OUTDOOR AIR PURIFIER

PURIFICATEUR D'AIR D'EXTERIEUR

English Abstract

An air purifier for outdoor use is provided. The air purifier comprises a
conduit with
air entry and exit openings and an air passageway. At least one fan is
positioned
inside the conduit or at the air entry opening to cause a movement of
unpurified air
into the conduit through the air entry opening and to cause a movement of
purified
air out of the conduit through the air exit opening. Water pipes are
positioned inside
the conduit, and the water pipes allow for spraying of water within the
conduit,
thereby purifying the air.

Claims

WE CLAIM:
1. An outdoor air purifier comprising a conduit with air entry and exit
openings
and an air passageway, at least one fan positioned to cause a movement of
unpurified air into the conduit through the air entry opening and to cause a
movement of purified air out of the conduit through the air exit opening, and
water pipes positioned inside the conduit, wherein the water pipes are
adapted to allow for spraying of water within the conduit, thereby purifying
the air.
2. The air purifier of claim 1, wherein the water pipes are coiled.
3. The air purifier of claim 1, where the water pipes are pierced with holes
to
allow for spraying of water within the conduit.
4. The air purifier of claim 1, wherein the water travels through the water
pipes
by means of a pump.
5. The air purifier of claim 1, wherein the conduit comprises an interior, and
the
interior comprises a venturi throat.
6. The air purifier of claim 1, further comprising a stack.
7. The air purifier of claim 1, further comprising a return pipe.
8. The air purifier of claim 1, wherein the conduit has a longitudinal axis,
and
wherein the spraying of water from the water pipes is across the longitudinal
axis.

Description

CA 02726568 2010-12-30
OUTDOOR AIR PURIFIER
Field of the Invention
This invention relates to the field of environmental engineering.
Background
Air pollution is a serious problem in today's world. We frequently hear about
smog,
acid rain, and ozone depletion. Some cities, such as Mexico City, Sao Paulo,
Cairo,
New Delhi and Shanghai, are known for the dense layer of brown smog that
hovers
above them. Even in Canada, there is enough pollution that weather stations
routinely provide a daily air quality rating. Health Canada states that air
pollution
can be detrimental to respiratory and cardiovascular health, and may
exacerbate
existing medical conditions.
Two common types of air pollution are particulate matter and noxious gases.
The
noxious gases include sulfur dioxide, carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxides, and
chemical vapors. The main source of pollutants in urban areas is fuel
combustion,
whether from cars, residential, commercial, or industrial heating and cooling,
or
coal-burning power plants. Cars produce high levels of carbon monoxides and
are a
major source of hydrocarbons and nitrogen oxides, whereas fuel combustion from
heating, cooling and coal-burning is the dominant source of sulfur dioxide.
Smog is caused by chemical reactions between pollutants derived from different
sources, primarily automobile exhaust and industrial emissions. Cities are
often
centers of these types of activities, and many suffer from the effects of
smog,
especially during the warm months of the year.
Acid rain occurs when a pollutant, such as sulfuric acid, combines with
droplets of
water in the air, causing the water to become acidified . The effects of acid
rain on
the environment can be very serious. It damages plants by destroying their
leaves, it
poisons the soil, and it changes the chemistry of lakes and streams. Damage
due to
acid rain kills trees and harms animals, fish, and other wildlife.
1

CA 02726568 2010-12-30
The Greenhouse Effect, also referred to as global warming, is generally
believed to
come from the build-up of carbon dioxide gas in the atmosphere. Carbon dioxide
is
produced when fuels are burned. Plants convert carbon dioxide back to oxygen,
but
the release of carbon dioxide from human activities is higher than the world's
plants
can process. Thus, the amount of carbon dioxide in the air is continuing to
increase.
This buildup acts like a blanket and traps heat close to the surface of the
earth.
Ozone depletion is another result of pollution. Chemicals released by our
activities
affect the stratosphere, one of the atmospheric layers surrounding earth. The
ozone
layer in the stratosphere protects the earth from harmful ultraviolet
radiation from
the sun. Release of chlorofluorocarbons from aerosol cans, cooling systems and
refrigerator equipment removes some of the ozone, causing "holes"; to open up
in
this layer and allowing the radiation to reach the earth.
One approach for reducing air pollution is to limit the release of pollutants
into the
atmosphere such as by reducing reliance on cars, replacing coal with cleaner
burning
fuels such as natural gas, and reducing overall energy consumption. While
these
approaches may have some positive effect, many pollutants continue to be
released
into the air.
There is therefore a need for devices to help purify the air of pollutants.
Summary
An outdoor air purifier is provided which comprises a conduit with air entry
and exit
openings and an air passageway. At least one fan is positioned inside the
conduit or
at the air entry opening to cause a movement of unpurified air into the
conduit
through the air entry opening and to cause a movement of purified air out of
the
conduit through the air exit opening. Water pipes are positioned inside the
conduit,
and the water pipes allow for spraying of water within the conduit, thereby
purifying
the air.
2

CA 02726568 2010-12-30
Brief Description of the Drawings
Figure 1 is a perspective view of the outdoor air purifier including a cutaway
area to
expose the interior of the air purifier.
Figure 2 is a cross-sectional view of the outdoor air purifier along line A-A
in Figure 1.
Figure 3 is a longitudinal sectional view of the outdoor air purifier along
line B-B in
Figure 1.
Figure 4 is a perspective view of the outdoor air purifier illustrating a
possible
embodiment of the air purifier.
Detailed Description
As shown, for example, in Figure 1, the outdoor air purifier 2 comprises a
conduit 4
with an air entry opening 6, an air exit opening 8, and an air passageway 10
connecting the air entry and air exit openings. Air is brought into the
conduit
through the air entry opening 6 by means of one or more fans 12. There may be
one, two, three or even more than three fans 12 depending on the size of the
conduit 4. The one or more fans 12 must be of sufficiently high speed to move
the
air from outside into the conduit 4, but the exact speed will depend on the
size of
the conduit. As the air passes through the conduit 4, it is filtered through a
screen of
water (not shown).
The water is pumped into the conduit 4 from a water source 14, channeled so
that it
travels at high velocity, and then released into the conduit 4 such that the
air passes
through the water before exiting through the air exit opening 8.
The water source 14 may be any convenient source of water, including natural
waterways such as rivers, lakes, or streams, or manmade waterways such as
ponds
or canals. The water is pumped from the water source 14 through a pump intake
tube 16, and then reaches the pump 18. From the pump 18, the water passes
through a water inlet tube 20. Once pumped into the conduit 4, the water is
contained within pipes or tubes 22. The water may be sprayed directly into the
conduit from the pipes or tubes 22 by means of small holes 24 (see Figures 2
and 3),
3

CA 02726568 2010-12-30
nozzles, jets or the like, thus creating a screen of water. Preferably, the
water is
sprayed across, or at an angle more or less perpendicular to, the longitudinal
axis of
the conduit, but other angles may be possible as well. An example of a spray
pattern
is shown in Figure 2. The pressure of the water must be sufficiently great to
allow
the water to travel through the tubes and create a spray.
As shown in Figure 3, the interior 32 of the conduit 4 is preferably shaped to
maximize exposure of the air carrying pollutant particles to the water. A
venturi
throat or similar shape for the interior 32 as shown, for example, in Figure
3,
increases turbulence to allow for more efficient air purification.
Optionally, the water may be directed through coiled or branched tubing 22 so
that
the water is sprayed from many locations at once. Also optionally, the air
purifier
may include a return pipe or tube 36 (as shown in Figure 4) which directs the
used
water back to the water source 14, and may also cause some spray back into the
conduit, thus allowing for further air purification. Once the water has been
sprayed
or has passed through the tubing 22, it may exit the conduit through a water
outlet
tube 26 or through the air entry or air exit openings 6,8. After use, the
water may be
returned to the water source 14.
Also shown in Figure 4 is a stack 34, or means to increase the air flow into
the
conduit, which may be included at the air entry opening 6. The stack 34 may
have a
funnel shape to improve the flow of air into the air entry opening 6, and may
be of
any length appropriate to the size of the conduit 4. Further features known in
the
art may also be incorporated into the air purifier to improve air flow, or to
improve
air purification.
The air purifier may use any available energy source, including solar or wind
power.
The at least one fan 12 and pump 18 are connected to a power source 28 by
means
of a power cord 30.
The air purifier may be placed on the ground on any type of support structure,
or
may alternatively be suspended from a support structure. The air purifier may
optionally include handles to allow for easy transport and manipulation.
4

Representative Drawing