Smoke purification filter

Abstract

The presented invention is a self-supporting structure on which a filter is mounted, which is placed in addition to the stove pipes of a heating body (if used in the household) or placed in addition to the duct of the suction hood (if it is an open-type combustion). Smoke through the stove pipes flows from the heating body and enters the filter. Filtration modules are installed there, which are nested inside each other in order to increase the path travelled by the smoke, thereby increasing the efficiency of filtration. Around each module is a wire mesh that performs the function of filtering out smoke as it passes through it. At the bottom of the filter is a trough of water which, as the modules are heated, evaporates and moistens the smoke, thus sticking together the fine particles in it and forming agglomerates that fall down into the trough where they settle. Agglomerate sediment can appropriately be removed through the installed sediment tank.

Description

Description of the inventionTechnical fieldThe invention refers to the field of physical processes and devices in the separation class, which refers to the separation of a solid material (particle) from a fluid through a porous material. That is, groups of filters formed from coupled filter elements, and filters with filter elements that are stationary during filtration, and can be classified under IPC B01D 25 / 00 and B01D 29 / 00. The invention also applies to chemistry and metallurgy, in the class of purification and modification of flammable carbon monoxide-containing gases and may be denoted by the symbol C10K 1 / 00.Background artThe purification of the smoke which arises from the combustion of solid and liquid fuels from some of the particles which pollute the atmosphere if discharged into it is a major problem which this invention solves. Additionally, the invention reduces the build-up of flammable combustion residues from incomplete combustion, soot, in the chimney, and prevents them from igniting spontaneously from sparks accidentally entering the chimney during the combustion process.Despite the increasing use of renewable sources, both solid and liquid fuels are still used extensively in rural and in some urban areas. This is especially true in countries that have natural resources (wood, coal, oil), where people have been using the resources they have in their environment for years. In everyday use, especially during the cold season, wood is the most common solid fuel, but various liquid fuels are also used. Their exploitation releases smoke containing particles that are harmful to the environment. There are various types of smoke filtration and the separation of particulate matter from the smoke in order to purify it. Most technical solutions are industrial in nature, focused on large consumers such as factories, plants and the like, that deliver large volumes of smoke into the atmosphere. Consequently, the devices themselves are large in size and represent more complex design solutions that include many smaller devices such as a condensing device, a filtration device, an inlet and outlet gas control device, etc. There are also devices that use electrostatic smoke purification, where particles are deposited on an electrode that uses a high voltage. Home appliances used are most often of the hood type, such as in kitchens, where various types of textile or paper HEPA filters are built-in. A device which employs this type of smoke circulation through a modular system of barriers and water vapor filtration, with a relatively simple design for domestic use, for the purpose of purifying the smoke, is unknown to the inventor.Disclosure of InventionThe invention "Smoke Purification Filter" essentially encompasses a device which, mechanically, by a combination of directed flow of smoke through characteristically laid openings, a wire mesh, and water vapor, succeeds in depositing some of the solid smoke particles at the bottom of the device, so that the smoke coming out of the device is purer than the smoke entering it. Additionally, the accumulated sediment at the bottom of the device is high in calories and can be used for pellet production and for certain medical purposes. It is a self-supporting structure on which a metal box (filter) is mounted, which is placed as an extension to the stove pipes or the chimney of the heating body (if used in the household) or it is placed in addition of the duct from the suction hood (if it is an open-type combustion). The smoke naturally flows upwards from the heating body and enters the lower part of the filter. There, in the process of filtration through vertical compartments and interacting with water vapor and wire mesh, the smoke purifies and exits the upper side of the filter, where it continues through the chimney out into the atmosphere.Brief Description of DrawingsFigure 1 shows an axonometric view of the invention in its expanded form, showing the main components (the heaters are not shown in this expanded form to simplify the image) and the individual positions having the following meaning:1 - a basic module that forms a filter cell,1.1-cell partition wall,1.2-slit opening,1.3 - lower edge of the module / cell,1.4 upper edge of the module / cell,next, the additional elements are shown that enter inside the first cell when assembling the filter:1.6-inclined barrier,1.7-inlet wire mesh,1.8-heaters for the smoke,1.9. heater holders,2-filter cover,2.1-smoke outlet tube,2.1.1-outlet tube opening in the cover,2.2 - lever for output regulation,2.3-rail for sliding the regulation lever,2.4 - handles for lifting the cover,2.5-optional fine filtration mesh at the inside top of the lid,2.6 - location for optional outlet fan.2.7 - optional filter flushing tubes,3-filter cell cover,3.1- handles for lifting the cover,3.2 - sliding regulator shutter,3.2.1-bore on the sliding regulator,3.2.2 - rail for sliding the regulator shutter,3.3-screw clearance holes,3.4 vertical spacers,3.5 - smoke opening,the same figure shows the internal section of the filter and the multiple inner modular cells for a clearer understanding of the filter structure. The positions assigned are as follows:4 - the filter body,4.1 - side opening,4.2- cell partition wall (same as 1.1),4.3 - water trough,4.4-sheet metal fins that heat the water,4.5-lower module holder (slotted sheet metal),4.5.1-upper module holder (slotted sheet metal),4.6 - plates with screw holes for the cover (3),4.6.1-screw holes,4.7 - surrounding wire mesh,4.8-internal wire mesh between cells,5-main water trough,5.1-supporting structure,5.2- upper part of the inlet tube,5.3- lower part of the inlet tube,5.4 - support edge,5.5 - water,5.6-water filling port,5.6.1-water level meter,5.7-water hole shutter,5.8-handle for the water shutter,5.9- sediment pipe,5.10-valve on the sediment pipe,5.11-sediment tank.Figure 2 shows a schematic view of an embodiment of the filter with a hood, placed over smoke-emitting appliances (grills and the like). In this figure inside assembly of the filter is not shown in order to show the position of the heaters which have the role of heating the smoke, where the parts shown are:5.13-grill or similar appliance emitting smoke when in use,5.14-hood which collects the smoke.5.15- stove pipe,5.16-openings in the main trough for heater holders,5.17-heater holders (same as 1.9).5.18-smoke heaters (same as 1.8),5.19-box with preheaters,5.20-3 preheaters,5.21-removable soot pan,Figure 3 shows a cross-section of the filter viewed from above, in order to show the flow of smoke through its modular cells and the mesh surrounding it. The items displayed have the following tags:6- sheet metal casing (filter cover) (same as 2),6.1-direction of the flow of smoke through the interspace of the cells,6.2 - inclined barrier (same as 1.6),6.3- inlet wire mesh (same as 1.7),Figure 4 shows a characteristic setup of a filter for household applications, connected to a standard wood stove. The shown elements are:7-wood stove,8- smoke purification filter,9- system of stove pipes for entry and exit of the smoke to the filter.The shown embodiment of the filter is principle and refers to a specific realization for household use, but the shape and performance may vary depending on the space in which the device is placed. For larger consumers, the dimensions are also larger, thus increasing the number of heaters, the number of filter cell modules, the addition of an inlet and outlet fan to improve smoke current, and similar additional devices.The structure, which is constructed of steel profiles and sheet metal accordingly, is appropriately sized in a way that allows for stable placement on a hard surface. The structure, together with the filter, can be placed either inside the building or outside the building, and if placed inside a building, it acts as an additional heating body.Best Mode for Carrying Out the InventionThe main design features of the filter are shown in Figure 1 where the module forming the filter cell (1) is shown, which depending on the input and capacity of the filter, can be sized as needed, but the shape remains the same and consists of a partition wall (1.1), an opening (1.2), a lower edge (1.3) and an upper edge of the cell (1.4). Also, the number of modules is determined by construction, depending on the need and capacity of the filter, at least two and a maximum of five, where first module is centrally placed, and each subsequent module placed around the first is proportionally larger than the preceding one, with the opening (1.2) alternately placed at one side of the partition wall (1.1) and on the other side of the partition wall (1.1). The first module is the smallest in size and is placed centrally, directly around the initial wire mesh (1.7) resting on a trough filled with water (4.3) and surrounding the upper part of the inlet tube (5.2) from where the smoke enters the filter. A wire mesh (4.8) with a height from the water trough (4.3) to the upper edge of the module (1.4) is wound around the first module over the entire circumference, and then, by means of appropriately spaced lower and upper module holders (slotted sheet metal) (4.5 and 4.5.1), the second module (which is correspondably larger than the first) is placed over the first module. The second module, respectively, has an opening placed on the other side of the partition wall, and a wire mesh is also wound around its entire circumference, resulting in a single filter cell with an intermediate space filled with a wire mesh, in which the smoke circulates around the entire cell and exits to the opposite side of the partition wall (1.1). The use of the wire mesh as a filtering element is determined by construction- the first (smallest) module has the fewest wound layers, the number gradually increases with the modules, and the last module has the most wound layers of the mesh. The additional modules are added according to the needs and purpose of the filter in the same way, finished with wrapping a surrounding wire mesh (4.7) around the last module. The last module has the most wrapped layers of wire mesh with the mesh height from the water (5.5) up to the filter cover (3). The lower and upper holders of the modules (4.5 and 4.5.1) are slidden onto the metal sheet of the modules, appropriately equally arranged and structurally sized to form the interspace of the cells. By forming an intermediate space surrounding the modules, the smoke is forcibly directed to flow around the cells and through the internal wire mesh (4.8) and thus serves two functions: the smoke heats the filter cells with its own heat, and the coarse particles it cames stick to the mesh that surrounds the modules and therefore purifies it. The longer the circumference around the cells, the more efficient the smoke purification is and the heating of the cells is improved. The heating of the cells by the smoke plays a key role in the invention, because as the sheet metal of the cells is heated, that heat is conducted to the water (5.5) by way of the sheet metal fins (4.4). That process heats the surrounding water to a boiling point and the water evaporates upwards. As the water vapors evaporate upwards, they pass through the intermediate space of the cells and, interacting with the smoke flowing in the same space, purify the smoke, sticking together the tiny particles in it and forming agglomerates, which, when they reach a certain mass, fall down and settle to the bottom of the trough (5). Evaporation of water vapor from the trough has a secondary function - it acts as a cleaner on the filter modules as well, flushing down the sheet metal walls of accumulated impurities. The smoke continues to circulate and heat the filter cells while purifying itself, and exits through the side opening (4.1) of the filter which has the height same as the sheet module. Thus passing, it fills the last interspace of the filter which is surrounded by the wire mesh (4.7), and defined by the sides of the filter cover (2). The smoke, moving around the wire mesh and upwards, passes through the space defined by the vertical spacers (3.4) that are mounted on the filter cell cover (3) and the filter cover (2) that rests on them. The filter cell cover (3) is secured with screws that go through the screw clearance holes (3.3) and engage into the screw holes (4.6.1) of the plates (4.6) that are mounted on the filter cells. The cover (3) has the role of closing the filter cells from the top, and also has an opening for regulating the flow of smoke (3.5), which is regulated by a sliding regulator (3.2) that slides along a rail (3.2.2). This regulator determines the amount of smoke that will flow directly through the outlet tube (2.1) without circling around the filter cells, and thus regulates the combustion process of the material - similar to the draft control of standard wood stoves. At the beginning of the combustion of the heating body, it is recommended to keep this regulator open until the central part of the filter is heated, and then, after reaching the working temperature, the regulator is to be closed which forces the smoke to circulate around the filter cells. To heat the filter cells more efficiently, heaters (1.8) are provided that are mounted on holders (1.9), which heat the inlet smoke circulating around them in order to reach the working temperature. The filter cell cover (3) can be removed from the cells for easier cleaning, for this purpose lifting handles (3.1) are provided. The filter cover (2) is mounted above the filter cell cover (3), and it rests on the supporting edge (5.4) of the trough (5). A fine filtration mesh (2.5) is optionally installed at the top part of the cover that further filters the smoke before it exits through the outlet tube (2.1). The outlet tube continues to build on the stove pipes that lead to the chimney where the purified smoke comes out. In order to improve the flow of smoke through the entire filter, optionally (in larger versions of the filter) it is intended to mount an outlet fan on the tube at a location (2.6), which would increase the flow of smoke by doing so. On one side of the water trough (5) there is a port (5.6) from where water is added, a water level meter (5.6.1) that shows when the water level is low, a shutter (5.7) and its handle (5.8) for closing the shutter. At the lowest point of the trough, a sediment pipe (5.9) is provided, via the sediment of agglomerates that has been deposited during water vapor purification passes, which is then released through a valve (5.10) into the sediment tank (5.11). In this way the user can remove sediment that builds up in the trough during the course of work, so that the collected sediment and water can be used for certain medicinal purposes.Figure 2 shows a possible embodiment of the invention that is applied to larger consumers and where the temperature of the smoke itself is not sufficient to heat the intermal sheet metal modules to the extent of their proper functioning for the evaporation of water. The smoke is extracted by means of a fume hood (5.14) and flows through the stove pipes (5.15) up to the additional preheaters (5.20) for preheating the smoke. The additional heaters (5.20) are installed in a suitable box (5.19) which has a soot pan (5.21) at the bottom which can be removed as a drawer in order to remove soot that falls over the course of use and builds into it. In this way, before heating, the already heated smoke reaches the filter, where heaters (5.18) are also installed, mounted on holders (5.17), by means of which the smoke reaches the required temperature to be able to heat the water to the point of evaporation.Figure 3 schematically shows the horizontal cross-section of the filter and the flow of smoke filtering as it passes its way through the multitude of interspaces and wire mesh of the modules placed in each other. The main filter housing is actually the sheet metal cover (6) that surrounds and closes the filter. Arrows (6.1) show the directions in which the smoke travels, along a horizontal plane and upwards, as it flows around and through the filter cells, which increases its path thus increases the filtering. A longer filtration path allows for better smoke purification, and the smoke heats the sheet metal modules better as it circulates around them, making them more efficient in filtration. The inlet wire mesh (6.3) through which the smoke initially enters represents the first filter through which the smoke passes, and then it begins to direct it through the filter cells. The cross section varies by construction, and depends of the intended usage of the filter and the number of modules used.Figure 4 shows a possible embodiment of the invention for domestic use where the filter (8) by means of system of stove pipes (9) is connected to a standard wood stove (7) which is still widely used in households. This use of the filter allows for proper smoke purification, especially during the winter months when such devices are most used. In addition to purifying smoke, the filter acts as an additional heating body in the household because its metallic construction absorbs and dissipates heat into the environment.

Claims

1. A smoke purification filter consisting of:- a supporting structure (5.1) installed in continuation of stove pipe (5.15) or chimney pipe;- filter (8) mounted on said structure (5.1), whereby the filter is characterized by:a multitude of filtering modules (1) nested one inside the other, each module having a partition wall (1.1), an opening (1.2), a lower edge (1.3) and an upper edge (1.4), where the number of modules is between two and five, where each subsequent module is larger than the previous one;-the modules (1) are so designed and installed as to allow the smoke to circulate and maximize the path travelled around them;- a wire mesh (4.7, 4.8) that surrounds each module (1) to filter out smoke as it circulates around the modules;a water trough (5) placed under said modules (1), filled with water (5.5) so as to produce water vapor, which interacts with the smoke as it circulates through the filter modules;- filter cover (2) and sliding regulator (3.2) configured to control the flow of smoke from the filter;- outlet tube (2.1) through which purified smoke escapes from the filter and trough stove pipes is released into the atmosphere.

2. The smoke purification filter according to claim 1, wherein the structure (5.1) and the filter (8) are made of steel profiles and sheet metal and are dimensioned for stable placement of a hard surface inside or outside the building, whereby the filter acting as an additional heating body when placed inside the building.

3. The smoke purification filter according to claim 1, wherein the water trough (5) is provided with a water level meter (5.6.1), a water filling port (5.6), a sediment pipe (5.9), a valve (5.10) and a sediment tank (5.11), mounted at the lowest point of the trough (5) where the sediment from the smoke purification is deposited and removed.

4. The smoke purification filter according to claim 1, wherein the cover (3) of the filter cells is secured by screws to the filter body (4), thus forming an enclosed space through which the smoke circulates.

5. The smoke purification filter according to claim 1, wherein the first filtering module (1) is wrapped with the wire mesh (4.8) at least once, and each additional module is wrapped with a correspondingly greater number of wire mesh layers.

6. The smoke purification filter according to claim 1, wherein the water vapor evaporating from the water trough (5) interacts with the smoke in the filter modules, causing the fine particles to bind together and form agglomerates which, under the action of gravity, fall down and settle to the bottom of the water trough (5).

7. The smoke purification filter according to claim 1, wherein the water vapor rising from the trough (5) humidifies the sheet metal walls of the filter modules (1) and, as it condenses, provides a flushing action.

8. The smoke purification filter according to claim 1, wherein heater holders (5.17) and corresponding smoke heaters (5.18) are mounted on the trough (5) to further heat the smoke, bringing it to the filter's operating temperature.

9. The smoke purification filter according to claim 1, optionally comprising a fine filtration mesh (2.5) at the inside top of the filter cover (2) for additional smoke purification.

10. The smoke purification filter according to claim 1, optionally comprising a fan at the outlet (2.6) of the filter to improve the flow of smoke through the filter.

11. The smoke purification filter according to claim 1, wherein the filter's stove pipe (5.15) may be optionally equipped with additional heaters (5.20) housed in a box (5.19), which preheat the smoke and improve purification by raising the temperature of the smoke and, consequently, the water inside the filter.

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