Gas Exchange Membrane Ventilation for Indoor O₂ and CO₂ Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing systems for controlling gas molecule concentrations in living and activity spaces, such as homes and hospitals, struggle to maintain required oxygen and carbon dioxide levels due to insufficient gas exchange membrane areas, especially in modern architecture formats, and lack a comprehensive solution for ventilation and air circulation performance.
Innovation Solution
A building design incorporating a wall-mounted air conditioner with a prefilter and a gas exchange device featuring a box-like structure with gas absorption and exhaustion openings, utilizing a membrane that allows gas molecules to pass while filtering dust particles, with the membrane area set to satisfy specific diffusion constants and ventilation requirements to maintain optimal gas concentrations.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If a gas exchange membrane is used to control gas molecule concentrations in living spaces, then gas exchange efficiency is improved, but the membrane area required becomes excessively large for modern architecture formats
Solution Approach 1:
The gas exchange function is segmented between two components: a prefilter that performs initial filtration and a gas exchange membrane that performs selective gas exchange. This segmentation allows each component to be optimized independently, reducing the total membrane area required while maintaining gas exchange efficiency.
Solution Approach 2:
A prefilter is introduced as an intermediary component between the living space and the gas exchange membrane. The prefilter removes particles and contaminants before air reaches the membrane, allowing the membrane to focus solely on gas exchange and operate more efficiently with smaller area.
2Quantity of substance
If ventilation is performed by introducing outside air mechanically into the room, then oxygen concentration is maintained, but air current exchange causes loss of clean environment and increased energy consumption
Solution Approach 1:
The mechanical ventilation system is replaced with a passive gas exchange membrane system that relies on concentration gradients rather than mechanical air movement. This substitution eliminates the need for continuous air current exchange while maintaining oxygen concentration through selective gas permeation.
Solution Approach 2:
The system creates a controlled indoor atmosphere that maintains required gas concentrations without requiring continuous exchange with outside air. The gas exchange membrane allows selective passage of gases while maintaining a stable, clean indoor environment independent of external air quality.
3Object-affected harmful factors
If a prefilter made of medium performance filter is attached to the air conditioner, then particle filtration is improved, but the complexity of the air circulation system increases
Solution Approach 1:
The prefilter is integrated with the existing wall-mounted air conditioner unit, merging the filtration function with the air circulation system. This integration allows particle filtration to be added without requiring a completely separate system, thereby limiting the increase in overall complexity.
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
This design effectively maintains oxygen and carbon dioxide concentrations within legal limits, creating a clean environment suitable for residential, educational, and healthcare settings, even in areas with poor air quality, by utilizing the air circulation performance of wall-mounted air conditioners and ensuring efficient gas exchange without direct air current exchange.
Implementation Method 1
gas molecules inside the room can be exchanged through the membrane by concentration gradient between the outside space surrounding the room and the internal space of the room
Implementation Method 2
a membrane not passing through dust particles but passing through gas molecules
Data Source
AI summary
A room 100 in a building has a living etc. space 101 of volume V that is an enclosed space. Ventilation of an air flow F is performed from the outside to the living etc. space 101. Entering/exiting of air as an air current between the inside of the living etc. space 101 and the outside is eliminated, and at least a part of the boundary between the living etc. space 101 and the outside is configured from a gas exchange membrane 310 having a diffusion constant D, a thickness L, and an area A for gas molecules of interest. When air inside the living etc. space 101 is sufficiently agitated and the concentration of gas molecules constituting the air is made spatially uniform, η(t) is controlled so as to vary according toη(t)=ηo-BLAD(1-exp(-[AD/L]t/V))(9)B(m3/s) is the gas consumption amount inside the living etc. space 101, η1 (t) is the gas concentration inside the living etc. space 101 at time t, and η0 is the gas concentration of the outside.