Apparatus for treating indoor air

• US 5,186,903 A
• Filed: 09/27/1991
• Issued: 02/16/1993
• Est. Priority Date: 09/27/1991
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: North Carolina Center For Scientific Research Incorporated
• Original Assignee: North Carolina Center For Scientific Research Incorporated
• Inventors: Cornwell, James H.
• Primary Examiner(s): Warden, Robert J.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Dawson, E. Leigh
• Application Number:
  US07/766,713
• Time in Patent Office: 508 Days
• Field of Search: 422/4, 422/122, 422/124, 422/222, 423/210, 502/5, 502/324
• US Class Current: 422/122
• CPC Class Codes: A61L 9/01 Deodorant compositions compositions released by contact with a liquid A61L9/05
• CPC Class Codes: A61L 9/015 using gaseous or vaporous substances, e.g. ozone A61L9/20 takes precedence ; evaporation in general B01B1/005
• CPC Class Codes: A61L 9/16 using physical phenomena
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 53/74 General processes for purification of waste gases; Apparatus or devices specially adapted therefor B01D53/92 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 53/75 Multi-step processes
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 53/85 with gas-solid contact
• CPC Class Codes: Y02A 50/20 Air quality improvement or preservation, e.g. vehicle emission control or emission reduction by using catalytic converters

Abstract

Apparatus for purifying indoor air comprises a blower for circulating air through a duct and removing particles and neutralizing a number of harmful gases through a process of molecular catalytic cracking of heavy hydrocarbons at ambient temperatures. Preferably, the apparatus includes a series of treatment elements including an ozone generator for producing a oxidator gas, a bio-mass collector, a filter coated with zeolite and surface modified hopcalite for removal of CO and NO_x compounds, a filter coated with calcium carbonate for removing carbon dioxide and hydrohalic compounds, a filter coated with zeolite for solvents such as MEK and adsorbing water, and one or more filters for removing particulates in the air stream. The filters thus remove particulates and neutralize a number of harmful gases that may be present in indoor air.

Claims

1. Apparatus for purifying indoor air comprising a duct means;

means for drawing air into said duct means and discharging air from said duct means; and

at least one filter disposed in said duct means in the path of the moving air for molecular catalytic cracking of heavy hydrocarbons at ambient temperatures, comprising a fibrous material carrier impregnated with a catalyst compound, wherein the catalyst compound is composed of at least two mechanically mixed elements of the type forming active catalyst sites at the boundaries of such elements, and in which the catalyst material has been surface modified by irradiation at an energy level sufficient to cause molecular dispersion of at least one of the elements and thereby increase the number of active sites.

2. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said catalyst compound comprises hopcalite.

3. Apparatus according to claim 2, comprising means for generating ozone in said duct means upstream of said carrier.