1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to an air purification system. More specifically, the invention relates to such a system which includes an ozone generator means for producing ozone to react with impurities in the air, and which system also includes a high power corona generating device for removing ozone from the purified air.
The invention also relates to a high power corona generating device, and to an air purification system using only the high power corona generating device.
2. Description of Prior Art
Low power ozone generators are now being used as air purifiers to treat air in a variety of commercial applications where air quality is unsatisfactory and where special air treatment is desired. Ozone in present purifiers is created when air is drawn through an electrical corona formed over generator plates at high voltage. Such purifiers rely for their effect on adding ozone to the air and allowing natural diffusion to spread the air and ozone through the area to be treated. The concentration of ozone in atmospheres being treated by present purifiers is low and therefore provides sub-optimal results. Some of the disadvantages of the above-described systems are as follows:
Air throughput into the machine is low so that only a very insignificant amount of air treatment occurs within the machine.
Health regulations require that the concentration of ozone in the ambient air of the workplace should not exceed 50-100 parts per billion. Since this low concentration has very limited air purifying capability, this places a very serious constraint on the efficiency and power of present purifiers used in the manner as above-described.
Air purification systems are also described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,451,435, Holter et al, May 29, 1984, U.S. Pat. No. 3,949,055, Schneider et al, Apr. 6, 1976, and U.S. Pat. No. 4,101,296, Lowther, July 18, 1978.
The '435 Patent illustrates, in FIG. 3 thereof, a system including an ozonizer (ozone generator) 11 and beds of sorption masses and catalyst masses 1-9. In accordance with the '435 Patent, the air purification process requires the application of heat and the subsequent application of cooling to remove impurities from the air. Additionally, the apparatus of the '435 Patent does not include any means for decomposing ozone remaining in the air.
The '055 Patent teaches the use of an aqueous solution of ozone to remove gaseous or smoke-like substances from the air in industrial areas. The '296 Patent teaches an ozone decomposition system. In neither case could large volumes of air be treated economically.
A further air purifying system is illustrated in U.S. Pat. No. 4,049,400, Bennett et al, Sept. 20, 1977. The system as taught by Bennett et al includes an ozone generator and an electrostatic filter. This again does not include any means for decomposing ozone remaining in the air.
It is also known that certain levels of ozone in the atmosphere can be harmful to people, and that even relatively low levels of ozone can have a corrosive nature. Accordingly, air purifying systems which use ozonators to purify the air but which leave the ozone in the air to be spread throughout the environment of the system could be potentially unsatisfactory.
Ozone generators, per se, are also taught in the following patents which constitutes only a partial list of such teachings. U.S. Pat. No. 4,666,679, Masuda et al, May 19, 1987, U.S. Pat. No. 3,903,426, Lowther, Sept. 2, 1975, U.S. Pat. No. 1,169,825, Hoofnagle, Feb. 1, 1916, U.S. Pat. No. 2,822,327, Hammesfahr et al, Feb. 4, 1958, U.S. Pat. No. 3,607,709, Rice, Sept. 21, 1971, U.S. Pat. No. 3,838,290, Crooks, Sept. 24, 1974, U.S. Pat. No. 4,650,648, Beer et al, Mar. 17, 1987, and U.S. Pat. No. 4,690,803, Hirth, Sept. 1, 1987.