Ethylene Filter with Titanium Dioxide for Organic Storage
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods for removing ethylene from storage environments are costly and inefficient, particularly as they require breaking down ethylene into carbon dioxide and water, which necessitates expensive equipment and high energy consumption, and there is a need for a method that traps ethylene without using chemicals, especially in organic food storage where preservatives are not permitted.
Innovation Solution
An apparatus and method utilizing an ethylene filter with a trapping medium and a composition containing titanium dioxide, which attaches to ethylene in the gas flow, combined with a UV light source to render contaminants inert and a sodium silicate filter to remove moisture, allowing ethylene to be trapped and removed from the environment without breaking it down.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If ethylene is broken down into carbon dioxide and water using conventional methods, then ethylene removal is achieved, but equipment cost and energy consumption increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts ethylene from the gaseous environment using a filter assembly that traps ethylene molecules on the filter medium, separating them from the air stream without requiring energy-intensive breakdown processes. The filter physically removes ethylene through adsorption onto the filter medium surface.
Solution Approach 2:
The filter assembly acts as an intermediary component between the gaseous environment and the external system. It captures ethylene through a chemical or physical interaction with the filter medium, providing a low-energy removal mechanism that mediates between the need for ethylene elimination and energy conservation.
2Duration of action of moving object
If chemical additives are used to prevent ripening, then shelf life is extended, but compliance with organic food standards is violated
Solution Approach 1:
The system extracts and removes ethylene gas from the storage environment using a physical filter assembly, avoiding the need to add any chemical substances to the food or packaging. This extraction approach extends shelf life while maintaining organic certification compliance.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces chemical preservation methods with a mechanical/physical filtration system. The filter assembly uses physical adsorption mechanisms rather than chemical reactions to remove ethylene, substituting a mechanical removal process for chemical preservation.
3Reliability
If ethylene filter with trapping medium is used, then ethylene is trapped and removed, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The filter assembly is designed to perform multiple functions within a single component structure: filtering ethylene from the air stream while allowing breathable gases to pass through. The trapping medium provides both structural support and ethylene capture functionality, reducing the need for separate components.
Solution Approach 2:
The filter medium utilizes a porous structure that allows selective passage of gases. The porous material provides large surface area for ethylene adsorption while maintaining air permeability, achieving effective ethylene removal with a simple, lightweight filter design rather than complex mechanical systems.
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 solution effectively extends the shelf life of plant materials by reducing ethylene levels in storage environments, preventing premature ripening and spoilage, while being cost-effective and compliant with organic food standards by not adding chemicals.
Implementation Method 1
The composition removes ethylene from the gas flow by allowing at least some portion of the ethylene to attach to the titanium dioxide of the composition
Implementation Method 2
The light source is configured to render inert some contaminants in the gas flow
Implementation Method 3
a sodium silicate filter to remove moisture
Data Source
AI summary
An apparatus, system, and method are disclosed for removing ethylene from a gaseous environment. Ethylene is a gaseous growth hormone produced by plants that triggers the ripening of some flowers, fruits, vegetables, and other plants. The apparatus includes an ethylene filter and a composition. The filter includes a frame and a trapping medium. The composition is attached to the trapping medium of the ethylene filter. The ethylene filter is positioned within a gaseous environment and is configured to encounter a gas flow within the gaseous environment. The composition contains at least some titanium dioxide which is configured to attach to the ethylene as the gas flow moves through and around the ethylene filter. In this manner, some ethylene may be removed from the gaseous environment.