Air purification system and method

• US 20050109209A1
• Filed: 06/08/2004
• Published: 05/26/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 11/26/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: David B. Lee
• Original Assignee: David B. Lee
• Inventors: Lee, David B.
• Granted Patent: US 7,077,892 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 95/149
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 45/12 by centrifugal forces centrifuges B04B; cyclones B04C
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 53/14 by absorption
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 53/265 by refrigeration (condensation)
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 2006/146 using pressurised water for spraying
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 3/1405 in which the humidity of the air is exclusively affected by contact with the evaporator of a closed-circuit cooling system or heat pump circuit
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 8/117 using wet filtering
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 8/133 by direct contact with liquid, e.g. with sprayed liquid
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 8/28 specially adapted for combatting or avoiding Legionella bacteria
• CPC Class Codes: Y02A 50/20 Air quality improvement or preservation, e.g. vehicle emission control or emission reduction by using catalytic converters

Abstract

The air purification system and method for purifying and cooling air for use in a building has an air pollutant removal stage, an air pre-cooling unit, and a dual cooling and water removal unit, including a cyclone separator having a cooling coil wrapped around the separator for condensing and removing water from the airflow. The method comprises the steps of removing pollutants from an incoming polluted airflow to provide a substantially pollutant free outgoing moist airflow; pre-cooling the substantially pollutant free moist airflow to provide a clean cool moist airflow; and condensing water out of the clean cool moist airflow to provide a substantially clean dry airflow suitable for use in a building.

Claims

1. An air purification system for cleaning and cooling air, comprising:

an air pollutant removal unit having an air inlet and an air outlet;

a cyclone separator having;

a housing defining an exterior surface and an interior surface;

a cyclone air inlet opening into the housing, the cyclone air inlet being connected to the air pollutant removal unit air outlet;

a cyclone air outlet; and

a condensed water discharge outlet; and

a cyclone separator cooling coil disposed around the cyclone separator housing;

whereby air passing through the air removal unit has any moisture therein condensed and removed in the cyclone separator, together with any remaining air pollutants.

2. The air purification system according to claim 1, further comprising at least one air blower for directing the air into the air inlet of the air pollutant removal unit.

3. The air purification system according to claim 1, wherein said air pollutant removal unit further comprises a housing defining a chamber having a water recirculation system disposed therein the recirculation system including:

a water reservoir disposed at a bottom of the chamber for collecting water;

a water delivery conduit extending into the chamber and having a valve disposed therein adapted for adding water to the reservoir when water in the reservoir drops below a set level;

a water drain conduit extending from the reservoir and having a water bleed valve therein adapted for draining and sampling the water in the reservoir;

a plurality of spray heads in the chamber above the reservoir and the air inlet; and

a water pump and conduit connecting the water pump to the reservoir and the spray heads;

wherein the water pump circulates water from the reservoir to the spray heads in order to produce a water spray for scrubbing pollutants from the air entering the air inlet.

4. The air purification system according to claim 3, wherein the water bleed valve is an automatic valve having a preset timer actuating the valve.

5. The air purification system according to claim 3, further comprising a plurality of water collection baffles mounted above the spray heads.

6. The air purification system according to claim 3, wherein the air pollutant removal unit further comprises:

an air dam disposed in the chamber between the spray heads and the air outlet; and

a plurality of baffles disposed between the air dam and the air outlet for condensing and returning water to the reservoir and for scrubbing pollutants from the air in the condensed water.

7. The air purification system according to claim 1, further comprising at least one air blower disposed between the air pollutant removal unit and the cyclone separator for increasing airflow through the cyclone air inlet of the cyclone separator, the cyclone air inlet being configured to direct the air tangentially into the cyclone separator.

8. The air purification system according to claim 7, further comprising an integrated cooling system having:

a refrigerant compressor unit;

a condenser in communication with the compressor unit;

a high pressure refrigerant line in communication with the condenser and said cyclone separator cooling coil;

a expansion valve in communication with the high pressure refrigerant line;

an evaporator in communication with the expansion valve; and

a low pressure refrigerant line in communication with the evaporator and the compressor unit.

9. The air purification system according to claim 1, wherein the cyclone separator further comprises a plurality of air fins attached to the interior surface of the cyclone separator for directing the airflow in a spiral pattern.

10. The air purification system according to claim 1, wherein the cyclone separator further comprises a heating coil disposed at the cyclone air outlet of the cyclone separator for regulating air temperature.

11. An air purification system for cleaning and cooling air, comprising:

an air pollutant removal unit having an air inlet and an air outlet;

a cyclone separator having;

a housing defining an exterior surface and an interior surface;

a cyclone air inlet opening into the housing, the cyclone air inlet being connected to the air pollutant removal unit air outlet;

a cyclone air outlet; and

a condensed water discharge outlet;

a pre-cooler unit disposed between the air pollutant removal unit air outlet and the cyclone air inlet, the pre-cooler unit having a housing and a pre-cooler coil disposed in the housing; and

a cyclone separator cooling coil disposed around the cyclone separator housing, the cooling coil being in series with the pre-cooler coil.

12. The air purification system according to claim 11, wherein said air pollutant removal unit further comprises a housing defining a chamber having a water recirculation system disposed therein the recirculation system including:

a water reservoir disposed at a bottom of the chamber for collecting water;

a water delivery conduit extending into the chamber and having a valve disposed therein adapted for adding water to the reservoir when water in the reservoir drops below a set level;

a water drain conduit extending from the reservoir and having a water bleed valve therein adapted for draining and sampling the water in the reservoir;

a plurality of spray heads in the chamber above the reservoir and the air inlet;

a water pump and conduit connecting the water pump to the reservoir and the spray heads; and

an air dam disposed between the air inlet and the air outlet;

wherein the water pump circulates water from the reservoir to the spray heads in order to produce a water spray for scrubbing pollutants from the air entering the air inlet.

13. The air purification system according to claim 11, further comprising:

at least one air blower in series between the pre-cooler and the cyclone separator, the blower simultaneously pulling the airflow into the pre-cooler while pushing the airflow into the cyclone air inlet of the cyclone separator, the cyclone air inlet being configured to direct the airflow tangentially into the cyclone separator; and

the cyclone air outlet having a centrally elongated tube partially extending interiorly of the cyclone separator for allowing a substantially purified dry air to egress through the air outlet.

14. A method for purifying and cooling air for use in a building, comprising the steps of:

removing pollutants from an incoming polluted airflow to provide a substantially pollutant free outgoing moist airflow;

pre-cooling the substantially pollutant free moist airflow to provide a clean cool moist airflow; and

condensing water out of the clean cool moist airflow to provide a substantially clean dry airflow suitable for use in a building.