CONTAMINANT EXTRACTION SYSTEMS, METHODS, AND APPARATUSES
First Claim
1. An improved contaminant extraction system for extracting contaminants from an air flow comprising:
- a first channel with an inlet and an outlet into which a first air flow is directed, said first air flow containing a plurality of contaminants;
a solvent reservoir containing a volume of solvent;
one or more charged droplet sources for producing a plurality of charged liquid droplets;
a second channel with an inlet and an outlet into which a second air flow is directed;
one or more voltage reduction electrodes positioned about at least one of said electrospray sources;
a grounded counter electrode; and
at least one grid positioned between the plane of said charged droplet source and said grounded counter electrode,wherein the voltage between the grid electrode and said charged droplet source is sufficient to sustain an electrospray process and the electrostatic force at said one or more charged droplet sources is sufficient to overcome the surface tension of the solvent;
wherein said charged liquid droplets are dispersed into said first channel allowing said plurality of contaminants in said first air flow to become charged;
wherein the maximum air velocity in the channel is below the velocity at which charged contaminants would be carried through the air purification system without being transported through said grid electrode and into said second air stream;
and wherein said grid electrode extracts the charged contaminants from said first air flow after which the charged contaminants are transferred into said second air flow.
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Accused Products
Abstract
An improved system for removing particles and contaminants from an air flow attract particles and contaminants to a plurality of charged spray droplets. The system has a first channel with an inlet and an outlet into which a first air flow is directed, an air flow containing a plurality of contaminants, a solvent reservoir containing a volume of solvent, one or more charged droplet sources for producing a plurality of charged liquid droplets, a second channel with an inlet and an outlet into which a second air flow is directed, one or more voltage reduction electrodes positioned about at least one of said electrospray sources, a grounded counter electrode, and at least one grid positioned between the plane of the charged droplet source and the grounded counter electrode. The voltage between the grid electrode and the charged droplet source is sufficient to sustain an electrospray process. The electrostatic force at the one or more charged droplet sources is sufficient to overcome the surface tension of the solvent. The charged liquid droplets are dispersed into the first channel allowing the plurality of contaminants in the first air flow to become charged.
42 Citations
20 Claims
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1. An improved contaminant extraction system for extracting contaminants from an air flow comprising:
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a first channel with an inlet and an outlet into which a first air flow is directed, said first air flow containing a plurality of contaminants; a solvent reservoir containing a volume of solvent; one or more charged droplet sources for producing a plurality of charged liquid droplets; a second channel with an inlet and an outlet into which a second air flow is directed; one or more voltage reduction electrodes positioned about at least one of said electrospray sources; a grounded counter electrode; and at least one grid positioned between the plane of said charged droplet source and said grounded counter electrode, wherein the voltage between the grid electrode and said charged droplet source is sufficient to sustain an electrospray process and the electrostatic force at said one or more charged droplet sources is sufficient to overcome the surface tension of the solvent; wherein said charged liquid droplets are dispersed into said first channel allowing said plurality of contaminants in said first air flow to become charged; wherein the maximum air velocity in the channel is below the velocity at which charged contaminants would be carried through the air purification system without being transported through said grid electrode and into said second air stream; and wherein said grid electrode extracts the charged contaminants from said first air flow after which the charged contaminants are transferred into said second air flow. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
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17. An improved contaminant extraction system for extracting contaminants from an air flow, comprising:
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a first channel with an inlet and an outlet into which a first air flow is directed, said first air flow containing a plurality of contaminants; a solvent reservoir containing a volume of solvent; a charged droplet generator for using said solvent to produce a plurality of charged liquid droplets in said first channel; a second channel with an inlet and an outlet into which a second air flow is directed; an electric field generator for generating a first electric field in said first channel and for generating a second electric field in said second channel, wherein the second electric field is of a magnitude greater than the first electric field; an extraction grid located between said first channel and said second channel; and a non-metal collector positioned above said extraction grid; wherein said charged liquid droplets are dispersed into said first channel allowing said plurality of contaminants in said first air flow to become charged; and wherein said charged containments are expelled into said second air flow using the potential difference generated from the second electric field; and wherein said second air flow containing said charged contaminants is expelled out of the second channel outlet and a purified air flow is expelled from the outlet of said first channel. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19, 20)
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Specification