Photocatalyst Light Processing for Compact Vehicle Air Purification
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional photocatalyst devices in air conditioning systems face limitations in miniaturization and air purification efficiency due to a large separation distance between the light source and catalyst, which reduces visible light irradiation and photocatalytic reactivity, leading to lower superoxide radical generation and air purification efficiency.
Innovation Solution
A photocatalyst device with a light processing part that includes light diffusion and straightening components, such as lenses, to expand the light irradiation range and depth, and reflection members to enhance light homogeneity and reflection, allowing for reduced separation distance between the light source and catalyst while ensuring complete visible light irradiation to the catalyst part.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Illumination intensity
If a sufficient separation distance is secured between the light source part and the catalyst part to irradiate sufficient visible light to the entire catalyst part, then the light irradiation coverage is improved, but the package size cannot be reduced for miniaturization
Solution Approach 1:
A light diffusion plate is introduced as an intermediary component between the LED light source and the catalyst part. The light diffusion plate has a light-irradiating surface facing the LED and a light-diffusing surface facing the catalyst part, with light diffusing properties in the thickness direction. This intermediary structure expands the light irradiation range in the horizontal direction while reducing the required separation distance, enabling package miniaturization while maintaining sufficient light coverage of the catalyst part.
2Volume of moving object
If the separation distance between the light source part and the catalyst part is reduced to achieve miniaturization, then the package size is reduced, but the visible light irradiation to the entire catalyst part becomes insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The light diffusion plate serves as a mediator that optically transforms the light from the LED source. By positioning the light diffusion plate at a reduced separation distance from the catalyst part, it diffuses light in the thickness direction to ensure sufficient illumination coverage of the entire catalyst surface, enabling package miniaturization without compromising light irradiation effectiveness.
Solution Approach 2:
The light diffusion plate utilizes the thickness dimension (vertical direction) for light diffusion, rather than relying solely on horizontal separation distance. This dimensional transformation allows light to spread effectively in the horizontal direction across the catalyst surface while maintaining a compact vertical profile, achieving both miniaturization and sufficient light coverage.
3Illumination intensity
If a large separation distance is maintained between the light source and catalyst, then complete visible light irradiation is achieved, but the photocatalytic reactivity and superoxide radical generation are reduced due to light loss
Solution Approach 1:
The light diffusion plate acts as an efficient light distribution intermediary that minimizes light loss. It captures light from the LED source and redistributes it uniformly across the catalyst surface, ensuring complete irradiation coverage while reducing the separation distance. This maintains high light utilization efficiency, thereby preserving photocatalytic reactivity and superoxide radical generation rates.
Solution Approach 2:
The light diffusion plate changes the optical parameters of the light propagation path by introducing diffusion in the thickness direction. This parameter transformation allows light to reach the catalyst surface more efficiently at reduced distances, maintaining the completeness of irradiation coverage while reducing geometric light loss, thus preserving photocatalytic productivity.
4Volume of moving object
If the separation distance is reduced for miniaturization, then the package size decreases, but the light homogeneity and irradiation uniformity across the catalyst part deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The light diffusion plate functions as a homogenizing intermediary that receives light from the point-source LED and redistributes it uniformly across the catalyst surface. The diffusion process in the thickness direction creates multiple light paths that converge on different areas of the catalyst, achieving uniform illumination homogeneity even at reduced separation distances, thereby enabling miniaturization without compromising light distribution quality.
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 configuration significantly increases visible light irradiation to the catalyst, enhancing photocatalytic reactivity, superoxide radical generation, and air purification efficiency, while enabling device miniaturization without compromising photocatalytic performance.
Implementation Method 1
a light diffusion part configured to diffuse the light emitted from the light source part to the catalyst part so as to expand a light irradiation range of the light source part with respect to the catalyst part
Implementation Method 2
a light straightening part configured to improve straight movement of the light irradiated from the light source part to the catalyst part so as to increase the depth of light irradiation
Implementation Method 3
a reflection member configured to reflect the light emitted from the light source part toward the catalyst part
Implementation Method 4
a catalyst part installed on the photocatalyst body so as to be spaced apart from the light source part and configured to cause a photocatalytic reaction by light emitted from the light source part
Data Source
AI summary
A photocatalyst device reducing the separation distance between a light source and a catalyst part while securing visible light illumination over the entire range of the catalyst part, reducing the package size, and increasing the amount of visible light irradiated to the catalyst part to enhance its photocatalytic reactivity.The photocatalyst device, generating a photocatalytic reaction and emitting superoxide radicals into internal flow path of air conditioning case to purify air blown into a vehicle passenger room along the internal flow path, includes a photocatalyst body with a light source part and a catalyst part installed on it, where catalyst part causes a photocatalytic reaction by light emitted from the light source part, and a light processing part processing the light emitted from the light source part so as to increase an irradiance rate of the light of the light source part with respect to the catalyst part.