Apparatus for air treatment and surface treatment installation having the same

• US 20060290014A1
• Filed: 06/22/2006
• Published: 12/28/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 06/23/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Eisenmann Corp. (Eisenmann SE)
• Original Assignee: Eisenmann Anlagenbau GmbH & Company KG (Eisenmann SE)
• Inventors: Swoboda, Werner, Link, Kersten
• Granted Patent: US 7,758,025 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 261/36.1
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 1/36 ultrasonic vibrations
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 1/4608 using electrical discharges
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 2103/18 from the purification of gaseous effluents
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 2303/04 Disinfection
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 2303/06 Sludge reduction, e.g. by lysis
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 2006/006 with water treatment
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 3/12 characterised by the treatment of the air otherwise than by heating and cooling
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 6/00 Air-humidification , e.g. cooling by humidification
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 8/24 using sterilising media

Abstract

An apparatus for air treatment includes at least one reservoir which can be filled with a liquid, an air-conveying device and a device which ensures that for the treatment of the air to be treated the air comes into contact with at least a part of the liquid. A circulating device is provided, by which liquid in the reservoir is conveyed in a circuit out of the reservoir and back into the latter. For the purpose of sterilising the liquid, a device for mechanico-physical opening of cell membranes, for instance by electroporation or cavitation, is provided in the circuit. Such an apparatus can also be used for purifying exhaust air in a surface treatment installation.

Claims

1. An apparatus for air treatment having at least one reservoir which can be filled with a liquid, an air-conveying device, and a contact device that ensures that for the treatment of the air to be treated the air comes into contact with the liquid, the apparatus comprising:

a circulating device by which liquid in the reservoir can be conveyed in a circuit out of the reservoir and back into the latter; and

,

a sterilising device for mechanico-physical opening of cell membranes.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the sterilising device for mechanico-physical opening of cell membranes is an electroporation device.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the operating parameters of the electroporation device are adjustable during the operation of the apparatus.

4. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein corona discharges can be generated in the electroporation device.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the sterilising device for mechanico-physical opening of cell membranes is a cavitation device that accelerates the liquid in such a way that pressure surges produced by cavitation open the cell membranes.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the contact device has an evaporation surface.

7. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the evaporation surface is a nonwoven mat or filter mat that is partially immersed in the liquid in the reservoir.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the contact device is an atomising device.

9. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the atomising device has a rotating atomising plate.

10. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the atomising device has an ultrasound source.

11. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the atomising device has nozzles and a pump by which the liquid can be pumped through the nozzles.

12. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the air to be treated can be introduced into the liquid in the reservoir by means of an air supply device.

13. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the air supply device has a multiplicity of nozzles arranged at the bottom of the side wall and/or of the reservoir.

14. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the air to be treated can be led through a nozzle with the liquid in the same flow direction.

15. A surface treatment installation, in particular for painting, coating, drying and associated preparation of metallic and nonmetallic objects, having a least one treatment booth, in which there arises exhaust air laden with impurities that is at least partly fed back to the treatment booth in a circuit after prior treatment, the surface treatment installation comprising:

an apparatus according to claim 12 is provided in the circuit.

16. A surface treatment installation, in particular for painting, coating, drying and associated preparation of metallic and nonmetallic objects, having a least one treatment booth, in which there arises exhaust air laden with impurities that is at least partly fed back to the treatment booth in a circuit after prior treatment, the surface treatment installation comprising:

an apparatus according to claim 14 is provided in the circuit.