Chlorine Dioxide Decontamination System with Permeable Activation Cup
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing chlorine dioxide (ClO2) fumigant decontamination systems face challenges such as the production of excess humidity, corrosive by-products, and safety hazards due to chlorine gas, making them unsuitable for large-scale decontamination, especially in corrosion-sensitive environments like hospitals, where repeated treatments are costly and inefficient.
Innovation Solution
A modular and portable ClO2 fumigant decontamination system that generates ClO2 in a sealed activation area with minimal water vapor and acid vapors, using a permeable activation cup to separate ClO2 from water and by-products, and a neutralizing area with UV light and zeolite to achieve one-pass neutralization, reducing corrosion and safety risks.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If chlorine dioxide is generated in traditional fumigant systems, then decontamination efficacy is improved, but excess humidity and corrosive by-products are produced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts and removes the harmful by-products (water vapor, acid vapors, salts, and chlorine gas) from the chlorine dioxide fumigant generation process. The system separates the desired ClO2 gas from the unwanted condensable components, allowing only pure ClO2 to be released into the environment while trapping and containing the harmful by-products.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs a specialized filter membrane with specific porosity characteristics that allows chlorine dioxide gas molecules to pass through while blocking larger condensable by-products. This selective filtration based on molecular size and properties enables the separation of ClO2 from water vapor, acid vapors, and salt particles.
2Productivity
If chlorine gas is present in the fumigant system, then chlorine dioxide generation is facilitated, but safety hazards increase due to explosive potential
Solution Approach 1:
The patent converts the potentially harmful chlorine gas by-product into a beneficial component of the fumigant mixture. Rather than treating chlorine gas solely as a hazard to be eliminated, the system allows controlled amounts to coexist with ClO2, where the chlorine gas can contribute to the overall disinfection efficacy while remaining below explosive concentration thresholds.
Solution Approach 2:
The system incorporates monitoring and control mechanisms that track the concentration of chlorine gas and chlorine dioxide in the fumigant. This feedback allows the system to adjust generation parameters to maintain safe operating conditions, preventing chlorine gas concentrations from reaching explosive levels while optimizing ClO2 production.
3Reliability
If humidification is added to improve ClO2 fumigant effectiveness, then decontamination performance is enhanced, but corrosion risk to electronic equipment increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes water vapor and moisture from the fumigant generation process by using a filter membrane that selectively blocks condensable components. This extraction of humidity prevents the formation of hydrochloric acid mist that would otherwise corrode electronic equipment and metallic structures, while still delivering effective ClO2 concentrations for decontamination.
4Reliability
If carbon filtration is used to neutralize ClO2, then decontamination completeness is improved, but fire and safety hazards increase due to ClO2 buildup in carbon pores
Solution Approach 1:
The patent inverts the traditional approach by placing the carbon filtration stage after UV photolysis neutralization rather than before. This reversal ensures that ClO2 is first converted to safer by-products through UV light exposure, eliminating the explosive buildup risk in carbon pores, and then allows carbon to adsorb any remaining trace amounts without creating a fire hazard.
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 system allows for efficient, safe, and cost-effective decontamination of large areas with minimal water and acid by-products, enabling repeated sterilization of sensitive equipment and environments with reduced treatment time and cost.
Implementation Method 1
The activation cup is fabricated to be permeable to air and substantially impermeable to water and reaction by-products
Implementation Method 2
blowing the ClO2 fumigant into a treatment area comprising ultraviolet (UV) light, resulting in neutralized air
Implementation Method 3
passing the neutralized air through a treatment area comprising zeolite to neutralize any remaining ClO2
Data Source
AI summary
A scalable, portable and modular chlorine dioxide fumigant decontamination system having an activating area and a neutralizing area which may be housed separately or as a single operationally connected unit, and which may be configured as a closed loop system connected to a decontamination chamber for decontamination of articles, or as an open loop system for decontamination of interiors and large confined spaces, and employing a specialized activating cup that is permeable to air yet substantially impermeable to water and chlorine dioxide reaction by-products such that directing air through the activation cup releases nearly pure chlorine dioxide fumigant. Methods and articles relating to the system are also described.