This non-provisional application claims priority under 35 U.S.C. § 119(a) to Patent Application No. 111142456 filed in Taiwan, R.O.C. on Nov. 7, 2022, the entire contents of which are hereby incorporated by reference.
The present invention relates to an indoor gas exchange system, in particular, to an indoor gas exchange system configured between an outdoor space and an indoor space to perform gas exchange.
In light of people paying more and more attention to the ambient air quality in daily life, it is noted that the particulate matters (PM1, PM2.5, PM10) around the air including carbon dioxide, total volatile organic compounds (TVOC), formaldehyde and even particulates, aerogels, bacteria, viruses contained in the air might affect the human health, even might be life-threatening when exposure to these gases.
The affecting factors of the indoor air quality include not only the outdoor space air quality but also the air conditioning and the pollution source in the indoor space, especially the dusts, carbon dioxide, and formaldehyde originated from poor circulation of gas in the indoor space, or even the gas may contain bacteria and viruses. Therefore, in order to solve the air pollution source in the indoor space, a common approach is to utilize an air exchange system, such as a heating, ventilation and air conditioning system (HVAC) to achieve the indoor air exchange and filtering, making the indoor gas in the indoor space to be cleaned into a safe and breathable state.
However, as to an exchange system known to the art, the system is connected to the pipelines of the indoor space through a flow-guiding device in a large mechanical configuration so as to achieve the indoor air exchange and filtering. However, configuring the flow-guiding device in a large mechanical configuration is costly and the flow-guiding device in a large mechanical configuration occupies a large space in the indoor space. Therefore, it is a major object in the present invention to build up an electronic- and micro-air exchange system to allow the indoor air pollution to be exchanged and filtered to a safe and breathable state.
One object of one or some embodiments of the present invention is to propose an indoor gas exchange system, in the indoor gas exchange system, a gas exchange device is manufactured by a plurality of gas-guiding units which are integrated as a thin member through semiconductor manufacturing processes, and the gas exchange device is configured between the outdoor space and the indoor space to provide gas exchange for the indoor space and the outdoor space. Moreover, with at least one outdoor air pollution detector and a plurality of indoor air pollution detectors, outdoor air pollution data and indoor air pollution data are transmitted to a central processing controller. The central processing controller performs an intelligent computation to control the gas exchange device to be opened or closed, and the central processing controller determines whether the outdoor gas is to be introduced into the indoor space or the indoor gas is to be discharged to the outdoor space, so that the indoor gas in the indoor space is exchanged and cleaned to a safe and breathable state.
In order to accomplish the above object(s), in one general embodiment of the present invention, an indoor gas exchange system configured between an outdoor space and an indoor space includes at least one outdoor air pollution detector, a plurality of indoor air pollution detectors, a gas exchange device, a filtering component, and a central processing controller. The at least one outdoor air pollution detector is disposed in the outdoor space and configured to detect a qualitative property and a concentration of an air pollution of an outdoor gas and output an outdoor air pollution data. The indoor air pollution detectors are disposed in the indoor space and configured to detect a qualitative property and a concentration of an air pollution of an indoor gas and output an indoor air pollution data. The gas exchange device is manufactured by a plurality of gas-guiding units, and the gas-guiding units are integrated as a thin member through semiconductor manufacturing processes, wherein the gas exchange device is configured between the outdoor space and the indoor space to provide gas exchange for the indoor gas and the outdoor gas. The filtering component is disposed at a gas-guiding end of the gas exchange device, so that the outdoor gas is cleaned and enters the indoor space. The central processing controller is configured to receive the outdoor air pollution data and the indoor air pollution data, performing an intelligent computation to control the gas exchange device to be opened or closed and determine whether the outdoor gas is to be introduced into the indoor space or the indoor gas is to be discharged to the outdoor space, thereby the indoor gas in the indoor space is exchanged and cleaned to a safe and breathable state.
The invention will become more fully understood from the detailed description given herein below, and the drawings are provided for illustrating the exemplary embodiment only but not the limitation of the invention, wherein:
The present invention will now be described more specifically with reference to the following embodiments. It is to be noted that the following descriptions of different embodiments of this invention are presented herein for purpose of illustration and description only, and it is not intended to limit the scope of the present invention. Moreover, in the following descriptions, for the sake of convenience, the micro electromechanical systems (MEMS) pump can be briefed as pump, and the MEMS pump can be replaced with any types of pumps for different application scenarios. A person having ordinary skills in the art upon referring the description of the present application can modify the pump according to the practical situation.
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The outdoor air pollution detector A is disposed in the outdoor space OD, and the outdoor air pollution detector A is configured to detect a qualitative property and a concentration of an air pollution of an outdoor gas and output an outdoor air pollution data.
The indoor air pollution detectors B are disposed in the indoor space ID, and the indoor air pollution detectors B are configured to detect a qualitative property and a concentration of an air pollution of an indoor gas and output an indoor air pollution data.
The gas exchange device C is manufactured by a plurality of gas-guiding units 10, and the gas-guiding units 10 are integrated as a thin member through semiconductor manufacturing processes. The gas exchange device C is configured between the outdoor space OD and the indoor space ID to provide gas exchange for the indoor gas.
The filtering component D is disposed at a gas-guiding end of the gas exchange device C, therefore, the filtered and cleaned gas can enter the indoor space ID by passing through the filtering component D in order to filter the gas.
The central processing controller E is configured to receive the outdoor air pollution data and the indoor air pollution data, Wherein the central processing controller E is configured to perform an intelligent computation according to the outdoor air pollution data and the indoor air pollution data to control the gas exchange device C to be opened or closed, furthermore, the central processing controller E is configured to determine whether the outdoor gas is to be introduced into the indoor space ID or the indoor gas is to be discharged to the outdoor space OD, thus the indoor gas in the indoor space is exchanged and cleaned to a safe and breathable state.
It is noted that, the air pollution (namely the polluted gas) may include at least one selected from the group consisting of particulate matters, carbon monoxide (CO), carbon dioxide (CO2), ozone (O3), sulfur dioxide (SO2), nitrogen dioxide (NO2), lead (Pb), total volatile organic compounds (TVOC), formaldehyde (HCHO), bacteria, fungi, viruses, and any combination thereof. The outdoor air pollution data and the indoor air pollution data are transmitted through a wireless communication, and the wireless communication is implemented by a Wi-Fi module, a Bluetooth module, a radiofrequency identification module, or a near field communication module.
The gas exchange device C is manufactured by a plurality of gas-guiding units 10, and the gas-guiding units 10 are integrated as a thin member through semiconductor manufacturing processes. The outdoor space OD and the indoor space ID are in communication with each other through the gas-guiding units 10, so that the gas exchange device C allows the gas exchange for the indoor space ID and the outdoor space OD. The gas-guiding unit 10 includes a plurality of pumps 1, a processing channel 2, a plurality of gates 3, a plurality of gas separation channels 4, and a ventilation channel 5.
One of the pumps 1 and one of the gates 3 are disposed in the processing channel 2. In some embodiment of the present invention, the pump 1 guides the outdoor gas in the outdoor space OD to be introduced into the processing channel 2, and the central processing controller E receives the outdoor air pollution data and the indoor air pollution data to perform the intelligent computation so as to control an operation of the pump 1, as well as to control the gate 3 to be opened or closed, and to determine whether the outdoor gas is to be introduced into the indoor space ID through the processing channel 2.
One of the pumps 1 and one of the gates 3 are disposed in the ventilation channel 5. The pump 1 guides the indoor gas in the indoor space ID to be introduced into the ventilation channel 5, and the central processing controller E receives the outdoor air pollution data and the indoor air pollution data to perform the intelligent computation in order to control an operation of the pump 1, as well as to control the gate 3 to be opened or closed, and to determine whether the indoor gas is to be discharged to the outdoor space through the ventilation channel 5. Therefore, the indoor gas in the indoor space ID is exchanged and cleaned to a safe and breathable state.
It is worth to note that, the central processing controller E receives the outdoor air pollution data and the indoor air pollution data to perform the intelligent computation by connecting to a cloud processing device F so as to perform artificial intelligent (AI) computation and big data comparison. The cloud processing device F transmits a control command intelligently and selectively to the central processing controller E to control the operation of the pump 1 in the processing channel 2 and the gate 3 in the processing channel 3 to be opened or closed. In this embodiment, the pump 1 is an MEMS pump.
The operation of the MEMS pump is described in the following paragraphs, Please refer to
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The processing channel 2 is in communication with the gas separation channels 4. A coating separation channel 4a and a chamber 4b are disposed in each of the gas separation channels 4, and the chamber 4b is disposed behind the coating separation channel 4a, wherein a filling material 4c is disposed on an inner wall of the coating separation channel 4a by coating or sputtering, therefore the compositions of compounds contained in the gas introduced into the processing channel 2 by the MEMS pump 1 can be absorbed and separated, and the compositions of compounds with different flow rates are introduced into different coating separation channels 4a and flow into the chambers 4b respectively connected to the coating separation channels 4a. For each of the chambers 4b, two of the gates 3 are disposed at two ends of the chamber 4b, and a gas detector 6 is disposed in the chamber 4b. The gas detector 6 is configured to detect a concentration and a property of each of the compositions of compounds contained in the introduced gas and to control the gates 3 at the two ends of the chamber 4b to be opened or closed. The compositions of compounds are introduced into the chamber 4b, and a gas conversion processing mechanism is further performed. The central processing controller E controls the gates 3 at the two ends of the chamber 4b to be closed, and the compositions of compounds contained in the introduced gas are processed through a physical type or a chemical type conversion device (for example, the chemical conversion layer 4D or the physical conversion layer 4E shown in
It should be noted that, the gas conversion processing mechanism is performed by disposing a conversion device in the chamber 4b. In some embodiments, the conversion device may be the chemical conversion layer 4D coated on the chamber 4b, as shown in
It is noted that, in some embodiments, the gas detector 6 is a volatile organic compound detector capable of detecting information of carbon dioxide or total volatile organic compounds; in some embodiments, the gas detector 6 is a formaldehyde sensor capable of detecting information of formaldehyde (HCHO) gas; in some embodiments, the gas detector 6 is a bacterial sensor is capable of detecting information of bacteria or fungi; in some embodiments, the gas detector 6 is a virus sensor is capable of detecting information of viruses.
It is worth to note that, the safety detection value includes at least one selected from the group consisting of a concentration of carbon dioxide which is less than 1000 ppm, a concentration of total volatile organic compounds which is less than 0.56 ppm, a concentration of formaldehyde which is less than 0.08 ppm, a colony-forming unit per cubic meter of bacteria which is less than 1500 CFU/m3, a colony-forming unit per cubic meter of fungi which is less than 1000 CFU/m3, a concentration of sulfur dioxide which is less than 0.075 ppm, a concentration of nitrogen dioxide which is less than 0.1 ppm, a concentration of carbon monoxide which is less than 9 ppm, a concentration of ozone which is less than 0.06 ppm, a concentration of lead which is less than 0.15 μg/m3, and any combination thereof.
As mentioned above, in some embodiments, as shown in
It is noted that, in some embodiments, the filtering component D is a high-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filter. Alternatively, in some embodiments, the filtering component D is a filter having a minimum efficiency reporting value (MERV) 13 or higher.
In some embodiments, each of the outdoor air pollution detector A and the indoor air pollution detectors B is an air pollution detector 7. To illustrate the embodiments of the present invention clearly, the detail structures of the air pollution detector 7 are illustrated as below.
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The gas-guiding component installation region 7215 is recessed from the second surface 7212 and in communication with the gas inlet groove 7214. A vent 7215a penetrates a bottom surface of the gas-guiding component installation region 7215. Each of the four corners of the gas-guiding component installation region 7215 has a positioning bump 7215b. The gas outlet groove 7216 has a gas outlet through hole 7216a, and the gas outlet through hole 7216a is corresponding to the gas outlet opening 7261b of the outer cover 726. The gas outlet groove 7216 includes a first region 7216b and a second region 7216c. The first region 7216b is recessed from a portion of the first surface 7211 corresponding to a vertical projection region of the gas-guiding component installation region 7215. The second region 7216c is at a portion extending from a region that is not corresponding to the vertical projection region of the gas-guiding component installation region 7215, and the second region 7216c is hollowed out from the first surface 7211 to the second surface 7212. The first region 7216b is connected to the second region 7216c to form a stepped structure. Moreover, the first region 7216b of the gas outlet groove 7216 is in communication with the vent 7215a of the gas-guiding component installation region 7215, and the second region 7216c of the gas outlet groove 7216 is in communication with the gas outlet through hole 7216a. Therefore, when the first surface 7211 of the base 721 is covered by the outer cover 726 and the second surface 7212 of the base 721 is covered by the driving circuit board 723, a gas outlet path can be defined by the gas outlet groove 7216 and the driving circuit board 723.
Furthermore, the laser component 724 and the particulate sensor 725 are disposed on the driving circuit board 723 and located in the base 721. It should notice that, the driving circuit board 723 is omitted to clearly explain the positions of the laser component 724, the particulate sensor 725, and the base 721. In the embodiment of the present invention, the laser component 724 is located at the laser installation region 7213 of the base 721. The particulate sensor 725 is located at the gas inlet groove 7214 of the base 721 and aligned with the laser component 724. Moreover, the laser component 724 is corresponding to the light penetration windows 7214b in order to allow the light beam emitted by the laser component 724 to pass therethrough and into the gas inlet groove 7214. The light path of the light beam emitted by the laser component 724 passes through the light penetration windows 7214b and is orthogonal to the gas inlet groove 7214. The light beam emitted by the laser component 724 passes into the gas inlet groove 7214 through the light penetration windows 7214b, thereby the particulate matters in the gas inlet groove 7214 is illuminated by the light beam. When the light beam contacts the gas, the light beam will be scattered and generate light spots. Hence, the light spots generated by the scattering are received and calculated by the particulate sensor 725 located at the position orthogonal to the gas inlet groove 7214 to obtain the detection data of the gas.
Moreover, the piezoelectric actuator 722 is located at the square-shaped gas-guiding component installation region 7215 of the base 721, and the gas-guiding component installation region 7215 is in communication with the gas inlet groove 7214. When the piezoelectric actuator 722 is enabled, the gas in the gas inlet groove 7214 is inhaled into the piezoelectric actuator 722, passing through the vent 7215a of the gas-guiding component installation region 7215, and entering the gas outlet groove 7216. Moreover, the driving circuit board 723 covers the second surface 7212 of the base 721. The laser component 724 and the particulate sensor 725 are disposed on the driving circuit board 723 and electrically connected to the driving circuit board 723. As the outer cover 726 covers the base 721, the gas inlet opening 7261a is corresponding to the gas inlet through hole 7214a of the base 721, and the gas outlet opening 7216b is corresponding to the gas outlet through hole 7216a of the base 721.
Furthermore, the piezoelectric actuator 722 includes a nozzle plate 7221, a chamber frame 7222, an actuation body 7223, an insulation frame 7224, and a conductive frame 7225. The nozzle plate 7221 is made by a flexible material and has a suspension sheet 7221a and a hollow hole 7221b. The suspension sheet 7221a is a flexible sheet which can bend and vibrate. The shape and the size of the suspension sheet 7221a approximately corresponding to the inner edge of the gas-guiding component installation region 7215. The hollow hole 7221b penetrates through the center portion of the suspension sheet 7221a for the gas flowing therethrough. In one embodiment of the present invention, the shape of the suspension sheet 7221a can be selected from square, circle, ellipse, triangle, or polygon.
Furthermore, the chamber frame 7222 is stacked on the nozzle plate 7221, and the shape of the chamber frame 7222 is corresponding to the shape of the nozzle plate 7221. The actuation body 7223 is stacked on the chamber frame 7222. A resonance chamber 7226 is collectively defined between the actuation body 7223, the chamber frame 7222, and the suspension sheet 7221a. The insulation frame 7224 is stacked on the actuation body 7223. The appearance of the insulation frame 7224 is similar to the appearance of the chamber frame 7222. The conductive frame 7225 is stacked on the insulation frame 7224. The appearance of the conductive frame 7225 is similar to the appearance of the insulation frame 7224. The conductive frame 7225 has a conductive pin 7225a and a conductive electrode 7225b. The conductive pin 7225a extends outwardly from the outer edge of the conductive frame 7225, and the conductive electrode 7225b extends inwardly from the inner edge of the conductive frame 7225. Moreover, the actuation body 7223 further includes a piezoelectric carrying plate 7223a, an adjusting resonance plate 7223b, and a piezoelectric plate 7223c. The piezoelectric carrying plate 7223a is stacked on the chamber frame 7222, and the adjusting resonance plate 7223b is stacked on the piezoelectric carrying plate 7223a. The piezoelectric plate 7223c is stacked on the adjusting resonance plate 7223b. The adjusting resonance plate 7223b and the piezoelectric plate 7223c are accommodated in the insulation frame 7224. The conductive electrode 7225b of the conductive frame 7225 is electrically connected to the piezoelectric plate 7223c. In one preferred embodiment of the present invention, the piezoelectric carrying plate 7223a and the adjusting resonance plate 7223b are both made of conductive material(s). The piezoelectric carrying plate 7223a has a piezoelectric pin 7223d. The piezoelectric pin 7223d and the conductive pin 7225a are in electrical connection with a driving circuit (not shown) of the driving circuit board 723 to receive a driving signal (which may be a driving frequency and a driving voltage). The piezoelectric pin 7223d, the piezoelectric carrying plate 7223a, the adjusting resonance plate 7223b, the piezoelectric plate 7223c, the conductive electrode 7225b, the conductive frame 7225, and the conductive pin 7225a may together generate an electrical circuit for transmitting the driving signal, and the insulation frame 7224 is provided for electrically insulating the conductive frame 7225 from the actuation body 7223 to avoid short circuit, thereby the driving signal can be transmitted to the piezoelectric plate 7223c. When the piezoelectric plate 7223c receives the driving signal, the piezoelectric plate 7223c deforms owing to the piezoelectric effect, and thus the piezoelectric carrying plate 7223a and the adjusting resonance plate 7223b are driven to vibrate in a reciprocating manner.
Moreover, the adjusting resonance plate 7223b is disposed between the piezoelectric plate 7223c and the piezoelectric carrying plate 7223a as a cushion element so as to adjust the vibration frequency of the piezoelectric carrying plate 7223a. Generally, the thickness of the adjusting resonance plate 7223b is greater than the thickness of the piezoelectric carrying plate 7223a. The thickness of the adjusting resonance plate 7223b may be modified to adjust the vibration frequency of the actuation body 7223.
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Therefore, through repeating the steps as shown in
According to one or some embodiments of the present invention, an indoor gas exchange system is provided. In the indoor gas exchange system, a gas exchange device is manufactured by a plurality of gas-guiding units. The gas-guiding units are integrated as a thin member through semiconductor manufacturing processes. The gas exchange device is configured between the outdoor space and the indoor space to provide gas exchange for the indoor space and the outdoor space. Moreover, with at least one outdoor air pollution detector and a plurality of indoor air pollution detectors, outdoor air pollution data and indoor air pollution data are transmitted to a central processing controller. The central processing controller performs an intelligent computation to control the gas exchange device to be opened or closed and to determine whether the outdoor gas is to be introduced into the indoor space or the indoor gas is to be discharged to the outdoor space, so that the indoor gas in the indoor space is exchanged and cleaned to a safe and breathable state.
The foregoing outlines features of several embodiments so that those skilled in the art may better understand the aspects of the present invention. Those skilled in the art should appreciate that they may readily use the present invention as a basis for designing or modifying other processes and structures for carrying out the same purposes and/or achieving the same advantages of the embodiments introduced herein. Those skilled in the art should also realize that such equivalent constructions do not depart from the spirit and scope of the present invention, and that they may make various changes, substitutions, and alterations herein without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention.
Number | Date | Country | Kind |
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111142456 | Nov 2022 | TW | national |