Modular Air Purifier Control for Targeted Filtration and Lower Power
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional air purifiers are ineffective in purifying air across entire indoor spaces due to limited installation areas and result in unnecessary power consumption when trying to address pollution in distant areas, leading to inefficient air purification and reduced filter lifespan.
Innovation Solution
A separable air purifying apparatus comprising a main purifier and auxiliary purifiers that can operate independently or in combination, with adjustable filter configurations and power control to match pollution levels, allowing for customized purification and reduced power usage by controlling the driving ratios of each purifier based on pollution detection.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If a single air purifier is installed in one space, then it can purify air in that specific area, but it cannot effectively purify air in distant areas and leads to unnecessary power consumption when trying to address pollution across the entire indoor space
Solution Approach 1:
The air purifying apparatus is divided into a main purifier and multiple auxiliary purifiers that can be separately installed in different spaces. Each purifier operates independently to handle local pollution, eliminating the need for a single purifier to work at high power across the entire space. The segmentation allows targeted purification where needed, reducing overall energy consumption while maintaining high productivity.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of running a single purifier at full capacity to cover the entire indoor space, the system uses multiple purifiers operating at partial capacities in their respective local areas. The auxiliary purifiers can be selectively activated based on local pollution levels, ensuring that power is consumed only where and when needed, rather than excessive power consumption across the whole space.
2Productivity
If multiple purifiers with different purifying capabilities are deployed in different spaces, then purification efficiency for specific pollutants is enhanced, but the system complexity and control difficulty increase
Solution Approach 1:
The main purifier and auxiliary purifiers share a universal control interface and communication protocol, allowing a single controller to manage multiple purifiers with different functions. The system provides multi-functionality by enabling the main purifier to control both its own operation and that of auxiliary purifiers, simplifying the user interface despite the complexity of having multiple purifier types with specialized capabilities.
Solution Approach 2:
A central controller acts as an intermediary between the user and the multiple purifiers. The controller receives pollution data, determines which purifiers should operate, and manages their coordination automatically. This intermediary layer handles the complexity of coordinating multiple purifiers with different capabilities, shielding the user from system complexity while maintaining high purification efficiency.
3Reliability
If auxiliary purifiers are controlled independently with separate power supplies, then operational flexibility and reliability are improved, but the control coordination and synchronization become more difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The system uses feedback mechanisms where pollution sensors continuously monitor air quality and automatically adjust the operation of auxiliary purifiers based on real-time conditions. The main purifier's controller receives feedback from local purifiers and adjusts their operation accordingly, ensuring coordinated control without requiring complex manual synchronization. This feedback loop maintains reliability while simplifying operational coordination.
Solution Approach 2:
Each auxiliary purifier is equipped with its own power supply and control logic, enabling it to operate autonomously based on local conditions. The purifiers perform self-service by automatically adjusting their operation without requiring external coordination for basic functions. This self-service capability maintains reliability while reducing the complexity of control coordination, as each unit manages itself based on pre-programmed logic and sensor feedback.
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
Enhances air purification efficiency by customizing filter combinations for specific areas, reducing power consumption, and extending filter life through intelligent control of the main and auxiliary purifiers, ensuring effective pollution treatment across larger indoor spaces.
Implementation Method 1
a main purifier and at least one auxiliary purifier which independently operate with respect to each other, and independently have ventilation modules and filter members
Implementation Method 2
the electric dust collection type air purifier electrically charges floating matters in the air in a negative ion region due to corona discharge
Implementation Method 3
dust is collected by a positive plate according to electric charge of minute matters
Data Source
AI summary
A separable air purifying apparatus is provided, in which a number of purifiers whose purifying capabilities for particular pollutants are reinforced by each purifier are disposed in a space meeting each purifying characteristic in order to enable an independent operation for a custom-made purification, and are integrally combined with each other to thereby make a combination of a driving ratio of each purifier according to a degree of pollution and perform a combination operation of purification. The separable air purifying apparatus inhales external air by ventilation modules incorporated in respective cases and purifies the external air by filter members, to then discharge out the purified air. That is, the separable air purifying apparatus includes controllers controlling the ventilation modules and a main purifier and an auxiliary purifier each which are independently operated by respective power supplies. Here, an output terminal is formed in the main purifier and an input terminal is formed in the auxiliary purifier. When assembling the main and auxiliary purifiers, the input terminal of the auxiliary purifier is connected with the output terminal of the main purifier, to thus enable the controller of the main purifier to drive the ventilation module of the auxiliary purifier, and to accordingly enable a combination operation of the main and auxiliary purifiers.