Ozone adsorption tower

Abstract

The present invention comprises: headers (204a, 204b) that are fitted to openings of a cylindrical container (201) and introduce or discharge ozone gas (105) into or from the cylindrical container (201); an adsorbent (103) that is filled to a predetermined space of the cylindrical container (201); a plurality of cooling coils (213) that are uniformly inserted into the adsorbent (103) in parallel; and a refrigerator (212) that delivers a refrigerant to the plurality of cooling coils (213). The adsorbent (103) in the cylindrical container (201) can be uniformly and directly cooled by the cooling coils (213).

Description

Ozone adsorption tower

[0001] This disclosure relates to an ozone adsorption tower.

[0002] When supplying ozone to equipment that uses ozone, such as pulp bleaching or water treatment, the ozone generated by an ozone generator is concentrated before being supplied. As a method of concentrating ozone, the property that ozone is adsorbed at a low temperature by an adsorbent such as silica gel is utilized. That is, an adsorption step of introducing an ozone-containing gas supplied from an ozone generator into a plurality of adsorption towers filled with an adsorbent such as silica gel that preferentially adsorbs ozone to adsorb ozone onto the adsorbent, a desorption step of heating the adsorbent in the adsorption tower after the adsorption step to desorb ozone, and a cooling step of cooling the adsorbent in the adsorption tower after the desorption step to the adsorption step temperature are sequentially switched to perform ozone concentration.

[0003] During this adsorption step, a main cooling coil is inserted into the ozone adsorption tower, and a refrigerant flowing from a refrigerator to the main cooling coil directly cools the adsorbent filled in the ozone adsorption tower, and a cooling system that also uses a sub-cooling coil to cool the ozone adsorption tower itself is known (see, for example, Patent Document 1). Thereby, even when an abnormality occurs in the refrigerator of the main cooling coil, the adsorbent can be cooled to a certain temperature by the sub-cooling coil.

[0004] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2000-53404

[0005] In Patent Document 1, during the adsorption step, while directly cooling the adsorbent from inside the adsorption tower with the main cooling coil, the adsorption tower is cooled with the sub-cooling coil to indirectly cool the adsorbent to such an extent that ozone does not desorb, aiming to achieve uniform cooling. However, the main cooling coil directly supplies refrigerant from a refrigerator, while the sub-cooling coil requires a path for supplying liquefied oxygen from a liquefied gas supply path and oxygen gas from a low-temperature gas supply path at an optimal flow rate separately from the main cooling coil, which has been a problem regarding securing piping space and installation costs.

[0006] This disclosure has been made to solve the above problems, and an object thereof is to provide an ozone adsorption tower that can uniformly cool an adsorbent with a simple cooling configuration inside the adsorption tower.

[0007] The ozone adsorption tower according to this disclosure comprises a cylindrical container, a header fitted into the opening of the cylindrical container for introducing or releasing ozone gas into or out of the cylindrical container, an adsorbent filled in a predetermined space in the cylindrical container, a plurality of cooling coils inserted evenly and in parallel in the adsorbent, and a refrigerator for supplying a refrigerant to the plurality of cooling coils, characterized in that the ozone gas introduced from the header is adsorbed onto the adsorbent cooled by the cooling coils.

[0008] According to the ozone adsorption tower described herein, the adsorbent can be cooled more uniformly by a simple cooling configuration using multiple cooling coils inserted into the adsorbent.

[0009] This is a diagram illustrating an ozone adsorption tower of a comparative example. This is a diagram illustrating an ozone adsorption tower according to Embodiment 1. This is a cross-sectional view taken along line A-A in Figure 2. This is a diagram illustrating an ozone adsorption tower according to Embodiment 2. This is a cross-sectional view taken along line B-B in Figure 3. This is a diagram illustrating an ozone adsorption tower according to Embodiment 3. This is a diagram illustrating an ozone adsorption tower according to Embodiment 4. This is a diagram illustrating an ozone adsorption tower according to Embodiment 5. This is a diagram illustrating an ozone adsorption tower according to Embodiment 6.

[0010] Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the ozone adsorption tower according to this disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings. The same parts and components are denoted by the same reference numerals, and their detailed descriptions are omitted. Similarly, in subsequent embodiments, redundant descriptions of components denoted by the same reference numerals are omitted.

[0011] Embodiment 1. First, a comparative example will be described. Figure 1 is a diagram illustrating an ozone adsorption tower, which is a comparative example. In the ozone adsorption tower 10, a plurality of tube pipes 102 are arranged in parallel inside a cylindrical container 101, and an adsorbent 103 such as silica gel is filled inside the tube pipes 102. Headers 104b and 104a are fitted to the upper and lower openings of the cylindrical container 101. Header 104a has a hollow structure composed of a bottom plate 104a1, a bottom plate 104a2, and a cylindrical side plate, and one open end of the tube pipe 102 penetrates the bottom plate 104a1 and faces the hollow part. Header 104b similarly has a hollow structure composed of a bottom plate 104b1, a bottom plate 104b2, and a cylindrical side plate, and the other open end of the tube pipe 102 penetrates the bottom plate 104b1 and faces the hollow part. Tubular sections 106a and 106b are formed in the center of the bottom plates 104a2 and 104b2 of the headers 104a and 104b, respectively, for introducing or releasing ozone gas 105.

[0012] Furthermore, pipes 109a and 109b penetrate the sides of the cylindrical container 101, and the penetrations are sealed. In this case, pipe 109a penetrates the lower part of the cylindrical container 101, and pipe 109b penetrates the upper part of the cylindrical container 101. Pipe 109a is connected to the refrigerator 112 via pump 110, and pipe 109b is also connected to the refrigerator 112, forming a circulation path for the cooling brine 107. Heat dissipation is suppressed by covering the cylindrical container 101, headers 104a and 104b, and pipes 109a and 109b with an insulating material 111 formed from a container, tape, etc. The upper and lower parts of the pipes 109a and 109b penetrating the cylindrical container 101 can be reversed.

[0013] The operation of the ozone adsorption tower 10 configured in this way will now be explained. Ozone gas 105 (white arrow in Figure 1) is injected into the tube piping 102 filled with adsorbent 103. At the same time, in order to circulate cooling brine 107 in the gaps between the tube piping 102 arranged in parallel inside the cylindrical container 101, cooling brine 107 (black arrow in Figure 1) led out from the refrigerator 112 is introduced into the cylindrical container 101 via piping 109a from the pump 110, and returns to the refrigerator 112 via piping 109b. The tube piping 102 is cooled by this circulation of cooling brine 107. Ozone gas 105 is introduced into the tubular section 106a from an ozone generator (not shown). The introduced ozone gas diffuses in the hollow section of the header 104a and is supplied to each open end of the multiple tube piping 102. The supplied ozone gas is indirectly cooled by the cooling brine 107, and the ozone is adsorbed onto the adsorbent 103. The gas that is not adsorbed onto the adsorbent 103 is collected in the hollow section of the header 104b and discharged from the tubular section 106b.

[0014] In the ozone adsorption tower 10 configured in this way, it is necessary to cool the adsorbent 103 inside the ozone adsorption tower 10 to an extremely low temperature, for example, minus 10°C or lower, in order to improve the ozone adsorption and desorption efficiency. For this reason, the refrigerator 112 is installed outside the ozone adsorption tower 10, and the cooling brine 107 uses a secondary refrigerant (brine) cooled by the primary refrigerant inside the refrigerator 112. This secondary refrigerant is circulated through pipes 109a and 109b connecting the refrigerator 112 and the ozone adsorption tower 10, and the adsorbent 103 inside the ozone adsorption tower 10 is cooled by the secondary refrigerant. As a result, there is heat dissipation from the pipes 109a and 109b between the refrigerator 112 and the ozone adsorption tower 10, so the cost of insulating material 111 to insulate it is required. In addition, secondary refrigerant circulation piping is required between the refrigerator 112 and the ozone adsorption tower 10, which increases the overall size of the cooling system.

[0015] In contrast, Embodiment 1 uses a simple piping configuration in which multiple cooling coils 213 are inserted in parallel and evenly into the adsorbent 103 filled in the cylindrical container 201 of the ozone adsorption tower 20, thereby directly and uniformly cooling the adsorbent 103.

[0016] Figure 2 is a diagram illustrating the configuration of an ozone adsorption tower according to Embodiment 1. The ozone adsorption tower 20 has an adsorbent 103 such as silica gel filled inside a cylindrical container 201. The extent to which the adsorbent 103 is filled into the space inside the cylindrical container 201 is predetermined. Headers 204b and 204a are fitted into the upper and lower openings of the cylindrical container 201. Header 204a has a hollow structure composed of a bottom plate 204a1, a bottom plate 204a2, and cylindrical side plates. The bottom plate 204a1 is made of perforated metal with many holes smaller in diameter than the adsorbent to prevent the adsorbent 103 from entering the hollow section. A tubular section 206a for introducing ozone gas 105 is formed in the center of the bottom plate 204a2.

[0017] The header 204b, fitted into the opening at the top of the cylindrical container 201, consists of a bottom plate 204b2 and cylindrical side plates. A tubular section 206b for discharging ozone gas 105 is formed in the center of the bottom plate 204b2, which faces the outside. The header 204b functions as a lid and is removable. With the header removed, the adsorbent 103 is placed into the cylindrical container 201. The adsorbent 103 is placed so as not to exceed the height of the cylindrical side plates of the header 204b, which is the fitting part with the cylindrical container 201. This creates a space between the bottom plate 204b2 and the filled adsorbent 103, where the cooling coil 213, described later, is to be placed.

[0018] A pipe 209b penetrates the side of the cylindrical container 201, and the penetration is sealed. A cooling coil 213 connected to a refrigerator 212 passes through the pipe 209b and is inserted into the adsorbent 103 inside the cylindrical container 201. The cooling coil 213 is a tubular cooler through which refrigerant supplied from the refrigerator 212 flows, and is usually wound in a coil shape to increase its surface area. However, the shape is not limited to a coil shape; it may be straight, spiral, or U-shaped. Since the refrigerant supplied from the refrigerator 212 circulates inside the pipe, both ends of the cooling coil 213 are connected to the refrigerator 212, and the refrigerant introduced from one end circulates inside the cooling coil 213, cools the adsorbent 103 around the cooling coil 213, and then returns to the refrigerator 212 from the other end. Heat dissipation from the cooling coil 213 is suppressed by covering the pipe 209b to the refrigerator 212 and the cylindrical container 201 with an insulating member 111.

[0019] Figure 3 is a cross-sectional view taken from A-A in Figure 2. Multiple cooling coils 213 are arranged in parallel to each other at approximately equal intervals (indicated by double arrows in Figure 3) within the adsorbent 103 of the cylindrical container 201. If the arrangement of the cooling coils 213 is defined as the forward path from the refrigerator 212 to the bottom of the cylindrical container 201 and the return path from the bottom back to the refrigerator 212, then the multiple cooling coils 213 are formed from one cooling coil each for the forward and return paths, and the cooling coils for the forward and return paths are connected to form a loop. Alternatively, the forward and return paths may be formed from a single cooling coil.

[0020] Multiple cooling coils forming loops in this manner may be inserted into the adsorbent 103. Alternatively, while there is one cooling coil 213 from the refrigerator 212 to the piping 209b, the outbound cooling coil 213 may branch into multiple coils at the point where it enters the header 204b from the piping 209b (the space between the bottom plate 204b2 and the filled adsorbent 103) and be inserted into the adsorbent 103. The branched cooling coils 213 may then be integrated in the return path within the header 204b (the space between the bottom plate 204b2 and the filled adsorbent 103). In this case, the integrated cooling coils 213 are covered by the heat insulating member 111. To further enhance the cooling effect, fins may be provided on the cooling coils 213 inserted into the adsorbent.

[0021] The operation of the ozone adsorption tower 20 configured in this way will now be explained. Ozone gas 105 is introduced from the tubular section 206a into a cylindrical container 201 filled with adsorbent 103. In addition, a refrigerant is circulated in cooling coils 213 arranged in parallel within the adsorbent 103. The cooling coils 213 are arranged from the top to the bottom of the cylindrical container 201 where the adsorbent 103 is filled, and are arranged in parallel at equal intervals in the radial direction of the cylindrical container 201, so that the adsorbent 103 can be cooled directly and uniformly, thereby achieving high cooling efficiency. During the circulation of the refrigerant in the cooling coils 213, ozone gas 105 is introduced from the tubular section 206a, diffuses in the hollow section of the header 204a, and is supplied to the adsorbent 103 through the holes in the perforated metal. The supplied ozone gas is adsorbed onto the adsorbent 103 which has been indirectly cooled by the cooling coils 213, and any gas that is not adsorbed onto the adsorbent 103 is discharged from the tubular section 206b formed in the header 204b.

[0022] As described above, according to the configuration of Embodiment 1, in order to cool the adsorbent 103, a simple piping configuration is used in which the cooling coils 213 inserted in the adsorbent are arranged from the refrigerator 212 to the ozone adsorption tower 20, thereby reducing the amount of heat dissipated for cooling compared to the comparative example and reducing the cost required for insulation. In addition, since secondary refrigerant circulation piping between the refrigerator 212 and the ozone adsorption tower 20 is not required, the overall size of the cooling system is also reduced. Furthermore, by inserting multiple cooling coils 213 in parallel at equal intervals inside the ozone adsorption tower 20 and directly cooling the adsorbent 103, high cooling efficiency can be obtained.

[0023] Embodiment 2. Figure 4 is a diagram illustrating the configuration of an ozone adsorption tower according to Embodiment 2. The ozone adsorption tower 30 has multiple cooling tubes 302 arranged in parallel inside a cylindrical container 301, and cooling coils 313 are inserted into the cooling tubes 302. The space inside the cylindrical container 301 other than the cooling tubes 302 is filled with an adsorbent 103 such as silica gel. The amount of adsorbent 103 to be filled inside the cylindrical container 301 is predetermined. Headers 304b and 304a are fitted to the upper and lower openings of the cylindrical container 301. Header 304a has a hollow structure composed of a bottom plate 304a1, a bottom plate 304a2, and a cylindrical side plate, and one open end of the cooling tube 302 penetrates the bottom plate 304a1 and faces the hollow part. A brine filling port 306a for introducing cooling brine into the cooling tube 302 is formed in the center of the bottom plate 304b2 of header 304b. Considering the gravity of the brine, it is preferable to place the brine filling port 306a at the top of the ozone adsorption tower 30.

[0024] The header 304b, fitted into the opening at the top of the cylindrical container 301, is a hollow structure composed of a bottom plate 304b2 and bottom plate 304b1 facing the outside and a cylindrical side plate. The other open end of the cooling pipe 302 penetrates the bottom plate 304b1 and faces the hollow section. The adsorbent 103 may be introduced through an inlet on the side of the cylindrical container 301 while tilting the ozone adsorption tower. The adsorbent 103 is filled to a position where it does not block the piping 309b. The cooling coil 313 is arranged in the hollow section between the bottom plate 304b1 and bottom plate 304b2, extending radially through the cylindrical container 301. The cooling coil 313 penetrates the header 304b and extends to the outside of the cylindrical container 301, where it is connected to the refrigerator 312. The penetration is sealed.

[0025] The cooling coil 313 has the same configuration as the cooling coil 213 described in Embodiment 1, and is usually wound in a coil shape to increase the surface area. However, the shape is not limited to a coil shape, and may be straight, helical, or U-shaped. Since the refrigerant supplied from the refrigerator 312 circulates inside the pipe, both ends of the cooling coil 313 are connected to the refrigerator 312, and the refrigerant introduced from one end circulates inside the cooling coil 313, cools the adsorbent 103 around the cooling pipe 302 into which the cooling coil 313 is inserted, and then returns to the refrigerator 312 from the other end. Heat dissipation from the cooling coil 313 is suppressed by covering the cooling coil 313 from the header 304b to the refrigerator 212 with the heat insulating member 111. In the arrangement of the cooling coils 313, if the path from the refrigerator 312 to the bottom of the cylindrical container 301 is considered the forward path, and the path from the bottom back to the refrigerator 312 is considered the return path, then the multiple cooling coils 313 are formed from one cooling coil each for the forward and return paths, and the cooling coils for the forward and return paths are connected to form a loop. The cooling coils 313 for the forward and return paths are inserted into the same cooling pipe 302. Alternatively, the forward and return paths may be formed from a single cooling coil.

[0026] Thus, the cooling coils 313 that form loops inserted into each cooling pipe 302 may each be connected to the refrigerator 312. Alternatively, although there is one cooling coil 313 each for the forward and return paths from the refrigerator 312 to the penetration of the header 304b, the forward cooling coil 313 may branch into multiple coils in the portion inserted into the header 304b (the space between the bottom plate 304b2 and the bottom plate 304b1) and be inserted into the cooling pipes 302, and the return cooling coils 313 discharged from the cooling pipes 302 may be integrated and insulated within the header 304b (the space between the bottom plate 304b2 and the bottom plate 304b1). In this case, the integrated cooling coils 313 are covered with the insulating member 111. Furthermore, by covering the cooling coils 313 from the header 304b to the refrigerator 312 with the insulating member 111, heat dissipation from the cooling coils 313 is suppressed.

[0027] Pipes 309a and 309b pass through the side of the cylindrical container 301, and the penetration is sealed. Ozone gas 105 generated from an ozone generator (not shown) is introduced through pipe 309a and discharged through pipe 309b after passing through an adsorbent 103 filled between the cylindrical container 301 and the cooling pipe 302. With this configuration, the brine introduced into the cooling pipe 302 from the brine filling port 306a and the ozone gas 105 passing between the cooling pipe 302 do not come into direct contact.

[0028] Figure 5 is a cross-sectional view taken along line B-B in Figure 4. As shown in Figure 5(a), the cooling tubes 302 are arranged in parallel at equal intervals within the cylindrical container 301 so as to be evenly spaced, and one or more cooling coils 313 for the forward and return paths are inserted into each cooling tube 302. Figure 5(a) shows an example where one cooling coil 313 is inserted into each cooling tube 302, but multiple cooling coils 313 may be inserted into a single cooling tube 302 as long as the diameter of each cooling coil 313 is about half or less of the diameter of the cooling tube 302. Furthermore, as shown in Figure 5(a), it is desirable that cooling coils 313 are inserted into all of the multiple cooling tubes 302, but as shown in Figures 5(b) and (c), the cooling coils 313 may be inserted sparsely so as not to impair uniformity.

[0029] The operation of the ozone adsorption tower 30 configured in this way will now be explained. Adsorbent 103 is filled into the space surrounded by the cooling tube 302 and the cylindrical container 301, and refrigerant is circulated from the refrigerator 312 to the cooling coil 313 inside the cooling tube 302. Cooling brine is also introduced into the cooling tube 302 from the brine filling port 306a of the header 304b. The brine filling port 306a is normally closed and is opened when cooling brine is introduced. The cooling brine supplied from the brine filling port 306a is cooled by the cooling coil 313 inside the cooling tube 302. The cooling brine remains inside the cooling tube 302 and indirectly cools the adsorbent 103 by thermal convection or natural convection.

[0030] Ozone gas 105 is introduced from piping 309a and supplied to the adsorbent 103. The supplied ozone gas 105 is adsorbed onto the adsorbent 103, which is cooled by the cooling brine in the cooling coil 313 and cooling pipe 302, and any gas that is not adsorbed onto the adsorbent 103 is discharged from piping 309b.

[0031] As described above, in the configuration of Embodiment 2, similar to Embodiment 1, the amount of heat dissipated from the refrigerator 312 to the ozone adsorption tower 30 can be reduced compared to the comparative example by using cooling coils 313 arranged in parallel at equal intervals within the cylindrical container 301, thus reducing the cost required for insulating the piping. In addition, since secondary refrigerant circulation piping between the refrigerator 312 and the ozone adsorption tower 30 is not required, the overall size of the system is also reduced. Furthermore, in addition to cooling the adsorbent 103 around the cooling pipe 302 by the cooling coils 313 inserted into the cooling pipe 302 within the ozone adsorption tower 30, the cooling brine cooled by the cooling coils 313 circulates within the cooling pipe 302, cooling the portion of the cooling pipe 302 without the cooling coils 313, and thus the entire adsorbent 103 between the cooling pipe 302 and the cylindrical container 301 is cooled. As a result, the insertion length of the cooling coils 313 within the cylindrical container can be shortened compared to Embodiment 1.

[0032] Embodiment 3. Figure 6 is a diagram illustrating the configuration of an ozone adsorption tower according to Embodiment 3. The ozone adsorption tower 40 has multiple cooling pipes 402 arranged in parallel inside a cylindrical container 401, and the space inside the cylindrical container 401 other than the multiple cooling pipes 402 is filled with an adsorbent 103 such as silica gel. The adsorbent 103 may be supplied by providing a supply port on the side of the cylindrical container 401 and introducing the adsorbent 103 while tilting the ozone adsorption tower 40. The extent to which the cylindrical container 401 is filled with adsorbent 103 is predetermined. The adsorbent 103 may be filled to a position that does not block the piping 411b. This ensures that the flow of ozone gas 105 inside the cylindrical container 401 is uniform.

[0033] Headers 404b and 404a are fitted to the upper and lower openings of the cylindrical container 401. Header 404a is a hollow structure composed of a bottom plate 404a1, a bottom plate 404a2, and a cylindrical side plate, with one open end of the cooling tube 402 passing through the bottom plate 404a1 and facing the hollow section. A tubular section 406a for introducing cooling brine 107 is formed in the center of the other bottom plate 404a2 of header 404a. Similarly, header 404b, fitted to the upper opening of the cylindrical container 401, is a hollow structure composed of a bottom plate 404b1, a bottom plate 404b2, and a cylindrical side plate, with the other open end of the cooling tube 402 passing through the bottom plate 404b1 and facing the hollow section. A tubular section 406b for discharging cooling brine 107 is formed in the center of the bottom plate 404b2 facing the outside.

[0034] A cooling coil 413 is installed in the hollow section of the header 404a. The cooling coil 413 extends from the tubular section 406a to the outside of the cylindrical container 401 and is connected to the refrigerator 412 to supply refrigerant. The cooling coil 413 has the same configuration as the cooling coil 213 described in Embodiment 1. However, in this embodiment, since the cooling coil 413 is placed in the header 404a, the cooling coil 413 may be formed in a circumferential or spiral shape and placed over the entire radial area of ​​the hollow section of the header 404a. Alternatively, the cooling coil 413 may be placed in at least one location in the tubular sections 406a and 406b. Heat dissipation is suppressed by covering the cooling coil 413 from the tubular section 406a to the refrigerator 412 with an insulating member 111. The tubular section 406b is connected to the tubular section 406a via piping 409a, a brine circulation pump 410, and piping 409b. Therefore, the cooling brine 107 is cooled by the cooling coil in the header 404a and circulates through a circulation path formed by the tubular section 406a, cylindrical container 401, tubular section 406b, piping 409a, brine circulation pump 410, and piping 409b. The circulation path is covered with an insulating member 111.

[0035] Furthermore, pipes 411a and 411b pass through the sides of the cylindrical container 401, and the penetrations are sealed. Ozone gas 105 generated from an ozone generator (not shown) is introduced through pipe 411a, passes through the adsorbent 103 inside the cylindrical container 301, and is discharged through pipe 411b. With this configuration, the cooling brine 107 introduced into the cooling pipe 402 and the ozone gas 105 passing between the cooling pipe 402 do not come into direct contact.

[0036] The operation of the ozone adsorption tower 40 configured in this way will now be explained. Ozone gas 105 is injected into a cylindrical container 401 filled with adsorbent 103 from piping 411a. At the same time, cooling brine 107 is introduced into cooling pipes 402 arranged in parallel within the adsorbent 103 from the tubular section 406a of the header 404a. The cooling brine 107, cooled by a cooling coil 413 located in the hollow section of the header 404a, diffuses in the hollow section and is supplied to the open end of the cooling pipe 402. The supplied cooling brine 107 cools the adsorbent 103 around the cooling pipe 402 as it passes through the cooling pipe 402. The cooled adsorbent 103 adsorbs ozone from the ozone gas introduced from piping 309a. The cooling brine 107 is discharged from the tubular section 406b and supplied back to the tubular section 406a via piping 409a and 409b. The brine circulation pump 410 promotes the circulation of the cooling brine 107, thereby uniformly cooling the adsorbent 103 to below a certain temperature. Furthermore, heat dissipation is suppressed by surrounding the ozone adsorption tower, tubular section 406b, and pipes 409a and 409b with insulating material 111.

[0037] The piping 409a may be positioned close enough so that the cooling brine 107 can cool the cylindrical container 401. Furthermore, the portion of the piping 409a may be positioned close to the cylindrical container, and the cooling coil 413 may be inserted into this portion of the piping 409a. In this case, the heat insulating member 111 is not provided between the adjacent cylindrical container 401 and the piping 409a, but rather the cylindrical container 401 and the piping 409a are covered together with the heat insulating member. In order to reliably cool the cylindrical container 401, it is desirable to position them as close as possible or even in contact. In this way, the piping 409a is positioned along the cylindrical container 401, as close as possible so as to be able to cool the cylindrical container 401. As a result, the cooling coil 413 inserted into the piping 409a can cool the cooling brine 107 and the side of the cylindrical container 401 at the same time. This allows the adsorbent 103 inside the cylindrical container 401 to be indirectly cooled.

[0038] As described above, in the configuration of Embodiment 3, by using the cooling coil 413, the amount of heat dissipated from the refrigerator 412 to the ozone adsorption tower 40 can be reduced compared to the comparative example, thus reducing the cost required for insulating the piping. In addition, since secondary refrigerant circulation piping between the refrigerator 412 and the ozone adsorption tower 40 is not required, the overall size of the system is also reduced. Furthermore, by inserting the cooling coil 413 into the hollow section, tubular section 406a, or part of the tubular section 406b of the header 404a to cool the cooling brine 107, and circulating the cooling brine 107 with the brine circulation pump 410, the adsorbent 103 is indirectly cooled, making it possible to cool the adsorbent 103 to below a certain temperature over a wide area. As a result, the length of the cooling coil 413 can be significantly shortened compared to Embodiments 1 and 2.

[0039] Embodiment 4. Figure 7 is a diagram illustrating the configuration of an ozone adsorption tower according to Embodiment 4. The ozone adsorption tower 50 has multiple cooling pipes 502 arranged in parallel at equal intervals inside a cylindrical container 501, and the space inside the cylindrical container 501 other than the multiple cooling pipes 502 is filled with an adsorbent 103 such as silica gel. The adsorbent may be supplied by providing a supply port on the side of the cylindrical container 501 and introducing the adsorbent 103 while tilting the ozone adsorption tower 50. The adsorbent 103 may be filled to a position that does not block the piping 511b. This ensures that the flow of ozone gas 105 inside the cylindrical container 501 is uniform. The amount of adsorbent 103 to be filled inside the cylindrical container 501 is predetermined.

[0040] Headers 504b and 504a are fitted to the upper and lower openings of the cylindrical container 501. Header 504a has a hollow structure composed of a bottom plate 504a1, a bottom plate 504a2, and a cylindrical side plate. One open end of the cooling pipe 502 penetrates the bottom plate 504a1 and faces the hollow section. A tubular section 506a is formed in the center of the other bottom plate 504a2 of header 504a for introducing a primary cooling refrigerant 113 (hatched arrow in Figure 7, for example, Freon gas).

[0041] Similarly, the header 504b fitted into the upper opening of the cylindrical container 501 is a hollow structure composed of a bottom plate 504b1, a bottom plate 504b2 and a cylindrical side plate, with the other open end of the cooling pipe 502 penetrating the bottom plate 504b1 and facing the hollow section. A tubular section 506b for discharging the primary cooling refrigerant 113 is formed in the center of the bottom plate 504b2 that faces the outside.

[0042] The tubular section 506b is connected to the tubular section 506a via piping 509a, the refrigerator 512, and piping 509b to form a circulation path, and the circulation path is covered with an insulating member 111. The primary cooling refrigerant 113 circulates within this circulation path.

[0043] Also, pipes 511a and 511b penetrate through the side of the cylindrical container 501, and the penetration parts are sealed. Ozone gas generated from an ozone generator (not shown) is introduced from pipe 511a, passes through the adsorbent 103 in the cylindrical container 301, and is discharged from pipe 511b. With such a configuration, the ozone gas 105 passing between the primary refrigerant 113 for cooling introduced into the cooling pipe 502 and the cooling pipe 502 does not come into direct contact.

[0044] The operation of the ozone adsorption tower 50 configured as described above will be described. Ozone gas 105 is injected into the cylindrical container 501 filled with the adsorbent 103 from pipe 511a. At the same time, a primary refrigerant for cooling is introduced into the cooling pipe 502 arranged in parallel in the adsorbent 103 from the tubular part 506a of the header 504a. The primary refrigerant for cooling 113 diffuses in the hollow part and is supplied to the open end of the cooling pipe 502. The supplied primary refrigerant for cooling cools the adsorbent 103 around the cooling pipe 502 by passing through the cooling pipe 502. The cooled adsorbent 103 adsorbs the ozone of the ozone gas 105 introduced from pipe 511a. The primary refrigerant for cooling 113 is supplied again to the tubular part 506a via pipes 509a and 509b from the tubular part 506b. By promoting the circulation of the primary refrigerant for cooling by the compressor in the refrigerator 512, the cooling of the adsorbent 103 is promoted. Note that heat dissipation is suppressed by surrounding the cylindrical container 501, the tubular part 506b, the pipes 509a and 509b with the heat insulating member 111. Such a configuration is functionally the same as putting an adsorbent into the evaporator of the refrigeration system.

[0045] As described above, in the configuration of the fourth embodiment, by circulating the primary refrigerant 113 for cooling in the cylindrical container 501 by the compressor in the refrigerator 512, the amount of heat dissipated from the refrigerator 512 to the ozone adsorption tower 50 can be made smaller than in the comparative example, so that the cost required for heat insulation of the piping part can be reduced. Also, since the secondary refrigerant circulation piping between the refrigerator 512 and the ozone adsorption tower 50 becomes unnecessary, the size of the entire system is also reduced. Furthermore, by continuously cooling the adsorbent 103 by circulating the primary refrigerant 113 for cooling by the refrigerator 512, the adsorbent 103 can be cooled uniformly.

[0046] Embodiment 5. Figure 8 is a diagram illustrating the ozone adsorption tower of Embodiment 5. The ozone adsorption tower 60 has multiple tube pipes 602 arranged in parallel inside a cylindrical container 601, and the tube pipes 602 are filled with an adsorbent 103 such as silica gel. The amount of adsorbent 103 to be filled inside the tube pipes 602 is predetermined. Headers 604a and 604b are fitted to the upper and lower openings of the cylindrical container 601. Header 604a has a hollow structure composed of a bottom plate 604a1, a bottom plate 604a2, and a cylindrical side plate, and one open end of the tube pipe 602 penetrates the bottom plate 604a1 and faces the hollow part. Header 604b similarly has a hollow structure composed of a bottom plate 604b1, a bottom plate 604b2, and a cylindrical side plate, and the other open end of the tube pipe 602 penetrates the bottom plate 604b1 and faces the hollow part. Tubular sections 606a and 606b are formed in the center of the bottom plates 604a2 and 604b2 of the headers 604a and 604b, respectively, for introducing or releasing ozone gas 105.

[0047] Furthermore, pipes 609a and 609b pass through the sides of the cylindrical container 601, and the penetrations are sealed. In this case, pipe 609a passes through the bottom of the cylindrical container 601, and pipe 609b passes through the top of the cylindrical container 601. Pipe 609b is connected to pipe 609a via a brine circulation pump 610, and a circulation path is formed by pipe 609a, the cylindrical container 601, pipe 609b, and the brine circulation pump 610. Cooling brine 107 circulates within this circulation path. With this configuration, the ozone gas 105 introduced into the tube piping 602 and the cooling brine 107 passing between the tube piping 602 do not come into direct contact.

[0048] A part of the pipe 609b is arranged along the cylindrical container 601 and close enough to cool the cylindrical container 601. To reliably cool the cylindrical container 601, it is desirable to be arranged as close as possible or in contact. A cooling coil 613 is inserted into the adjacent pipe 609b. The cooling coil 613 is connected to the refrigerator 612. The cooling coil 613 has the same structure as that described in the first embodiment and is usually wound in a coil shape to increase the surface area. However, the shape is not limited to the coil shape and may be linear, spiral, or U-shaped. Since the refrigerant supplied from the refrigerator 612 circulates inside the coil, both ends of the cooling coil 613 are connected to the refrigerator 612, and the refrigerant introduced from one end circulates inside the cooling coil 613 and returns to the refrigerator 612 from the other end. Among the arrangements of the cooling coil 613 in the pipe 609b, if the section from the refrigerator 612 to the bottom of the cylindrical container 601 is the forward path and the section from the bottom to the return to the refrigerator 612 is the return path, the cooling coil 613 is formed by one cooling coil for each of the forward path and the return path, and the cooling coils of the forward path and the return path are connected to form a loop. Note that the forward path and the return path may be formed in one cooling coil. The cooling brine 107 in the circulation path is cooled by the cooling coil 613. Since the cooling coil 613 penetrates the pipe 609b and is connected to the refrigerator 612, the penetration part is sealed. The circulation path leading to the pipe 609a, the cylindrical container 601, the pipe 609b, and the brine circulation pump No. 6 is covered with a heat insulating member 111 to suppress heat dissipation. Further, the cooling coil 613 from the cylindrical container 60 to the refrigerator 612 is also covered with the heat insulating member 111 to suppress heat dissipation.

[0049] The operation of the ozone adsorption tower 60 configured in this way will now be explained. Ozone gas 105 is injected into tube piping 602 filled with adsorbent 103. At the same time, cooling brine 107 is circulated in the gaps between the tube piping 602 arranged in parallel inside the cylindrical container 601. The cooling brine 107 is cooled by a cooling coil 613 in the circulation path, and the circulation of the cooling brine 107 is promoted by a brine circulation pump 610. During the circulation of the cooling brine 107, ozone gas 105 from an ozone generator (not shown) is introduced into the tubular section 606a. The introduced ozone gas 105 diffuses in the hollow section of the header 604a and is supplied to each open end of the multiple tube piping 602. The supplied ozone gas 105 has ozone adsorbed by the adsorbent 103 filled inside each tube piping 602. Gas that is not adsorbed by the adsorbent 103 is collected in the hollow section of the header 604b and discharged from the tubular section 606b.

[0050] Since the piping 609b is positioned along the cylindrical container 601 and as close as possible to it so as to be able to cool the cylindrical container 601, the cooling coil 613 inserted into this piping 609b can cool the cooling brine 107 and the sides of the cylindrical container 601 at the same time. This allows the adsorbent 103 filled in the tubing 602 inside the cylindrical container 601 to be cooled indirectly.

[0051] As described above, in the configuration of Embodiment 5, similar to Embodiment 1, the amount of heat dissipated from the refrigerator 612 to the ozone adsorption tower 60 can be reduced compared to the comparative example by using the cooling coil 613, thus reducing the cost required for insulating the piping. In addition, since secondary refrigerant circulation piping between the refrigerator 612 and the ozone adsorption tower 60 is not required, the overall size of the system is also reduced. Furthermore, the cooling coil 613 inserted into the piping 609b inside the ozone adsorption tower 60 cools the cooling brine 107 circulating inside the cylindrical container 601, and also cools the side of the cylindrical container 601. This allows the adsorbent 103 filled in the tube piping 602 inside the cylindrical container 601 to be indirectly cooled. Also, by placing the cooling coil 613 in the circulation path of the cooling brine 107, it is not necessary to place the cooling coil 613 inside the cylindrical container 601, and the length of the cooling coil 613 used can be shortened compared to Embodiments 1 and 2.

[0052] Embodiment 6. Figure 9 is a diagram illustrating the ozone adsorption tower of Embodiment 6. The ozone adsorption tower 70 has multiple tube pipes 702 arranged in parallel inside a cylindrical container 701, and the tube pipes 702 are filled with an adsorbent 103 such as silica gel. Headers 704b and 704a are fitted to the upper and lower openings of the cylindrical container 701. The header 704a has a hollow structure composed of a bottom plate 704a1, a bottom plate 704a2, and a cylindrical side plate, and one open end of the tube pipe 702 penetrates the bottom plate 704a1 and faces the hollow part. A tubular section 706a for introducing ozone gas 105 is formed in the center of the bottom plate 704a2 of the header 704a. A brine filling port 709a for introducing cooling brine into the cylindrical container 701 is formed on the side of the cylindrical container 701. The brine filling port 709a is preferably located at the top of the cylindrical container 701, taking into account the gravity of the cooling brine.

[0053] The header 704b, fitted into the upper opening of the cylindrical container 701, is a hollow structure composed of a bottom plate 704b2 and bottom plate 704b1 facing the outside and a cylindrical side plate. The other open end of the tube piping 702 penetrates the bottom plate 704b1 and faces the hollow section. A cooling coil 713 is disposed in the hollow section between the bottom plate 704b1 and bottom plate 704b2, extending radially through the cylindrical container 701. The cooling coil 713 penetrates the header 704b and extends to the outside of the cylindrical container 701, where it is connected to the refrigerator 712. The penetration is sealed.

[0054] The cooling coil 713 is the same as that described in Embodiment 1, and is usually wound in a coil shape to increase the surface area. However, the shape is not limited to a coil shape; it may be straight, helical, or U-shaped. Both ends of the cooling coil 713 are connected to the refrigerator 712, and the refrigerant introduced from one end circulates inside the cooling coil 713, cools the tubing 702, and then returns to the refrigerator 712 from the other end.

[0055] In the arrangement of the cooling coils 713, if the path from the refrigerator 712 to the bottom of the cylindrical container 701 is considered the forward path, and the path from the bottom back to the refrigerator 712 is considered the return path, then the multiple cooling coils 713 are formed from one cooling coil each for the forward and return paths, and the cooling coils for the forward and return paths are connected to form a loop. Alternatively, the forward and return paths may be formed from a single cooling coil.

[0056] Multiple cooling coils 713 forming loops in this manner may be arranged along the tube piping 702. The cooling coils 713 may branch into multiple forward-flow cooling coils 713 at the point where they are inserted into the header 704b (the space between the bottom plate 704b2 and the bottom plate 704b1) and inserted into the cooling pipes 702, and the returning-flow cooling coils 713 discharged from the cooling pipes 702 may be integrated in the header 704b (the space between the bottom plate 704b2 and the bottom plate 704b1).

[0057] A brine filling port 709a penetrates the side of the cylindrical container 701, and the penetration is sealed. Cooling brine 107 is introduced through the brine filling port 709a. Heat dissipation is suppressed by covering the cooling coil 713 from the header 704b to the refrigerator 712, the brine filling port 709a, the cylindrical container 701, and the headers 704a and 704b with an insulating member 111. With this configuration, the cooling brine introduced into the cylindrical container 701 from the brine filling port 709a and the ozone gas 105 passing through the tube piping 702 do not come into direct contact.

[0058] The operation of the ozone adsorption tower 70 configured in this way will now be explained. Adsorbent 103 is filled into the tube piping 702, and refrigerant is circulated from the refrigerator 712 to the cooling coil 713 arranged along the tube piping 702. Cooling brine is also introduced into the cylindrical container 701 from the brine filling port 709a. The brine filling port 709a is normally closed and is opened when cooling brine is introduced. The cooling brine supplied from the brine filling port 709a is cooled by the cooling coil 713 inside the cylindrical container 701. The cooling brine remains inside the cylindrical container 701 and indirectly cools the adsorbent 103 in the tube piping 702 by thermal convection or natural convection.

[0059] Ozone gas 105 is introduced from the tubular section 706a, diffuses in the hollow section of the header 704a, and is supplied to each open end of the multiple tube pipes 702. The ozone is then adsorbed onto the cooled adsorbent 103 inside the tube pipes 702, and any gas that is not adsorbed by the adsorbent 103 is discharged from the tubular section 706b.

[0060] As described above, in the configuration of Embodiment 6, similar to Embodiment 1, the amount of heat dissipated from the refrigerator 712 to the ozone adsorption tower 70 can be reduced compared to the comparative example by using the cooling coil 713, thus reducing the cost required for insulating the piping. In addition, since secondary refrigerant circulation piping between the refrigerator 712 and the ozone adsorption tower 70 is not required, the overall size of the system is also reduced. Furthermore, the cooling coil 713 inserted into the ozone adsorption tower 70 indirectly cools the adsorbent 103 in the tube piping 702 and also cools the cooling brine 107 that remains in the cylindrical container 701. This makes it possible to cool not only the adsorbent 103 in the tube piping 702 along the cooling coil 713 but also the entire tube piping 702 in the cylindrical container 701, enabling uniform cooling of the adsorbent 103 in the tube piping 702. Furthermore, by using cooling brine, the insertion length of the cooling coil 713 into the cylindrical container 701 can be shortened.

[0061] While this disclosure describes various exemplary embodiments and examples, the various features, aspects, and functions described in one or more embodiments are not limited to the application of a particular embodiment, but are applicable individually or in various combinations to the embodiments. Accordingly, countless variations not illustrated are envisioned within the scope of the art disclosed in this specification. For example, these include modifying, adding or omitting at least one component, or even extracting at least one component and combining it with a component from another embodiment.

[0062] 10, 20, 30, 40, 50, 60, 70: Ozone adsorption tower, 101, 201, 301, 401, 501, 601, 701: Cylindrical container, 102, 602, 702: Tube piping, 103: Adsorbent, 104a, 104b, 204a, 204b, 304a, 304b, 404a, 404b, 504a, 504b, 604a, 604b, 704a, 704b: Header, 104a1, 104b1, 104a2, 104b2, 204a1, 204a2, 204b2, 304a1, 304a2, 304b1, 304b2, 404a1, 404a2, 404b1, 404b2, 504a1, 504a2, 504b1, 504b2, 604a1, 604a2, 604b1, 604b2, 704a1, 704a2, 70 4b1, 704b2: bottom plate, 105: ozone gas, 106a, 106b, 206a, 206b, 406a, 406b, 506a, 506b, 606a, 606b, 706a, 706b: tubular section, 107: cooling brine, 109a, 109b, 209b: piping, 110: pump, 111: insulation material, 112, 212, 312, 412, 512, 612, 712: Refrigeration unit, 213, 313, 413, 613, 713: Cooling coil, 302, 402, 502, 702: Cooling pipe, 309a, 309b, 409a, 409b: Piping, 411a, 411b: Piping, 509a, 509b, 511a, 511b, 609a, 609b: Piping, 410, 610: Brine circulation pump, 306a, 709a: Brine filling port.

Claims

1. An ozone adsorption tower comprising a cylindrical container, a header fitted into the opening of the cylindrical container for introducing or releasing ozone gas into or out of the cylindrical container, an adsorbent filled in a predetermined space of the cylindrical container, a plurality of cooling coils inserted in parallel and evenly in the adsorbent, and a refrigerator for supplying a refrigerant to the plurality of cooling coils, wherein the ozone gas introduced from the header is adsorbed onto the adsorbent cooled by the cooling coils.

2. An ozone adsorption tower comprising a cylindrical container, a header fitted into the opening of the cylindrical container for introducing a first refrigerant, cooling pipes arranged in parallel and evenly within the cylindrical container and supplied with the first refrigerant introduced from the header, an adsorbent filled in a predetermined space between the cooling pipes and the cylindrical container, a plurality of cooling coils inserted into the cooling pipes, a refrigerator for supplying a second refrigerant to the plurality of cooling coils, and piping for introducing or departing ozone gas into or out of the cylindrical container, wherein the cooling coils cool the adsorbent and the first refrigerant.

3. An ozone adsorption tower comprising a cylindrical container, a header fitted into the opening of the cylindrical container for introducing or discharging a first refrigerant, a plurality of cooling pipes arranged in parallel within the cylindrical container to which the first refrigerant introduced from the header is supplied, an adsorbent filled in a predetermined space between the cooling pipes and the cylindrical container, a cooling coil provided in the path through which the first refrigerant passes, a refrigerator for supplying a second refrigerant to the cooling coil, and piping for introducing or discharging ozone gas into or out of the cylindrical container, wherein the cooling coil cools the first refrigerant.

4. The ozone adsorption tower according to claim 3, characterized in that the header comprises a first header for introducing the first refrigerant and a second header for discharging the first refrigerant, the first refrigerant discharged from the second header is introduced back into the cylindrical container via the first header through a pump, and the cooling coil is disposed in at least one of the first header or the second header.

5. The ozone adsorption tower according to claim 3, characterized in that the header comprises a first header for introducing the first refrigerant and a second header for discharging the first refrigerant, the first refrigerant discharged from the second header is introduced back into the cylindrical container via the first header through a pump, a part of the circulation path is arranged close enough to cool the cylindrical container, and the cooling coil is arranged within the close-located circulation path.

6. An ozone adsorption tower comprising a cylindrical container, a header fitted into the opening of the cylindrical container for introducing or discharging refrigerant into or out of the cylindrical container, cooling pipes arranged in parallel and evenly within the cylindrical container to which the refrigerant introduced from the header is supplied, an adsorbent filled in a predetermined space between the cooling pipes and the cylindrical container, a circulation path for circulating the refrigerant via a refrigerator, and piping for introducing or discharging ozone gas into or out of the cylindrical container.

7. An ozone adsorption tower comprising a cylindrical container, a header fitted to the opening of the cylindrical container for introducing or releasing ozone gas into or out of the cylindrical container, tubular piping for supplying the ozone gas introduced from the header, an adsorbent filled in the tubular piping, piping for introducing or releasing a first refrigerant into or out of the cylindrical container, a cooling coil positioned in a portion of the piping close enough to the cylindrical container to cool it, and a refrigerator for supplying a second refrigerant to the cooling coil, wherein the cooling coil cools the first refrigerant and cools the cylindrical container.

8. The ozone adsorption tower according to claim 7, wherein the piping for introducing or discharging the first refrigerant is a circulation path via a pump.

9. An ozone adsorption tower comprising a cylindrical container, a header fitted into the opening of the cylindrical container for introducing or releasing ozone gas into or out of the cylindrical container, a plurality of tubular pipes evenly and in parallel within the cylindrical container to which the ozone gas introduced from the header is supplied, an adsorbent filled in the plurality of tubular pipes, a pipe for introducing a first refrigerant into the cylindrical container, a plurality of cooling coils disposed within the cylindrical container along the plurality of tubular pipes, and a refrigerator for supplying a second refrigerant to the cooling coils, wherein the cooling coils cool the tubular pipes and the first refrigerant.

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