Decontamination fluid supply apparatus and environmental control apparatus comprising decontamination fluid supply apparatus

Abstract

An environment control apparatus comprises: a work chamber in which work for handling a substance affecting a human body, work for maintaining an aseptic or dust-free state, or work for maintaining a constant air state is performed; a decontamination fluid supply device for supplying a decontamination fluid to a space in the work chamber or a decontamination target space which is a space communicating with the space in the work chamber; a detector for detecting the humidity and a decontamination component concentration in the decontamination target space; and a control unit. The environment control apparatus also comprises: a fine particle generation unit which includes at least one spray nozzle for atomizing a decontamination liquid by using pressurized gas, and generates a decontamination fluid comprising a mixed fluid of the atomized decontamination liquid and the pressurized gas; a first pipeline which has an upstream end connected to a pressurized gas supply source and a downstream end connected to the decontamination target space; a pressurized gas supply pipeline which supplies the pressurized gas, supplied from the pressurized gas supply source, to the at least one spray nozzle of the fine particle generation unit; a second pipeline which merges with the first pipeline at a merging section and causes the decontamination fluid generated by the fine particle generation unit to flow up to the merging section; at least one flow rate control device which is capable of adjusting a first flow rate, which is the flow rate of the pressurized gas that does not contain the decontamination liquid and flows through the first pipeline toward the merging part, and / or a second flow rate, which is the flow rate of the pressurized gas that flows through the pressurized gas supply pipeline toward the fine particle generation unit, whereby it is possible to adjust the flow ratio of the first flow rate and the second flow rate; and at least one humidity adjustment unit which is

Claims

1. An environmental control device comprising: a workroom in which work is performed in which substances that affect the human body are handled, work is performed in which a sterile or dust-free state is maintained, or work is performed in which a constant air state is maintained; a decontamination fluid supply device that supplies decontamination fluid to the space within the workroom or a space communicating therewith, a detector that detects the humidity and concentration of decontamination components inside the space to be decontaminated; and a control unit, wherein the environmental control device comprises: a particle generation unit that generates a decontamination fluid consisting of a mixed fluid of the atomized decontamination liquid and pressurized gas, with at least one spray nozzle that atomizes the decontamination liquid using pressurized gas; a first pipeline whose upstream end is connected to a pressurized gas supply source and whose downstream end is connected to the space to be decontaminated; a pressurized gas supply pipeline that supplies pressurized gas supplied from the pressurized gas supply source to the at least one spray nozzle of the particle generation unit; and a second pipeline that merges with the first pipeline at a junction, and the second pipeline is for flowing the decontamination fluid generated by the particle generation unit to the junction. An environmental control device comprising: at least one flow rate control device capable of adjusting at least one of a first flow rate, which is the flow rate of pressurized gas without decontamination liquid flowing through the first pipeline toward the confluence, and a second flow rate, which is the flow rate of pressurized gas flowing through the pressurized gas supply pipeline toward the fine particle generation unit, thereby adjusting the flow rate ratio between the first flow rate and the second flow rate; and at least one humidity control unit capable of adjusting at least one of the humidity of the pressurized gas without decontamination liquid flowing through the first pipeline toward the confluence, and the humidity of the pressurized gas flowing through the pressurized gas supply pipeline toward the fine particle generation unit, wherein the control unit adjusts the humidity and decontamination component concentration of the decontamination fluid supplied to the decontamination target space by adjusting the flow rate ratio using the at least one flow rate control device and adjusting the at least one humidity control unit based on the detection result of the detector.

2. The environmental control device according to claim 1, wherein the particulate matter generation unit comprises a plurality of spray nozzles.

3. The fine particle generation unit comprises: a case configured to store decontamination liquid at its bottom; a liquid supply port provided in the case for supplying decontamination liquid to the inside of the case; a plurality of pressurized gas supply ports provided in the case for supplying pressurized gas to each of the plurality of spray nozzles; and a decontamination fluid outlet port provided in the case for discharging a decontamination fluid, which consists of a mixed fluid of fine particles of the decontamination liquid sprayed from the spray nozzles and pressurized gas, to the outside of the case; the plurality of spray nozzles are provided at the bottom of the case and are configured to atomize the decontamination liquid stored in the case using pressurized gas. The environmental control device according to claim 2, wherein each spray nozzle comprises a pressurized gas discharge path having a pressurized gas discharge port for discharging pressurized gas supplied from a corresponding pressurized gas supply port, and a liquid discharge path having a liquid discharge port for discharging decontamination liquid stored at the bottom of the case, and is configured such that the decontamination liquid stored at the bottom of the case is drawn in through the liquid discharge path by the negative pressure generated by discharging pressurized gas from the pressurized gas discharge port to the liquid discharge port, and is atomized when it merges with the gas discharged from the pressurized gas discharge port.

4. The environmental control device according to claim 3, wherein each spray nozzle is configured to spray fine particles into the space above the spray nozzle, the fine particle generation unit further comprises a tubular member extending vertically through the case, the decontamination fluid outlet port is the outlet portion of the tubular member, the tubular member has an opening inside the case that opens downward to receive fine particles sprayed from the spray nozzle, and the opening is located in a region outside the region where the plurality of spray nozzles are arranged in a plan view.

5. The environmental control device according to claim 3, comprising a plurality of pressurized gas supply pipelines, each of which is connected to a plurality of pressurized gas supply ports of the particle generation unit, and each of the plurality of pressurized gas supply pipelines is provided with a flow rate control device, thereby enabling independent control of the supply and shutoff of pressurized gas supplied to each pressurized gas supply port and / or the flow rate of pressurized gas supplied to each pressurized gas supply port, with respect to each pressurized gas supply port.

6. The environmental control device according to claim 3, wherein at least one humidity control unit is capable of adjusting the humidity of the pressurized gas supplied to the plurality of pressurized gas supply ports.

7. The environmental control device according to claim 3, wherein the first and second pipelines are pipelines branched from the main pipeline at a branching point, pressurized gas is supplied to the main pipeline from a pressurized gas supply source, and at least one humidity control unit is provided in the main pipeline and is capable of adjusting both the humidity of the pressurized gas supplied to the decontamination target space via the first pipeline and the humidity of the pressurized gas supplied to a plurality of pressurized gas supply ports of the case via the second pipeline.

8. The environmental control device according to claim 3, further comprising: a detector for detecting the humidity and concentration of decontamination components inside the space to be decontaminated; and a control unit, wherein the control unit is configured to perform one of the following actions according to the detection value of the detector: adjusting the number of spray nozzles to which pressurized gas is supplied among the plurality of spray nozzles; adjusting the flow rate of pressurized gas to the spray nozzles to which the pressurized gas is supplied; and adjusting the humidity of the pressurized gas supplied to the spray nozzles, and the decontamination fluid supply device further comprises the equipment necessary for performing the above adjustments.

9. The environmental control device according to claim 3, further comprising: a detector for detecting the humidity and concentration of decontamination components inside the space to be decontaminated; and a control unit, wherein the control unit is configured to perform at least one of the following actions according to the detection value of the detector: adjusting the number of spray nozzles among the plurality of spray nozzles to which the pressurized gas is supplied; adjusting the flow rate of the pressurized gas to the spray nozzles to which the pressurized gas is supplied; adjusting the humidity of the pressurized gas supplied to the spray nozzles; adjusting the humidity of the pressurized gas supplied to the first pipeline; and adjusting the flow rate of the pressurized gas supplied to the first pipeline, and the decontamination fluid supply device further comprises the equipment necessary for performing the adjustment.

10. The environmental control device according to claim 3, wherein each of the spray nozzles is a single, seamless component.

11. The environmental control device according to claim 3, further comprising: a liquid supply pipe connected to the liquid supply port of the case; a pump that supplies a controlled amount of decontamination liquid to the liquid supply port via the liquid supply pipe; a liquid level sensor that detects the liquid level of the decontamination liquid stored at the bottom of the case; and a control unit, wherein the control unit is configured to adjust the flow rate of the decontamination liquid supplied to the liquid supply port by the pump so that the liquid level detected by the liquid level sensor is within a predetermined range.

12. The environmental control device according to claim 11, wherein the case further has a drain port for discharging the decontamination liquid stored inside the case, the drain port is connected to the liquid supply pipe via a liquid discharge pipe, the pump is a pump capable of supplying liquid in both forward and reverse directions, and the liquid supply port and the drain port can be selectively connected to the pump via a switching valve device, thereby enabling the pump to recover the decontamination liquid stored inside the case by connecting the drain port to the pump.

13. The environmental control device according to claim 12, wherein the control unit is configured to perform the following steps when it receives a cleaning command for the inside of the case: connect the drain port to the pump and operate the pump to recover the decontamination liquid stored inside the case; and inject only pressurized gas from the spray nozzle to vaporize the decontamination liquid remaining inside the case and send the vaporized decontamination liquid discharged from the case via the decontamination fluid outlet port to a catalyst for decomposition.

14. A decontamination fluid supply device for supplying a decontamination fluid to a space to be decontaminated, comprising: a decontamination fluid generation unit which generates decontamination fine particles or decontamination gas by atomizing or vaporizing a liquid containing decontamination components (decontamination liquid) inside the decontamination fluid generation unit; a first pipeline for flowing pressurized gas that does not contain decontamination liquid toward the space to be decontaminated; and a second pipeline for flowing decontamination fine particles or decontamination gas generated by the decontamination fluid generation unit toward the space to be decontaminated, wherein the second pipeline merges with the first pipeline at a junction set in the first pipeline, and is configured to supply a mixed fluid in which the pressurized gas that does not contain decontamination liquid and the decontamination fine particles or decontamination gas are mixed toward the space to be decontaminated.

15. The decontamination fluid supply device according to claim 14, further comprising a humidity control unit for adjusting the humidity of a pressurized gas that does not contain decontamination liquid and flows through the first pipeline toward the space to be decontaminated.

16. The decontamination fluid supply device according to claim 14, wherein the decontamination fluid generating unit is equipped with at least one spray nozzle that atomizes the decontamination liquid using pressurized gas, and is configured to send a decontamination fluid consisting of a mixed fluid of the atomized decontamination liquid and pressurized gas to the second pipeline.

17. The decontamination fluid generation unit is configured as a fine particle generation unit equipped with a plurality of spray nozzles that atomize the decontamination liquid using pressurized gas, the fine particle generation unit having: a case configured to store the decontamination liquid at its bottom; a liquid supply port provided in the case for supplying the decontamination liquid into the interior of the case; a plurality of pressurized gas supply ports provided in the case for supplying pressurized gas to each of the plurality of spray nozzles; and a decontamination fluid outlet port provided in the case for discharging the decontamination fluid, which consists of a mixed fluid of fine particles of the decontamination liquid sprayed from the spray nozzles and pressurized gas, into the second pipeline, the plurality of spray nozzles provided in the bottom of the case and configured to atomize the decontamination liquid stored in the case using pressurized gas, Each spray nozzle comprises a pressurized gas discharge path having a pressurized gas outlet for discharging pressurized gas supplied from a corresponding pressurized gas supply port, and a liquid discharge path having a liquid discharge port for discharging decontamination liquid stored at the bottom of the case, wherein the decontamination liquid stored at the bottom of the case is drawn in through the liquid discharge path by the negative pressure generated by discharging pressurized gas from the pressurized gas outlet to the liquid discharge port, and is atomized when it merges with the gas discharged from the pressurized gas outlet, as described in claim 14.

18. The decontamination fluid supply device according to claim 17, wherein each spray nozzle is configured to spray fine particles into the space above the spray nozzle, the fine particle generation unit further comprises a tubular member extending vertically through the case, the decontamination fluid outlet port is the outlet portion of the tubular member, the tubular member has an opening inside the case that opens downward to receive fine particles sprayed from the spray nozzle, and the opening is located in a region outside the region where the plurality of spray nozzles are arranged in a plan view.

19. The decontamination fluid supply device according to claim 17, further comprising a plurality of pressurized gas supply lines connected to the plurality of pressurized gas supply ports of the fine particle generation unit, wherein each of the plurality of pressurized gas supply lines is provided with a flow rate control device, thereby enabling independent control of the supply and shutoff of pressurized gas supplied to each pressurized gas supply port and / or the flow rate of pressurized gas supplied to each pressurized gas supply port, with respect to each pressurized gas supply port.

20. The decontamination fluid supply device according to claim 17, further comprising a humidity control unit that adjusts the humidity of a pressurized gas that does not contain decontamination liquid and flows through the first pipeline toward the space to be decontaminated, wherein the humidity control unit is capable of adjusting the humidity of the pressurized gas supplied to the plurality of pressurized gas supply ports.

21. The decontamination fluid supply device according to claim 17, further comprising a humidity control unit for adjusting the humidity of pressurized gas that does not contain decontamination liquid and flows through the first pipeline toward the space to be decontaminated, wherein the first pipeline and the second pipeline are pipelines branched from the main pipeline at a branching section, pressurized gas is supplied to the main pipeline from a pressurized gas supply source, and the humidity control unit is provided in the main pipeline and is capable of adjusting both the humidity of the pressurized gas supplied to the space to be decontaminated via the first pipeline and the humidity of the pressurized gas supplied to a plurality of pressurized gas supply pipelines of the case via a plurality of pressurized gas supply pipelines formed by dividing the portion of the second pipeline upstream of the fine particle generation unit.

22. The decontamination fluid supply device according to claim 17, further comprising: a detector for detecting the humidity and concentration of decontamination components inside the space to be decontaminated; and a control unit, wherein the control unit is configured to perform one of the following actions according to the detection value of the detector: adjusting the number of spray nozzles to which pressurized gas is supplied among the plurality of spray nozzles; adjusting the flow rate of pressurized gas to the spray nozzles to which the pressurized gas is supplied; and adjusting the humidity of the pressurized gas supplied to the spray nozzles, and the decontamination fluid supply device further comprises the equipment necessary for performing the above adjustments.

23. The decontamination fluid supply device according to claim 17, further comprising: a detector for detecting the humidity and concentration of decontamination components inside the space to be decontaminated; and a control unit, wherein the control unit is configured to perform at least one of the following actions according to the detection value of the detector: adjusting the number of spray nozzles among the plurality of spray nozzles to which the pressurized gas is supplied; adjusting the flow rate of the pressurized gas to the spray nozzles to which the pressurized gas is supplied; adjusting the humidity of the pressurized gas supplied to the spray nozzles; adjusting the humidity of the pressurized gas supplied to the first pipeline; and adjusting the flow rate of the pressurized gas supplied to the first pipeline, and the decontamination fluid supply device further comprises the equipment necessary for performing the adjustment.

24. The decontamination fluid supply device according to claim 17, wherein each of the spray nozzles is a single, seamless component.

25. The decontamination fluid supply device according to claim 17, further comprising: a liquid supply pipe connected to the liquid supply port of the case; a pump that supplies a controlled amount of decontamination liquid to the liquid supply port via the liquid supply pipe; a liquid level sensor that detects the liquid level of the decontamination liquid stored at the bottom of the case; and a control unit, wherein the control unit is configured to adjust the flow rate of the decontamination liquid supplied to the liquid supply port by the pump so that the liquid level detected by the liquid level sensor is within a predetermined range.

26. The decontamination fluid supply device according to claim 25, wherein the case further has a drain port for discharging the decontamination liquid stored inside the case, the drain port is connected to the liquid supply pipe via a liquid discharge pipe, the pump is a pump capable of supplying liquid in both forward and reverse directions, and the liquid supply port and the drain port can be selectively connected to the pump via a switching valve device, thereby enabling the pump to recover the decontamination liquid stored inside the case by connecting the drain port to the pump.

27. The decontamination fluid supply device according to claim 26, wherein the control unit is configured to perform the following steps when it receives a cleaning command for the inside of the case: connect the drain port to the pump and operate the pump to recover the decontamination liquid stored inside the case; and inject only pressurized gas from the spray nozzle to vaporize the decontamination liquid remaining inside the case and send the vaporized decontamination liquid discharged from the case via the decontamination fluid outlet port to a catalyst for decomposition.

28. An environmental control device comprising a workroom in which work is performed in which substances that affect the human body are handled, work is performed in which a sterile or dust-free state is maintained, or work is performed in which a constant air condition is maintained, and a decontamination fluid supply device that supplies a decontamination fluid to a space to be decontaminated, which is the space within the workroom or a space communicating therewith, wherein the decontamination fluid supply device is the decontamination fluid supply device according to any one of claims 14 to 27.

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