Disinfection system, operating method therefor and disinfection device

Abstract

A disinfection system, an operating method therefor and a disinfection device. The disinfection system comprises a water tank (11), medium tubes (12), discharge electrodes (13), a humidity measurer (14) and a control apparatus (15). The medium tubes (12) are arranged in the water tank (11), and gas outlet holes (121) are formed in the part of each medium tube (12) in contact with water. The discharge electrodes (13) are located inside the medium tubes (12). A gas inlet (122) of a medium tube (12) is provided with the humidity measurer (14), which is used for measuring a humidity value of a gas to be subjected to discharging. The control apparatus (15) is connected to the discharge electrodes (13) and the humidity measurer (14), and is configured to, when the humidity value is less than or equal to a preset humidity threshold value, control the discharge electrodes (13) to operate in a discharging mode, and, when the humidity value is greater than the preset humidity threshold value, control the discharge electrodes (13) to operate in a heating mode.

Description

Disinfection system and operation method thereof, and disinfection equipment

[0001] Related applications

[0002] This application claims priority to Chinese patent application number 202311692840.4, filed on December 11, 2023, entitled “Disinfection system, operation method thereof, and disinfection equipment,” the entire text of which is hereby incorporated by reference. Technical Field

[0003] The present application relates to the field of disinfection technology, and in particular to a disinfection system, an operating method thereof, and disinfection equipment. Background Art

[0004] With the development of science and technology and the improvement of people's living standards, dishwashers, as kitchen appliances that automatically clean kitchen utensils, are being used by more and more households, bringing great convenience to people's lives. As people's demand for dishwasher disinfection increases, dishwasher disinfection technology is gradually shifting from high temperature and ultraviolet disinfection to plasma disinfection.

[0005] However, dishwashers currently based on plasma disinfection technology are prone to arcing and ignition of the discharge electrodes during operation, which in turn causes the discharge electrodes to burn.

[0006] Summary of the Invention

[0007] Based on this, it is necessary to provide a disinfection system and its operation method and disinfection equipment to avoid the phenomenon of arcing, ignition and ablation of discharge electrodes, and improve the disinfection reliability of the disinfection system.

[0008] A disinfection system comprises: a water tank, a dielectric tube, a discharge electrode, a humidity detector and a control device, wherein the dielectric tube is arranged in the water tank, an air outlet is provided in the portion of the dielectric tube in contact with water, and the air inlet of the dielectric tube is used to input the gas to be discharged; the discharge electrode is located inside the dielectric tube; the humidity detector is arranged at the air inlet of the dielectric tube, and is used to detect the humidity value of the gas to be discharged; the control device connects the discharge electrode and the humidity detector, and controls the discharge electrode to operate in a discharge mode when the humidity value is less than or equal to a preset humidity threshold, and controls the discharge electrode to operate in a heating mode when the humidity value is greater than the preset humidity threshold.

[0009] In one embodiment, the top of the water tank is closed and has an air outlet, and the disinfection system further includes a gas circulation device, and the air outlet of the water tank and the air inlet of the medium pipe are respectively connected to the gas circulation device.

[0010] In one embodiment, the gas circulation device includes an air pump and an air flow equalizer, wherein the air pump is connected to the air flow equalizer, and the air pump is connected to the air outlet of the water tank. There are multiple medium pipes, and the air inlet of each medium pipe is connected to the air flow equalizer.

[0011] In one embodiment, the airflow equalizer includes a main airflow path and multiple airflow branches, the main airflow path is connected to the air pump, and each of the multiple airflow branches is respectively connected to the main airflow path, and each airflow branch corresponds to an air inlet connected to a medium pipe; wherein the pipe diameters of the multiple airflow branches are set to be different.

[0012] In one embodiment, the diameter of each of the air flow branches increases as the distance from the air pump increases.

[0013] In one embodiment, an insulating bracket is further included. There are multiple medium tubes, and each medium tube is fixed to the water tank through the insulating bracket.

[0014] In one embodiment, the control device includes a high-voltage power supply and a controller. There are multiple dielectric tubes, and the discharge electrodes are disposed in a one-to-one correspondence with the dielectric tubes. Each discharge electrode is connected to the high-voltage power supply, and the high-voltage power supply and the humidity detector are connected to the controller.

[0015] In one embodiment, the insulating support is an insulating plate with a plurality of through holes, and each dielectric tube is fixedly installed through a corresponding through hole.

[0016] In one embodiment, each dielectric tube is a quartz tube, a glass tube, or a ceramic tube; and a plurality of air outlet holes are provided on the bottom portion of each dielectric tube that contacts water.

[0017] In one embodiment, there are multiple medium tubes; and the air inlets of at least two of the multiple medium tubes are respectively provided with a humidity detector.

[0018] In one embodiment, the discharge electrode and the dielectric tube are coaxially arranged.

[0019] A method for operating a disinfection system includes: obtaining in real time the humidity value of gas to be discharged, which is input into a medium pipe of the disinfection system; wherein the medium pipe is disposed in a water tank of the disinfection system, a portion of the medium pipe in contact with water is provided with an air outlet, an air inlet of the medium pipe is used to input the gas to be discharged, and a discharge electrode of the disinfection system is disposed within the medium pipe; if the humidity value is less than or equal to a preset humidity threshold, the discharge electrode is controlled to operate in a discharge mode; and if the humidity value is greater than the preset humidity threshold, the discharge electrode is controlled to operate in a heating mode.

[0020] In one embodiment, before the step of obtaining the humidity value of the gas to be discharged in the medium pipe input into the disinfection system in real time, it also includes: verifying whether the disinfection work needs to be started; corresponding to the situation where the disinfection work needs to be started, controlling the air pump of the gas circulation device in the disinfection system to start, and executing the step of obtaining the humidity value of the gas to be discharged in the medium pipe input into the disinfection system in real time.

[0021] In one embodiment, controlling the discharge electrode to operate in a discharge mode includes: controlling the high-voltage power supply of the disinfection system to output a first voltage signal to the discharge electrode; controlling the discharge electrode to operate in a heating mode includes: controlling the high-voltage power supply of the disinfection system to output a second voltage signal to the discharge electrode; wherein the voltage value of the first voltage signal is greater than the voltage value of the second voltage signal.

[0022] A disinfection device comprises any one of the above disinfection systems.

[0023] In one embodiment, the disinfection equipment is a dishwasher.

[0024] The above-mentioned disinfection system, its operation method, and disinfection equipment include a water tank, a dielectric tube, a discharge electrode, a humidity detector, and a control device. The dielectric tube is disposed in the water tank, and an air outlet is provided in the portion in contact with the water. The discharge electrode is located within the dielectric tube and is coaxially arranged with the dielectric tube. A humidity detector is also provided at the air inlet of the dielectric tube. Both the humidity detector and the discharge electrode are connected to the control device. Thus, during operation of the disinfection system, the gas to be discharged is input through the air inlet of the dielectric tube, plasma is formed through the annular air gap between the discharge electrode and the dielectric tube, and plasma is formed after entering the water in the water tank through the air outlet of the dielectric tube, thereby achieving a disinfection operation. In the above scheme, during the formation of the water plasma, the humidity of the gas to be discharged input through the air inlet of the dielectric tube can be monitored. When the humidity value is less than or equal to a preset humidity threshold, the discharge electrode operates in a discharge mode. When the humidity value is greater than the preset humidity threshold, the discharge electrode operates in a heating mode to remove moisture from the gas to be discharged. In this way, the water marks on the surface of the discharge electrode can be greatly reduced, the phenomenon of arcing, ignition and ablation of the discharge electrode caused by water marks on the surface of the discharge electrode can be alleviated, and the disinfection reliability of the disinfection system can be improved. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0025] In order to more clearly illustrate the embodiments of the present application or the technical solutions in the conventional technology, the following briefly introduces the drawings required for use in the embodiments or the conventional technology descriptions. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of the present application. For ordinary technicians in this field, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative work.

[0026] FIG1 is a schematic structural diagram of a disinfection system according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0027] FIG2 is a schematic structural diagram of a disinfection system in another embodiment of the present application;

[0028] FIG3 is a schematic structural diagram of a disinfection system in another embodiment of the present application;

[0029] FIG4 is a schematic structural diagram of a disinfection system in another embodiment of the present application;

[0030] FIG5 is a schematic diagram of a flow chart of an operating method of a disinfection system according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0031] FIG6 is a flow chart of an operating method of a disinfection system in another embodiment of the present application.

[0032] Description of reference numerals:

[0033] 11-water tank, 12-medium tube, 13-discharge electrode, 14-humidity detector, 15-control device, 121-air outlet, 122-air inlet, 111-air outlet;

[0034] 21-gas circulation device, 301-air pump, 302-air flow equalizer, 303-insulating bracket, 3021-main air flow path, 3022-branch air flow path;

[0035] 401-high voltage power supply, 402-controller. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0036] To facilitate understanding of the present application, the present application will be described more fully below with reference to the accompanying drawings. The accompanying drawings illustrate preferred embodiments of the present application. However, the present application may be implemented in many different forms and is not limited to the embodiments described herein. Rather, these embodiments are provided to provide a more thorough and comprehensive understanding of the disclosure of the present application.

[0037] The disinfection system provided in the embodiment of the present application is used in disinfection equipment, specifically, in disinfection equipment of the type that uses water discharge plasma for disinfection, such as dishwashers. Among them, water discharge plasma refers to the plasma generated by discharge in an aqueous solution environment. The water discharge plasma is often accompanied by ultraviolet radiation, shock waves, local high temperature, strong electric field and the generation of various active chemical free radicals during the generation process. These physical and chemical effects make liquid phase plasma have broad application prospects in the field of water sterilization and disinfection. Therefore, in the scheme of the present application, through the high-voltage discharge of the discharge electrode, plasma is formed in the annular air gap between the discharge electrode and the dielectric tube, and the generated active substances enter the water through the air outlet of the dielectric tube, thereby obtaining disinfected water with disinfection function.

[0038] Referring to FIG. 1 , the present application provides a disinfection system comprising: a water tank 11 , a dielectric tube 12 , a discharge electrode 13 , a humidity detector 14 , and a control device 15 . The dielectric tube 12 is disposed within the water tank 11 , and a portion of the dielectric tube 12 in contact with water is provided with an air outlet 121 . An air inlet 122 of the dielectric tube 12 is provided for inputting the gas to be discharged. The discharge electrode 13 is located within the dielectric tube 12 and is coaxially disposed therewith. The humidity detector 14 is disposed at the air inlet 122 of the dielectric tube 12 and is configured to detect the humidity of the gas to be discharged. The control device 15 is connected to the discharge electrode 13 and the humidity detector 14 and is configured to control the discharge electrode 13 to operate in a discharge mode when the humidity is less than or equal to a preset humidity threshold, and to control the discharge electrode 13 to operate in a heating mode when the humidity is greater than the preset humidity threshold.

[0039] Specifically, water tank 11 is a container for storing water. It will be appreciated that in practical scenarios, the water stored in tank 11 needs to be sprayed for cleaning and / or disinfection. Therefore, tank 11 should also be equipped with a water inlet and outlet. These inlet and outlet can be opened and closed according to actual needs, thereby adjusting the water storage capacity of tank 11. The location of the inlet and outlet is not limited, as long as it does not affect the disinfection process.

[0040] The dielectric tube 12 is used to house the discharge electrode 13. When the discharge electrode 13 discharges, plasma is generated through the annular air gap between the dielectric tube 12 and the discharge electrode 13. The specific material of the dielectric tube 12 is not limited. In a more detailed embodiment, it can be a quartz tube, a glass tube, or a ceramic tube. In other embodiments, other types of inorganic materials can also be used, and the specific number of holes 121 is not limited. The bottom portion of the dielectric tube 12 that contacts the water is not limited to a specific number and can be set according to actual needs.

[0041] The discharge electrode 13 is an electrode capable of generating plasma on or near its surface under the influence of an electric field or current. The gas to be discharged is the gas waiting to be discharged through the discharge electrode 13 to generate plasma. The control device 15 is a device that applies voltage to the discharge electrode 13 and controls its operation. The specific type of humidity detector 14 is not limited. In more detail, in one embodiment, a humidity sensor can be used.

[0042] The humidity detector 14 is connected to the control device 15 via wired or wireless communication. When the disinfection system is operating in disinfection mode and the gas to be discharged is input into the air inlet 122 of the medium pipe 12, the humidity detector 14 detects the humidity of the gas to be discharged in real time, obtains the humidity value of the gas to be discharged, and sends it to the control device 15.

[0043] It will be appreciated that the humidity detectors 14 may be installed in different locations and in different numbers. In one embodiment, considering that the source of the gas to be discharged input into each dielectric tube 12 is the same and the humidity values ​​are substantially the same, a humidity detector 14 may be installed at the air inlet 122 of only one dielectric tube 12 to save system costs. In another embodiment, humidity detectors 14 may be installed at the air inlets 122 of at least two dielectric tubes 12. The detection results of the multiple humidity detectors 14 are averaged to obtain the humidity value of the gas to be discharged, which is used for operational control, thereby reducing measurement errors of the humidity detectors 14 and improving the accuracy of the humidity value.

[0044] The preset humidity threshold refers to the minimum humidity value that the gas to be discharged can reach before arcing, ignition, and electrode ablation occur. It can also be understood as the maximum humidity value that the gas to be discharged can reach before arcing, ignition, and electrode ablation occur. In other words, the preset humidity threshold is the humidity critical value that determines whether arcing, ignition, and electrode ablation will occur. The specific value of the preset humidity threshold is not unique and may vary depending on the device structure or parameters of the disinfection system. For example, in a more detailed embodiment, the preset humidity threshold may be set to 50%.

[0045] There is no unique way to obtain the preset humidity threshold. In one embodiment, it can be obtained by testing an experimental disinfection system that is consistent with the current disinfection system in an experimental scenario, and written into the current disinfection system, which can be directly called later.

[0046] After receiving the humidity value, the control device 15 will compare and analyze it with the preset humidity threshold. When the humidity value is less than or equal to the preset humidity threshold, it indicates that arcing and ignition will not occur due to the humidity of the gas to be discharged. At this time, the discharge electrode 13 is directly controlled to operate in the discharge mode to discharge and generate plasma. When the humidity value is greater than the preset humidity threshold, it indicates that if the discharge mode is used at this time, the input gas to be discharged will cause arcing and ignition. Therefore, the control device 15 controls the discharge electrode 13 to operate in the heating mode, reducing the moisture in the gas to be discharged by heating, that is, reducing the humidity value. Ultimately, the discharge electrode 13 discharges with the discharge gas to be tested whose humidity value is less than or equal to the preset humidity threshold, reducing the possibility of arcing and ignition.

[0047] The above-mentioned disinfection system includes a water tank 11, a dielectric tube 12, a discharge electrode 13, a humidity detector 14, and a control device 15. The dielectric tube 12 is disposed in the water tank 11, and an air outlet 121 is formed in the portion in contact with the water. The discharge electrode 13 is located within the dielectric tube 12 and is coaxial with the dielectric tube 12. The humidity detector 14 is also provided at the air inlet 122 of the dielectric tube 12. Both the humidity detector 14 and the discharge electrode 13 are connected to the control device 15. Thus, during operation of the disinfection system, the gas to be discharged is introduced through the air inlet 122 of the dielectric tube 12, forms a plasma through the annular air gap between the discharge electrode 13 and the dielectric tube 12, and enters the water in the water tank 11 through the air outlet 121 of the dielectric tube 12, thereby generating a discharge plasma in the water and achieving the disinfection operation. In the above scheme, during the formation of the water plasma discharge, the humidity of the gas to be discharged, input from the air inlet 122 of the dielectric tube 12, is monitored. When the humidity is less than or equal to a preset humidity threshold, the discharge electrode 13 operates in a discharge mode. When the humidity is greater than the preset humidity threshold, the discharge electrode 13 operates in a heating mode to remove moisture from the gas to be discharged. This approach significantly reduces moisture on the surface of the discharge electrode 13, alleviating arcing, ignition, and ablation caused by surface moisture, thereby improving the disinfection reliability of the disinfection system.

[0048] Please refer to Figure 2. In one embodiment, the top of the water tank 11 is closed and has an air outlet 111. The disinfection system also includes a gas circulation device 21. The air outlet 111 of the water tank 11 and the air inlet 122 of the medium pipe 12 are respectively connected to the gas circulation device 21.

[0049] Specifically, in this embodiment, the disinfection system is a circulating disinfection system. The top of the water tank 11 is sealed and has an air outlet 111. A gas circulation device 21 connects the air outlet 111 of the water tank 11 and the air inlet 122 of the dielectric tube 12. Thus, the gas to be discharged enters the dielectric tube 12 through the air inlet 122 of the dielectric tube 12. After being ionized by the discharge electrode 13, it forms a plasma-forming gas. This gas is then discharged through the air outlet 121 of the dielectric tube 12 and enters the water in the water tank 11. Part of the plasma-forming gas dissolves in the water, forming a plasma water body with disinfecting properties. Part of the plasma-forming gas is discharged through the air outlet 111 of the water tank 11 and transported into the gas circulation device 21. It then re-enters the dielectric tube 12 through the air inlet 122 of the dielectric tube 12, where it is ionized again by the discharge electrode 13 and enters the water, thus achieving cyclic ionization.

[0050] Through the solution of this embodiment, real-time cyclic ionization of the gas to be discharged can be achieved, effectively increasing the plasma content in water, and at the same time effectively preventing ozone generated by the ionization of the gas to be discharged from leaking into the atmosphere and causing environmental pollution.

[0051] It should be noted that the specific structure of the gas circulation device 21 is not limited to a single structure; any structure that can achieve cyclic ionization of the discharged gas in the disinfection system is acceptable. Referring to FIG3 , in one embodiment, the gas circulation device 21 includes an air pump 301 and an air flow equalizer 302 . The air pump 301 is connected to the air flow equalizer 302 , which is connected to the air outlet 111 of the water tank 11 . The air inlets 122 of each medium pipe 12 are respectively connected to the air flow equalizer 302 .

[0052] Specifically, the air pump 301 is a device for adding air to a closed space. Its specific type is not unique and can be various types of electric air pumps, which are not specifically limited. The airflow equalizer 302 is a device for evenly distributing the airflow so that it can be evenly output from each output end. In actual application scenarios, the number of discharge electrodes 13 is not unique. Each discharge electrode 13 is coaxially arranged in a dielectric tube 12 to form a single reactor. The structures of each reactor are consistent and can be arranged in an array or other arrangement methods and arranged in a water tank 11. To ensure that each reactor can ionize the gas to be discharged by discharge to generate plasma during operation, and also to ensure the uniformity of plasma generation. In the solution of this embodiment, the gas circulation device 21 includes an air pump 301 and an airflow equalizer 302. The air pump 301 is connected to the input end of the airflow equalizer 302, and each output end of the airflow equalizer 302 is respectively connected to the air inlet 122 of a dielectric tube 12.

[0053] Specifically, the structure of the airflow equalizer 302 is not unique. It can be achieved by providing a valve device such as a solenoid valve at the output end of the airflow equalizer 302 so that the gas flow output from each output end is consistent. In another embodiment, the airflow at each output end can also be made consistent by differentially setting each output end. For example, in one embodiment, please refer to Figure 3, the airflow equalizer 302 includes a main airflow path 3021 and an airflow branch 3022, the main airflow path 3021 is connected to the air pump 301, and each airflow branch 3022 is respectively connected to the main airflow path 3021, and each airflow branch 3022 corresponds to the air inlet 122 connected to the medium pipe 12; wherein the pipe diameter of each airflow branch 3022 is set to be different.

[0054] Specifically, in the solution of this embodiment, the airflow equalizer 302 includes a main airflow path 3021 and airflow branches 3022 respectively connected to the main airflow path 3021. The gas flow rate is mainly related to the flow velocity and the cross-sectional area of ​​the pipeline. When the flow velocity remains unchanged, the larger the cross-sectional area of ​​the pipeline, the greater the gas flow rate; when the cross-sectional area of ​​the pipeline remains unchanged, the greater the flow velocity, the greater the gas flow rate. However, in the gas circulation device 21, due to the different positions at which each airflow branch 3022 connects to the main airflow path 3021, there will be certain differences in the airflow velocity between each airflow branch 3022. Therefore, to ensure the consistency of the airflow flow rate of each airflow branch 3022, that is, to ensure the uniformity of the airflow between each airflow branch 3022, it is necessary to differentiate the pipe diameters of each airflow branch 3022 and change the pipe cross-sectional area of ​​each airflow branch 3022 to ultimately achieve the effect of airflow equalization. In this way, the airflow equalizer 302 is constructed by using the main airflow path 3021 and the airflow branches 3022 with different pipe diameters. While achieving uniform airflow, the hardware cost can also be greatly reduced.

[0055] Furthermore, in one embodiment, the diameter of each air flow branch 3022 increases as the distance from the air pump 301 increases.

[0056] Specifically, in actual application scenarios, the to-be-discharged gas output by the air pump 301 enters each airflow branch 3022 in sequence during transmission through the main airflow path 3021. As the distance from the air pump 301 increases, the gas flow rate gradually decreases. Therefore, to ensure uniformity of airflow in each airflow branch 3022, the pipe diameter of the airflow branch 3022 farther from the air pump 301 can be set larger, while the pipe diameter of the airflow branch 3022 closer to the air pump 301 can be set smaller, thereby ensuring that the gas flow rate of each airflow branch 3022 is consistent. This effectively improves the airflow equalization effect of the airflow equalizer 302.

[0057] Please refer to FIG. 3 . In one embodiment, the disinfection system further includes an insulating bracket 303 , and each medium tube 12 is fixed to the water tank 11 via the insulating bracket 303 .

[0058] Specifically, in order to improve the stability of the medium tube 12 in the water tank 11, the solution of this embodiment can also be provided with an additional insulating bracket 303 to fix each medium tube 12 and improve the operational stability of the disinfection system. The specific type of insulating bracket 303 is not limited to one, as long as it is a bracket of this type that can fix multiple medium tubes 12 at the same time. For example, in a more detailed embodiment, the insulating bracket 303 is an insulating plate with multiple through holes, and the diameter of each through hole matches the diameter of the medium tube 12, so that each medium tube 12 can be fixed through the through hole. Furthermore, in one embodiment, in order to improve the uniformity of the plasma, the medium tubes 12 need to be arranged in an array, and accordingly, the through holes opened in the insulating plate need to be arranged in an array.

[0059] It can be understood that the setting position of the insulating bracket 303 in the water tank 11 is not unique. In one embodiment, in order to avoid the insulating bracket 303 affecting the plasma distribution in the water body, the insulating bracket 303 can be set at the top of the water tank 11, specifically inside or outside the water tank 11, that is, it can be the top outer surface or the top inner surface of the water tank 11.

[0060] Please refer to Figure 4. In one embodiment, the control device 15 includes a high-voltage power supply 401 and a controller 402. Each discharge electrode 13 is connected to the high-voltage power supply 401. The high-voltage power supply 401 and the humidity detector 14 (see Figure 1) are connected to the controller 402 respectively.

[0061] Specifically, the specific type of control device 15 is not limited. It needs to be able to provide an operating voltage for the discharge electrode 13 and also needs to be able to analyze and process the humidity value. Therefore, in the solution of this embodiment, the control device 15 specifically includes two parts: a high-voltage power supply 401 and a controller 402 (which can be a microcontroller or a single-chip microcomputer). During actual operation, the controller 402 obtains the humidity value and compares it with a preset humidity threshold. If the humidity value is less than or equal to the preset humidity threshold, the controller 402 controls the high-voltage power supply 401 to output a higher voltage to the discharge electrode 13, achieving high-voltage discharge. If the humidity value is greater than the preset humidity threshold, the controller 402 controls the high-voltage power supply 401 to output a lower voltage, causing the discharge electrode 13 to operate in a heating mode, achieving the dehumidification function.

[0062] It should be pointed out that, please refer to Figure 4, in a more detailed embodiment, in order to improve the operational safety of the disinfection system, the positive end of each discharge electrode 13 can be connected to the positive end of the high-voltage power supply 401, while the negative end of each discharge electrode 13 and the negative end of the high-voltage power supply 401 are both grounded.

[0063] Please refer to FIG. 5 . The present application provides a method for operating a disinfection system, including step 502 , step 504 , and step 506 .

[0064] Step 502 : obtaining in real time the humidity value of the gas to be discharged in the medium pipe 12 input into the disinfection system.

[0065] Step 504 : corresponding to the case where the humidity value is less than or equal to the preset humidity threshold, controlling the discharge electrode 13 to operate in a discharge mode.

[0066] Step 506 : corresponding to the case where the humidity value is greater than the preset humidity threshold, controlling the discharge electrode 13 to operate in a heating mode.

[0067] Among them, the medium tube 12 is arranged in the water tank 11 of the disinfection system, and the part of the medium tube 12 that contacts water is provided with an air outlet 121. The air inlet 122 of the medium tube 12 is used to input the gas to be discharged, and the discharge electrode 13 of the disinfection system is arranged inside the medium tube 12.

[0068] Specifically, water tank 11 is a container for storing water. It will be appreciated that in practical scenarios, the water stored in tank 11 needs to be sprayed for cleaning and / or disinfection. Therefore, tank 11 should also be equipped with a water inlet and outlet. These inlet and outlet can be opened and closed according to actual needs, thereby adjusting the water storage capacity of tank 11. The location of the inlet and outlet is not limited, as long as it does not affect the disinfection process.

[0069] The dielectric tube 12 is used to house the discharge electrode 13. When the discharge electrode 13 discharges, plasma is generated through the annular air gap between the dielectric tube 12 and the discharge electrode 13. The specific material of the dielectric tube 12 is not limited. In a more detailed embodiment, it can be a quartz tube, a glass tube, or a ceramic tube. In other embodiments, other types of inorganic materials can also be used, and the specific number of holes 121 is not limited. The bottom portion of the dielectric tube 12 that contacts the water is not limited to a specific number and can be set according to actual needs.

[0070] The discharge electrode 13 is an electrode capable of generating plasma on or near its surface under the influence of an electric field or current. The gas to be discharged is the gas waiting to be discharged through the discharge electrode 13 to generate plasma. The control device 15 is a device that applies voltage to the discharge electrode 13 and controls its operation. The specific type of humidity detector 14 is not limited; in more detail, in one embodiment, a humidity sensor can be used.

[0071] The humidity detector 14 is connected to the control device 15 via wired or wireless communication. When the disinfection system is operating in disinfection mode and the gas to be discharged is input into the air inlet 122 of the medium pipe 12, the humidity detector 14 detects the humidity of the gas to be discharged in real time, obtains the humidity value of the gas to be discharged, and sends it to the control device 15.

[0072] It will be appreciated that the humidity detectors 14 may be installed in different locations and in different numbers. In one embodiment, considering that the source of the gas to be discharged input into each dielectric tube 12 is the same and the humidity values ​​are substantially the same, a humidity detector 14 may be installed at the air inlet 122 of only one dielectric tube 12 to save system costs. In another embodiment, humidity detectors 14 may be installed at the air inlets 122 of at least two dielectric tubes 12. The detection results of the multiple humidity detectors 14 are averaged to obtain the humidity value of the gas to be discharged, which is used for operational control, thereby reducing measurement errors of the humidity detectors 14 and improving the accuracy of the humidity value.

[0073] The preset humidity threshold refers to the minimum humidity value that the gas to be discharged can reach before arcing, ignition, and electrode ablation occur. It can also be understood as the maximum humidity value that the gas to be discharged can reach before arcing, ignition, and electrode ablation occur. In other words, the preset humidity threshold is the humidity critical value that determines whether arcing, ignition, and electrode ablation will occur. The specific value of the preset humidity threshold is not unique and may vary depending on the device structure or parameters of the disinfection system. For example, in a more detailed embodiment, the preset humidity threshold may be set to 50%.

[0074] There is no unique way to obtain the preset humidity threshold. In one embodiment, it can be obtained by testing an experimental disinfection system that is consistent with the current disinfection system in an experimental scenario, and written into the current disinfection system, which can be directly called later.

[0075] After receiving the humidity value, the control device 15 will compare and analyze it with the preset humidity threshold. When the humidity value is less than or equal to the preset humidity threshold, it indicates that arcing and ignition will not occur due to the humidity of the gas to be discharged. At this time, the discharge electrode 13 is directly controlled to operate in the discharge mode to discharge and generate plasma. When the humidity value is greater than the preset humidity threshold, it indicates that if the discharge mode is used at this time, the input gas to be discharged will cause arcing and ignition. Therefore, the control device 15 controls the discharge electrode 13 to operate in the heating mode, reducing the moisture in the gas to be discharged by heating, that is, reducing the humidity value. Ultimately, the discharge electrode 13 discharges with the discharge gas to be tested whose humidity value is less than or equal to the preset humidity threshold, reducing the possibility of arcing and ignition.

[0076] The above-mentioned disinfection system operates in a method whereby, during operation, the gas to be discharged is input from the air inlet 122 of the dielectric tube 12, plasma is formed through the annular air gap between the discharge electrode 13 and the dielectric tube 12, and then enters the water in the water tank 11 through the air outlet 121 of the dielectric tube 12, thereby obtaining an in-water discharge plasma, thereby achieving a disinfection operation. In the above-mentioned scheme, during the formation of the in-water discharge plasma, the humidity of the gas to be discharged input from the air inlet 122 of the dielectric tube 12 can be monitored. When the humidity value is less than or equal to a preset humidity threshold, the discharge electrode 13 operates in a discharge mode. When the humidity value is greater than the preset humidity threshold, the discharge electrode 13 operates in a heating mode to remove moisture from the gas to be discharged. In this manner, the water vapor on the surface of the discharge electrode 13 can be greatly reduced, alleviating the phenomenon of arcing, ignition, and ablation of the discharge electrode 13 caused by surface water vapor, thereby improving the disinfection reliability of the disinfection system.

[0077] Please refer to FIG. 6 . In one embodiment, before step 502 , the method further includes steps 602 and 604 .

[0078] Step 602: Check whether disinfection needs to be started.

[0079] Step 604: In response to the need to start the disinfection process, the air pump 301 of the gas circulation device in the disinfection system is controlled to start, and step 502 is executed to obtain the humidity value of the to-be-discharged gas in the medium pipe input into the disinfection system in real time.

[0080] Specifically, in the embodiment of the present application, the water stored in the water tank 11 can be used not only to clean the devices to be cleaned (such as tableware), but also to disinfect the devices to be disinfected (which can also be tableware). In the process of cleaning the devices to be cleaned, in order to avoid unnecessary waste of electricity, and to reduce the number of cycles of the disinfection system and increase the service life of the disinfection system, it is not necessary to turn on the discharge electrode 13 to discharge. Therefore, before starting the detection of the humidity value of the gas to be discharged, it is necessary to determine whether the disinfection operation needs to be started, that is, to determine whether a disinfection instruction has been received, or to determine whether the cleaning is completed. When the cleaning is completed or the disinfection instruction has been received, it is considered necessary to start the disinfection work.

[0081] In this embodiment, the disinfection system is a circulating disinfection system. When disinfection is required, the control device 15 first controls the air pump 301 to start operation to deliver the gas to be discharged to the medium pipe 12. After that, the control device 15 determines the operating state of the discharge electrode 13 based on the real-time humidity value. In other words, based on the real-time humidity value, the control device 15 dynamically adjusts the operating state of the discharge electrode 13.

[0082] In one embodiment, controlling the discharge electrode 13 to operate in a discharge mode includes: controlling the high-voltage power supply 401 of the disinfection system to output a first voltage signal to the discharge electrode 13; and controlling the discharge electrode 13 to operate in a heating mode includes: controlling the high-voltage power supply 401 of the disinfection system to output a second voltage signal to the discharge electrode 13. The voltage value of the first voltage signal is greater than the voltage value of the second voltage signal.

[0083] Specifically, in this solution, the control device 15 specifically includes a high-voltage power supply 401 and a controller 402, and the operation method of the disinfection system is implemented by the controller 402. When the discharge electrode 13 operates in the discharge mode and the heating mode, it is specifically achieved by controlling the high-voltage power supply 401 to output voltage signals of different sizes to the discharge electrode 13. The voltage of plasma discharge is usually high, and needs to reach between hundreds of volts and thousands of volts. This is because plasma is a high-energy substance that needs to be formed and maintained by a strong electric field. During the heating process, the required ID pressure is generally low, usually between tens and hundreds of volts. This is because the heating process is mainly achieved through the thermal effect of current, and the efficiency of the thermal effect is proportional to the square of the voltage. Therefore, a lower voltage can more effectively achieve the heating process. Through this solution, the discharge electrode 13 is controlled to operate in the discharge mode or the heating mode by changing the voltage input to the discharge electrode 13. The implementation method is simple and has a high control efficiency.

[0084] The present application also provides a disinfection device, including the above-mentioned disinfection system, and the control device 15 is used to execute the steps of the above-mentioned operating method.

[0085] Specifically, the disinfection system and its operating method are as shown in the above-mentioned embodiments and the accompanying drawings, and will not be described in detail here. The disinfection system includes a water tank 11, a dielectric tube 12, a discharge electrode 13, a humidity detector 14, and a control device 15. The dielectric tube 12 is disposed in the water tank 11, and an air outlet 121 is provided in the portion in contact with the water. The discharge electrode 13 is located inside the dielectric tube 12 and is coaxially arranged with the dielectric tube 12. A humidity detector 14 is also provided at the air inlet 122 of the dielectric tube 12. Both the humidity detector 14 and the discharge electrode 13 are connected to the control device 15. Thus, during the operation of the disinfection system, the gas to be discharged is input from the air inlet 122 of the dielectric tube 12, plasma is formed through the annular air gap between the discharge electrode 13 and the dielectric tube 12, and then enters the water in the water tank 11 through the air outlet 121 of the dielectric tube 12, thereby obtaining a discharge plasma in the water, thereby achieving the disinfection operation. In this solution, during the formation of the water plasma discharge, the humidity of the gas to be discharged, input from the gas inlet 122 of the dielectric tube 12, is monitored. When the humidity is less than or equal to a preset humidity threshold, the discharge electrode 13 operates in a discharge mode. When the humidity is greater than the preset humidity threshold, the discharge electrode 13 operates in a heating mode to remove moisture from the gas to be discharged. This approach significantly reduces moisture on the surface of the discharge electrode 13, mitigates arcing, ignition, and ablation caused by surface moisture, and improves disinfection reliability.

[0086] It is understood that the specific type of the disinfection device is not limited. In one embodiment, the disinfection device is a dishwasher.

[0087] Specifically, in this embodiment, a water inlet and outlet are provided at the bottom of the water tank 11. During the dishwasher's cleaning process, the air pump 301, discharge electrode 13, and humidity detector 14 do not need to be operated. Instead, the outlet of the water tank 11 only needs to be opened to deliver water to the cleaning chamber to clean the tableware and kitchenware. During the dishwasher's disinfection process, however, the air pump 301, discharge electrode 13, and humidity detector 14 must be activated. The discharge electrode 13 ionizes the discharge gas, generating plasma-rich activated water, which is then sprayed onto the tableware and kitchenware through the outlet of the water tank 11 to disinfect the dishes and kitchenware.

[0088] The technical features of the above-mentioned embodiments can be combined arbitrarily. In order to make the description concise, not all possible combinations of the technical features in the above-mentioned embodiments are described. However, as long as there is no contradiction in the combination of these technical features, they should be considered to be within the scope of this specification.

[0089] The above-described embodiments merely represent several implementation methods of the present application. While the descriptions are relatively specific and detailed, they should not be construed as limiting the scope of the patent application. It should be noted that a person of ordinary skill in the art may make various modifications and improvements without departing from the spirit of the present application, and these modifications and improvements fall within the scope of protection of the present application. Therefore, the scope of protection of the present patent application shall be determined by the appended claims.

Claims

1. A disinfection system, characterized in that: include: Water tank; A dielectric tube is arranged in the water tank, a portion of the dielectric tube in contact with water is provided with an air outlet, and an air inlet of the dielectric tube is used to input the gas to be discharged; A discharge electrode is located inside the dielectric tube; A humidity detector, arranged at the air inlet of the dielectric tube, for detecting the humidity value of the gas to be discharged; A control device is connected to the discharge electrode and the humidity detector, and is used to control the discharge electrode to operate in a discharge mode when the humidity value is less than or equal to a preset humidity threshold, and to control the discharge electrode to operate in a heating mode when the humidity value is greater than the preset humidity threshold.

2. The disinfection system according to claim 1, characterized in that: The top of the water tank is closed and has an air outlet; The disinfection system also includes a gas circulation device; The air outlet of the water tank and the air inlet of the medium pipe are connected to the gas circulation device respectively.

3. The disinfection system according to claim 2, characterized in that: The gas circulation device comprises an air pump and an air flow equalizer, wherein the air pump is connected to the air flow equalizer, and the air pump is connected to the air outlet of the water tank; There are multiple medium pipes, and the air inlet of each medium pipe is connected to the air flow equalizer respectively.

4. The disinfection system according to claim 3, characterized in that: The airflow equalizer includes a main airflow path and multiple airflow branches, the main airflow path is connected to the air pump, and each of the multiple airflow branches is respectively connected to the main airflow path, and each airflow branch corresponds to an air inlet connected to a medium pipe; wherein the pipe diameters of the multiple airflow branches are set to be different.

5. The disinfection system according to claim 4, characterized in that: The diameter of each air flow branch increases as the distance from the air pump increases.

6. The disinfection system according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that: It also includes an insulating bracket, and the number of the medium pipes is multiple, and each of the medium pipes is fixed to the water tank through the insulating bracket.

7. The disinfection system according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that: The control device includes a high voltage power supply and a controller; There are multiple dielectric tubes, the discharge electrodes are arranged in one-to-one correspondence with the dielectric tubes, each of the discharge electrodes is connected to the high-voltage power supply, and the high-voltage power supply and the humidity detector are connected to the controller respectively.

8. The disinfection system according to claim 6, characterized in that: The insulating support is an insulating plate with a plurality of through holes, and each medium pipe is fixedly arranged through a corresponding through hole.

9. The disinfection system according to any one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that: Each medium tube is a quartz tube, a glass tube or a ceramic tube; a portion of the bottom of each medium tube that contacts water has a plurality of air outlet holes.

10. The disinfection system according to any one of claims 1 to 9, characterized in that: There are multiple medium tubes; the air inlets of at least two of the multiple medium tubes are respectively provided with a humidity detector.

11. The disinfection system according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that: The discharge electrode is coaxially arranged with the dielectric tube.

12. A method for operating a disinfection system, characterized in that: include: Real-time acquisition of the humidity value of the gas to be discharged in the medium pipe input into the disinfection system; wherein the medium pipe is arranged in the water tank of the disinfection system, the part of the medium pipe in contact with water is provided with an air outlet, the air inlet of the medium pipe is used to input the gas to be discharged, and the discharge electrode of the disinfection system is arranged inside the medium pipe; In response to the humidity value being less than or equal to a preset humidity threshold, controlling the discharge electrode to operate in a discharge mode; In response to the situation that the humidity value is greater than the preset humidity threshold, the discharge electrode is controlled to operate in a heating mode.

13. The operating method according to claim 12, characterized in that: Before the step of obtaining the humidity value of the to-be-discharged gas in the medium pipe input into the disinfection system in real time, the method further includes: Verify whether disinfection needs to be started; In response to the need to start the disinfection work, the air pump of the gas circulation device in the disinfection system is controlled to start, and the step of obtaining the humidity value of the to-be-discharged gas in the medium pipe input into the disinfection system in real time is performed.

14. The operating method according to claim 12 or 13, characterized in that: The controlling the discharge electrode to operate in a discharge mode includes: controlling a high-voltage power supply of a disinfection system to output a first voltage signal to the discharge electrode; The controlling the discharge electrode to operate in a heating mode includes: controlling a high-voltage power supply of a disinfection system to output a second voltage signal to the discharge electrode; wherein a voltage value of the first voltage signal is greater than a voltage value of the second voltage signal.

15. A disinfection device, characterized in that: A disinfection system comprising any one of claims 1-11.

16. The disinfection device according to claim 15, characterized in that: The disinfection equipment is a dishwasher.

Images