Fluid sterilization apparatus

Abstract

To provide a fluid sterilization apparatus capable of exerting a sterilization function and reliable inactivation to highly infectious viruses or common bacteria etc.SOLUTION: A fluid sterilization apparatus has a structure in which a polygonal and cylindrical apparatus body 1, a polygonal rectification part 2 installed inside the apparatus body 1, an arc-shaped groove 3 having a mirror surface at a bottom face disposed at the rectification part, an inflow side connection part 4, and an outflow side connection part 5 are respectively connected to the apparatus body 1 by flange connection parts 6, 7. A blade driving part 8 is attached at an interval with the rectification part 2 within the inflow side connection part 4. Further, a deep ultraviolet LED at an outer face of the apparatus body 1 irradiates, with irradiation light 10, a fluid flowing in the arc-shaped groove 3 having the mirror surface at the bottom face of the rectification part 2 inside from a window of the opening part, so that the fluid is effectively sterilized.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention provides a fluid sterilization device that inactivates viruses and disinfects general bacteria in fluids such as water and air flowing through pipes installed in manufacturing plants, various facilities, offices, and ordinary homes. To use this device, if the target fluid is water, installing this fluid sterilization device in the water supply pipe will inactivate and disinfect viruses contained in the water flowing through the pipe, thereby providing clean water. Furthermore, when delivering water from a water purification plant or factory water storage tank, physical sterilization such as that of the present invention does not pose any safety hazards other than chemical sterilization methods such as chlorine agents, and safe, high-quality water can be provided. Furthermore, if the target fluid is air, for example, connecting this fluid sterilization device to the ceiling pipe that brings outdoor air into the building will effectively inactivate and disinfect viruses in the air, allowing clean, safe air to be introduced into the room. Generally, ventilation fans have two functions: one is to exhaust indoor air outdoors, and the other is to supply outdoor air indoors. When bringing outdoor air indoors, it is common for the air to be brought in as is, potentially containing viruses and various bacteria. However, if outdoor air that has not been sterilized or inactivated is brought into the room as is, it can cause virus infection and various bacteria to harm health even while indoors. In addition, there are many places that require clean ventilation through intake and exhaust, such as large facilities where many people gather, food and beverage factories, medical and nursing care facilities, precision equipment factories, various research laboratories, general offices, and household rooms. [Background technology]

[0002] Generally, sterilization of water or air flowing through pipes has not been widely practiced. Furthermore, until now, there have been few indoor air supply devices with additional functions. The global spread of the novel coronavirus has been ongoing for several years, and in addition to the novel coronavirus, there are concerns about the future spread of influenza and various other viruses. When the target fluid is air, this invention focuses on measures to supply air to indoor spaces. Even when the target fluid is water, ensuring safe water is an important infrastructure element for general drinking water and food and beverage factories. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2019-141292 [Patent Document 2] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2017-87104 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] In Patent Document 1, a fluid sterilization device 1 includes a cylindrical body 5 having a flow path through which the fluid to be sterilized flows in the axial direction, a light source 3 having ultraviolet LEDs that emit ultraviolet light toward the fluid, and a rectifying unit 8 disposed inside the cylindrical body 5 on the side of an inlet 5a through which the fluid flows and rectifies the flow of the fluid. The rectifying unit 8 is composed of multiple rectifying plates 8A, 8B spaced apart from each other in the axial direction and each having multiple holes through which the fluid passes. The rectifying unit is also characterized by comprising at least a first rectifying plate disposed closest to the inlet and a second rectifying plate disposed downstream of the first rectifying plate in the flow path, and the size of each hole of the second rectifying plate is smaller than the size of each hole of the first rectifying plate. Patent Document 1's main selling point is the configuration of the rectifying plates. However, a problem with this cited patent document 1 is that although the fluid is straightened immediately after passing through the first and second straightening plates installed immediately after the inlet, near the irradiation position of the LED light source, which is away from the straightening plates, the laminar flow state becomes disrupted and turbulent, especially when the outflow direction changes at a right angle to the inflow direction, resulting in an uneven flow rate and a large difference in sterilization performance due to differences in flow rate within the pipe.There is also the problem of increased flow resistance when the flow path changes direction at a right angle. In addition, in Patent Document 2, in order to provide a fluid sterilization device with improved purification capacity, The fluid sterilization device 10 includes a housing 12 defining a longitudinal flow path 13, a filter 40 disposed within the housing 12 and extending longitudinally, and a light source 50 having a light-emitting element 52 emitting ultraviolet light and irradiating the ultraviolet light toward the fluid flowing through the filter 40 in a laminar flow state. The filter 40 may be a hollow fiber membrane filter. The light source 50 may be configured to irradiate ultraviolet light in the longitudinal direction. In the case of Patent Document 2, the light-emitting element irradiates the fluid flowing through the flow path after passing through the filter extending longitudinally within the tube in a direction parallel to the flow. This results in a lack of a rectifying function to uniformize the fluid velocity. Furthermore, the flow velocity cannot be uniformly adjusted, with the center of the tube being the fastest, depending on the cross-sectional position within the tube, resulting in variations in flow velocity, which results in inferior sterilization performance.

[0005] The present invention was conceived in light of the above and aims to solve the problems described in Prior Art Documents 1 and 2. Specifically, the present invention provides a rectifying section that regulates the flow of the inflowing fluid near the inner wall of the tube, thereby dispersing it evenly in a polygonal pattern, thereby preventing the flow velocity from varying depending on the cross-section of the tube (i.e., the maximum flow velocity is near the center of the tube). Furthermore, by irradiating the fluid in the arc-shaped grooves of the rectifying section from the outside of the polygonal cylindrical device body with a deep-ultraviolet LED, the fluid can be uniformly irradiated, thereby improving the sterilization effect. Furthermore, by providing a mirror-like bottom surface of the arc-shaped grooves of the rectifying section, the light reflection effect can achieve a higher sterilization effect. This configuration provides a sterilization device that can fully inactivate highly infectious viruses contained in fluids flowing through the tube and also effectively sterilize all common bacteria. The deep-ultraviolet LEDs used in the present invention have a wavelength of 220 to 300 nm. University research institutes, companies, and others have demonstrated that their inactivation and sterilization effects against the novel coronavirus and all common bacteria are over 99% under certain conditions, and this has been published in papers and other publications. Users of the fluid sterilization device of the present invention can provide a sterilization device with new sterilization functions by adding this fluid sterilization device to the middle of a piping path for a fluid flowing through a pipe. For example, if the target fluid is water, adding this fluid sterilization device to the middle of a piping path that supplies water from a water storage tank to a specified location can supply sterilized, clean, and safe water to the desired location. Furthermore, if the target fluid is air, when outdoor air is supplied to a room through a piping in the ceiling, sterilization is performed inside this fluid sterilization device, which is connected to the middle of the piping. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] When the target fluid is water, the fluid sterilization device of the present invention can easily perform its sterilization function by adding it to the middle of the piping when supplying water to food and beverage factories, water purification plants, medical and nursing care facilities, etc. Furthermore, when the target fluid is air, it can be used as a device that can perform sterilization while ventilating in rooms of large facilities, food and beverage factories, precision equipment factories, medical and nursing care institutions, livestock houses such as poultry farms, general offices, and indoor spaces in homes. Furthermore, the fluid sterilization device of the present invention can be effectively used as a means of solving problems that require reliable inactivation and sterilization measures against highly infectious viruses and common bacteria. An embodiment of the fluid sterilization device of the present invention will be described. The fluid sterilization device of the present invention comprises a polygonal cylindrical device main body 1 having a hollow interior and openings allowing flow between the inlet and outlet sides; a polygonal rectifying section 2 incorporated within the device main body 1; an arc-shaped groove 3 with a mirrored bottom located in a position corresponding to the polygonal shape of the rectifying section 2; an inlet-side connector 4; and an outlet-side connector 5, which are connected to the device main body 1 by flange connectors 6 and 7. A blade drive unit 8 is located between the inlet-side connector 4 and the rectifying section 2, and a deep-ultraviolet LED 9 is attached to the outside of the device main body 1 so that it can irradiate light 10 from a window in the opening toward the fluid flowing within the arc-shaped groove 3 of the rectifying section 2. Furthermore, although not shown, an electrical control unit 11 is also included for electrically controlling the blade drive unit 8 and the deep-ultraviolet LED 9. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] According to the present invention, for example, when the target fluid is water, the water passing through the piping from the inlet-side connector 4 is accelerated by the rotation of the impeller drive unit 8, and the flow velocity difference within the pipe is equalized by the flow straightener 2 attached to the cylindrical device body 1, and the water flows through the polygonal arc-shaped groove 3 with a mirrored surface in the flow straightener 2 near the inner wall of the device body 1. As the water flows through this groove 3 with a mirrored bottom, the light 10 emitted from the deep-ultraviolet LED 9 attached to the outer periphery of the device body is amplified by the reflection effect of the mirrored bottom surface of the arc-shaped groove 3, and the water is uniformly sterilized. Furthermore, when the target fluid is air, the same process as for water is followed to inactivate and sterilize viruses and bacteria contained in the air. Through the above-mentioned fluid operation, the deep-ultraviolet LED sterilizes the fluid, inactivating and sterilizing viruses and bacteria suspended in the fluid within the sterilization space. Furthermore, in the sterilization space within the mirror-finished groove 3 inside the device body 1, whose cross-section has a total cross-sectional area greater than the cross-sectional area of ​​the inlet and outlet connection sections, the fluid velocity slows inversely proportional to the cross-sectional area, improving the sterilization effect of the deep-UV LED. Furthermore, the flow velocity is equalized within the cross-section of the arc-shaped groove of the rectifier attached immediately after the blade drive unit inside the device case. Furthermore, since the cross-sectional flow velocity distribution within a typical pipe is a parabola with the fastest velocity at the center of the pipe, the installation of this rectifier allows the fluid to pass evenly through positions closer to the inner wall of the device case and the irradiation light source, rather than passing through the central area where the flow velocity is high, thereby improving the sterilization effect. The polygonal shapes of the device body 1 and the rectifier 2 can be determined within a range from a triangle to a decagon. Furthermore, the rectifier 2 is attached to the device body 1 with its rotation direction regulated by the corners of the polygonal shape of the device body 1, and the flow direction is also regulated, allowing it to be easily attached and detached within the device body. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a front cross-sectional view of a fluid sterilization device according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] 1 is a plan view of a fluid sterilization device according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Figure 3] 1 is a left side view of a fluid sterilization system according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Figure 4] 1 is a right side cross-sectional view of a fluid sterilization device according to an embodiment of the present invention; DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0009] A fluid sterilization device according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to Figures 1 to 4. In all the following drawings, the dimensions and proportions of the components are shown differently as appropriate to facilitate understanding. [Example]

[0010] As shown in Figures 1 to 4, in this embodiment of the fluid sterilization device of the present invention, when the target fluid is water, for example, the water passing through the piping from the inlet-side connector 4 flows through the arc-shaped grooves 3 provided in the flow straightening section 2 inside the device body 1, with the rotation of the blade drive section 8 equalizing the flow velocity differences across the cross section of the pipe. As the water flows, it is irradiated with light 10 from a deep-ultraviolet LED 9, which irradiates the water flowing through the arc-shaped grooves 3, which have mirror-finished bottoms, for uniform and effective sterilization. Furthermore, when the target fluid is air, the same processes as those for water are carried out to inactivate and sterilize viruses and bacteria contained in the air. [Industrial Applicability]

[0011] In industrial applications, when the fluid is water, the fluid sterilization device is connected to the piping of the water supply route in facilities requiring purified water, such as water purification facilities, food and beverage factories, and medical and nursing care facilities. When the fluid is air, the device is installed indoors in large facilities where many people gather, in the ceilings of food and beverage companies, medical and welfare facilities, research institutes, precision equipment factories, poultry farms, general offices, and household rooms. By connecting the fluid sterilization device to the piping that draws and supplies outdoor air indoors, it is possible to inactivate and sterilize airborne viruses, thereby supplying purified air indoors. Reference symbols: Device body 1, rectifying unit 2, mirrored arc-shaped groove 3, inlet-side connector 4, outlet-side connector 5, flange connectors 6 and 7, blade drive unit 8, deep-ultraviolet LED 9, irradiation light 10, electrical control unit 11 (not shown).

[0012]

Claims

1. A fluid sterilization device comprising a device main body having a hollow cylindrical polygonal interior and having openings on the inlet and outlet sides that allow flow, an inlet pipe connection part, and an outlet pipe connection part, characterized in that the device is also composed of a flow straightening part that is arranged inside the device main body parallel to the flow path and has an arc-shaped groove on the outer periphery of the polygon that regulates and directs the flow, and an LED as sterilization means that emits light from the outer periphery of the device main body toward the fluid in the arc-shaped groove of the internal polygonal flow straightening part.

2. The fluid sterilization device according to claim 1, wherein the LED of the sterilization means irradiated toward the fluid in the arc-shaped groove of the rectifying part in the polygonal device body is a deep ultraviolet LED that emits light in the wavelength range of 220 to 300 nm.

3. The fluid sterilization device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the sum of the cross-sectional areas of the fluid flowing through the arc-shaped grooves of the flow straightening portion on the inside of the polygonal device body is larger than the cross-sectional area of ​​the inlet pipe connecting portion or the outlet pipe connecting portion.

4. 4. The fluid sterilization device according to claim 1, 2, or 3, wherein the bottom surface of the arc-shaped groove of the flow straightening portion on the inside of the polygonal device body is formed as a mirror surface.

5. 5. The fluid sterilization device according to claim 1, 2, 3, or 4, further comprising a blade drive unit for increasing the speed of the fluid between the inlet pipe connection part and a flow straightening part for regulating the flow.

Images