber 160 to first catalyst group 170.

[0072] As described above, bacteria, mold, pollen, etc. move from first mixing chamber 150 to second mixing chamber 160, and therefore the air to be purified in first mixing chamber 150 contains relatively small particles to be sterilized and deodorized, such as viruses and odor-causing molecules. Such particles to be sterilized and deodorized can be sterilized and deodorized in a shorter time than bacteria, mold, pollen, etc. Therefore, in first mixing chamber 150, where the longitudinal movement speed of the mixed gas is high, air purifier 10 quickly purifies at least a portion of the viruses, odor-causing molecules, etc. using ozone, deep ultraviolet light, etc., and supplies them to the ozone decomposition catalyst.

[0073] On the other hand, the air to be purified in the second mixing chamber 160 contains bacteria, mold, pollen, etc., and therefore contains relatively large particles to be sterilized and deodorized. These particles to be sterilized and deodorized take longer to sterilize and deodorize than viruses, etc. Therefore, the air purifier 10 purifies at least a portion of the bacteria, mold, pollen, etc. over time using ozone, deep ultraviolet light, etc. in the second mixing chamber 160, where the longitudinal movement speed of the mixed gas is slow, and supplies the purified particles to the ozone decomposition catalyst.

[0074] As described above, the air purifier 10 separates particles to be sterilized and deodorized, which take a relatively long time to purify, from particles to be sterilized and deodorized, which can be purified relatively quickly, by using a swirling flow, and collects them in the second mixing chamber 160. This allows the air purifier 10 to purify and exhaust particles to be sterilized and deodorized in a time period corresponding to the particle size. Furthermore, the air purifier 10 can purify the air by effectively generating active oxygen in the first catalyst group 170. Therefore, the air purifier 10 can purify more air efficiently at low cost.

[0075] <Example of Operation Flow of Air Purifier 10> 4 shows an example of the operational flow of the air purifying device 10 according to this embodiment. For example, the air purifying device 10 is assumed to be installed in a room filled with air to be purified. The operations of the ozone sensor 210 and the control unit 220 have already been described, so a description thereof will be omitted here.

[0076] First, the control unit 220 operates the blower 110 and turns on the light source 120. The control unit 220 rotates the blower fan at a predetermined rotation speed, for example. As a result, the blower 110 generates a swirling flow that causes the air to be purified to flow from the air intake 11 into the interior of the housing 13 (S51). Furthermore, the light source 120 irradiates the air that has flowed in with vacuum ultraviolet light inside the housing 13, generating ozone (S52).

[0077] Next, in the first mixing chamber 150 and the second mixing chamber 160 inside the housing 13, the generated ozone and the inflowing air are mixed by a swirling flow to generate a mixed gas (S53). Then, the swirling flow causes a portion of the swirling flow to flow from the first mixing chamber 150 into the second mixing chamber 160 through the through-hole 141 of the dividing wall 140, and moves particles such as bacteria, mold, and pollen to the second mixing chamber 160 (S54).

[0078] Then, in the first mixing chamber 150, the air contained in the mixed gas generated in the first mixing chamber 150 is sterilized by the ozone and deep ultraviolet light, and the mixed gas is caused to flow into the first catalyst group 170 by a swirling flow (S55). This generates active oxygen that decomposes ozone, and the generated active oxygen purifies the air contained in the mixed gas.

[0079] In addition, in second mixing chamber 160, the air contained in the mixed gas generated in first mixing chamber 150 by ozone and deep ultraviolet light and the mixed gas flowing from first mixing chamber 150 into second mixing chamber 160 via through-hole 141 is sterilized, and the mixed gas is caused to flow into first catalyst group 170 by a swirling flow (S56). This generates active oxygen that decomposes ozone, and the generated active oxygen purifies the air contained in the mixed gas.

[0080] As a result, in the space between the first catalyst group 170 and the activated carbon filter 180, the air purified through the first mixing chamber 150 and the first catalyst group 170 and the air purified through the second mixing chamber 160 and the first catalyst group 170 merge together.

[0081] Here, the dividing wall 140 is configured so that the longitudinal movement speed of the mixed gas moving from the second mixing chamber 160 to the first catalyst group 170 is faster than the longitudinal movement speed of the mixed gas moving from the first mixing chamber 150 to the first catalyst group 170. become smaller Therefore, of the combined air, most of the air that has joined from second mixing chamber 160 is air that flowed into second mixing chamber 160 at an earlier time than the air that has joined from first mixing chamber 150.

[0082] Next, the air purified by the first catalyst group 170 is caused to flow into the activated carbon filter 180 by a swirling flow, where the ozone remaining in the air is decomposed (S57). The purified air is then exhausted from the exhaust port 12 by a swirling flow (S58). The air purification device 10 continues the above operations to purify the air filling the room.

[0083] <Other Configuration Examples of the Air Purifier 10> The air purifying device 10 according to the present embodiment has been described above as purifying air using ozone, deep ultraviolet light, etc. in the second mixing chamber 160, but is not limited to this. For example, the second mixing chamber 160 may further include a humidifier for humidifying the second mixing chamber 160.

[0084] It is known that moisture plays a role in the decomposition of ozone. In particular, it is known that water vapor with a similar level of ozone can efficiently generate hydroxyl radicals, which have strong oxidizing power. Therefore, the humidifier can efficiently purify bacteria, mold, pollen, etc. by increasing the humidity of the mixed gas in the second mixing chamber 160 and supplying it to the ozone decomposition catalyst 172.

[0085] Here, the molecular weight of ozone is 48, and that of water is 18. For example, a 4W constant-pressure mercury lamp generates about 5mg of ozone per hour, so if a humidifier outputs about 40mg of water per hour, equivalent to one drop of water, it can supply about 50 times the amount of water molecules as ozone. It is desirable for the humidifier to be able to output water in the form of droplets, which have a small surface area, in order to suppress evaporation.

[0086] If the humidifier is operated as calculated above, the amount of water supplied by the humidifier will be only about 180 cc in six months. In this case, the water in the humidifier tank may become spoiled. Therefore, it is desirable that the humidifier be configured to replace the air in the tank with ozone. The humidifier may also use hydrogen peroxide instead of water.

[0087] If the air purifying device 10 includes a humidifier, the control unit 220 may control the humidifier. For example, the control unit 220 may adjust the operation of the humidifier based on the ozone concentration detection result by the ozone sensor 210 so that the ozone concentration detection result is equal to or less than a predetermined value.

[0088] For example, the control unit 220 may increase the amount of water supplied by the humidifier when the ozone concentration is higher than a first threshold. The control unit 220 may decrease the amount of water supplied by the humidifier when the ozone concentration is lower than a second threshold. Furthermore, the control unit 220 may return the amount of water supplied by the humidifier to an initial value when the ozone concentration is between the first and second thresholds.

[0089] In the air purifying device 10 according to the present embodiment, the dividing wall 140 has a partial conical shape, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the cross-sectional shape of the dividing wall 140 perpendicular to the longitudinal direction may be an ellipse, or alternatively, a polygon with rounded corners. If the cross-sectional shape is a polygon, it is preferable that the number of vertices is an odd number, such as three or more, such as a pentagon.

[0090] Furthermore, the center position of the light source 120 may be shifted by a predetermined distance from the central axis of the longitudinal direction of the housing 13. Alternatively, the central axis of the longitudinal direction of the dividing wall 140 may be shifted by a predetermined distance from the central axis of the longitudinal direction of the housing 13. These configurations can reduce bias in the distribution of ultraviolet light caused by multiple reflections of light inside the first mixing chamber 150, etc.

[0091] Furthermore, the surface of dividing wall 140 facing first mixing chamber 150 may be provided with recesses and / or protrusions that do not interfere with the swirling flow (to the extent that air resistance is hardly increased). Such recesses, protrusions, etc. create vortices that are smaller than the swirling flow, capturing and convecting fine particles, etc. This allows for time-consuming purification of fine particles, even if they remain in first mixing chamber 150 and are larger than viruses.

[0092] Meanwhile, recesses and / or protrusions may be provided on the surface of dividing wall 140 facing second mixing chamber 160 to increase the air resistance of the swirling flow. In addition, recesses and / or protrusions may also be provided on the surface of housing 13 that forms second mixing chamber 160 (the surface of housing 13 that faces second mixing chamber 160). <Other Configuration Examples of the Section of the Dividing Wall of the Air Purifying Device 10>

[0093] Fig. 3 shows an example of the cross-sectional configuration of the air purifying device 10 according to this embodiment. Fig. 3 shows a B-B' cross-sectional view of the air purifying device 10 shown in Fig. 1. This shows an example in which a second photocatalyst group 300 is provided in the second mixing chamber of the through-hole 141 of the partition wall 140. The second photocatalyst group 300 is installed close to the partition wall 140 so as to cover the through-hole 141. The second photocatalyst group 300 is composed of a plurality of photocatalyst pieces. The side of the photocatalyst piece along the outer side of the partition wall in the direction of the catalyst group 170 may be in contact with the partition wall 140 . In an embodiment in which the diameter of the blower 110 is 12 cm, the photocatalytic piece is 1 cm thick, 5 cm wide along the outer circle of the partition wall (XY plane), and 10 cm long in the longitudinal direction (Z axis) along the outer side of the partition wall.

[0092] The photocatalytic pieces of the second photocatalyst group 300 are arranged so that air moving into the second mixing chamber via the through-holes 141 passes through the second photocatalyst reliably. In the cross-sectional view of FIG. 3, the photocatalytic piece is shown to have a unilateral shape, but it may also have a polygonal or arc shape. The thickness, width and length of the photocatalytic pieces are merely examples and are not particularly limited.

[0093] Since the holes in the photocatalytic pieces of the second photocatalyst group 300 are large, the second photocatalyst group 300 is unlikely to obstruct the passage of particles or deep ultraviolet rays that have passed through the through-holes 141. However, on the other hand, it can generate resistance to the flow of mixed air in the second mixing chamber, slowing down the speed to some extent. The mixed gas, moving at a slower speed than in the first mixing chamber, comes into contact with the surface of the second photocatalyst group 300 on the dividing wall 140 side, which has been activated by irradiation with deep ultraviolet light that has passed through the through-holes 141, and decomposes the bacteria contained in the mixed gas to some extent. In addition, the mixed gas that has passed through the holes in the photocatalytic pieces of the second photocatalyst 300 hits the surface of the second photocatalyst 300 on the side of the inner wall of the housing. The deep ultraviolet light that has passed through the holes in the photocatalytic pieces is reflected by the inner wall of the housing 13, activating the surface of the photocatalytic pieces on the side of the inner wall of the housing, and decomposing bacteria in the mixed gas that it comes into contact with through oxidation. Of course, the deep ultraviolet light also increases the chance of sterilizing bacteria etc. in the mixed gas, which has a slightly slower sterilization rate. As a result, many bacteria that have large molecules can be killed.

[0094] In addition, the second photocatalyst 300 has superhydrophilicity, so when droplets hit it, they spread over the catalyst surface, increasing the humidity in the second mixing chamber. Of the active oxygen species obtained by ozone decomposition, hydroxyl radicals generated by reaction with water have the highest oxidizing power, so an increase in humidity enhances the sterilization effect in the second mixing chamber.

[0094] The present invention has been described above using embodiments, but the technical scope of the present invention is not limited to the scope described in the above embodiments, and various modifications and changes are possible within the scope of the gist of the present invention. For example, all or part of the device can be configured by functionally or physically distributing or integrating any unit. Furthermore, new embodiments resulting from any combination of multiple embodiments are also included in the embodiments of the present invention. The effects of the new embodiments resulting from the combination also have the effects of the original embodiments. [Explanation of symbols]

[0095] 10 Air Purifier 11 Air intake 12 Exhaust port 13. Cabinet 14 Filters 110 Blower 120 light source 130 Shade 140 dividing wall 141 Through hole 150 1st mixing room 160 2nd mixing room 170 1st catalyst group 171 1st photocatalyst 172 Ozone decomposition catalyst 173 Third Catalyst 200 activated carbon filter 210 Ozone Sensor 220 Control Unit 300 2nd photocatalyst group 301 2nd photocatalyst piece 1 302 2nd photocatalyst piece 2 303 2nd photocatalyst piece 3 304 2nd photocatalyst piece 4

Claims

1. a housing having an intake port and an exhaust port; a blower that generates a swirling flow that causes the air to be purified to flow into the housing through the intake port and exhausts the purified air from the exhaust port; a light source configured to irradiate the air that has flowed into the housing with vacuum ultraviolet light to generate ozone; a dividing wall dividing a space between the light source and the exhaust port, in which the generated ozone and the inflowing air are mixed by the swirling flow to generate a mixed gas, into a first mixing chamber and a second mixing chamber; a first catalyst group including at least a photocatalyst and an ozone decomposition catalyst, into which the generated mixed gas flows due to the swirling flow, decomposing the ozone to generate active oxygen, and purifying the air contained in the mixed gas with the generated active oxygen; Equipped with The dividing wall is a space in which the mixed gas is generated is divided into two regions, and the longitudinal movement speed of the mixed gas moving from the second mixing chamber to the first catalyst group is set to be smaller than the longitudinal movement speed of the mixed gas moving from the first mixing chamber to the ozone decomposition catalyst, a through-hole for allowing a portion of the swirling flow to flow from the first mixing chamber to the second mixing chamber; Air purifier.

2. The first catalyst group is configured in the downstream direction of the mixed gas in the order of at least a photocatalyst and an ozone decomposition catalyst. The air purifying device according to claim 1 .

3. 2. The air purification device according to claim 1, wherein the second mixing chamber comprises a second catalyst group.

4. the housing has a cylindrical shape with a longitudinal direction extending from the intake port toward the exhaust port, The second mixing chamber is provided at a position farther from the central axis of the housing in the longitudinal direction than the first mixing chamber. The air purifying device according to claim 1 .

5. 10. The air purifying device of claim 1, further comprising a humidifier for humidifying the second mixing chamber.

6. The air purifying device according to claim 1 , wherein the light source irradiates the air with the vacuum ultraviolet light containing light having a wavelength of 185 nm and the deep ultraviolet light containing light having a wavelength of 254 nm.

7. 2. The air purifying device according to claim 1, further comprising a light shielding plate that blocks and reduces light emitted by the light source that leaks from the air intake port to the outside of the housing, while reflecting light directed toward the blower into the space in which the first mixing chamber or the second mixing chamber is located.

8. 8. The air purification device according to claim 1, further comprising an ozone sensor provided between the first catalyst group and the exhaust port, the ozone sensor detecting a concentration of the ozone.

9. 10. The air purifying device of claim 9, further comprising a control unit that adjusts at least one of the flow rate of the swirling flow of the blower, the timing of turning on and off the light source, and the light intensity of the light source based on the detection result of the ozone concentration by the ozone sensor, so that the detection result of the ozone concentration becomes equal to or less than a predetermined value.

10. A method for purifying air using a housing having an air intake port and an exhaust port facing the air intake port, comprising: generating a swirling flow that causes the air to be purified to flow from the air intake into the housing; generating ozone by irradiating the air that has flowed into the housing with vacuum ultraviolet light; a step of mixing the generated ozone and the inflowing air by the swirling flow in the first mixing chamber and the second mixing chamber inside the housing to generate a mixed gas; a partition wall that separates the first mixing chamber and the second mixing chamber, the partition wall having a through-hole that allows a portion of the swirling flow to flow from the first mixing chamber into the second mixing chamber; causing the mixed gas generated in the first mixing chamber to flow into the first catalyst group by the swirling flow to generate active oxygen that decomposes the ozone, and purifying the air contained in the mixed gas with the generated active oxygen; causing the mixed gas generated in the second mixing chamber and the mixed gas flowing from the first mixing chamber through the through-hole to flow into the second mixing chamber through the first catalyst group by the swirling flow to generate active oxygen that decomposes the ozone, and purifying the air contained in the mixed gas with the generated active oxygen; discharging the purified air from the exhaust port by the swirling flow; and the dividing wall divides the space in which the mixed gas is generated into two regions, and is provided so that the longitudinal movement speed of the mixed gas moving from the second mixing chamber to the first catalyst group is smaller than the longitudinal movement speed of the mixed gas moving from the first mixing chamber to the first catalyst group. The air purification method.

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