Air treatment system and air treatment method

Abstract

An air treatment system 100 for treating air in a living space 1. The air treatment system includes an air preparation module 3 and a cryogenic module 5. The air preparation module 3 is configured to receive extracted air from the living space 1 and convert the extracted air into dry air by increasing the pressure of the extracted air to increase the density and reduce the moisture content of the extracted air. The cryogenic module 5 is coupled to the air preparation module 3 to receive the dry air and is configured to reduce the temperature of the dry air to separate and remove at least a portion of at least one component of the dry air from the dry air, thereby converting the dry air into treated air for transport into the living space 1.

Description

Technical Field

[0006]

[0001] The present invention relates to an air treatment system and an air treatment method.

Background Art

[0002] The quality of air in a living space is important for maintaining or improving the quality of life and health of the occupants in the living space. The quality of air in a living space is usually controlled by an air conditioning system that adjusts the temperature and humidity of the air and recirculates it within the space. Some air conditioners also include a particle filter that reduces the particle content in the air. However, while air conditioning can improve the overall comfort of the room occupants, it cannot significantly improve the quality of the air actually breathed.

[0003] If there are more people living in a space than expected, and / or for a long period of time, the quality of the air in the living space will deteriorate due to the accumulation of carbon dioxide. As a result, the occupants of the living space may become fatigued.

[0004] Some air purification systems contribute to improving air quality by reducing the amount of non-oxygen components in the air. However, many air purification systems have limited ranges and degrees of pollutant removal.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0005]

Patent Document 1

Patent Document 2

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0006] An object of at least preferred embodiments of the present invention is to provide an air treatment system and an air treatment method that improve the air quality of living spaces, and / or to provide a useful alternative for at least the public. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] In a first aspect of the present invention, an air treatment system is provided for treating the air of a living space, comprising: an air preparation module configured to receive extracted air from the living space and to convert the extracted air into dry air by increasing the pressure of the extracted air to increase its density and decrease its moisture content; and a cryogenic module connected to the air preparation module to receive the dry air and to convert the dry air into treated air for transport into the living space by lowering the temperature of the dry air to separate and remove at least a portion of at least one component of the dry air.

[0008] In some embodiments, the air treatment system further includes an air handling module connected to the air treatment system and configured to extract the air from the living space and transport it to the air preparation module, and / or to receive the treated air from the cryogenic module and transport it into the living space.

[0009] In some embodiments, the air treatment system is configured such that the volumetric flow rate and / or pressure increase of the extracted air received by the air preparation module is determined by at least one current characteristic of at least one component of the air in the living space.

[0010] In some embodiments, the cryogenic module includes at least one heat exchanger through which the dry air and the processed air pass, the at least one heat exchanger configured to capture at least a portion of the at least one component of the dry air, thereby separating and removing at least a portion of the at least one component from the dry air, and at least one cryogenic cooler connected to the at least one heat exchanger and configured to control the temperature of the at least one heat exchanger.

[0011] In some embodiments, the air preparation module includes a compressor configured to increase the pressure and density of the extracted air; a moisture collection unit configured to capture moisture from the extracted air while and / or after the pressure and density of the extracted air are increasing; and at least one particle filter configured to capture particulate matter from the extracted air after the moisture content of the extracted air has decreased.

[0012] In some embodiments, the air treatment system further includes a nitrogen emission module configured to receive at least a portion of the dry air in order to reduce the concentration or partial pressure of nitrogen components in the dry air before the cryogenic module receives the dry air.

[0013] In some embodiments, the volumetric flow rate of at least a portion of the dry air received by the nitrogen discharge module is determined by the concentration of the oxygen component in the dry air and / or the concentration of the oxygen component in the air within the living space.

[0014] In some embodiments, the air treatment system further includes a nitrogen discharge module configured to receive at least a portion of the treated air in order to reduce the concentration or partial pressure of the nitrogen component of the treated air before transporting the treated air to the living space.

[0015] In some embodiments, the volumetric flow rate of at least a portion of the treated air received by the nitrogen discharge module is determined by the concentration of the oxygen component in the treated air and / or the concentration of the oxygen component in the air within the living space.

[0016] In some embodiments, the cryogenic module is configured such that at least a portion of the energy required to lower the temperature of the dry air as it passes through the at least one heat exchanger is recovered by the treated air passing through the at least one heat exchanger.

[0017] In some embodiments, the air treatment system is configured to recover at least some of the energy required to increase the density of the extracted air by guiding the treated air through an expansion device connected to the compressor before the treated air is transported to the living space.

[0018] In some embodiments, the air treatment system further includes a purging unit configured to remove at least a portion of the at least one component of the dry air captured by the at least one heat exchanger from the at least one heat exchanger.

[0019] In some embodiments, the air treatment system is configured to guide the dry air from the air preparation module into the living space when at least a portion of the at least one component of the dry air is removed from the at least one heat exchanger by the purging equipment.

[0020] In some embodiments, the low-temperature module is configured such that the amount of temperature reduction of the dry air is determined by at least one characteristic of at least one component of the air in the living space.

[0021] In some embodiments, the at least one characteristic of the at least one component of the air in the living space includes a condensation temperature and / or a desublimation temperature.

[0022] In some embodiments, the at least one current characteristic of the at least one component of the air in the living space includes the concentration of the at least one component or the partial pressure of the at least one component, and the at least one component of the air in the living space and the at least one component of the dry air include an oxygen component, a carbon dioxide component, a nitrogen component, a sulfur dioxide component, a formaldehyde component, a hydrogen sulfide component, a carbon disulfide component, or an ozone component.

[0023] In some embodiments, the air treatment system is configured to increase the concentration or partial pressure of the oxygen component of the treated air before transporting the treated air to the living space.

[0024] In some embodiments, the air handling module is configured to measure and control the temperature, pressure, density, and / or humidity of the treated air before transporting the treated air to the living space.

[0025] In some embodiments, the air handling module includes an air conditioning system.

[0026] In a second aspect of the present invention, a method for treating air in a living space includes extracting the air from the living space, converting the extracted air into dry air by increasing the pressure of the extracted air so as to increase the density of the extracted air and reduce the moisture content of the extracted air, converting the dry air into treated air by reducing the temperature of the dry air so as to separate and remove at least a part of at least one component of the dry air, and transporting the treated air into the living space.

[0027] In some embodiments, the method further includes the steps of measuring at least one current characteristic of at least one component of the air in the living space, and controlling the volumetric flow rate of the extracted air received by the air preparation module and / or the amount of pressure increase of the extracted air based on the measured at least one current characteristic.

[0028] In some embodiments, the method further includes the step of measuring the concentration of the oxygen component in the dry air and / or the concentration of the oxygen component in the air within the living space before the temperature of the dry air decreases, and reducing the concentration or partial pressure of the nitrogen component in the dry air based on the measured concentrations.

[0029] In some embodiments, the method further includes measuring the concentration of the oxygen component in the treated air and / or the concentration of the oxygen component in the air within the living space before transporting the treated air to the living space, and reducing the concentration or partial pressure of the nitrogen component in the treated air based on the measured concentrations.

[0030] In some embodiments, the method further includes the step of controlling the amount of temperature reduction of the dry air based on at least one characteristic of the at least one component of the air in the living space.

[0031] In some embodiments, the at least one property of the at least one component includes a condensation temperature and / or a desublimation temperature.

[0032] In some embodiments, the measured at least one current characteristic of the at least one component of the air in the living space and the measured at least one current characteristic of the at least one component of the dry air include the concentration of the at least one component or the partial pressure of the at least one component, wherein the at least one component of the air in the living space and the at least one component of the dry air include an oxygen component, a carbon dioxide component, a nitrogen component, a sulfur dioxide component, a formaldehyde component, a hydrogen sulfide component, a hydrogen disulfide component, or an ozone component.

[0033] In some embodiments, the method further includes the step of increasing the concentration or partial pressure of the oxygen component of the treated air before transporting the treated air to the living space.

[0034] In some embodiments, the method further includes measuring and controlling the temperature, pressure, density, and / or humidity of the treated air before transporting it to the living space.

[0035] In some embodiments, the method is carried out using an air treatment system of the first aspect of the present invention as outlined above or herein.

[0036] As used herein and in the claims, the term "...including..." means "at least a portion of... consists of...". When interpreting any statement containing the term "...including..." in this specification and in the claims, other features may exist in addition to the feature beginning with that term in each statement. Related terms such as "including" and "contained" are interpreted similarly.

[0037] References to numerical ranges disclosed herein (e.g., 1 to 10) also incorporate references to all rational numbers within those ranges (e.g., 1, 1.1, 2, 3, 3.9, 4, 5, 6, 6.5, 7, 8, 9, and 10) and any range of rational numbers within those ranges (e.g., 2 to 8, 1.5 to 5.5, and 3.1 to 4.7). Thus, all subranges of all ranges expressly disclosed herein are expressly disclosed herein. These are merely examples of what is specifically intended, and all possible combinations of numerical values ​​between the listed minimum and maximum values ​​should be considered expressly described herein in a similar manner.

[0038] The present invention may also, in a broader sense, include any parts, elements, and features referred to or shown individually or collectively in the specification of this application, as well as any or all combinations of any two or more such parts, elements, or features.

[0039] Those skilled in the art will be able to see many modifications to the structure of the invention, as well as a wide range of different embodiments and uses, without departing from the scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims. The disclosures and descriptions herein are purely illustrative and are not intended to limit in any sense. Where any particular integer referred to herein has a known equivalent in the art to which the invention relates, such known equivalent is deemed to be incorporated herein as if it were separately stated.

[0040] As used herein, the term "(plural(s))" following a noun means the plural and / or singular form of that noun.

[0041] As used herein, the term "and / or" means "and" or "or," or both, where the context allows both.

[0042] The present invention consists of the above-mentioned elements, and also envisions structures that are shown below as examples only.

[0043] Here, the present invention will be described only as an example, with reference to the attached drawings. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0044] [Figure 1] Figure 1 shows a schematic layout of an exemplary embodiment of the air treatment system. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0045] Figure 1 shows a schematic layout of an exemplary embodiment of the present invention. This embodiment is used to illustrate the general operating principle and features of the air treatment system, but may include features specific to this embodiment and / or optional features in the general functions of the air treatment system.

[0046] The air treatment system 100 shown in Figure 1 is provided for treating the air in a living space 1. The system 100 mainly consists of two main modules: an air preparation module 3 and a cryogenic module 5.

[0047] The living space may be any suitable space, such as a room, an office, or any other interior space for accommodating occupants. The system may operate on or be configured for living spaces of different sizes and / or spaces with different numbers of occupants. For example, the air treatment system 100 may be configured to treat the air in small living spaces with only one occupant, such as a room in a typical home or a medium-sized room for multiple occupants, or in large living spaces with hundreds or thousands of occupants, such as an auditorium or a stadium.

[0048] As illustrated by the extraction air line 7, which is shown extending from the living space 1, the air preparation module 3 is configured to receive air extracted from the living space 1. The air preparation module 3 is configured to increase the pressure of the extracted air in order to increase the density of the extracted air and decrease the moisture content of the extracted air. This converts the extracted air into substantially dry air. The air preparation module 3 will be described in more detail below.

[0049] For example, normal air generally contains 6 to 10 grams of water per cubic meter. In some compositions, dry air contains less than approximately 0.75 grams of water per cubic meter, and in some cases, less than approximately 0.5 grams of water per cubic meter.

[0050] The cryogenic module 5 is connected to the air preparation module 3 to receive dry air from the air preparation module 3. The dry air is supplied by a dry air line 9 that extends from the air preparation module 3 and is directed into the cryogenic module 5. The cryogenic module 5 is configured to separate and remove at least a portion of at least one component of the dry air by lowering its temperature. This effectively converts the dry air into treated air for transport into the living space 1. The treated air is returned to the living space via the treated air line 11. The features of the cryogenic module 5, which is responsible for this conversion, are described in more detail below.

[0051] This specification describes various components of a system that is "connected" to one another. Generally, this should be interpreted as the components being in fluid communication with one another, such as allowing a fluid, such as a gas, to move between them.

[0052] Figure 1 also shows that the living space 1 is connected to the air handling module 13. The air handling module 13 itself is also connected to the air processing system 100. The air handling module 13 is configured to extract air from the living space 1 and transport it to the air preparation module 3. Alternatively or additionally, the air handling module 13 is configured to receive processed air from the cryogenic module 5 and transport it into the living space 1. Thus, the air handling module 13 is shown to include at least a portion of the extraction air line 7 and the processed air line 11, respectively, from and leading into the living space 1.

[0053] In this way, the air handling module 13 is primarily responsible for extracting and returning air from the living space 1, thereby recirculating it. Furthermore, the air handling module 13 is configured to measure and control the temperature, pressure, density, and / or humidity of the treated air before transporting it to the living space 1. The air handling module 13 may also measure and monitor the temperature, pressure, density, and / or humidity of the extracted air before transporting it to the air preparation module 3 of the air treatment system 100.

[0054] These functions are performed by the air handling unit 15 shown in Figure 1, which may include components such as a fan 17 for extracting / returning / recirculating air from the living space 1, a filter 19 for capturing any particles circulating within the air handling module 13, a humidity control device 21 such as a humidifier, and a temperature control device 23 such as a heat exchanger.

[0055] Those skilled in the art will understand that the air handling unit 15 may include any conventional air handling system, such as an air conditioning system for a building housing the living space 1. Therefore, the air handling module 13 may be an air conditioning system, or may include an air conditioning system.

[0056] The fact that the air handling module 13 is located outside the air treatment system 100, separate from it, demonstrates the compatibility of the air treatment system 100 with existing air handling systems in the living space. This compatibility allows the air treatment system 100 to treat the air in a living space where an air handling system or air conditioning system is already provided.

[0057] However, in some embodiments, the air handling module 13 may form part of or be housed within the air treatment system 100. Such embodiments may be used to treat the air in a living space that does not have an air handling system or air conditioning system. In such embodiments, the air handling module 13 still includes the same features and operating principles as described above, but they are integrated between the output of the cryogenic module 5 and the re-entry of the treated air into the living space 1 along, for example, a treated air line 11.

[0058] In either case, the air treatment system 100 is positioned to treat the air within the living space 1, resulting in changes to various properties of the air, such as pressure, density, humidity, and / or temperature. These properties can be adjusted to occupant-friendly parameters by the air handling module 13, whether or not the air handling module 13 is incorporated into the air treatment system 100.

[0059] Measurement of the processed air passing along the processed air line 11 may be performed by a pre-correction sensor 14. Measurements by the pre-correction sensor 14 may be used to determine the operating parameters of the air handling unit 15, as well as the extent to which temperature, pressure, density, and / or humidity corrections are required. Following the correction by the air handling unit 15, the correction may be monitored by a post-correction sensor 24. Monitoring by this post-correction sensor 24 verifies the accuracy of the correction, thereby forming a feedback loop with the pre-correction sensor 14 to continuously ensure appropriate real-time correction of the processed air before transport to the living space 1. Those skilled in the art may consider other sensor equipment to measure and monitor the processed air or extracted air as needed.

[0060] Furthermore, the air handling module 13 can circulate air to and from the living space 1 at a volume velocity significantly higher than the volume velocity of air passing through the air treatment system 100. This ensures that the volume of air passing through the air treatment system 100 being treated at any given time is significantly less than the total volume being recirculated into the living space 1. This facilitates the corrections required by the air handling module 13 to return the treated air to manageable, occupant-friendly parameters, since the volume of treated air that may require correction is typically much smaller than the total volume of air handled by the module. This provides stable and progressive adjustment and control of air properties, as well as a uniform distribution of air within the living space 1.

[0061] Furthermore, the ratio of air recirculated by the air handling module 13 to air treated by the air treatment system 100 can be set based on the ratio of the volume of the living space 1 to the number of occupants in the living space 1. For example, in a small room with many occupants, substantially all of the air can pass through and be treated by the air treatment system 100. In contrast, in a large room with a relatively small number of occupants, for example, about 10% of the total air volume can pass through and be treated by the air treatment system 100.

[0062] Configuring the airflow ratio in this way effectively balances occupant health / comfort with the energy efficiency of the system, as the air treatment system 100 does not consume excessive energy to process air at a speed exceeding the speed necessary for optimal occupant health. In some cases, for example, when installed in a large building with multiple living spaces of different volumes and occupancy levels, the air treatment system 100 may be configured, as described above, to direct the volume of treated air to living spaces having individual air handling modules / air conditioning systems, based on the desired air quality for those living spaces and / or their volume relative to their occupancy level.

[0063] The air treatment system 100 processes air via the air preparation module 3 and the low-temperature module 5. Next, the features of the air preparation module 3 and the low-temperature module 5 of this embodiment of the system 100 shown in Figure 1 will be described in more detail.

[0064] The air preparation module 3 shown in Figure 1 includes a compressor 25. This compressor 25 receives extracted air from the extracted air line 7 and is configured to increase the pressure and density of the extracted air. The compressor may include any known compressor, etc., and increases the pressure and density of the extracted air to facilitate the removal of moisture from the air. The increase in the pressure and density of the extracted air also contributes to facilitating the removal of at least one component by the cryogenic module 5, which will be described in more detail below.

[0065] An optional inflator 26 is shown to be connected to the compressor 25. The inflator 26 may include any known inflator, etc., and is supplied by a processed air line 11 extending from the cryogenic module 5, which is described in more detail below. Since the processed air that has passed through the processed air line 11 has already increased in pressure and density, passing through the inflator 26 (configured to reduce the pressure and density of the processed air) contributes to returning the processed air to a pressure and density that is suitable for residents. The operation of the inflator 26, which is operably connected to the compressor 25, also supplies energy to the compressor 25 in a manner similar to known combined compressor / expander devices.

[0066] Thus, the air treatment system 100 may be configured to recover at least some of the energy required to increase the density of the extracted air by guiding the treated air through an expansion device 26 connected to a compressor 25 before the treated air is transported to the living space 1.

[0067] The expansion device 26 may form part of the air preparation module 3, as shown in the figure, or alternatively, form part of the air handling module 13, or be incorporated between those modules. In embodiments without the expansion device 26, the air handling module 13 can alternatively correct the pressure and density of the treated air before it is re-entered into the living space 1.

[0068] Returning to the principle of function of the air preparation module 3, as the pressure and density of the extracted air increase, moisture in the air condenses into droplets. The pressurized, denser air then passes through a moisture collection device 27, which is configured to capture moisture from the extracted air while and / or after the pressure and density of the extracted air are increasing.

[0069] In the illustrated embodiment, the moisture collection unit 27 includes a moist air receiver chamber 27 located downstream of the compressor 25. The moisture collection unit 27 captures moisture after the pressure and density of the extracted air have increased due to the compressor 25, rather than while the pressure is increasing. However, other embodiments of the moisture collection unit 27 may include other means for capturing moisture concurrently with the operation of the compressor 25.

[0070] The moist air receiver chamber 27 in this embodiment is configured and sized to adequately collect condensed water droplets. The water droplets can then be discharged from the moisture collection equipment 27 using any suitable means known to those skilled in the art, such as an automatic valve 28.

[0071] At least one particle filter 29 is located downstream of the moisture collection equipment 27. The at least one particle filter 29 is configured to capture particulate matter from the extracted air after the moisture content of the extracted air has decreased. The at least one particle filter 29 may include any suitable filter type for capturing particulate matter. Examples include mechanical filters with a mesh of appropriate size, chemical filters, volatile organic compound (VOC) filters with activated carbon or carbon, combined moisture or oil filters, etc.

[0072] To further ensure the minimum moisture content in the dry air, the air preparation module 3 may optionally include a final drying step in the form of a dryer device 31, such as a desiccant bed or a refrigerant dryer, as shown in Figure 1 to be positioned after at least one particle filter 29. Although the dryer device 31 does not form an integral part of the air preparation module 3, examples of additional components that can be added by those skilled in the art to complement the principle and function of the air treatment system 100 are presented.

[0073] By substantially removing moisture from the pressurized and condensed extracted air, and then removing particulate components, the extracted air is converted into air that is substantially dry and substantially particle-free.

[0074] The conversion to substantially dry and substantially particle-free air is important for the function of cryogenic module 5, which is described below. Cryogenic module 5 includes a cryogenic cooler and a heat exchanger that operate at cryogenic temperatures. The air passing through these components of cryogenic module 5 is substantially moisture-free, advantageous in avoiding the rapid accumulation of frozen water, and substantially particle-free in order to avoid clogging of the components. Both moisture and particles can reduce efficiency and potentially damage these cryogenic components. Those skilled in the art will understand that the air does not need to be completely dry or completely particle-free, and that substantially dry and substantially particle-free air may contain some residual moisture and some residual particulate matter.

[0075] The degree of moisture and particle-free status of the dry air may depend on the commercial requirements of a given application. For example, in general household or commercial applications, the air preparation module 3 may be configured to convert extracted air into dry air that substantially meets the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) Compressed Air Quality Grade 1.2.1. Here, the particle content of the compressed air will be such that 1 cubic meter of compressed air contains fewer than 20,000 particles in the size range of 0.1 to 0.5 microns, 400 particles in the size range of 0.5 to 1 micron, and 10 particles in the size range of 1 to 5 microns. The moisture content of the compressed air will be such that it has a pressure dew point of -40°C. The oil quality of the compressed air will be such that it contains less than 0.01 milligrams of oil per cubic meter. In other applications and configurations, the dry air may meet other ISO or non-ISO air quality grades.

[0076] The cryogenic module 5 receives substantially dry and substantially particulate air via a dry air line 9. The cryogenic module 5 includes at least one heat exchanger 33 through which the dry air and the treated air pass. The cryogenic module 5 further includes at least one cryogenic cooler 35 connected to the at least one heat exchanger 33 and configured to control the temperature of the at least one heat exchanger 33.

[0077] The cryogenic cooler 35 can take the form of any suitable cryogenic cooler type or configuration, such as a Stirling refrigerator, a turbine Breton refrigerator, or a pulse tube refrigerator. The selection of the type of cryogenic cooler 35 may be determined by commercial requirements. However, in exemplary embodiments, the cryogenic cooler 35 may take the form of a free-piston Stirling refrigerator driven by either a mechanical pressure wave generator or a linear motor pressure wave generator.

[0078] For example, a low-temperature cooler or refrigerator may be of the type described in Patent Documents 1 and 2. The contents of those specifications are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety.

[0079] The cryogenic cooler 35 connected to the heat exchanger 33 substantially determines the temperature range in which the heat exchanger 33 operates. Cryogenic cooling of the dry air occurs as it passes through the heat exchanger 33. As described above, by lowering the temperature of the dry air, at least a portion of at least one component of the dry air is separated and removed from the dry air. In some configurations, substantially all of at least one component of the dry air is separated and removed from the dry air.

[0080] At least one heat exchanger 33 is therefore configured to capture at least a portion of at least one component of the dry air, thereby separating and removing at least a portion (or substantially all) of at least one component from the dry air.

[0081] This actually describes the main principle of an air treatment system 100 that selectively reduces the concentration, proportion, or partial pressure of undesirable components in the air of a living space in order to provide treated air.

[0082] The low-temperature module 5, and therefore the low-temperature cooler 35 and heat exchanger 33, are configured such that the amount of temperature reduction of the dry air is determined by at least one characteristic of at least one component of the air in the living space 1.

[0083] For low-temperature cooling, at least one property of at least one component of the air in the living space 1 includes a condensation temperature and / or desublimation temperature. At low temperatures, many gaseous components in the airflow condense as droplets through a phase change called condensation. At even lower temperatures, gaseous components in the airflow completely skip the liquid phase and change from a gaseous state to a solid state through a phase change called desublimation. In either case, the cryogenic temperatures of the cryogenic cooler 35 are applied to each heat exchanger 33, thereby causing at least a portion of at least one component of the air passing through it to condense or desublimate on the surface of the heat exchanger 33 and be trapped in the heat exchanger 33.

[0084] Therefore, the temperature of the cryogenic cooler 35 is configured such that the operating temperature range of the heat exchanger 33 includes the condensation and / or desublimation temperature of the air components that need to be removed. For example, if at least one component of the dry air is carbon dioxide, carbon dioxide begins to desublimate below -80°C, so the temperature of the cryogenic cooler 35 is configured such that the operating temperature range of the heat exchanger 33 is, for example, about -80°C to about -140°C. The lower the operating temperature which is lower than the condensation or desublimation temperature of a given component, the greater the percentage of that component that is removed from the dry air. Therefore, depending on the operating temperature range, at least a portion or substantially all of at least one component of the dry air can be removed by the cryogenic module 5 as described above.

[0085] This ensures that at least some or substantially all of any carbon dioxide components in the dry air desublimate onto the surface of the heat exchanger 33 as it passes through it, and cease to move with the dry air flow. Other components of the air, such as sulfur dioxide which condenses only at -10°C, also condense on the surface of the heat exchanger 33 and cease to move with the dry air flow. Thus, the temperature of the heat exchanger 33, if appropriately selected, can remove some of the components in the air that do not remain in a single component, and, if desired and configured in this way, can remove some or substantially all of multiple components in the air.

[0086] The low-temperature module 5 only needs to include at least one heat exchanger 33 and at least one low-temperature cooler 35, but in the shown configuration, the low-temperature module 5 includes three heat exchangers 33, 37, and 41 connected to three low-temperature coolers 35, 39, and 43, respectively, thereby forming three heat exchanger / low-temperature cooler pairs.

[0087] However, it should be noted that in some configurations, the cryogenic module 5 may alternatively include any number of heat exchangers connected to any number of cryogenic coolers, so that not all individual heat exchangers are connected to their own corresponding cryogenic coolers. For example, depending on commercial requirements, a single cryogenic cooler may be connected to multiple heat exchangers. Therefore, although heat exchanger / cryogenic cooler pairs are mentioned in the following description, the features and functions of the cryogenic module 5 in Figure 1 described below also apply to embodiments of the cryogenic module 5 that do not have individual cryogenic coolers connected to all individual heat exchangers.

[0088] In either case, the cryogenic module 5 may be configured in stages such that each of the multiple stages of heat exchangers operates in a continuously low temperature range, whether each is connected to its own corresponding cryogenic cooler, or whether at least one or more cryogenic coolers are shared, as shown in the exemplary embodiment of Figure 1.

[0089] For example, the first heat exchanger / low-temperature cooler pair 33, 35 in Figure 1, by operating at approximately -10°C to approximately -45°C, can remove at least some or substantially all of the sulfur dioxide, formaldehyde, and hydrogen sulfide components that begin to condense at -10°C, -20°C, and -42°C, respectively, from the airflow.

[0090] The second heat exchanger / low-temperature cooler pairs 37, 39, by operating at approximately -62°C to approximately -80°C, can remove at least some or substantially all of the hydrogen disulfide components that begin to condense at -62°C and the carbon dioxide components that begin to desublimate at -80°C from the airflow.

[0091] The final stage of cooling is provided by a third heat exchanger / low-temperature cooler pair 41, 43 operating at approximately -125°C, which removes at least some or substantially all of the ozone components that begin to condense at -122°C.

[0092] The modular system provided by the cryogenic module 5 offers several advantages over the purging system 49, which will be described in more detail below, and allows the cryogenic module 5 and each heat exchanger and / or cryogenic cooler to be configured based on the various components of the air to be removed. For example, in some applications such as commercial buildings, it may be necessary to remove only some or substantially all of the sulfur dioxide and formaldehyde components. Thus, only one heat exchanger / cryogenic cooler pair operating at approximately -10°C to approximately -45°C is provided.

[0093] However, in clinical applications where, for example, substantial removal of the most undesirable components from the air may be required, a single heat exchanger / cryogenic cooler pair operating at approximately -125°C could be provided, or multiple heat exchanger / cryogenic cooler pairs, each continuously lowering the air temperature to a final temperature of approximately -125°C, could be provided.

[0094] In any case, the dry air is substantially converted into treated air by the condensation or desublimation of at least one component of the dry air onto the surface of any one of at least one heat exchangers. The treated air may still retain some of each component removed, but the partial pressure of each component is significantly reduced, so the dry air is converted into substantially treated air with minimal amounts of contaminants or undesirable components. In some embodiments, when configured in this way, the treated air may not retain any amount of each component.

[0095] The passage for dry air through the continuous stages of the heat exchanger and cryogenic cooler is indicated by the cryogenic inlet line 45. Whether in one stage or three stages as shown in Figure 1, the dry air, once cooled to the minimum temperature desired for the specific application of the system 100, is converted into treated air that passes along the cryogenic outlet line 47. The treated air passing along the cryogenic outlet line 47 exits the cryogenic module 5 via the second full system purge valve 64, which will be described in more detail below, and travels along the treated air line 11 back to the living space 1.

[0096] The heat exchangers 33, 37, and 41 in this embodiment are shown as counterflow heat exchangers having multiple counterflow passages. The low-temperature inlet line 45 forms one of these counterflow passages by passing through each of the heat exchangers 33, 37, and 41 of the low-temperature module 5. The low-temperature outlet line 47 forms another of these counterflow passages by returning through each of the heat exchangers 41, 37, and 33.

[0097] The processed air flowing along the low-temperature outlet line 47, having already passed through heat exchangers 33, 37, and 41, is at a much lower temperature than the dry air entering the low-temperature module 5 via the low-temperature inlet line 45. In this way, the heat of the dry air is at least partially absorbed by the processed air flowing back through the low-temperature outlet line 47. This reduces the workload on each heat exchanger / low-temperature cooler pair and, as a result, increases the overall efficiency of the low-temperature module 5.

[0098] Therefore, the low-temperature module 5 is configured such that at least a portion of the energy required to lower the temperature of the dry air as it passes through at least one heat exchanger 33, 37, 41 is recovered by the treated air passing through at least one heat exchanger 33, 37, 41.

[0099] Each heat exchanger and chiller may be equipped with temperature sensors such as a first heat exchanger sensor 34, a first chiller sensor 36, a second heat exchanger sensor 38, a second chiller sensor 40, a third heat exchanger sensor 42, and a third chiller sensor 44. These sensors 34, 36, 38, 40, 42, and 44 measure and monitor the temperature of their respective heat exchangers / chillers to ensure that these heat exchangers / chillers are operating at the desired temperature required for the removal and / or purging of components from the dry air, as described below.

[0100] The overall efficiency of the air treatment system 100 is also improved by providing and configuring a purging system 49, which is responsible for removing air components accumulated on the surfaces of the heat exchangers 33, 37, and 41. It has been shown that the accumulation of components on the surfaces of the heat exchangers 33, 37, and 41 causes a gradual change between the set operating temperature of a given heat exchanger and the monitored temperature of the heat exchanger, resulting in a gradual decrease in efficiency. Therefore, by providing the purging system 49, it is ensured that the optimal efficiency of the low-temperature module 5, and thus the air treatment system 100, is maintained over the long term.

[0101] In the illustrated configuration, the purge equipment 49 is located between the air preparation module 3 and the cryogenic module 5. However, in some embodiments, the purge equipment 49 may be incorporated into the cryogenic module 5.

[0102] In either case, the air treatment system 100 may further include a purging unit 49 configured to remove at least part or substantially all of at least one component of the dry air captured by at least one heat exchanger 33, 37, 41 from at least one heat exchanger 33, 37, 41.

[0103] The removal of dry air components accumulated on the surfaces of heat exchangers 33, 37, and 41 is performed selectively for individual heat exchanger / low-temperature condenser pairs. However, in some configurations, all heat exchanger / low-temperature condenser pairs can also be purged simultaneously, as will be described in more detail below.

[0104] In either case, the air treatment system 100 can determine when purging is necessary by monitoring the temperature of the heat exchanger (for example, using the temperature sensors 34, 38, and 42 described above) and measuring the temperature change, which is used to calculate the amount of accumulated dry air when components have been removed from the dry air accumulated in the heat exchanger.

[0105] The purging is achieved by a number of valves that form part of the purging equipment 49 and control its operation. The first of these valves are the purge inlet valve 51 and the purge diversion valve 53.

[0106] When the purge equipment 49 is activated, the purge inlet valve 51 closes, preventing dry air from flowing from the dry air line 9 to the low-temperature inlet line 45 and, consequently, to the low-temperature module 5. At the same time, the purge diversion valve 53 opens, providing a passage for dry air from the dry air line 9 to the treated air line 11.

[0107] In practice, the operation of the purging equipment 49 causes the flow of dry air leaving the air preparation module 3 to change course, pass through the low-temperature module 5, and re-enter the living space 1 via the air handling module 13. As a result, during purging, the living space 1 is temporarily supplied with substantially dry, substantially particulate-free air, whose temperature and humidity have been corrected by the air handling module 13 before re-entry, instead of treated air.

[0108] In this way, the air treatment system 100 is configured to guide dry air from the air preparation module 3 into the living space 1 when the purging equipment 49 removes at least part or substantially all of at least one component of the dry air from at least one heat exchanger 33, 37, 41.

[0109] When this occurs, depending on which heat exchanger / cryogenic cooler pair is selected for purging, a second pair of valves corresponding to the given heat exchanger / cryogenic cooler pair opens.

[0110] For example, if a second heat exchanger / low-temperature cooler pair 37, 39 is selected, the second purge inlet valve 55 and the second purge exhaust valve 57 are opened. A portion of the dry air passing through the purge diversion valve 53 opened from the dry air line 9 is now provided with an alternative passage through the second purge inlet valve 55.

[0111] Therefore, some of the dry air passes through the second purge inlet valve 55 and merges with the cold inlet line 45 at a position along the cold inlet line 45, which is downstream of the first cryogenic cooler 35 and upstream of the second heat exchanger 37. After passing through the second heat exchanger 37, the dry air exits the cold inlet line 45 at a position along the cold inlet line 45, which is downstream of the second heat exchanger 37 and upstream of the third cryogenic cooler 39, and then passes through the second purge exhaust valve 57. The second purge exhaust valve 57 then directs the air to the exhaust means.

[0112] This process of circulating air through the second heat exchanger 37 continues until the temperature of the heat exchanger 37 rises above the evaporation temperature of the constituent components. Therefore, whichever heat exchanger is selected for purging, its corresponding cryogenic cooler is temporarily turned off, thereby reducing the time it takes for the temperature of the air passing through the selected heat exchanger to rise. This process also helps to remove air contaminants or components accumulated in the air flow lines or other components inside or around the selected heat exchanger / cryogenic cooler pair.

[0113] Once the components accumulated in the selected heat exchanger have been sufficiently purged, the second purge inlet valve 55 and the second purge exhaust valve 57 are closed, and the second cryogenic cooler 39 is operated again, returning the second heat exchanger 37 to its desired cryogenic temperature. The temperature required to evaporate or purge solidified components from the surface of a given heat exchanger is typically not much higher than the cryogenic operating temperature required to condense or desublimate the same components. Thus, once the purge diversion valve 53 is closed and the purge inlet valve 51 is opened again, allowing dry air to re-inflow from the dry air line to the cryogenic module via the cryogenic inlet line 45, the second heat exchanger / cryogenic cooler pair 37, 39 quickly returns to its operating temperature.

[0114] While the second heat exchanger / cryogenic cooler pair 37, 39 is being purged, the other heat exchanger / cryogenic cooler pairs continue to operate, even though there is no airflow through them. In this way, the other pairs are maintained at their desired operating temperatures, so only the thermal mass of the pair selected for purging needs to be heated for purging and then cooled back down to its operating temperature. This significantly reduces the energy consumption required to purge individual heat exchanger / cryogenic cooler pairs.

[0115] Furthermore, as described above, since each pair is configured for a specific operating temperature range corresponding to a given desublimation and / or condensation temperature of one or more components, the required purge temperature corresponds to the evaporation and / or desublimation temperature of those same components. In this way, the difference between the purge temperature and the operating temperature is minimized for each given pair. This further reduces the energy consumption required to purge individual heat exchanger / low-temperature cooler pairs.

[0116] However, it should be noted that, as explained below, all pairs can be purged simultaneously if necessary. Even in this case, each pair has its own minimum difference between the purge temperature and the operating temperature. Even when all pairs are purged, the purging remains discrete, so the individual thermal mass undergoes only the discrete temperature change specific to that pair, thus reducing energy consumption compared to combined thermal mass, which undergoes the same or much larger temperature change (e.g., the change from the operating temperature of the lowest operating pair to the required maximum evaporation temperature of a given component captured by one of the pairs).

[0117] Similar to the second heat exchanger / low-temperature cooler pairs 37 and 39 shown in Figure 1, the third heat exchanger / low-temperature cooler pairs 41 and 43 are also provided with corresponding purge valves, a third purge inlet valve 59 and a third purge exhaust valve 61, which operate in cooperation with the purge inlet valve 51 and the purge diversion valve 53, just like the second purge inlet valve 55 and the second purge exhaust valve 57 described above.

[0118] It should also be noted that the first heat exchanger / low-temperature cooler pair 33, 35 does not have its own purge inlet valve. Instead, unlike the other second, third, fourth, etc. pairs of heat exchanger / low-temperature coolers, if the first heat exchanger / low-temperature cooler pair 33, 35 is selected for purging, the purge inlet valve 51 remains open and does not close.

[0119] Since the purge diversion valve 53 also remains open, just as with the other purging pairs, only a portion of the dry air enters the first heat exchanger 33 via the low-temperature inlet line 45. However, the first heat exchanger / low-temperature cooler pairs 33, 35 are provided with a corresponding first purge exhaust valve 63 that operates similarly to the second purge exhaust valve 57 described above to circulate air to the first heat exchanger 33.

[0120] During full system purging, all cryogenic coolers 35, 39, and 43 are temporarily switched off, the purge inlet valve 51, the first purge exhaust valve 63, and the first full system purge valve 62 are opened, and the purge diversion valve 53 and the second full system purge valve 64 are closed. This creates a closed-loop circulation of dry air through the cryogenic module 5, as the dry air moving along the dry air line 9 is redirected to pass through both the cryogenic inlet line 45 and the cryogenic outlet line 47. This purges all heat exchangers and associated flow lines or other components, after which the purged components are exhausted through the first purge exhaust valve 63.

[0121] It should also be noted that in some embodiments, air other than dry air from the dry air line 9 can be used for purging. For example, an auxiliary purge line (not shown) can be provided to supply preheated air for a faster change from the operating temperature to the purge temperature for a given heat exchanger / low-temperature cooler pair. However, in such embodiments, the dry air from the dry air line 9 is still diverted from the low-temperature module 5 for correction by the air handling module 13 and re-inflow into the living space 1.

[0122] Figure 1 shows two alternative embodiments of the nitrogen emission module. Since nitrogen makes up the majority of the air, removing the nitrogen component (in addition to removing the component in the cryogenic module 5) can be an effective way to increase the oxygen content and, as a result, improve the quality of a given airflow.

[0123] The first embodiment of these embodiments is shown incorporated within a cryogenic module 5 and comprises a distillation column 65, a nitrogen discharge line 67, and a first nitrogen discharge valve 69. The second embodiment of these embodiments is more generally shown as part of an air treatment system 100 and is located after the cryogenic module 5, branching off from the treated air line 11, and comprises a nitrogen diversion line 71, a gas separator 73, a second nitrogen discharge valve 75, and a nitrogen diversion valve 77.

[0124] These embodiments provide alternative means for removing nitrogen from the treated air before transport to the living space 1, as described below, but both are shown in the embodiment of the air treatment system 100 in Figure 1. The air treatment system 100 may have one or both of the nitrogen emission modules, or it may not have both.

[0125] In the nitrogen discharge module of the first embodiment, the processed air that has passed through the multiple heat exchangers 33, 37, and 41 enters the distillation column 65. The distillation column 65 operates at extremely low temperatures, below approximately -180°C, which is the temperature required to separate oxygen from the gas stream. Thus, at least a portion of the processed air entering the distillation column 65 is separated into treated oxygen-enriched air with reduced nitrogen and a nitrogen-enriched gas stream. The treated oxygen-enriched air with reduced nitrogen continues to pass through the low-temperature outlet line 47. The nitrogen-enriched gas stream continues to pass through the nitrogen discharge line 67.

[0126] The nitrogen discharge line 67, like the cold outlet line 47, passes through one of the counterflow passages of the heat exchangers 41, 37, and 33. Therefore, the nitrogen-enriched gas flow moving along the nitrogen discharge line 67 is very cold and absorbs at least partially the heat of the counterflow dry air moving along the cold inlet line 45.

[0127] If the nitrogen emission module of this first embodiment is provided, it helps to reduce the workload on each heat exchanger / low-temperature cooler pair and, as a result, increase the overall efficiency of the low-temperature module 5. Thus, the nitrogen emission module of this first embodiment is configured such that at least a portion of the energy required to lower the temperature of the dry air as it passes through at least one heat exchanger 33, 37, 41 is recovered by passing nitrogen-enriched gas through at least one heat exchanger 33, 37, 41.

[0128] Subsequently, the nitrogen-enriched gas flow is discharged through the opening of the first nitrogen discharge valve 69, and the treated oxygen-enriched air with reduced nitrogen flows from the low-temperature outlet line 47 to the treated air line 11 for correction by the air handling module 13 and re-inflow into the living space 1.

[0129] In the nitrogen discharge module of the second embodiment, the treated air exits the cryogenic module 5 and passes through the treated air line 11. The second nitrogen discharge valve 75 located in the nitrogen diversion line 71 opens, and the nitrogen diversion valve 77 located in the treated air line 11 closes, so that the treated air does not continue to pass through the treated air line 11 but is diverted along the nitrogen diversion line 71.

[0130] The treated air is then led to a gas separator 73, which separates and removes nitrogen components from the treated air. The gas separator 73 may take the form of a pressure swing adsorbent containing an adsorbent configured to preferentially adsorb nitrogen from the airflow through it. The treated oxygen-enriched air, with reduced nitrogen, is then rejoined into the treated air line 11 for correction by the air handling module 13 and reintroduction into the living space 1.

[0131] The gas separator 73 can provide treated oxygen-enriched air with reduced nitrogen at a different pressure and density from the treated air flowing through the treated air line 11. Therefore, in embodiments where an optional expansion device 26 is provided, the nitrogen diversion line 71 can rejoin the treated air line 11 downstream of the expansion device 26. Thus, the expansion device 26 is configured based solely on the pressure of the treated air in the treated air line 11.

[0132] In the nitrogen evacuation module of the first embodiment, the distillation column 65, which operates at cryogenic temperatures of approximately -200°C, requires a considerable energy supply to maintain its temperature. Therefore, the nitrogen evacuation module of the first embodiment is generally provided only when a pair of heat exchangers / cryogenic coolers are configured to operate in similar temperature ranges, thereby allowing the distillation column 65 to either couple to or draw upon the cooling capacity of each cryogenic cooler.

[0133] Therefore, in applications where it is desirable to remove components in a very low condensation / temperature range, the nitrogen emission module of the first embodiment is provided, since the system 100 as a whole has already drawn the energy required to bring the cryogenic cooler to such a temperature.

[0134] However, in less intensive applications, such as when the heat exchanger / cryogenic cooler pair operates only at approximately -45°C, the nitrogen evacuation module of the first embodiment may require too much additional energy to bring the distillation column 65 to the required temperature. Instead, the nitrogen evacuation module of the second embodiment is provided, which consumes less energy to remove nitrogen because the gas separator 73 does not use cryogenic separation to remove nitrogen and instead uses a less energy-intensive pressure swing adsorption (or any other suitable non-cryogenic separation method).

[0135] In either case, the air treatment system 100 may include a nitrogen discharge module configured to receive at least a portion of the treated air and reduce the concentration or partial pressure of the nitrogen component in the treated air before transporting the treated air to the living space 1.

[0136] Furthermore, the volumetric flow rate of at least a portion of the dry air received by the nitrogen emission module (whether that volumetric flow rate is the volumetric flow rate of the processed air entering the distillation column 65 of the nitrogen emission module in the first embodiment, or the volumetric flow rate of the processed air entering the gas separator 73 of the nitrogen emission module in the second embodiment) is determined by the concentration of the oxygen component in the processed air and / or the concentration of the oxygen component in the air within the living space.

[0137] In this way, the air treatment system 100 monitors the concentration or partial pressure of the oxygen component in the air within the living space 1 and the air passing through any component of the air treatment system 100 to determine the amount of nitrogen that needs to be removed. This allows the system 100 to actively monitor the oxygen level and adjust the operation of the nitrogen emission module, thereby maintaining the desired oxygen concentration or partial pressure within the living space 1. Measurement of the oxygen component of the treated air and / or the oxygen component concentration or partial pressure of the air within the living space 1 can be performed using the pre-correction sensor 14 or post-correction sensor 24 described above, or any other suitable sensor equipment.

[0138] Alternative nitrogen emission modules, not shown in Figure 1, may also be provided along the dry air line 9 between the air preparation module 3 and the cryogenic module 5. Thus, as an alternative to the first and second embodiments described above, the air treatment system 100 may instead include a nitrogen emission module configured to receive at least a portion of the dry air before it is received by the cryogenic module 5, and to reduce the concentration or partial pressure of the nitrogen component in the dry air.

[0139] The nitrogen discharge module of this alternative embodiment is located in front of and outside the cryogenic module 5 and may have the same operating principles and features as the second embodiment described above. For example, a gas separator in the form of a pressure swing adsorbent may be provided along the dry air line 9 to reduce the concentration or partial pressure of the nitrogen component in the dry air. Similar to the second embodiment described above, a nitrogen diversion line branching off from the dry air line 9 and a nitrogen diversion valve provided along the dry air line 9 may be provided to control the amount of dry air sent to the gas separator. Finally, the nitrogen-enriched gas flow may then be discharged by a nitrogen discharge valve, and substantially nitrogen-free dry air continues to pass over the cryogenic module 5.

[0140] In embodiments of the cryogenic module 5 where nitrogen component removal is desired, this embodiment can substantially remove most of the nitrogen component in the dry air before it enters the cryogenic module 5, thereby beneficially reducing the required cooling load of the cryogenic module 5. As a result, the cryogenic cooler of the cryogenic module 5 may not need to cool down to the oxygen / nitrogen liquefaction (condensation) temperature of -180°C / 190°C, which requires considerable energy.

[0141] Furthermore, similar to the first and second embodiments described above, the air treatment system having this alternative embodiment of the nitrogen exhaust module can actively monitor the oxygen level and adjust the operation of the nitrogen exhaust module, thereby maintaining a desired oxygen concentration or partial pressure within the living space 1. This ensures that the volumetric flow rate of at least a portion of the dry air received by the nitrogen exhaust module is determined by the concentration of the oxygen component in the dry air and / or the concentration of the oxygen component in the air within the living space 1.

[0142] The nitrogen removal module in the above embodiments primarily produces substantially nitrogen-free air by removing at least a portion of the nitrogen component of the airflow. However, the airflow can be supplemented or replaced with a supply of pure oxygen gas or a substantially oxygen-rich gas to further maintain a desired oxygen concentration or partial pressure within the living space 1. This can be achieved, for example, by supplying bottled or piped oxygen to the treated air before it enters the living space 1. Therefore, in some embodiments, the air treatment system 100 is configured to increase the concentration or partial pressure of the oxygen component in the treated air before it is transported to the living space.

[0143] The air treatment system 100 is generally provided to improve the air quality of the air in a living space 1. As described above, with respect to the various features of the system 100, the improvement in air quality is achieved mainly by the separation, removal, and / or reduction of the concentration or partial pressure of air components, in addition to the reduction of moisture and particulate content.

[0144] For example, the low-temperature module 5 is configured to lower the temperature of the dry air such that at least a portion of at least one component of the dry air is separated and removed from the dry air. The amount of temperature reduction of the dry air is determined by at least one property of at least one component of the air in the living space 1. As mentioned above, this at least one property of at least one component of the air in the living space 1 includes the condensation temperature and / or desublimation temperature.

[0145] Therefore, the cryogenic module 5 is configured based on which components of the air are to be removed. The system installer can first identify the various components of the air in the living space 1 and, depending on commercial requirements, select the components that substantially need to be removed. The installer can then determine the required temperature reduction and, therefore, design the cryogenic module 5 to suit the number of heat exchangers or cryogenic coolers and their associated operating temperatures, etc. Thus, the cryogenic module 5 is generally configured based on predetermined parameters. However, a person skilled in the art will understand that some of these parameters, such as operating temperature, can be adjusted if commercial requirements change.

[0146] However, other embodiments of the air treatment system 100 may be actively monitored and adjusted to adapt to parameters that change as needed.

[0147] For example, the air treatment system 100 can be configured to control how much of the air extracted from the living space 1 is actually received by the air treatment system 100 and treated for re-inflow into the living space. This can be achieved by controlling the volumetric flow rate of the extracted air treated by the air preparation module 3, for example by controlling the operating duty cycle of the compressor 25, and / or by controlling the volumetric flow rate of the extracted air leaving the cryogenic module 5, for example by adjusting the opening of the second full system purge valve 64 to allow the treated air to exit the cryogenic module.

[0148] Alternatively or additionally, instead of adjusting the volumetric flow rate of air entering the air processing system 100, the rate at which the extracted air is compressed can be slowed by alternatively reducing the pressure increase of the extracted air. This can be achieved, for example, by adjusting the target pressure of the compressor 25 of the air preparation module 3.

[0149] In either case, the air treatment system 100 can actively monitor specific characteristics of the air components within the living space 1 and adjust the proportion of such air sent to the cryogenic system for subsequent treatment. This can occur in conjunction with the air treatment module 13 adjusting the volumetric flow rate of air recirculated by or extracted from / returned to the living space 1, as described above. This achieves stable, gradual adjustment and control of the air characteristics, as well as uniform distribution of the air within the living space 1.

[0150] The air treatment system 100 may include a controller 102 that communicates with the components of the air treatment system 100 (including the components of the air preparation module 3 and the cryogenic module 5) and the air handling module 13 to provide a function and to realize the method described herein, and controls the air treatment system 100 and / or the air handling module 13 based on sensed and / or input parameters.

[0151] The controller 102 can be any suitable type, such as a programmable logic control (PLC) unit or an embedded controller.

[0152] The controller 102 and / or components can communicate with various sensors 14, 24, 34, 36, 38, 40, 42, 44, or any other suitable sensor equipment, as shown in Figure 1, to sense parameters and control the components based on the sensed parameters.

[0153] A user interface (not shown) may be provided within the living space 1 or elsewhere. The user interface communicates with the controller 102 (by wired, wireless, or other means) to enable user input of system operating parameters.

[0154] The air treatment system 100 can be configured such that the volumetric flow rate and / or increase in pressure of the extracted air received by the air preparation module 3 is determined by at least one current characteristic of at least one component of the air in the living space 1.

[0155] At least one current characteristic of at least one component of the air in the living space 1 includes the concentration or partial pressure of at least one component. Therefore, the air treatment system 100 actively monitors the concentration or partial pressure of specific components in the living space 1 that are to be removed, and adjusts the volume of air being treated as described above to maintain desired levels of these components in the living space 1.

[0156] Furthermore, at least one component of the air within the living space 1 (actively monitored) and at least one component of the dry air (removed by the low-temperature module 5) may include oxygen, carbon dioxide, nitrogen, sulfur dioxide, formaldehyde, hydrogen sulfide, or ozone. In addition to the components described, other components of the air may also be included, depending on the composition of the air in the living space 1.

[0157] Furthermore, as mentioned above, the nitrogen emission module can actively monitor the oxygen level of the air within the living space 1 or within the system 100 itself, and determine the amount of reduction in the concentration or partial pressure of the nitrogen component in the airflow necessary to maintain a desired oxygen or nitrogen level within the living space 1.

[0158] The concentration or partial pressure of the oxygen component in the treated air and / or the oxygen component in the air within the living space 1 can be measured using the pre-correction sensor 14 or post-correction sensor 24 described above, or any other suitable sensor equipment. The pre-correction sensor 14 and post-correction sensor 24, or any other suitable sensor equipment, can also be used to actively measure at least one current characteristic of at least one component of the air within the living space 1.

[0159] This allows the installer to configure and install the low-temperature module 5 of the air treatment system 100 based, for example, on the desired removal of carbon dioxide components. Thus, the air treatment system 100 can be installed considering a low-temperature operating temperature of approximately -80°C to approximately -140°C. The air treatment system 100 can also be configured based on parameters such as, for example, the volume or area of ​​the living space 1, the expected number of occupants in the living space 1, the desired concentration or partial pressure of carbon dioxide (or oxygen or other components) in the living space 1, the desired temperature and / or desired humidity. The air treatment system 100 can then actively monitor the concentration or partial pressure of carbon dioxide (or oxygen or other components) in the air of the living space 1 and adjust to maintain the amount of air being treated, or the amount of nitrogen being removed by the nitrogen emission module, at a desired level.

[0160] This function is particularly useful because changes in the number of occupants in a living space, occupant activities, and ventilation or lack thereof in the living space can all lead to changes in, for example, the concentration or partial pressure of carbon dioxide components. Therefore, the air treatment system 100 offers the advantage of actively adapting to and adjusting to the changing parameters of the living space 1. In contrast, conventional air conditioning or air purification systems must be pre-configured mainly based on predicted parameters and are often unable to adapt to the changing conditions of the living space 1.

[0161] Various features and components of the air treatment system 100 have been described with reference to Figure 1, and those skilled in the art will understand the various possible substitutions, changes, and modifications to any of these features or components. Therefore, a general method of treating air performed by the system 100, which can be performed by the system 100 of Figure 1 and / or other embodiments of the system 100, will be described.

[0162] A method for treating the air in a living space includes the steps of first extracting air from the living space 1, and then converting the extracted air into dry air by increasing the pressure of the extracted air to increase its density and decrease its moisture content. The method further includes the steps of converting the dry air into treated air by reducing the temperature of the dry air to separate and remove at least a portion of at least one component of the dry air, and then transporting the treated air into the living space 1.

[0163] In some cases, the method may further include the step of controlling the amount of temperature reduction of the dry air based on at least one property of at least one component of the air in the living space 1, wherein the at least one property of the at least one component may include a condensation temperature and / or a desublimation temperature.

[0164] The measured current properties of at least one component of the air in the living space 1, and the measured current properties of at least one component of the dry air, may include the concentration of at least one component or the partial pressure of at least one component.

[0165] Furthermore, at least one component of the air in the living space 1 and at least one component of the dry air may include oxygen, carbon dioxide, nitrogen, sulfur dioxide, formaldehyde, hydrogen sulfide, hydrogen disulfide, or ozone, or several other components.

[0166] In some embodiments, the method may further include the steps of measuring at least one current characteristic of at least one component of the air in the living space 1, and controlling the volumetric flow rate of the extracted air received by the air preparation module and / or the amount of pressure increase of the extracted air based on the measured at least one current characteristic.

[0167] Furthermore, the method may include the step of measuring the concentration of the oxygen component in the dry air and / or the concentration of the oxygen component in the air within the living space 1 before the temperature of the dry air decreases, and reducing the concentration or partial pressure of the nitrogen component in the dry air based on the measured concentrations.

[0168] Alternatively, the method may instead involve measuring the concentration of the oxygen component in the treated air and / or the concentration of the oxygen component in the air within the living space 1 before transporting the treated air to the living space 1, and reducing the concentration or partial pressure of the nitrogen component in the treated air based on the measured concentrations.

[0169] Furthermore, the method may include a step of increasing the concentration or partial pressure of the oxygen component of the treated air before transporting the treated air to the living space 1.

[0170] Finally, the method may include the step of measuring and controlling the temperature, pressure, density, and / or humidity of the treated air before transporting it to the living space.

[0171] The embodiments described herein provide substantially closed-loop systems capable of operating to remove unwanted particles and gases from breathable air.

[0172] Embodiments described herein can maintain oxygen levels at a desired concentration by removing a predetermined amount of nitrogen. CO2 and / or other contaminants can be removed from the air and discarded. The only outside air that can be used to achieve this is a small amount of supplemental air to replace the exhaust gases. Because the amount of new air required is minimal, the heating or cooling load is reduced. This results in significantly greater efficiency than systems that require introducing 10-50% new air into the air movement, which would require considerable power in environments with large temperature differences between indoors and outdoors.

[0173] Preferred embodiments of the present invention are described only illustratively and can be modified without departing from the scope of the invention.

[0174] This specification includes references to patent specifications, other external documents, or other sources of information, which are generally intended to provide background for discussing the features of the present invention. Unless otherwise specified, references to such external documents should not be construed as authorization that such documents or sources of information are, in all authority, prior art or form part of the common general knowledge in the art. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0175] 1-Living space 3-Air preparation module 5. Low-temperature module 7-Extraction Air Line 9-Dry air line 11-Processing air line 13-Air Handling Module 14-Pre-correction sensor 15-Air Handling Unit 17-fan 19-Filter 21. Humidity control device 23. Temperature control device 24-Post-correction sensor 25-Compressor 26-Expansion device 27. Moisture Collection Equipment 28- Automatic valve 29-Particle filter 31-Dryer device 33-1st heat exchanger 34-First heat exchanger sensor 35-1st cryocooler 36-First Cryogenic Cooler Sensor 37-Second heat exchanger 38-Second heat exchanger sensor 39-Second cryocooler 40-Second Cryogenic Cooler Sensor 41-Third heat exchanger 42-Third heat exchanger sensor 43-Third cryocooler 44-Third Cryogenic Cooler Sensor 45 - Low-temperature inlet line 47 - Low-temperature outlet line 49-Purge Equipment 51-Purge Inlet Valve 53-Purge Diverter Valve 55-2nd purge inlet valve 57-2nd purge exhaust valve 59-Third purge inlet valve 61-Third purge exhaust valve 62-1st Full System Purge Valve 63-1st purge exhaust valve 64-2nd Full System Purge Valve 65 - Distillation Column 67 - Nitrogen Emission Line 69-First Nitrogen Discharge Valve 71 - Nitrogen Emission Line 73-Gas Separator 75 - Second Nitrogen Discharge Valve 77-Nitrogen Diverter Valve 102-Controller

Claims

1. An air treatment system for treating the air in a living space, An air preparation module is configured to receive extracted air from the living space and to convert the extracted air into dry air by increasing the pressure of the extracted air to increase its density and decrease its moisture content. An air treatment system including a cryogenic module connected to the air preparation module to receive the dry air, and configured to convert the dry air into treated air for transport into the living space by lowering the temperature of the dry air, thereby separating and removing at least a portion of at least one component of the dry air.

2. The air treatment system according to claim 1, further comprising an air handling module connected to the air treatment system, configured to extract the air from the living space and transport it to the air preparation module, and / or to receive the treated air from the cryogenic module and transport it into the living space.

3. The air treatment system according to claim 2, wherein the volumetric flow rate and / or increase in pressure of the extracted air received by the air preparation module is determined by at least one current characteristic of at least one component of the air in the living space.

4. The low-temperature module is The at least one heat exchanger through which the dry air and the treated air pass is configured to capture at least a portion of the at least one component of the dry air, thereby separating and removing at least a portion of the at least one component from the dry air, An air treatment system according to any one of claims 1 to 3, comprising at least one cryogenic cooler connected to the at least one heat exchanger and configured to control the temperature of the at least one heat exchanger.

5. The aforementioned air preparation module is A compressor configured to increase the pressure of the extracted air and thereby increase the density of the extracted air, A moisture collection device configured to capture moisture from the extracted air while the pressure and density of the extracted air are increasing and / or after they have increased, The air treatment system according to any one of claims 1 to 4, further comprising at least one particle filter configured to capture particulate components from the extracted air after the moisture content of the extracted air has decreased.

6. The air treatment system according to any one of claims 1 to 5, further comprising a nitrogen emission module configured to receive at least a portion of the dry air in order to reduce the concentration or partial pressure of nitrogen components in the dry air before the low-temperature module receives the dry air.

7. The air treatment system according to claim 6, wherein the volumetric flow rate of at least a portion of the dry air received by the nitrogen discharge module is determined by the concentration of the oxygen component in the dry air and / or the concentration of the oxygen component in the air in the living space.

8. The air treatment system according to any one of claims 1 to 5, further comprising a nitrogen discharge module configured to receive at least a portion of the treated air in order to reduce the concentration or partial pressure of the nitrogen component of the treated air before transporting the treated air to the living space.

9. The air treatment system according to claim 8, wherein the volumetric flow rate of at least a portion of the treated air received by the nitrogen discharge module is determined by the concentration of the oxygen component in the treated air and / or the concentration of the oxygen component in the air in the living space.

10. The air treatment system according to claim 4, wherein the low-temperature module is configured such that at least a portion of the energy required to lower the temperature of the dry air as it passes through the at least one heat exchanger is recovered by the treated air passing through the at least one heat exchanger.

11. The air treatment system according to claim 5, configured to recover at least a portion of the energy required to increase the density of the extracted air by guiding the treated air through an expansion device connected to the compression device before the treated air is transported to the living space.

12. An air treatment system according to claim 4 or any one of claims 5 to 11 dependent on claim 4, further comprising a purging device configured to remove from the at least one heat exchanger at least a portion of the at least one component of the dry air captured by the at least one heat exchanger.

13. The air treatment system according to claim 12, configured such that when at least a portion of the at least one component of the dry air is removed from the at least one heat exchanger by the purging equipment, the dry air is guided to be transported from the air preparation module into the living space.

14. The air treatment system according to any one of claims 1 to 13, wherein the low-temperature module is configured such that the amount of temperature reduction of the dry air is determined by at least one property of at least one component of the air in the living space.

15. The air treatment system according to claim 14, wherein the at least one characteristic of the at least one component of the air in the living space includes a condensation temperature and / or a desublimation temperature.

16. An air treatment system according to claim 3 or any one of claims 4 to 15 dependent on claim 3, wherein the at least one current characteristic of the at least one component of the air in the living space includes the concentration of the at least one component or the partial pressure of the at least one component, and the at least one component of the air in the living space and the at least one component of the dry air include an oxygen component, a carbon dioxide component, a nitrogen component, a sulfur dioxide component, a formaldehyde component, a hydrogen sulfide component, a hydrogen disulfide component, or an ozone component.

17. An air treatment system according to claim 2 or any one of claims 3 to 16 dependent on claim 2, configured to increase the concentration or partial pressure of the oxygen component of the treated air before transporting the treated air to the living space.

18. The air handling module is configured to measure and control the temperature, pressure, density, and / or humidity of the treated air before transporting the treated air to the living space, according to claim 2 or any one of claims 3 to 17 as dependent on claim 2.

19. The air handling module is an air treatment system according to claim 2 or any one of claims 3 to 18, dependent on claim 2, which includes an air conditioning system.

20. A method for treating the air in a living space, A step of extracting the air from the living space, thereby obtaining the extracted air; The steps include converting the extracted air into dry air by increasing the pressure of the extracted air so as to increase the density of the extracted air and decrease the moisture content of the extracted air, The steps include: reducing the temperature of the dry air to separate and remove at least a portion of at least one component of the dry air, thereby converting the dry air into treated air; A method comprising the step of transporting the treated air into the living space.

21. The method according to claim 20, further comprising the steps of: measuring at least one current characteristic of at least one component of the air in the living space; and controlling the volumetric flow rate of the extracted air received by the air preparation module and / or the amount of pressure increase of the extracted air based on the measured at least one current characteristic.

22. The method according to claim 20 or 21, further comprising the step of measuring the concentration of the oxygen component in the dry air and / or the concentration of the oxygen component in the air within the living space before the temperature of the dry air decreases, and reducing the concentration or partial pressure of the nitrogen component in the dry air based on the measured concentration.

23. The method according to claim 20 or 21, further comprising the step of measuring the concentration of the oxygen component in the treated air and / or the concentration of the oxygen component in the air within the living space before transporting the treated air to the living space, and reducing the concentration or partial pressure of the nitrogen component in the treated air based on the measured concentration.

24. The method according to any one of claims 20 to 23, further comprising the step of controlling the amount of temperature reduction of the dry air based on at least one property of the at least one component of the air in the living space.

25. The method according to claim 24, wherein the at least one property of the at least one component includes a condensation temperature and / or a desublimation temperature.

26. The method according to any one of claims 22 to 25, as dependent on claim 21, wherein the measured at least one current property of the at least one component of the air in the living space and the measured at least one current property of the at least one component of the dry air include the concentration of the at least one component or the partial pressure of the at least one component, and the at least one component of the air in the living space and the at least one component of the dry air include an oxygen component, a carbon dioxide component, a nitrogen component, a sulfur dioxide component, a formaldehyde component, a hydrogen sulfide component, a hydrogen disulfide component, or an ozone component.

27. The method according to any one of claims 20 to 26, further comprising the step of increasing the concentration or partial pressure of the oxygen component of the treated air before transporting the treated air to the living space.

28. The method according to any one of claims 20 to 27, further comprising the step of measuring and controlling the temperature, pressure, density and / or humidity of the treated air before transporting the treated air to the living space.

29. The method according to any one of claims 20 to 28, carried out using the air treatment system according to any one of claims 1 to 19.

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