Air cleaning apparatus and methods
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing air purification systems for indoor environments have limited efficiency in removing airborne contaminants like volatile chemicals, formaldehyde, and particulates, requiring frequent and costly filter replacements, and are not suitable for household or commercial settings due to cumbersome designs and safety concerns with materials like formaldehyde absorbers.
Innovation Solution
An air cleaning apparatus comprising a tank, a disk sparger, a vacuum pump, and a drainage portal, using a mixture of nonfoaming detergent and water to trap pollutants from the air, producing fine bubbles that rise through the solution to dissolve and retain pollutants, with clean air escaping at the top, and allowing for easy drainage and replacement of the polluted mixture.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If HEPA filtration or filtering arrangements are used to collect dust and particulates, then particulate removal efficiency is improved, but the device requires frequent replacement and increases device complexity
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the filtration function from solid filter materials and transfers it to a liquid solution system. The washing liquid circulates through the air cleaner, capturing particulates and chemicals that would otherwise require solid filter cartridges. This extraction eliminates the need for frequent filter replacements while maintaining removal efficiency.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs hydraulic principles by using a circulating liquid solution instead of pneumatic or solid filtration systems. The washing liquid flows through the air intake path, using fluid dynamics to trap and remove contaminants. This hydraulic approach replaces the need for mechanical filter cartridges, reducing maintenance complexity.
2Reliability
If carbon-based or molecular sieve-based materials are used to adsorb harmful vapors or gases, then chemical removal capability is improved, but the filters must be frequently replaced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the adsorption function from solid carbon or molecular sieve materials and transfers it to a liquid washing solution. The circulating liquid continuously contacts airborne chemicals, absorbing vapors and gases without requiring replacement of solid filter media. This extraction extends the service life of the chemical removal system.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements continuous circulation of the washing liquid through the air cleaner system. The liquid is constantly reused, maintaining continuous chemical adsorption capability. This continuous action eliminates the periodic interruption required for filter replacement, extending the duration of chemical removal effectiveness.
3Productivity
If high flow rates are used to achieve effective purification, then air cleaning efficiency is improved, but the apparatus becomes less accessible and more cumbersome
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses hydraulic principles with a circulating liquid system to achieve effective contaminant removal at lower air flow rates. The liquid solution provides continuous contact with pollutants, maintaining cleaning efficiency without requiring high velocity air streams. This reduces the power requirements and improves apparatus accessibility for household and commercial use.
4Reliability
If formaldehyde absorbers or similar materials are used to purify exhaust gases, then gas purification capability is improved, but safety risks increase in household settings
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the gas absorption function from potentially hazardous solid absorber materials and transfers it to a liquid washing solution. The circulating liquid safely captures formaldehyde and other harmful gases without requiring contact with dangerous solid chemicals. This extraction eliminates safety risks associated with household use while maintaining gas purification capability.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The apparatus effectively removes odor-causing materials, oils, vapors, and microbes from the air, providing a safer, more accessible, and cost-effective solution for indoor air cleaning, with visible indicators of pollutant removal and reduced need for frequent filter replacements.
Implementation Method 1
The sparger produces numerous, very fine, tiny air bubbles, and the bubbles rise up in the detergent water.
Implementation Method 2
The pollutants, such as odor-causing materials, oil, or vapor, dissolve away in the water with the help of the detergent
Implementation Method 3
The vacuum pump pulls polluted air through the sparger and detergent water, and it pulls the clean air that escapes from the top of the water through the air outlet
Data Source
AI summary
Air cleaning apparatus includes: a tank; a detergent inlet into the tank; a water inlet into the tank; an air inlet into the tank; at least one sparger in fluid communication with the air inlet; a vacuum pump; an air outlet in fluid communication with the vacuum pump; and at least one valve between the air outlet and the vacuum pump and configured to control flow of fluids through the air outlet. The apparatus is configured to conduct a method to pull polluted external air into the tank through the air inlet to the at least one sparger, sparge bubbles of the polluted air from the at least one sparger into a mixture of the water and the nonfoaming detergent in the tank, remove pollutants from the air as it rises through the mixture, extract clean air from the mixture into a cavity in the tank above the mixture and extract the clean air from the cavity through the air outlet to an external environment with the vacuum pump.