Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates generally to a pollution control system and more particularly to a combined air condition and air pollution control system.

Background Art

[0002] Background description includes information that may be useful in understanding the present invention. It is not an admission that any of the information provided herein is prior art or relevant to the presently claimed invention, or that any publication specifically or implicitly referenced is prior art.

[0003] Environmental engineers, architects and structural engineers, inventors, urban planners and health scientists are beginning to respond to specific questions about how cities will cooperate in the face of a worldwide air pollution problem.

[0004] The solar-assisted large-scale cleaning system (SALSCS) was first developed at the University of Minnesota which allows the air to be cleaned using comparatively low electric power. The Xi’an smog tower is a small version of a much larger system. The full-sized tower, with greenhouses covering nearly 30 square kilometers. This system is hoped to be powerful enough to purify the air of a town. Nevertheless, construction many of them to cover a large and dense city could be unfeasible, in view of the required space.

[0005] Another type of air purification tower called Smog tower is in the form of a tower, which can be placed in the open fields or spaces and helps in removing the pollution around it, which is equipped with patented ionization technology that purifies almost 30,000 m3 ambient air per hour with very low energy consumption. The smog tower sucks up the smog present in the atmosphere from the top and then releases the filtered air through its vents.

[0006] CN Pat. No. 209612593 entitled Urban environment-friendly air purification station, discloses an air purification station for cities which comprises a ventilation hose, an alternating-current generator, an air gathering pipe, an air gathering conical pipe and a water mist pressurizing bag, one end of the ventilation hose is connected with the reaction tower; a filter layer is arranged above the reaction tower; a filter element is arranged on the inner side of the filter layer; a liquid inlet pipe is arranged below the filter element; one end of the liquid inlet pipe is connected to the reaction liquid pressurizing bag; four high-pressure nozzle supports are welded to the outer side of the reaction liquid pressurizing bag, high- pressure nozzles are installed below the high-pressure nozzle supports, a base is arranged below the reaction tower, a liquid discharging pipe is arranged on one side of the base, a third supporting rod is installed on the outer side of the base, and the other end of the ventilation hose is connected to the air gathering pipe. According to the utility model, urban air pollution can be effectively reduced, the utilization rate of energy sources is improved through wind power generation, and carbon dioxide, sulfur dioxide and dust in air are reduced.

[0007] CN Pat. No. 106839246 entitled High tower type clean air leading-in system relates to a high tower type clean air system, which is comprising a ventilation tower body, a main air pipe and branch air pipes and the height of the ventilation tower body is 250-600 meters according to the actual environment condition and the clean air introduction system further comprises: an air delivery fan connected to the tower body, a user air supply fan adapted to the user, an air conditioner or a new old air heat exchange device, and temperature and humidity adjustment of the air.

Technical Problem

[0008] Most air purification towers are often single-purpose and perform only air purification operations. Most of the said towers are large in size and do not have the ability to adjust the inlet and outlet air then as a result, it is very difficult to build them close to buildings and in urban areas with different pollution and environmental conditions.

Advantageous Effects of Invention

[0009] Convert polluted air into air conditioning and clean air with hybrid purification and air conditioning system,

[0010] Adjust the air inlet and outlet based on the speed of wind or amount of pollution using movable louvers, [0011] Ability to build in different sizes and install in different places such as next to or on buildings.

Brief Description of Drawings

[0012] The figures of the present document are intended to be illustrative, not limiting.

[0013] Fig.1 illustrates the perspective view of the air purifier tower.

[0014] Fig.2 illustrates a schematic view of the air purifier tower.

[0015] Fig.3 illustrates a perspective view of the hybrid air conditioning and purifying system.

[0016] Fig.4 illustrates details of the louvers used in the outer main body of the tower.

[0017] Fig.5 illustrates one type of combination and installation of the tower with buildings.

Description of Embodiments

[0018] The pollution from cars, factories, etc., mixes quickly with the air due to the turbulence. As a result, a very high-capacity device is needed to purify the air. In the tower disclosed in present document, the air purification tower(10) suctions a large amount of air and passes it through pollution and particles absorbent f i lters(20) in various steps and different level of tower. This device has at least one and in the best embodiment, four polluted air inlet ducts(14a,14b,14c,14d) equipped with a suction fan(12) steering the air towards the air pollution tower(10) at a different velocity.The air inlet duct(14a) is installed on the top of the tower(10) and other extended to other environments or buildings that have polluted air. Depending on the conditions, the said ducts(14) can be replaced with output ducts(16).

[0019] The tower’s body can be made of various materials and preferably light metals. The tower body in its best embodiment has a curvature (or less inner diameter) in the middle of tower body.

[0020] Moreover, besides the air inlet ducts, there are solar rotational louvers assembly (30) designed on the tower body. In this system there are some rotational louvers(32) whose end is attached to a rod. The size of the louvers may vary at different altitudes of the tower while each one could be kept closed, open or be adjusted at a preferable angle independent of the other. The rotational louvers are coupled with at least one engine or motor(35) and could be adjusted at a preferred angle due the inlet volume of the air or the capacity of tower purification. The required electrical energy to rotate the said motor(35) is provided by the electric solar system and the solar cells(34).ln different embodiments of this invention one or more louvers can move by a single motor.

[0021] The device has an outlet duct(16) in which the filtered air enters, and the clean air is emitted or exhausted to the environment or to the buildings which the tower(10) is attached or installed near them thorough outlrt vent (18). The outlet ducts (16) can be extended to each side of the tower(10).

[0022] A hybrid system of ventilation and purification is placed in the outlet of the tower to reduce the temperature and absorb the pollution.

[0023] The cooling system is a combination of compression of a refrigeration unit and an evaporative cooling unit in which a centrifugal fan leads the air inside the tower to the outlet duct. The running force of the fan is provided by an engine(43) and is transferred to the fan by a power transmission system. In one embodiment of this invention, the power transmission system is a pulley and belt system.

[0024] In the purification and cooling part of the invention, a pollution adsorbent liquid is used. For example a certain percentage of the pollution adsorbent substance which is not harmful or annoying for the users, such as monoethanolamine (MEA),NaCI solution, amine-based solution, ionic liquid, amino acid salt, and phenoxide salt solution or other similar pollution absorbents is dissolved in a sufficient amount of water. The recirculating pump(44) transfers the absorbent liquid from a solution reservoir(22) and sprays the solution of water and the pollution absorbent material on the cooling pads(41 ) through pipes(49). The cooling pads(41 ) are made of materials with suitable porosity to keep the pollution absorbent fluid inside for better pollution absorption and meanwhile, allow air to pass. The absorption liquid is stored in the storage tank(24).

[0025] The polluted air passes through the cooling pads(41 ) that are already wetted by the mixture of water and the pollution absorbent liquid. In this way, part of its pollution is absorbed, and its temperature is reduced through the evaporative cooling system. The combined system is a hybrid of compression refrigeration system and evaporative cooling system to boost the cooling function which includes a condenser(46), a compressor(47), an evaporator(45), and an expansion valve(48). In one embodiment of this invention, the evaporator(45) is located on the centrifugal fan outlet. In one embodiment of this invention, the evaporator is a heat exchanger made of spiral tubes in which refrigerant flows through the thermal pipe and evaporates by absorbing the heat of the air entering the duct. In other words, by receiving the heat from the air in the duct, the refrigerant in the thermal pipes is converted from liquid to gas. The exhaust air from the purification tower is cleaned with the help of the pollution absorbent solution and the cooling cycle, and returns to the environment(i.e. a building, a house, a greenhouse) with a lower temperature.

[0026] The cycle is continued in a way that the refrigerant enters the compressor(47). The compressor(47) provides the required force to move the refrigerant around and absorb its vapor. Then it sends the compressed, high-temperature refrigerant to the condenser(46). Condenser (46) is a heat exchanger in which the refrigerant condenses. The liquid refrigerant that exits in the condenser(46) passes through the expansion valve(48) and goes through a pressure drop that causes it to change into gas as it moves towards the evaporator(45) and the said cycle continues.

[0027] The towers can be used in different areas of the city, combined with existing and/or under-construction buildings as shown in Fig. 5.

[0028] In various parts of this very document, the word “purification” does not refer to the absolute absorption of all the pollution in the air, but to a proportional purification that varies in each level.

[0029] The components of the tower as shown in figures are:

[0030] air purification tower(10),

[0031] suction fan(12),

[0032] Polluted air inlet duct(14a, 14b, 14c, 14d),

[0033] Outlet duct (16),

[0034] purified air outlet(18),

[0035] filter(20), [0036] solution reservoir(22),

[0037] liquid storage tank(24),

[0038] solar rotational louvers system(30),

[0039] the louvers(35),

[0040] solar cell(34),

[0041] motor(35),

[0042] cooling pad(evaporative pad)(41 ),

[0043] Blower or centrifugal fan(42),

[0044] Motor(43),

[0045] Recirculating pump(44),

[0046] Evaporator(45),

[0047] Condenser(46),

[0048] Compressor(47),

[0049] expansion valve(48),

[0050] distribution line or pipe(49).