Device and method for separating components in gas

Abstract

[Problem] To provide a device and a method for separating components in a gas. [Solution] This separating device comprises: a gas supply chamber 12 into which a first supply gas 11A containing negatively charged particles 11a charged with negative charges is supplied; a cathode electrode 14 which is provided so as to face both side surfaces of the supply chamber 12 and which comprises a pair of a cathode first electrodes 14A and a cathode second electrode 14B having holes 14a, 14b for separating the negatively charged particles 11a in the first supply gas 11A as a separated material by means of the action of an electric field; a flat plate anode electrode 15 which is disposed across the first supply chamber 12, facing the cathode first electrode 14A disposed on the gas supply chamber 12 side; and a cathode side discharge chamber 17 into which purified gas 110A from which the negatively charged particles 11a have been separated flows.

Description

Apparatus and method for separating components in gas

[0001] The present invention relates to an apparatus and method for separating components in a gas.

[0002] One dust collection method for air purifiers uses an electrostatic precipitator. The electrostatic precipitator includes a high-voltage power supply, a pair of metallic discharge electrodes, and a dust collection filter. In the electrostatic precipitator, a high voltage of, for example, about 10 kV generated by the high-voltage power supply is applied between the discharge electrodes to form a discharge space, and dust in the air passing through the discharge space is positively or negatively charged. Then, as the charged dust passes through the dust collection filter, it is adsorbed and collected by Coulomb force (Patent Document 1).

[0003] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2022-108654

[0004] When purifying air using an electrostatic precipitator, the tip of the electrode is electrically charged and soot and dust are attached to it. After prolonged use, dust particles accumulate and need to be cleaned. This cleaning process is time-consuming. Therefore, there is a strong demand for an air purifier that does not require cleaning operations, such as electrode cleaning.

[0005] In view of the above problems, an object of the present invention is to provide an apparatus and method for separating components in a gas that do not require cleaning operations such as electrode washing operations.

[0006] The first separation device comprises: a gas supply chamber to which a first supply gas containing negatively charged particles is supplied; cathode electrodes arranged opposite each other on both sides of the gas supply chamber, the cathode electrodes consisting of a pair of first and second cathode electrodes having holes that separate the negatively charged particles in the first supply gas as a separated substance by the action of an electric field; flat anode electrodes arranged on either side of the first supply chamber and facing the first cathode electrode arranged on the supply chamber side; and a cathode-side discharge chamber into which a first purification gas from which the negatively charged particles are separated flows; wherein a first potential having the same polarity as the polarity of the negatively charged particles is supplied to the first cathode electrode; and a second potential having the same polarity as the polarity of the negatively charged particles but an absolute value different from that of the first potential is supplied to the second cathode electrode.

[0007] The second separation device comprises: a gas supply chamber to which a second supply gas containing positively charged particles is supplied; anode electrodes arranged opposite each other on both sides of the supply chamber and consisting of a pair of anode first and second electrodes having holes that separate the positively charged particles in the second supply gas as a separated substance by the action of an electric field; flat cathode electrodes arranged across the second supply chamber and facing the anode first electrode arranged on the supply chamber side; and a cathode-side discharge chamber into which a second purification gas from which the positively charged particles are separated flows, wherein a third potential having the same polarity as the polarity of the positively charged particles is supplied to the anode first electrode, and a fourth potential having the same polarity as the polarity of the positively charged particles but an absolute value different from that of the third potential is supplied to the anode second electrode.

[0008] a cathode electrode provided on one side of the gas supply chamber and consisting of a pair of first and second cathode electrodes having holes for separating the negatively charged particles in the third supply gas as a separated substance by the action of an electric field; a cathode-side discharge chamber into which a first purification gas from which the negatively charged particles are separated flows; and an anode electrode provided across the third supply chamber and consisting of a pair of first and second anode electrodes having holes, the anode electrode being disposed opposite the first cathode electrode disposed on the third supply chamber side; and a cathode-side discharge chamber into which a second purification gas from which the positively charged particles are separated flows; The cathode second electrode is supplied with a second potential having the same polarity as the negatively charged particles and an absolute value different from that of the first potential, the anode first electrode is supplied with a third potential having the same polarity as the positively charged particles, and the anode second electrode is supplied with a fourth potential having the same polarity as the positively charged particles and an absolute value different from that of the third potential.

[0009] The fourth separation device comprises a feed gas line for feeding a feed gas sample containing a plurality of components, and an electric field chromatograph main body to which the feed gas line is connected, wherein the electric field chromatograph main body comprises a flat plate anode and a flat plate cathode arranged opposite each other in the flow direction of the feed gas, and a filter plate gate electrode arranged between the flat plate electrode and the flat plate cathode and having a plurality of separation chambers, and is characterized in that the voltage applied to the flat plate anode, flat plate cathode and filter plate gate electrode is changed, and the electric field is changed as desired depending on the level of the voltage applied to the electrodes, thereby chromatographically separating the components in the feed gas.

[0010] The fifth separation device comprises a sample supply line for supplying a feed gas sample containing a plurality of components, and an electric field chromatograph main body to which the sample supply line is connected, wherein the electric field chromatograph main body comprises a flat plate anode and a flat plate cathode arranged opposite each other in the flow direction of the feed gas, and a filter plate gate electrode arranged between the flat plate electrode and the flat plate cathode and having a plurality of separation chambers, wherein the voltages applied to the flat plate anode, the flat plate cathode and the filter plate gate electrode are each changed, and the sample is chromatographically separated into the separation chambers according to the voltages.

[0011] The sixth separation device is characterized by comprising: a gas supply chamber for supplying a gas containing a protic substance; cathode filter plate electrodes disposed on both sides of the gas supply chamber and equipped with diaphragms having pores for separating the protic substance; a flat anode electrode; and a protic substance introduction chamber into which the separated protic substance flows together with the gas.

[0012] The seventh separation device is characterized by comprising: a supply chamber for supplying a gas containing an aprotic substance; anode filter plate electrodes disposed on both sides of the supply chamber and equipped with diaphragms having pores for separating the aprotic substance; a flat cathode electrode; and an aprotic substance introduction chamber into which the separated aprotic substance flows together with the gas.

[0013] The eighth separation device is characterized by comprising: a supply chamber for supplying a gas containing protic substances and aprotic substances; cathode filter plate electrodes arranged on both sides of the supply chamber and equipped with a diaphragm having pores for separating protic substances; an anode filter plate electrode arranged on both sides of the supply chamber and equipped with a diaphragm having pores for separating anions; a protic substance introduction chamber into which the separated protic substances flow together with gaseous water; anode filter plate electrodes arranged on both sides of the supply chamber and equipped with a diaphragm having pores for separating aprotic substances; a flat cathode electrode; an aprotic substance introduction chamber into which the separated aprotic substances flow together with the gas; and an aprotic substance chamber into which the separated aprotic substances flow together with the gas.

[0014] According to the present invention, negatively charged particles or positively charged particles are separated by repelling them, so that the electrodes do not get dirty and the effort of cleaning them is saved.

[0015] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a separation device according to embodiment 1 of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of another separation device according to embodiment 1 of the present invention. FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram of a separation device according to embodiment 2 of the present invention. FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram of a separation device according to embodiment 3 of the present invention. FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram of an electric field chromatography device according to embodiment 4 of the present invention. FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram of a moving gas flow state of an electric field chromatography device according to embodiment 4 of the present invention. FIG. 7 is an explanatory diagram of step 1 of electric field chromatography separation according to embodiment 4 of the present invention. FIG. 8 is an explanatory diagram of step 2 of electric field chromatography separation according to embodiment 4 of the present invention. FIG. 9 is an explanatory diagram of step 3 of electric field chromatography separation according to embodiment 4 of the present invention. FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram of step 4 of electric field chromatography separation according to embodiment 4 of the present invention. FIG. 11 is a conceptual diagram of a chromatogram of embodiment 4 of the present invention. FIG. 12 is a schematic diagram of an electric field chromatography device according to embodiment 5. FIG. 13 is a schematic diagram of an operating method of embodiment 1. FIG. 14 is a schematic diagram of an operating method of embodiment 1. FIG. 15 is a schematic diagram of another operating method of embodiment 1. FIG. 16 is a schematic diagram of a separation device according to embodiment 6 of the present invention. FIG. 17 is a schematic diagram of another separation device according to embodiment 6 of the present invention. FIG. 18 is a schematic diagram of a separation device according to embodiment 7 of the present invention. FIG. 19 is a schematic diagram of another separation device according to embodiment 8 of the present invention.

[0016] An embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings. The present invention is not limited to the following detailed description of the invention (hereinafter referred to as the embodiment). The components in the embodiment include those that can be easily imagined by a person skilled in the art, those that are substantially the same, and those that are within the scope of what is called equivalents. Furthermore, the components disclosed in the embodiment can be combined as appropriate. This embodiment is merely an example that embodies the configuration of the present invention, and various design modifications can be made without departing from the scope of the claims.

[0017] [Embodiment 1] FIG. 1A is a schematic diagram of a gas component separation device according to embodiment 1 of the present invention. FIG. 1B is a schematic diagram of another gas component separation device according to embodiment 1 of the present invention. A gas component separation device (hereinafter referred to as a "filtering device") 10A (10A-1, 10A-2) according to the embodiment is a device that purifies gas by separating negatively charged particles 11a, such as soot, from a supply gas 11A containing negatively charged particles 11a. The filtering device 10A (10A-1, 10A-2) can be used as an air purifier, for example, for indoor use. In addition to air purifiers, the filtering device can be used in applications such as (1) devices for removing PM2.5 and dust from the air in living environments, air purification devices, (2) devices for recovering valuable powder from the circulating airflow of a drying device, (3) devices for removing organic solvents in factory environments, and (4) devices for separating components from a reaction gas containing multiple components. Here, the filtration device 10A will be described by taking as examples a separation device 10A-1 shown in Fig. 1A and a separation device 10A-2 shown in Fig. 1B. The difference between the two is whether or not a diaphragm 13, which will be described later, is provided.

[0018] As shown in FIGS. 1A and 1B , separation devices 10A-1 and 10A-2 according to a first embodiment of the present invention include a gas supply chamber (hereinafter referred to as the “supply chamber”) 12 to which a first supply gas 11 containing negatively charged particles 11a is supplied, cathode electrodes 14 provided opposite each other on both sides of the supply chamber 12 and consisting of a pair of cathode first electrode 14A and cathode second electrode 14B having holes 14a and 14b that separate the negatively charged particles 11a (e.g., soot dust) in the first supply gas 11 as a separated substance by the action of an electric field, and The device is equipped with a flat anode electrode 15 arranged on either side of the supply chamber 12 and facing the cathode first electrode 14A, and a cathode-side discharge chamber 17 into which purified gas (clean air) 110A from which negatively charged particles 11a have been separated flows in. A first potential V1 of the same polarity as that of the negatively charged particles 11a (soot dust) is supplied to the cathode first electrode 14A, and a second potential V2 of the same polarity as that of the negatively charged particles 11a (soot dust) but with an absolute value different from that of the first potential V1 is supplied to the cathode second electrode 14B.

[0019] The plurality of cathode electrodes 14 are interposed between the supply chamber 12 and the cathode-side discharge chamber 17. In other words, the plurality of cathode electrodes 14 separate the supply chamber 12 from the first discharge chamber 17. The cathode first electrode 14A faces the flat plate anode electrode (+) 15 across the supply chamber 12. The distance D1 between the cathode first electrode 14A and the flat plate anode electrode 15 is a distance that allows the negatively charged particles 11a in the gas to move toward the anode flat plate electrode 15, and is, for example, 0.1 mm or more and 100 mm or less, more preferably 0.1 mm or more and 10 mm or less.

[0020] The distance D2 between the first cathode electrode 14A and the second cathode electrode 14B is not particularly limited, but is, for example, 0.1 mm to 20 mm, more preferably 0.1 mm to 2 mm. Note that the smaller the distance D2 between the first cathode electrode 14A and the second cathode electrode 14B, the smaller the cathode electric field Ec generated between the first cathode electrode 14A and the second cathode electrode 14B. １ The power of becomes stronger.

[0021] The hole 14a in the cathode first electrode 14 and the hole 14b in the cathode second electrode 14B communicate the supply chamber 12 with the first discharge chamber 17. The hole diameter d1 of the hole 14a in the cathode first electrode 14A is 0.5 μm or more and 500 μm or less, for example, approximately 70 μm. The hole diameter d2 of the hole 14b in the cathode second electrode 14B is 0.5 nm or more and 1000 nm or less, for example, approximately 100 nm. Note that the hole diameters d1 and d2 of the holes 14a and 14b do not have to be the same.

[0022] Furthermore, a flat-plate cathode electrode 25 is provided so as to face the second cathode electrode 14B in the cathode-side discharge chamber 17. The distance D3 between the flat-plate cathode electrode 25 and the second cathode electrode 14B is not particularly limited, but is, for example, 0.1 mm to 20 mm, more preferably 0.1 mm to 2 mm. Note that the smaller the distance D3 between the flat-plate cathode electrode 25 and the second cathode electrode 14B, the smaller the cathode electric field Ec generated between the flat-plate cathode electrode 25 and the second cathode electrode 14B. ２ The power of becomes stronger.

[0023] The separation device 10A-1 further includes a first power supply 41 electrically connected to the flat plate anode electrode 15 and the cathode first electrode 14A, and a second power supply 42 electrically connected to the cathode first electrode 14A and the cathode second electrode 14B. Here, the electrode configuration is such that, when the cathode second electrode 14B is at a second potential (V1 = 10 V), the cathode first electrode 14A is at a second potential (V2 = 20 V), and the flat plate anode electrode 15 is at a fourth potential (V4 = 30 V), the absolute potential difference is 20 V. Furthermore, the separation device 10A-1 includes a third power supply 43 electrically connected to the flat plate cathode electrode 25 and the cathode second electrode 14B.

[0024] The absolute values ​​of the cathode potentials supplied from the second power source 42 and the third power source 45 increase (V3 (30 V) > V2 (20 V) > V1 (10 V)) as the distance from the supply chamber 12 increases. By sequentially changing the potential from V1 to V3 in this manner and gradually increasing the potential, the repulsive force against the negatively charged particles 11 a is strengthened.

[0025] If there is no flat cathode electrode 25, there is a risk that negatively charged particles 11a will flow in from the supply chamber 12. However, by providing the flat cathode electrode 25 and applying a third potential (V3), it is possible to prevent the negatively charged particles 11a from flowing in from the supply chamber 12, and the negatively charged particles 11a can be reliably separated.

[0026] That is, the flat cathode electrode 25 is provided to prevent the negatively charged particles 11 a from being drawn into the cathode-side discharge chamber 17 as well. As a result, by installing the flat-plate cathode electrode 25 and applying a potential V3 (e.g., 30 V) higher than V2 (e.g., 20 V), the negatively charged particles 11 a are prevented from remaining in the space between the first cathode electrode 14A and the second cathode electrode 14B, and the negatively charged particles 11 a are pushed back into the supply chamber 12. The pushed-back negatively charged particles 11 a are attracted to the flat-plate anode electrode 15 inside the supply chamber 12. The attracted negatively charged particles 11 a are then discharged to the outside by the gas flow of the supply gas 11. The above applied voltage is one example, and in the case of a dry gas, for example, the applied voltage may be 10 to 100 times higher. Furthermore, the applied voltage can be appropriately set depending on the gas properties of the supply gas and the characteristics of the particles contained in the gas. For example, the applied voltage may be adjusted and set in the range of approximately several tens to 20 kV DC.

[0027] The electrode configuration is not limited to the configuration in FIGS. 1A and 1B , and a configuration is also possible in which the cathode first electrode 14A is earthed, the cathode first electrode 14A is used as a reference electrode, the potential (V2) of the cathode first electrode 14A is set to, for example, 0 V, the potential (V1) of the cathode second electrode 14B is set to, for example, −10 V, and the potential (V4) of the flat anode electrode 15 is set to, for example, +10 V, and the absolute value of the voltages is changed while the potential difference between them is not changed.

[0028] Here, a cathode electric field Ec exists between the cathode first electrode 14A and the cathode second electrode 14B. １ This cathode electric field Ec １ exerts a repulsive force that inhibits the negatively charged particles 11 a from moving from the supply chamber 12 to the cathode side discharge chamber 17 .

[0029] The purified gas 110A from which the particles have been removed and moved to the cathode side discharge chamber 17 is discharged into the room as purified gas (clean air) 110A from an outlet (not shown) of the cathode side discharge chamber 17 by the gas exhaust flow.

[0030] Meanwhile, the negatively charged particles 11a separated in the supply chamber 12 are concentrated in concentration within the supply chamber 12. The particles are then discharged as exhaust gas 11A to the outside from an outlet (not shown) of the supply chamber 12 due to filtration pressure. When the separation device 10A is used as an air purifier, the exhaust gas 11A is discharged outside the room, not inside.

[0031] Here, it is preferable to set the pressure (filtration pressure) by the supply pump (not shown) so that the pressure (gauge pressure) of the supply chamber 12, which is an enclosed space, is slightly higher than atmospheric pressure, for example, 0.005 MPa or more and 0.5 MPa or less, preferably 0.02 MPa or more and 0.1 MPa or less.

[0032] Additionally, a galvanic corrosion prevention layer (not shown) is provided on the surfaces of the cathode electrode 14 (cathode first electrode 14A, cathode second electrode 14B) and the flat anode electrode 15. Examples of the galvanic corrosion prevention layer include an insulating coating layer and a conductive precious metal layer. Examples of materials for the galvanic corrosion prevention layer include, but are not limited to, titanium, aluminum, magnesium, and tantalum. Examples of materials for the conductive precious metal layer include, but are not limited to, platinum, gold, and palladium. In the case of an insulating coating layer, the thickness of the galvanic corrosion prevention layer is preferably, for example, approximately 5 μm to 30 μm, more preferably, approximately 5 μm to 10 μm. Furthermore, the thickness of the conductive precious metal layer, such as platinum, gold, or palladium, is preferably, for example, approximately 0.5 μm to 10 μm, more preferably, approximately 1 μm to 5 μm. This galvanic corrosion prevention layer suppresses corrosion of the surfaces of the cathode electrode 14 and the flat anode electrode 15. Furthermore, the cathode electrode 14 and the flat plate anode electrode 15 have an insulating coating layer, and therefore do not come into contact with the gas that constitutes the supply gas 11. As a result, even if a potential is applied to the cathode electrode 14 and the flat plate anode electrode 15, electrolysis is unlikely to occur between the surfaces of the cathode electrode 14 and the flat plate anode electrode 15 and the gas.

[0033] As shown in a separation device 10A-2 in FIG. 1B, a diaphragm (cathode filter material) 13 is disposed between the cathode first electrode 14A and the cathode second electrode 14B. Examples of the diaphragm 13 include cellulose filter paper (membrane) and nanofiber, but the present invention is not limited to this. Taking the filter paper of this embodiment employed as the diaphragm 13 as an example, the size of the pores 13a of the filter paper is preferably about 1 micron (a pore diameter 1000 times larger than 1 nanometer).

[0034] As mentioned above, the diaphragm 13 may be, for example, filter paper, but it is more preferable to use a diaphragm having a dielectric effect. The diaphragm having a dielectric effect is made of an insulating material, and may be, for example, a nonwoven fabric made of fibers such as PP (polypropylene), PE (polyethylene), NY (nylon), or cellulose. By placing the diaphragm 13 having a dielectric effect between the first cathode electrode 14A and the second cathode electrode 14B, the cathode electric field Ec acting between the first cathode electrode 14A and the second cathode electrode 14B is reduced. １ This increases the repulsive force, making it more preferable. In addition to the materials mentioned above, examples of the diaphragm (filter medium) 13 include nanofibers (NF) made of high-dielectric-constant materials and filter cloth or filter paper made of high-molecular-weight polymers with high relative permittivity and dielectric constant. Using nanofibers (NF) made of high-dielectric-constant materials or filter cloth made of high-molecular-weight polymers with high relative permittivity and dielectric constant allows for a high negative zeta potential at a low voltage, thereby increasing the repulsive force. As a result, when increasing the area of ​​an electrofiltration device, power consumption can be reduced and the filter medium can be made more functional. Here, nanofibers are fibrous materials with diameters of 1 nm to 100 nm and lengths 100 times or more the diameter, and the pore diameters formed by the entangled fibers are approximately 0.5 to 0.1 μm. Therefore, since water molecules are subnanometer-sized, water can sufficiently permeate the diaphragm 13. As a result, the pump that pumps the supply liquid 11 into the supply chamber 12 allows water to freely pass through the diaphragm 13.

[0035] Next, a method of operating the filter device 10A (10A-1, 10A-2) will be described. Note that the supply gas 11 in this embodiment contains soot dust as the negatively charged particles 11a.

[0036] An operating method will be described with reference to FIG. 7A . Here, the room 200 is filled with air containing negatively charged particles (such as negatively charged soot and dust) 11a. As shown in FIG. 7A , in the operating method of the filtration device 10A-2 of embodiment 1, first, the supply pump P-1 is driven to supply the supply gas 11 containing the negatively charged particles (such as negatively charged soot and dust) 11a from the room 200 into the supply chamber 12 via the supply line L1. The supply pump P-1 is continuously driven to continuously supply the supply gas 11A. The suction pressure of the supply pump P-1 is set so that the pressure (gauge pressure) of the supply chamber (enclosed space) 12 is higher than atmospheric pressure, for example, between 0.005 MPa and 0.5 MPa, preferably between 0.02 MPa and 0.1 MPa.

[0037] Here, in the electrode configuration, when the cathode first electrode 14A is at a first potential (V1 = 10 V), the cathode second electrode 14B is at a second potential (V2 = 20 V), the plate cathode electrode 25 is at a third potential (V3 = 30 V), and the plate anode electrode 15 is at a fourth potential (V4 = 30 V), the absolute potential difference is 20 V. Note that the third potential (V3 = 30 V) of the plate cathode electrode 25 and the fourth potential (V3 = 30 V) of the plate anode electrode 15 may be the same or different.

[0038] As a result, a cathode electric field Ec is generated between the cathode first electrode 14A and the cathode second electrode 14B, and between the cathode second electrode 14B and the flat plate cathode electrode 25. １ , Ec ２ (See FIG. 1B) The cathode electric field Ec １ exerts a repulsive force that inhibits the negatively charged particles 11 a from moving from the supply chamber 12 to the cathode side discharge chamber 17 .

[0039] Then, the purified gas 110A from which the negatively charged particles 11a have been removed moves to the cathode-side discharge chamber 17. At this time, the cathode electric field Ec２ Since the negatively charged particles 11a are generated, the negatively charged particles 11a that would otherwise flow between the first cathode electrode 14A and the second cathode electrode 14B can be prevented from flowing in, and as a result, the negatively charged particles 11a are retained and concentrated in the supply chamber 12.

[0040] The purified gas 110A discharged from the outlet of the cathode side discharge chamber 17 by the gas discharge flow is passed through the discharge line L ２ The exhaust gas is returned to the room 200 as purified exhaust air (clean air).

[0041] On the other hand, the negatively charged particles 11a separated in the supply chamber 12 are concentrated inside the supply chamber 12, and are discharged from the outlet of the supply chamber 12 to the outside through a discharge line L ３ The gas is discharged as exhaust gas 11A.

[0042] According to the above-described operating method, when indoor air, which is the supply gas 11, is supplied to the supply chamber 12, the negatively charged particles 11a (soot and dust) contained in the indoor air are subjected to a repulsive force from the first cathode electrode 14A, which is charged with the same polarity (see arrow A1 in FIG. 1 ). The negatively charged particles 11a are also subjected to an attractive force from the flat anode electrode 15, which is charged with the opposite polarity (see arrow B1 in FIG. 1 ). This causes the negatively charged particles 11a in the supply chamber 12 to move toward the flat anode electrode 15. As a result, many of the negatively charged particles 11a that flow into the supply chamber 12 are temporarily distributed near the flat anode electrode 15 until they are discharged to the outside.

[0043] Conventional air purifiers with an electrical dust collection function separate the negatively charged particles 11a from the dust by attaching them to an anode electrode, and purify the air. In this case, the negatively charged particles 11a adhere to the anode electrode, and over a long period of operation, the negatively charged particles 11a accumulate on the surface of the electrode, requiring periodic cleaning (rinsing with water).

[0044] In contrast, the separator 10A-1 of the present invention repels the negatively charged particles 11a and the negatively charged particles 11a do not adhere to the electrodes, so the electrodes do not become dirty and cleaning operations are omitted. When concentrated negatively charged particles 11a accumulate inside the supply chamber 12, they can be removed by reverse blowing, cutting off the voltage, or applying a reverse voltage.

[0045] 7B, the processing capacity may be increased by forming a chamber configuration in which the separation device 10A-2 shown in FIG. 1B is connected by a connecting device 150. Furthermore, the gas processing capacity may be further increased by adding additional chamber configurations as needed.

[0046] Next, a modified example of the operating method of the filtration device 10A will be described with reference to Fig. 8. Note that the supply gas 11 in this embodiment is exemplified as containing valuable material powder (e.g., a product such as negatively charged dry starch) as negatively charged particles 11a.

[0047] 8 is a schematic diagram of another operating method of the embodiment 1. As shown in FIG. 8, in the operating method of the separation device 10A of the embodiment 1, first, the supply pump P-1 is driven to supply the supply gas 11 containing negatively charged particles (negatively charged powder, etc.) 11a from the room 200 in which valuable materials are produced to the supply line L １ The supply gas 11 is supplied into the supply chamber 12 by the supply pump P-1. The supply pump P-1 is continuously driven to supply the supply gas 11 continuously.

[0048] As a result, a cathode electric field Ec is generated between the cathode first electrode 14A and the cathode second electrode 14B, and between the cathode second electrode 14B and the flat plate cathode electrode 25. １ , Ec ２ (See FIG. 1B) The cathode electric field Ec １ exerts a repulsive force that inhibits the negatively charged particles 11 a from moving from the supply chamber 12 to the cathode side discharge chamber 17 .

[0049] Then, the purified gas 110A from which the negatively charged particles 11a have been removed moves to the cathode-side discharge chamber 17. At this time, the cathode electric field Ec２ Since the negatively charged particles 11a are generated, the negatively charged particles 11a that would otherwise flow between the first cathode electrode 14A and the second cathode electrode 14B can be prevented from flowing in, and the negatively charged particles 11a are concentrated in the supply chamber 12.

[0050] Then, the purified gas 110A from which the negatively charged particles 11a have been removed moves to the cathode side discharge chamber 17. The purified gas 110A discharged from the outlet of the cathode side discharge chamber 17 by the gas discharge flow is discharged through the discharge line L ２ The air is returned to the room 200 by

[0051] On the other hand, the negatively charged particles 11a separated in the supply chamber 12 are concentrated inside the supply chamber 12, and are discharged from the outlet of the supply chamber 12 to the outside through a discharge line L ３ The negatively charged particles 11a are concentrated in the exhaust gas 11A and are collected in a collection container 201 for valuable materials.

[0052] According to the above-described operating method, when a gas containing negatively charged particles 11a of valuables, which is the supply gas 11, is supplied to the supply chamber 12, the negatively charged particles 11a of valuables contained in the gas are subjected to a repulsive force from the cathode first electrode 14A, which is charged with the same polarity (see arrow A1 in FIG. 1). The negatively charged particles 11a are also subjected to an attractive force from the flat anode electrode 15, which is charged with the opposite polarity (see arrow B1 in FIG. 1). As a result, the negatively charged particles 11a in the gas supply chamber 12 move toward the flat anode electrode 15. As a result, many of the negatively charged particles 11a that flow into the supply chamber 12 are distributed near the flat anode electrode 15. The exhaust gas 11A, which has been concentrated inside the supply chamber 12, then flows out of the exhaust line L. ３ The exhaust gas 11A is discharged as the exhaust gas 11A through the exhaust gas 11A and collected in the collection container 201.

[0053] For example, when the dried material dried by spray drying is a valuable material (such as dried starch), it may not be possible to completely remove the powder using conventional powder collection devices such as dust collectors or bag filters in the drying chamber. However, by installing the filtering device of the present invention, the valuable material powder (such as dried starch) of the negatively charged particles 11a can be recovered, improving the recovery rate and the production yield.

[0054] The present filtering device may also be installed downstream of a conventional dust collector such as a dust collector or a bag filter.

[0055] [Embodiment 2] Fig. 2 is a schematic diagram of a separation device according to embodiment 2 of the present invention. Next, a separation device 10B for components in gas according to embodiment 2 will be described with reference to Fig. 2. While negatively charged particles 11a were separated in embodiment 1, positively charged particles 11b are separated in this embodiment. The basic configuration of the device is the same as that of embodiment 1, except for the polarity.

[0056] As shown in FIG. 2, the gas component separation device 10B according to the second embodiment separates positively charged particles (e.g., TiO ２ The apparatus includes a supply chamber 22 to which a second supply gas 11B containing positively charged particles 11b is supplied, a pair of anode electrodes 24A and anode second electrodes 24B, which are provided opposite each other on both sides of the supply chamber 22 and have holes 24a for separating the positively charged particles 11b in the supply gas 11 as separated substances by the action of an electric field, a flat cathode electrode 25 disposed across the supply chamber 22 and facing the first anode electrode 24A disposed on the supply chamber 22 side, and an anode-side discharge chamber 27 into which the purified gas 110B from which the positively charged particles 11b have been separated flows, and a first potential V1 having the same polarity as the polarity of the positively charged particles 11b is supplied to the first anode electrode 24A, and a second potential V2 having the same polarity as the polarity of the positively charged particles 11b but an absolute value different from that of the first potential V1 is supplied to the second anode electrode 24B.

[0057] The multiple anode electrodes 24 are interposed between the supply chamber 22 and the anode-side discharge chamber 27. In other words, the multiple anode electrodes 24 separate the supply chamber 22 from the anode-side discharge chamber 27. In this embodiment, there are two anode electrodes. Hereinafter, the multiple anode electrodes will be referred to as the first anode electrode 24A, the second anode electrode 24B, and so on, in order from the one closest to the supply chamber 22.

[0058] The first anode electrode 24A faces the flat plate cathode electrode 25 across the supply chamber 22. The distance D1 between the first anode electrode 24A and the flat plate cathode electrode 25 is a distance that allows the positively charged particles 11b in the gas to move toward the flat plate cathode electrode 25, and is, for example, 0.1 mm or more and 100 mm or less, more preferably 0.1 mm or more and 10 mm or less.

[0059] The distance D2 between the first anode electrode 24A and the second anode electrode 24B is not particularly limited, but is, for example, 0.1 mm to 20 mm, more preferably 0.1 mm to 2 mm. Note that the smaller the distance D2 between the first anode electrode 24A and the second anode electrode 24B, the smaller the anode electric field Ea generated between the first anode electrode 24A and the second anode electrode 24B. １ The power of becomes stronger.

[0060] The hole 24a in the first anode electrode 24A and the hole 24b in the second anode electrode 24B communicate the supply chamber 22 with the anode-side discharge chamber 27. The hole diameter d1 of the hole 24a in the first anode electrode 24A is 0.5 μm or more and 500 μm or less, for example, approximately 70 μm. The hole diameter d2 of the hole 24b in the second anode electrode 24B is 0.5 nm or more and 1000 nm or less, for example, approximately 100 nm. The hole diameters d1 and d2 of the holes 24a and 24b do not have to be the same.

[0061] The separation device 10B further includes a fourth power supply 43 electrically connected to the flat plate cathode electrode 25 and the first anode electrode 24A, and a fifth power supply 44 electrically connected to the first anode electrode 24A and the second anode electrode 24B. Here, assuming that the first anode electrode 24A is at a first potential (V1 = 10 V), the second anode electrode 14B is at a second potential (V2 = 20 V), and the flat plate cathode electrode 25 is at a fourth potential (V4 = 30 V), the absolute potential difference is 20 V. The separation device 10B further includes a sixth power supply 46 electrically connected to the flat plate anode electrode 15 and the second anode electrode 24B.

[0062] The absolute values ​​of the cathode potentials supplied from the fifth power source 44 and the sixth power source 46 increase with increasing distance from the supply chamber 22 (V3 (30 V) > V2 (20 V) > V1 (10 V)). By changing the potential from V1 to V3 in this way and increasing the potential, the repulsive force against the positively charged particles 11b is strengthened. In other words, without the flat anode electrode 15, there is a risk of positively charged particles 11b flowing in from the supply chamber 12. However, by providing the flat anode electrode 15 and applying the third potential (V3), the inflow of positively charged particles 11b from the supply chamber 12 can be prevented, and the positively charged particles 11b can be reliably separated.

[0063] That is, the flat anode electrode 15 is provided to prevent the positively charged particles 11b from being drawn into the anode-side discharge chamber 27 as well. As a result, by installing the flat anode electrode 15 and applying a potential (V3 (30 V) higher than V2 (20 V)) to the flat anode electrode 15, the positively charged particles 11b are prevented from remaining in the space between the first anode electrode 24A and the second anode electrode 24B, and are pushed back into the supply chamber 12. The pushed-back positively charged particles 11b are attracted toward the flat cathode electrode 25.

[0064] Here, an anode electric field Ea exists between the first anode electrode 24A and the second anode electrode 24B. １ The anode electric field Ea １ , exerts a repulsive force that inhibits the positively charged particles 11 b from moving from the supply chamber 22 to the second discharge chamber 27 .

[0065] The purified gas 110B from which the particles have been removed and which has moved to the anode-side discharge chamber 27 is discharged by the gas exhaust flow from an outlet (not shown) of the anode-side discharge chamber 27 to the outside as purified gas 110B.

[0066] On the other hand, the positively charged particles 11b separated in the supply chamber 22 are concentrated inside, and are discharged as exhaust gas 11B from an outlet (not shown) of the supply chamber 22 to the outside due to filtration pressure.

[0067] [Embodiment 3] Figure 3 is a schematic diagram of a separation device of embodiment 3. Note that the same components as those of the separation devices of embodiments 1 and 2 are denoted by the same reference numerals, and their description will be omitted. As shown in Figure 3, a separation device 10C of this embodiment is a combination of the separation device 10A-2 of embodiment 1 shown in Figure 1B and the separation device 10B of embodiment 2 shown in Figure 2, and separates negatively charged particles 11a and positively charged particles 11b in a supply gas 11 to obtain purified gases 110A and 110B.

[0068] The main components of the air pollutant PM2.5 are sulfate ions (negatively charged particles), carbon components (organic carbon (negatively charged particles), elemental carbon), nitrate ions (negatively charged particles), and ammonium ions (positively charged particles). Therefore, when supply gas 11 containing PM2.5 is introduced into supply chamber 12, the sulfate ions, organic carbon, and nitrate ions of negatively charged particles 11a are concentrated within supply chamber 12, while the ammonium ions of positively charged particles 11b are concentrated. Purification gases 110A and 110B are discharged as clean air. Therefore, even if it is unclear whether negatively charged particles 11a or positively charged particles 11b are the predominant components, both charged particles can be separated.

[0069] For example, colloidal silica (SiO ２ ) fine particles (negatively charged particles 11a) and titanium oxide (TiO ２) fine particles (positively charged particles 11b) are valuable resources, and both are floating in the same work chamber (room), by using the separation device 10C of FIG. 3, titanium oxide (positively charged particles 11b) is recovered in the cathode-side discharge chamber 17, while colloidal silica (negatively charged particles 11a) is recovered in the anode-side discharge chamber 27.

[0070] [Embodiment 4] Fig. 4A is a schematic diagram of an electric-field chromatography device according to embodiment 4 of the present invention. Fig. 4B is a schematic diagram of a moving gas flow state in the electric-field chromatography device according to embodiment 4. Hereinafter, in the present invention, an apparatus that performs chromatographic separation using an electric field barrier, which will be described later, is referred to as an electric-field chromatography device. An electric-field chromatography device (hereinafter also referred to as an "electric field chromatograph") 10D according to embodiment 4 includes a sample supply line L that supplies a supply gas 11 containing at least two or more components (negatively charged particles 11a and positively charged particles 11b). １ and sample supply line L １ is connected to a transfer gas line L which supplies a transfer gas 12 which delivers the supply gas 11. ２ and the transfer gas line L ２ The electrochromatograph main body 20 includes a flat-plate anode 21 (first electrode) and a flat-plate cathode 22 (second electrode) that are disposed opposite each other in the flow direction of the moving gas 12, and a filter plate gate electrode 24 (24-1, 24-2, 24-3) that is provided between the flat-plate anode 21 and the flat-plate cathode 22 and has a plurality of separation chambers (also referred to as "fractionation chambers") 25 (25-1, 25-2, 25-3, 25-4). The voltage applied to the flat-plate anode 21, the flat-plate cathode 22, and the filter plate gate electrodes 24-1, 24-2, 24-3 is changed, and the supply sample 11 is chromatographically separated in accordance with the voltage. The separation chambers 25 are three, but this is not a limitation. In this embodiment, four chambers are used, but this is not a limitation of the present invention. In addition, although the present embodiment uses the flat-plate anode 21 as the first flat-plate electrode and the flat-plate cathode 22 as the second flat-plate electrode, the configuration may be reversed. Examples of the moving gas (carrier gas) include, but are not limited to, helium and nitrogen.

[0071] The filter plate gate electrodes 24 (24-1, 24-2, 24-3) are composed of a first filter plate electrode 24A and a second filter plate electrode 24B. Furthermore, a diaphragm (filter plate) 23, which is an insulator having pores 23a, is sandwiched between the first filter plate electrode 24A and the second filter plate electrode 24B. In this embodiment, three sets of filter plate gate electrodes 24 (24-1, 24-2, 24-3) are provided, but the present invention is not limited to this.

[0072] Between the flat-plate anode 21 and the flat-plate cathode 22, three sets of filter-plate gate electrodes 24-1, 24-2, and 24-3 are partitioned to form a first separation (fractionation) chamber 25-1 to a fourth separation (fractionation) chamber 25-4.

[0073] Here, an electric field Ec exists between the first filter plate electrode 24A and the second filter plate electrode 24B of the filter plate gate electrode 24-1 installed between the first chamber 25-1 and the second chamber 25-2. １ This electric field Ec １ exerts a repulsive force that inhibits, for example, negatively charged ions from migrating from the first chamber 25-1 to the second chamber 25-2.

[0074] Here, an electric field Ec exists between the first filter plate electrode 24A and the second filter plate electrode 24B of the gate filter plate electrode 24-2 installed between the second chamber 25-2 and the third chamber 25-3. ２ This electric field Ec ２ The electric field Ec is generated between the first filter plate electrode 24A and the second filter plate electrode 24B of the gate filter plate electrode 24-3 installed between the third chamber 25-3 and the fourth chamber 25-4. ３ This cathode electric field Ec ３ For example, the filter plate gate electrode 24 exerts a repulsive force that inhibits negatively charged ions from moving from the third chamber 25-3 to the fourth chamber 25-4. This repulsive force constitutes an electric field barrier. In this way, the filter plate gate electrode 24 is composed of the first filter plate electrode 24A, the second filter plate electrode 24B, and the diaphragm 23, and an electric field (Ec １The electric field barrier (gate) generated by the ion beam acts as a chromatographic function (column function) to separate the sample components.

[0075] That is, as shown in FIG. 4B, when sample components 11a-1, 11a-2, and 11b flowing in mobile gas 12 contain component 11b having a positive (+) charge and components having a negative (-) charge (component 11a-2 having a large particle size and component 11a-1 having a small particle size), component 11b having a positive (+) charge is drawn toward flat cathode 22 and moves rapidly through mobile gas 12.

[0076] However, when comparing the larger component 11a-2 and the smaller component 11a-1 among the components having a negative (-) charge, the smaller component 11a-1 has a negative (-) charge, and the larger component 11a-2 among the components having a negative (-) charge is more strongly attracted toward the anode 22, so the larger component 11a-2 is drawn toward the flat cathode 22 at a faster rate. This results in different migration rates for the three components (sample components 11a-1, 11a-2, and 11b), resulting in fractionation (see Figure 4B). In Figure 4B (B), the solid line indicates the migration gas velocity of the migration gas 12 that moves sample components 11a-1, 11a-2, and 11b, and the dashed line indicates the electrical migration velocity. In Figure 4B (C), the solid line indicates the absolute velocity.

[0077] The filter plate gate electrodes 24 (first filter plate electrode 24A, second filter plate electrode 24B) are provided with a plurality of holes 24a penetrating in the left-right direction in the figure. The transfer medium (gas) in the transfer gas 12 transfers through the holes 24a of these electrodes 24.

[0078] In addition, an electric field Ec exists between the first filter plate electrode 24A and the second filter plate electrode 24B. １ This generated cathode electric field Ec １The positively charged molecules exert a force that draws positively charged molecules from the first chamber 25-1 toward the second chamber 25-2. An electroosmotic flow occurs in which the positively charged molecules are drawn toward the second chamber 25-2 (see arrow F1 in FIG. 4A). Therefore, the water in the first chamber 25-1 moves faster than when it moves toward the second chamber 25-2 simply under the filtration pressure of a pump or the like. Therefore, the amount of water moving per unit time from the first chamber 25-1 toward the second chamber 25-2 increases. Finally, the gas that has moved to the fourth chamber 25-4 is discharged to the outside from the outlet 22a of the flat plate cathode 22 due to the filtration pressure.

[0079] Here, the filtration pressure is preferably set so that the pressure (gauge pressure) applied by a supply pump (not shown) in the supply chamber (separation chamber), which is an enclosed space, is slightly higher than atmospheric pressure, for example, 0.005 MPa or more and 0.5 MPa or less, preferably 0.02 MPa or more and 0.1 MPa or less.

[0080] Furthermore, a galvanic corrosion prevention layer (not shown) is provided on the surfaces of the filter plate gate electrode 24 (filter plate first electrode 24A, filter plate second electrode 24B), the flat plate anode 21, and the flat plate cathode 22. Examples of the galvanic corrosion prevention layer include an insulating coating layer and a conductive precious metal layer. Examples of materials for the galvanic corrosion prevention layer include, but are not limited to, titanium, aluminum, magnesium, and tantalum. Examples of materials for the conductive precious metal layer include, but are not limited to, platinum, gold, and palladium. In the case of an insulating coating layer, the thickness of the galvanic corrosion prevention layer is preferably, for example, approximately 5 μm to 30 μm, more preferably approximately 5 μm to 10 μm. Furthermore, the thickness of the conductive precious metal layer, such as platinum, gold, or palladium, is preferably, for example, approximately 0.5 μm to 10 μm, more preferably approximately 1 μm to 5 μm. This galvanic corrosion prevention layer suppresses corrosion of the surfaces of the filter plate gate electrode 24, the flat plate anode 21, and the flat plate cathode 22. Furthermore, since the filter plate gate electrode 24, the flat plate anode 21, and the flat plate cathode 22 have an insulating coating layer, they do not come into contact with the gas atmosphere that constitutes the moving gas 12. As a result, even if a potential is supplied to the filter plate gate electrode 24, the flat plate anode 21, and the flat plate cathode 22, electrolysis is unlikely to occur between the surfaces of the filter plate gate electrode 24, the flat plate anode 21, and the flat plate cathode 22 and the gas atmosphere.

[0081] The filter plate first electrode 24A faces the flat plate anode 21 across the first chamber 25-1. The distance D1 between the filter plate first electrode 24A and the flat plate anode 21 (the distance of the first chamber 25-1) is, for example, 0.1 mm or more and 100 mm or less, more preferably 0.1 mm or more and 40 mm or less.

[0082] The distance D2 between the first filter plate electrode 24A and the second filter plate electrode 24B is not particularly limited, but is, for example, 0.1 mm to 20 mm, more preferably 0.1 mm to 2 mm. The smaller the distance D2 between the first filter plate electrode 24A and the second filter plate electrode 24B, the smaller the cathodic electric field Ec generated between the first filter plate electrode 24A and the second filter plate electrode 24B. １ The force of the force increases. The distance D3 between the second chamber 25-2 is, for example, 0.1 mm to 100 mm, more preferably 0.1 mm to 40 mm. The distance D5 between the filter plate second electrode 24B and the flat plate cathode 22 in the fourth chamber is, for example, 0.1 mm to 100 mm, more preferably 0.1 mm to 40 mm. The distance between the third chamber and the second chamber is preferably, but not limited to, the same distance.

[0083] The diaphragm 23 may be made of, for example, cellulose such as filter paper (membrane) or nanofiber, but the present invention is not limited to this. Taking filter paper as an example, the pore size is about 1 micron (pore diameter 1000 times larger than 1 nanometer).

[0084] On the other hand, when negative ions approach the cathode side filter plate first electrode 24A, the negative electrode and the negative ions repel each other due to Coulomb's repulsive force, making it difficult for the negative ions to pass through the filter plate first electrode 24A.

[0085] As mentioned above, the diaphragm 23 may be, for example, filter paper, but it is more preferable to use a diaphragm having a dielectric effect. The diaphragm having a dielectric effect is made of an insulating material, and may be, for example, a nonwoven fabric made of fibers such as PP (polypropylene), PE (polyethylene), NY (nylon), or cellulose. Here, by placing the diaphragm 23 having a dielectric effect between the first filter plate electrode 24A and the second filter plate electrode 24B, the cathodic electric field Ec acting between the first filter plate electrode 24A and the second filter plate electrode 24B is reduced. １ The force of the diaphragm 23 disposed between the first filter plate electrode 24A and the second filter plate electrode 24B may or may not be in contact with each other. Here, the filter plate gate electrode 24 equipped with the diaphragm 23 functions as a separation membrane for separating each component in the sample. Note that the diaphragm 23 may be made of a high-dielectric-constant material, similar to the diaphragm 13 described above.

[0086] The electric field chromatography device 10D includes a first power supply 41 electrically connected to the flat-plate anode 21 and the cathode (-) first electrode 24A, a second power supply 42 electrically connected to the cathode first electrode 24A and the cathode second electrode 24B between the first chamber 25-1 and the second chamber 25-2, a third power supply 43 electrically connected to the opposing cathode second electrode 24B and the cathode first electrode 24A in the second chamber 25-2, and a fourth power supply 44 electrically connected to the cathode first electrode 24A between the second chamber 25-2 and the third chamber 25-3. and the cathode first electrode 24B; a fifth power supply 45 electrically connected to the opposing cathode second electrode 24B and cathode first electrode 24A in the third chamber 25-3; a sixth power supply 46 electrically connected to the cathode filter plate first electrode 24A and cathode second electrode 24B between the third chamber 25-3 and the fourth chamber 25-4; and a seventh power supply 47 electrically connected to the opposing cathode second electrode 24B and the flat plate cathode 22 in the fourth chamber 25-4.

[0087] Here, the electrode configuration is such that the voltage gradually increases from the flat plate anode 21 side to the flat plate cathode 22 side. That is, gate fractionation is achieved by increasing the voltage applied to the filter plate electrodes from a low voltage (e.g., 10 V) to a medium voltage (e.g., 50 V) to a high voltage (e.g., 80 V) from the flat plate anode 21 side to the flat cathode 22 side. Furthermore, the applied voltage can be appropriately set depending on the gas properties of the supply gas and the characteristics of the particles contained in the gas. For example, the applied voltage can be adjusted and set within a range of approximately several tens to 20 kV DC for operation.

[0088] The power supply, which applies voltage levels to the electrodes from the inlet to the outlet of the chromatograph body, can be operated externally, allowing for arbitrary control of the voltage within the chromatograph body. Furthermore, there is no need to replace the column as in conventional gas chromatography devices.

[0089] As an example of the gate opening degree due to the application of gate voltage, when the gate voltage is 0 V, it becomes 100 / 0 (fully open), and all of the sample introduced from the flat plate anode 21 side passes through to the flat plate cathode 22 side.

[0090] In addition, the opening ratio is 75 / 25 (3 / 4 open) when the voltage is 25 V, 50 / 50 (half open) when the voltage is 50 V, (3 / 4 closed) when the voltage is 75 V, and 0 / 100 (fully closed) when the voltage is 100 V. The opening ratio can be changed as desired, and the separation coefficient can be set as desired.

[0091] This makes it possible to apply the present invention to, for example, component separation and fractionation of mixed components in a reaction gas.

[0092] Furthermore, the electrochromatographic column can be washed to prepare it for the next analysis, and can be reused multiple times without being discarded after each analysis, as is the case with separation columns in conventional gas chromatography systems.

[0093] Next, an example of application of the electrochromatography device to analysis will be described with reference to Figures 5A to 5D. In the electrochromatography device 10D, two sets of filter plate gate electrodes 24 are provided, forming three separation chambers 25-1 to 25-3. In addition, the sample supply line L １ Valve V ＬＶ Only the introduction of the supply gas 11 is opened so that the supply gas 11 is introduced into the moving gas 12.

[0094] The electrode configuration shown in FIG. 4 will be omitted in the following description. The supply gas 11 contains multiple components (11a-1, 11a-2, 11b, ...), but in the description of this embodiment, three components 11a-1, 11a-2, and 11b are used. Here, the first component 11b is the "positive component," the second component 11a-2 is the "negative component (large particle diameter)," and the third component 11a-1 is the "negative component (small particle diameter)." The electrode configuration is such that the voltage increases from low to medium voltage from the flat plate anode side 21 to the flat plate cathode 22 side. This voltage gradient causes the filter plate gate electrode 24 to function as a gate depending on the electric field strength.

[0095] <Step 1> Then, as shown in FIG. 5A, a gas line L ２ The moving gas 12 is supplied to the electrochromatograph body 20 through the sample supply line L １ Then, the valve V ＬＶ When the supply gas 11 is spot-introduced from the sample reservoir 15 into the moving gas 12, a plurality of components (11a-1, 11a-2, 11b) are introduced into the first separation chamber 25-1.

[0096] <Step 2> Next, as the transfer gas 12 continues to be supplied, the first component (positive component) 11b moves sequentially from the multiple components (11a-1, 11a-2, 11b) in the first chamber 25-1 to the second chamber 25-2 on the flat-plate cathode 22 side, as shown in FIG. 5B.

[0097] <Step 3> Then, as shown in FIG. 5C , of the multiple remaining components (11a-1, 11a-2) in the first chamber 25-1, the second component (negative component (large particle diameter)) 11a-2 moves to the second chamber 25-2, and the first component (positive component) 11b moves to the third chamber 25-3 on the flat-plate cathode 22 side.

[0098] <Step 4> Next, as shown in FIG. 5D, the third component (negative component (small particle diameter)) 11a-1, which is the remaining component in the first chamber 25-1, moves to the second chamber 25-2, the second component (negative component (large particle diameter)) 11a-2 moves to the third chamber 25-3, and the first component (positive component) 11b flows from the flat plate cathode 22 side to the discharge line L. ３ Then, first, the first component 11b is detected by the detector 31. After that, the first component 11b is discharged through the discharge line L ３ The second component 11a-2 and the third component 11a-1 are detected in sequence by a detector 31 provided at the detector 31.

[0099] FIG. 5E is a conceptual diagram of a chromatogram detected by detector 31. In FIG. 5E, the passage of detection time is shown from left to right. Here, the right side of the detection chart indicates the start of detection, and the left end indicates the end of detection. As shown in the chromatogram in FIG. 5E, in the detection chart 40, the first component 11b "+ component", the second component 11a-2 "- component (large particle diameter)", and the third component 11a-1 "- component (small particle diameter)" are detected in this order from the right. Note that the blank spaces between each component are elution spaces.

[0100] As described above, the "positive component" of the first component 11b is attracted to the flat plate cathode 22 and moves faster. The second component 11a-2 "negative component (large particle diameter)" is attracted to the flat plate anode 21 and moves slower than the first component 11b "positive component." The third component 11a-1 "negative component (small particle diameter)" is more strongly attracted to the anode and moves slower than the second component 11b "negative component (large particle diameter)," resulting in chromatographic separation.

[0101] In this way, the electric field chromatograph main body (electric field column main body) 20, which separates multiple components, has a chromatographic separation function. Note that if each electrode is set to 0 V, each component is simultaneously discharged from the flat cathode 22, and no chromatographic function is exhibited. Here, "chromatographic separation" refers to the process of chromatographically separating components 11a-1, 11a-2, 11b... in the supply gas 11 by arbitrarily changing the electric field in response to the voltage in the electric field device, using the electric field barrier formed by the filter plate gate electrode 24.

[0102] [Embodiment 5] Fig. 6 is a schematic diagram of an electric field chromatography device according to embodiment 5. Note that the same components as those in the above-described embodiments are denoted by the same reference numerals, and the description thereof will be omitted.

[0103] As shown in FIGS. 6A and 6B, the electric-field chromatography device 10E of the fifth embodiment has the same configuration as the electric-field chromatography device 10D of the first embodiment shown in FIG. 4A.

[0104] 6A, a supply gas 11 containing components to be separated (11a, 11c, 11d, 11e) is supplied, and the components are separated and fractionated in the first to fourth separation chambers 25-1 to 25-4. Finally, as shown in FIG. 6B, the components (11a, 11c, 11d) are concentrated in the first to fourth separation chambers 25-1 to 25-4. The concentrates concentrated in the separation chambers 25-1 to 25-4 are collected in collection tanks 26-1 to 26-3, which are externally provided receiving sections for separated (fractionated) products.

[0105] Many particles floating in the air, including soot (negative potential), viruses, and mold spores, have a zeta potential (a weak electric potential), so negatively charged particles move to the positive (+) pole, while positively charged particles move to the negative (-) pole.

[0106] Examples of particles include ash dust, soot dust, PM2.5, bacteria, fungi, starch, etc., and these can be separated by the electric field device of the present invention.

[0107] Conventional dust collection devices that use filters to capture and recycle dust have problems such as clogging and the accumulation of soot on the electrodes, but with the present invention, clogging does not occur and cleaning is not required.

[0108] As explained above, this separator has the functions of removing negatively charged particles and concentrating and recovering them, and can be used for removing airborne soot, ash, dust, exhaust smoke, PM2.5, fine powder, bacteria, fungi, viruses, aerosols, etc. It mainly removes negatively surface-charged particles and purifies air (carrier gas).

[0109] In addition, it can simultaneously separate and collect negatively and positively charged particles, such as soot, ash, smoke, PM2.5, fine dust, bacteria, fungi, viruses, and aerosol, on both electrode filter plates.

[0110] It can remove and concentrate / recover polar solvent vapors such as water vapor and organic solvent (e.g., ethanol) vapor.

[0111] Furthermore, by using helium or nitrogen gas as a carrier gas, it is possible to demonstrate the functions of analyzing, detecting, and separating polar gas components (hydrogen chloride) and vapor components (ethanol), thereby providing a separation device that demonstrates gas chromatography functions (detection, analysis, and separation functions for polar gases and polar vapors).

[0112] [Embodiment 6] The gas component separation device of the present invention can separate not only negatively charged particles 11a and positively charged particles 11b such as soot and dust in the gas, but also protic substances and aprotic substances in aerosols in the gas. An overview will be given below.

[0113] FIG. 9A is a schematic diagram of a separation device according to a sixth embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 9B is a schematic diagram of another separation device according to the sixth embodiment of the present invention. The components in the gas to be separated in this embodiment can be separated into protic substances and aprotic substances. In FIG. 9A, protic substances ● indicate the behavior of cations, and aprotic substances ○ indicate the behavior of anions. As shown in FIG. 9A, the separation device 10G separates hydrogen ions of protic substances from a supply gas 11 containing protic substances ● such as hydrogen ions generated when water vapor is electrolyzed, to produce hydrogen (H ２ ) is obtained. As a result, the separation device 10G can be used as a hydrogen production device that obtains hydrogen by electrolysis using water vapor in the air. In the first embodiment described above, negatively charged particles 11a are separated, but in this embodiment, protic substances ● are separated. The device configuration is the same as in the first to third embodiments described above, and a detailed description of the basic configuration will be omitted.

[0114] As shown in FIG. 9A , this separation device 10G includes a supply chamber 12 for supplying a gas 11 containing protic substances (●) and aprotic substances (○), cathode filter plate electrodes 14 disposed on both sides of the supply chamber 12 and equipped with diaphragms (filter media) 13 for separating the protic substances (●), a flat anode electrode 15, and a protic substance inlet chamber 17 into which the separated protic substances (●) flow together with the gas. The cathode filter plate electrode 14 is composed of a first cathode electrode 14A and a second cathode electrode 14B, and a diaphragm (filter plate) 13, an insulator having pores 13a, is sandwiched between the first cathode electrode 14A and the second cathode electrode 14B. The diaphragm 13 can be omitted as described above, but the present invention is not limited thereto. For example, cellulose can be used as the diaphragm 13.

[0115] Here, a cathode electric field Ec exists between the cathode first electrode 14A and the cathode second electrode 14B. １ The cathode electric field Ec １ exerts a repulsive force that inhibits the aprotic substance ○ from moving from the supply chamber 12 to the protic substance introduction chamber 17 .

[0116] In addition, the cathode electric field Ec generated between the cathode first electrode 14A and the cathode second electrode 14B １ exerts a force that draws the protic substance ● and positively charged water molecules from supply chamber 12 toward protic substance introduction chamber 17. An electroosmotic flow occurs in which the protic substance ● and positively charged water molecules are drawn toward protic substance introduction chamber 17 (see arrow F1 in FIG. 9A). For this reason, the water vapor in supply chamber 12 moves faster than it would move to protic substance introduction chamber 17 simply by receiving filtration pressure from a pump or the like.

[0117] The protic substance ● that has moved to the protic substance introduction chamber 17 is discharged to the outside from an outlet (not shown) of the protic substance introduction chamber 17 due to filtration pressure. The exhaust gas 11A from which the protic substance ● has been separated in the supply chamber 12 has a reduced concentration of the protic substance ●, and is discharged to the outside from an outlet (not shown) of the supply chamber 12 due to filtration pressure.

[0118] FIG. 9B shows the protic species ● as high temperature or radical vapor protons (H ＋ The following explanation is based on steam in an environment where protons (H) are easily released from radical steam. ＋ ) penetrates the electrodes. The cathode electric field Ec generated between the cathode first electrode 14A and the cathode second electrode 14B １ is a protic substance, hydrogen ion (H ＋ This exerts a force that draws hydrogen and the positively charged water molecules of the water vapor from supply chamber 12 toward protic substance introduction chamber 17. An electroosmotic flow occurs in which hydrogen and the positively charged water molecules are drawn toward protic substance introduction chamber 17 (see arrow F1 in FIG. 9B). Therefore, the water vapor in supply chamber 12 moves faster than it would move toward protic substance introduction chamber 17 simply by receiving filtration pressure from a pump or the like.

[0119] The hydrogen that has moved to the protic substance introduction chamber 17 is then discharged to the outside from an outlet (not shown) of the protic substance introduction chamber 17 due to filtration pressure. Outside, the hydrogen is stored in, for example, a gas storage facility.

[0120] [Embodiment 7] Fig. 10 is a schematic diagram of a separation device according to Embodiment 7 of the present invention. As shown in Fig. 10, an ion separation device 10H includes a supply chamber 22 for supplying a supply gas 11 containing protic substances ● and aprotic substances, anode filter plate electrodes 24 arranged on both sides of the supply chamber 22 and equipped with diaphragms 13 for separating the aprotic substances ○, which are anions, a flat cathode electrode 25, and an aprotic substance chamber 27 into which the separated aprotic substances ○ flow.

[0121] The anode filter plate electrode 24 is composed of a first anode electrode 24A and a second anode electrode 24B, and a diaphragm (anode filter material) 23, which is an insulator having fine holes, is sandwiched between the first anode electrode 24A and the second anode electrode 24B. The diaphragm 23 is made of an insulating material, and may be, for example, a nonwoven fabric made of fibers such as PP (polypropylene), PE (polyethylene), NY (nylon), or cellulose.

[0122] The separation device 10H further includes a third power source 43 electrically connected to the flat plate cathode electrode 25 and the anode first electrode 24A, and a fourth power source 44 electrically connected to the anode first electrode 24A and the anode second electrode 24B.

[0123] An example will be described in which an aprotic substance O is used as a supply gas in the supply chamber 22. As described above, the state in the supply chamber 22 contains a protic substance ● and an aprotic substance O. Because the aprotic substance O behaves as an anion, the aprotic substance O is drawn to the anode first electrode 24A disposed in the supply chamber 22. An electroosmotic flow occurs in which the aprotic substance O is drawn toward the aprotic substance introduction chamber 27. As a result, the aprotic substance O flows into the aprotic substance introduction chamber 27.

[0124] In contrast, the protic substance ● behaves as a cation and is therefore blocked by the anode first electrode 24A (the protic substance ● bounces back in FIG. 10 ) and cannot pass through the anode first electrode 24A. As a result, the protic substance ● is concentrated in the supply chamber 22. As a result, the proportion of aprotic substances O in the exhaust gas 11B discharged from the supply chamber 22 is reduced, and the protic substance ● is concentrated.

[0125] [Embodiment 8] Figure 11 is a schematic diagram of a separation device according to embodiment 8 of the present invention. Note that components identical to those in the separation devices 10G and 10H of embodiments 6 and 7 are denoted by the same reference numerals, and their description will be omitted. As shown in Figure 11, separation device 10I of this embodiment is a combination of separation device 10G of Figure 9A (Figure 9B) and separation device 10H of Figure 10, and is capable of separating protic substances ● and aprotic substances ○ in a single device.

[0126] Here, examples of protic substances ● include water, ethanol, methanol, acetic acid, formic acid, n-butanol, isopropanol, etc., and examples of aprotic substances ○ include ethyl acetate, acetone, dichloromethane, dimethylformamide, etc.

[0127] Therefore, when various chemical substances floating in the gas as aerosols include protic substances ● and aprotic substances ○, the concentrations of these substances in the supply chamber 12 can be reduced, and clean air can be discharged as the exhaust gas 11C, thereby contributing to measures against sick house syndrome.

[0128] Although there has been a strong desire to efficiently recover hydrogen from water, efficient recovery of hydrogen has not been achieved at present. However, by using the separation device of the present invention, it is possible to recover hydrogen from electrolyzed protons (H ＋ ) is introduced into the protonic substance discharge chamber 17, whereby highly concentrated hydrogen can be obtained. The obtained hydrogen is compressed and stored in a cylinder.

[0129] As explained above, if there are particles with electrical properties (positive and negative particles) in a gas (such as air), they can be separated by the action of an electric field. Note that protic (hydrogen) substances tend to move to the cathode, while aprotic substances tend to move relatively easily to the anode, so they can be separated in the same way.

[0130] As described above in the first to eighth embodiments, the present invention can be applied to an electric field filter that uses an applied voltage system, and to a technology for separating suspended particles (negatively or positively charged), protic substances, aprotic substances, etc. in a dry gas that is a gas. Furthermore, the present invention can also be applied in the field of concentrating and recovering valuable powders (negatively or positively charged useful powders), which are useful particles in a gas.

[0131] The present invention can be applied to a separation device and a separation method for components in a gas in general.

[0132] 10A to 10I Separator 11 Supply gas 11 11a Negatively charged particles 11b Positively charged particles 12 Supply chamber 13, 23 Diaphragm (filter plate) 14 Cathode electrode 14A First cathode electrode 14B Second cathode electrode 15 Flat plate anode electrode 17 Cathode side discharge chamber 24A First anode electrode 24B Second anode electrode 25 Flat plate cathode electrode 27 Anode side discharge chamber

Claims

1. A separation device comprising: a gas supply chamber to which a first supply gas containing negatively charged particles is supplied; cathode electrodes arranged opposite each other on both sides of the gas supply chamber, the cathode electrodes consisting of a pair of first and second cathode electrodes having holes that separate the negatively charged particles in the first supply gas as a separated substance by the action of an electric field; flat anode electrodes arranged on either side of the first supply chamber and facing the first cathode electrode arranged on the supply chamber side; and a cathode-side discharge chamber into which a first purification gas from which the negatively charged particles are separated flows; wherein a first potential having the same polarity as the polarity of the negatively charged particles is supplied to the first cathode electrode; and a second potential having the same polarity as the polarity of the negatively charged particles but a different absolute value than the absolute value of the first potential is supplied to the second cathode electrode.

2. A separation device comprising: a gas supply chamber to which a second supply gas containing positively charged particles is supplied; anode electrodes arranged opposite each other on both sides of the supply chamber and consisting of a pair of anode first and second electrodes having holes that separate the positively charged particles in the second supply gas as a separated substance by the action of an electric field; flat cathode electrodes arranged across the second supply chamber and facing the anode first electrode arranged on the supply chamber side; and a cathode-side discharge chamber into which a second purification gas from which the positively charged particles are separated flows; wherein a third potential having the same polarity as the polarity of the positively charged particles is supplied to the anode first electrode, and a fourth potential having the same polarity as the polarity of the positively charged particles but an absolute value different from that of the third potential is supplied to the anode second electrode.

3. A gas supply chamber to which a third supply gas containing negatively charged particles and positively charged particles is supplied; a cathode electrode provided on one side of the gas supply chamber and consisting of a pair of first and second cathode electrodes having holes that separate the negatively charged particles in the third supply gas as separated substances by the action of an electric field; a cathode-side discharge chamber into which a first purification gas from which the negatively charged particles are separated flows; and an anode electrode disposed across the third supply chamber and arranged opposite the first cathode electrode disposed on the third supply chamber side, consisting of a pair of first and second anode electrodes having holes; a cathode-side discharge chamber into which a second purification gas from which the positively charged particles are separated flows; wherein a first potential having the same polarity as the polarity of the negatively charged particles is supplied to the cathode first electrode, and a second potential having the same polarity as the polarity of the negatively charged particles and an absolute value different from that of the first potential is supplied to the cathode second electrode; a third potential having the same polarity as the polarity of the positively charged particles is supplied to the anode first electrode, and a fourth potential having the same polarity as the polarity of the positively charged particles but an absolute value different from that of the third potential is supplied to the anode second electrode.

4. A separation device according to claim 1 or 3, characterized in that a cathode filter medium is disposed between the first cathode electrode and the second cathode electrode, and the cathode filter medium has a plurality of pores.

5. A separation device according to claim 2 or 3, characterized in that an anode filter medium is disposed between the first anode electrode and the second anode electrode, and the anode filter medium has a plurality of pores.

6. A separation device comprising: a feed gas line for feeding a feed gas sample containing a plurality of components; and an electric field chromatograph body to which the feed gas line is connected, wherein the electric field chromatograph body comprises a flat plate anode and a flat plate cathode arranged opposite each other in the flow direction of the feed gas; and a filter plate gate electrode provided with a plurality of separation chambers and arranged between the flat plate electrode and the flat plate cathode; wherein the voltage applied to the flat plate anode, flat plate cathode and filter plate gate electrode is changed, and the electric field is changed as desired depending on the level of the voltage applied to the electrodes, thereby chromatographically separating the components in the feed gas.

7. The separation apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the separated components are detected by a detector connected to the outlet of the electrochromatograph body and installed in a separated sample discharge line.

8. A separation device comprising: a sample supply line for supplying a feed gas sample containing a plurality of components; and an electric field chromatograph body to which the sample supply line is connected, wherein the electric field chromatograph body comprises a flat plate anode and a flat plate cathode arranged opposite each other in the flow direction of the feed gas; and a filter plate gate electrode arranged between the flat plate electrode and the flat plate cathode and having a plurality of separation chambers; wherein voltages applied to the flat plate anode, flat plate cathode and filter plate gate electrode are each changed, and the sample is chromatographically separated into the separation chambers in accordance with the voltages.

9. A separation apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the chromatographically separated samples are sent to an external separation tank through separation lines connected to the separation chambers.

10. A separation device according to claim 6 or 8, characterized in that the voltage applied to the electrodes is stepped from the inlet side to the outlet side of the chromatographic body.

11. A separation method using the separation device of claim 1, comprising introducing a supply gas containing negatively charged particles into a supply chamber and separating the negatively charged particles.

12. A separation method using the separation device of claim 2, comprising introducing a supply gas containing positively charged particles into a supply chamber and separating the positively charged particles.

13. A separation method using the separation device of claim 3, comprising introducing a supply gas containing negatively charged particles and positively charged particles into a supply chamber, and separating the negatively charged particles from the positively charged particles.

14. A separation method using the separation device of claim 6, comprising: introducing a supply gas containing a plurality of components into a feed gas; introducing the feed gas containing the supply gas into the main body of an electric field chromatograph; varying the voltage applied to the flat-plate anode, flat-plate cathode and filter plate gate electrode; and varying the electric field as desired depending on the level of the voltage applied to the electrodes, thereby chromatographically separating the components in the supply gas.

15. A separation method using the separation device of claim 6, comprising introducing a supply gas containing a plurality of components into the main body of an electric field chromatograph, varying the voltages applied to the flat plate anode, flat plate cathode and filter plate gate electrode, respectively, and chromatographically separating the sample components into the separation chamber in accordance with the voltages.

16. A separation device comprising: a gas supply chamber for supplying a gas containing a protic substance; cathode filter plate electrodes disposed on both sides of the gas supply chamber and equipped with diaphragms having pores for separating the protic substance; a flat anode electrode; and a protic substance introduction chamber into which the separated protic substance flows together with the gas.

17. A separation device comprising: a supply chamber for supplying a gas containing an aprotic substance; anode filter plate electrodes disposed on both sides of the supply chamber and equipped with diaphragms having pores for separating the aprotic substance; a flat cathode electrode; and an aprotic substance introduction chamber into which the separated aprotic substance flows together with the gas.

18. A separation device comprising: a supply chamber for supplying gas containing protic substances and aprotic substances; cathode filter plate electrodes arranged on both sides of the supply chamber and equipped with diaphragms having pores for separating protic substances; an anode filter plate electrode arranged on both sides of the supply chamber and equipped with diaphragms having pores for separating anions; a protic substance introduction chamber into which the separated protic substances flow together with gaseous water; anode filter plate electrodes arranged on both sides of the supply chamber and equipped with diaphragms having pores for separating aprotic substances; a flat cathode electrode; an aprotic substance introduction chamber into which the separated aprotic substances flow together with the gas; and an aprotic substance chamber into which the separated aprotic substances flow together with the gas.

19. A separation method using the separation apparatus of claim 16, comprising introducing a supply gas containing a protic substance into the supply chamber and separating the protic substance.

20. A separation method using the separation apparatus of claim 17, comprising introducing a feed gas containing an aprotic substance into the feed chamber and separating the aprotic substance.

21. A separation method using the separation device of claim 18, comprising introducing a supply gas containing negatively charged particles and positively charged particles into a supply chamber, and separating the negatively charged particles from the positively charged particles.