Gas purification using photocatalytic vortex-suspended particles
AssigneeEmpire Technology Development LLC
InventorKraig Anderson
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Embodiments of the technology disclosed herein include exemplary gas purifiers that use cyclonic separation and photocatalytic purification to oxidize contaminants in unpurified gas. One such gas purifier includes a vessel that defines a tapered cyclonic chamber. Unpurified gas enters the chamber and induces a gas vortex. Photocatalytic particles in the chamber become suspended in the vortex and mix with contaminants in the incoming gas. A light source activates the photocatalytic particles, which oxidize the contaminants to purify the gas. The purified gas exits via the wide of end of the chamber. Cyclonic action forces the photocatalytic particles out of the chamber's narrow end to a recycling conduit, which conveys the photocatalytic particles back into the chamber.
Claims33
A gas purifier comprising:
- a vessel defining a chamber, the chamber having a radius that decreases along a length of the chamber;
- photocatalytic particles disposed within the chamber;
- an inlet to admit a gas flow into the chamber, the gas flow inducing a gas vortex in the chamber to suspend at least some of the photocatalytic particles, the suspended photocatalytic particles contacting contaminants in the gas stream;
- a light source to activate the suspended photocatalytic particles;
- and
- an outlet to discharge the gas flow from the chamber.
A method for purifying a gas flow, comprising:
- admitting the gas flow into a chamber having a radius that decreases along a length of the chamber so as to induce a gas vortex in the chamber, the gas vortex suspending photocatalytic particles that contact contaminants in the gas flow;
- irradiating the suspended photocatalytic particles so as to activate the suspended photocatalytic particles;
- and
- discharging the gas flow from the chamber.
A gas purifier comprising:
- a vessel defining a chamber, the chamber having a radius that decreases along a length of the chamber;
- an inlet to admit a gas flow into the chamber, the gas flow inducing a gas vortex in the chamber to suspend particles within the chamber;
- a conduit coupled between the inlet and an end of the chamber to convey at least some particles that fall out of the gas vortex back into the chamber;
- and
- an outlet to discharge the gas flow from the chamber.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.