U.S. patent application number 16/208094 was filed with the patent office on 2019-04-11 for regenerable sorbent cartridge assemblies in air scrubbers.
This patent application is currently assigned to EnVerid Systems, Inc.. The applicant listed for this patent is EnVerid Systems, Inc.. Invention is credited to Israel BIRAN, Jacob JACOBI, Udi MEIRAV, Asael MERUHAM.
Application Number | 20190105597 16/208094 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 53800633 |
Filed Date | 2019-04-11 |
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United States Patent
Application |
20190105597 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
MEIRAV; Udi ; et
al. |
April 11, 2019 |
REGENERABLE SORBENT CARTRIDGE ASSEMBLIES IN AIR SCRUBBERS
Abstract
A regenerable air scrubbing system comprises of an air flow
assembly with replaceable cartridges arranged in a parallel
orientation and designed for easy insertion and removal of the
cartridges. The cartridge design enhances the contact area, reduces
the pressure drop, and readily allows the design of similar
assemblies with different airflow throughputs using the same
cartridge, while facilitating easy replacement of the sorbent in
the field. The cartridge can be partitioned into smaller
compartments, improving the mechanical properties of the cartridge
and the uniformity of the sorbent distribution.
Inventors: |
MEIRAV; Udi; (Newton,
MA) ; BIRAN; Israel; (Avihayil, IL) ; MERUHAM;
Asael; (Beit-Dagan, IL) ; JACOBI; Jacob;
(Zichron-Yaacov, IL) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
EnVerid Systems, Inc. |
Needham |
MA |
US |
|
|
Assignee: |
EnVerid Systems, Inc.
Needham
MA
|
Family ID: |
53800633 |
Appl. No.: |
16/208094 |
Filed: |
December 3, 2018 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
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15118829 |
Aug 12, 2016 |
10143959 |
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PCT/US2015/015690 |
Feb 12, 2015 |
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16208094 |
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61938705 |
Feb 12, 2014 |
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62046174 |
Sep 5, 2014 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
1/1 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B01D 2258/06 20130101;
B01D 2253/20 20130101; B01D 53/0462 20130101; B01D 2257/502
20130101; B01D 2259/4566 20130101; B01D 2259/4009 20130101; Y02C
20/40 20200801; B01D 2253/34 20130101; Y02C 10/08 20130101; B01D
53/0415 20130101; B01D 2253/304 20130101; B01D 53/0446 20130101;
B01D 2257/11 20130101; B01D 2253/116 20130101; B01D 2253/102
20130101; B01D 2257/708 20130101; B01D 2257/404 20130101; B01D
2259/40086 20130101; F24F 13/28 20130101; B01D 2253/3425 20130101;
B01D 2259/4508 20130101; B01D 2257/91 20130101; B01D 2257/504
20130101; B01D 2259/40088 20130101; B01D 2257/302 20130101 |
International
Class: |
B01D 53/04 20060101
B01D053/04 |
Claims
1. A cartridge configured for scrubbing indoor air and regeneration
in an air handling assembly comprising: a pair of opposed,
substantially flat parallel surfaces configured in a geometric
shape and configured with air-permeable surfaces; a frame arranged
between the surfaces and configured to maintain the shape of the
cartridge; a plurality of partition walls arranged as part of,
within, or comprising the frame, the plurality of walls configured
to create a plurality of adjacently arranged compartments; and a
solid sorbent contained within the plurality of compartments and
between the two surfaces, wherein the plurality of walls are
configured to provide structural strength to the cartridge and
inhibit redistribution or motion of sorbent between compartments,
and the surfaces are configured to allow air to flow through the
sorbent contained within the compartments.
2. The cartridge of claim 1, wherein some of the partitions form a
honeycomb pattern of repeated similar geometrical shapes comprising
squares, rectangles, hexagons or triangles or a combination
thereof.
3. The cartridge of claim 1, wherein the partitions are straight
walls extending from one edge of the cartridge to its facing
edge.
4. The cartridge of claim 3, wherein the partition walls are
configured with perpendicular features to affect air flow or to
facilitate the attachment of a screen.
5. The cartridge of claim 1, wherein the partitions and frame
comprise a single structure made of at least one of: a polymer,
plastic, composite material, a material produced by injection
molding and a material produced by a molding technique.
6. The cartridge of claim 1, wherein the frame and the partitions
are made partly or substantially of cellulose fibers such as paper,
cardboard or wood-based materials.
7. The cartridge of claim 1, wherein the frame comprises external
features extending along one or more of its edges, the edges
comprising at least one of: ridges, protrusions, rims, tabs,
tracks, grooves and indentations that are configured to facilitate
the insertion of the cartridge into the assembly or secure each
cartridge's position in the assembly.
8. The cartridge of claim 7, wherein the features extend along one
or more of the edges of the frame and are configured to fit into
and slide along matching rails or grooves to allow the cartridge to
slide into and out of the assembly.
9. The cartridge of claim 1, wherein the air-permeable surfaces are
created or reinforced by at least one of: a filter material, fiber
sheet, polymer sheet, paper, screen, mesh and a perforated
sheet.
10. The cartridge of claim 1, wherein the air-permeable surfaces
are made of a polymer mesh and attached to the frame or to the
partitions by ultrasonic or thermal welding.
11. The cartridge of claim 1, wherein the thickness of the
cartridge is between about 0.5 centimeters and about 10
centimeters.
12. The cartridge of claim 1, wherein the sorbent is a granular
material with a particle size of between about 0.1 mm to about 10
mm.
13. The cartridge of claim 1, wherein the sorbent contains organic
amines for capture of carbon dioxide.
14. The cartridge of claim 1, wherein the sorbent is formed into a
shaped monolith with such shape and size so as to match and fill
the compartments.
15. The cartridge of claim 1, wherein the cartridge is configured
for opening thereof to remove and replace the sorbent therein.
16. The cartridge of claim 1, wherein the solid sorbent is encased
by air permeable packets contained within the plurality of
compartments and between the two surfaces.
17. An assembly for removable sorbent cartridges in a
self-regenerating air treatment system with a primary air flow
direction that is substantially in a longitudinal direction,
comprising a plurality of substantially planar rectangular
cartridges arranged in a substantially parallel orientation to a
primary air stream, with a tilt of no more than about 15 degrees
relative to the primary air flow direction; and a housing
configured with internal structures comprising at least one of
grooves, guides or channels configured to receive edges of the
cartridges, the cartridge edges comprising two longitudinal edges
and two lateral edges, wherein, fitting of the cartridges within
the housing is configured such that air passages between adjacent
cartridges are substantially blocked on both longitudinal edges and
at least one lateral edge so as to force the air stream to pass
through the cartridges.
18. The assembly of claim 17, wherein the primary air flow
direction is substantially horizontal.
19. The assembly of claim 17, wherein the primary air flow
direction is substantially vertical.
20. The assembly of claim 17, wherein the at least one of the
cartridge edges and assembly features have profiles that interlock
so as to provide a mechanically secure and/or air-tight
connection.
21. The assembly of claim 17, wherein air passage blocking
configuration is created along one or more of the edges of the
cartridge via at least one of foam, felt, rubber or a deformable
material that is configured in the assembly so as to come into
contact with at least one of the cartridge edges.
Description
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent
Application No. 61/938,705, entitled "Enclosure Assemblies in
Airflow Systems," filed Feb. 12, 2014, and U.S. Provisional Patent
Application No. 62/046,174, titled "Vertical Enclosure Assemblies
in Airflow Systems," filed Sep. 5, 2014, both disclosures of which
are incorporated by reference herein in their entireties.
FIELD OF THE DISCLOSURE
[0002] The present application generally relates to enclosure
assemblies in airflow systems, and in particular regenerable
sorbent assemblies in cartridges in air scrubbing systems.
BACKGROUND
[0003] Indoor air within buildings and other closed spaces can be
affected by a plurality of substances comprising contaminants. In
order to maintain good air quality, the circulating air should be
refreshed, either by continually replacing it with fresh air, or by
removing the unwanted contaminants, or both.
SUMMARY OF SOME OF THE EMBODIMENTS
[0004] Embodiments of a cartridge configured for scrubbing indoor
air and regeneration in an air handling assembly are disclosed
herein. Some embodiments comprise a pair of opposed, substantially
flat parallel surfaces configured in a geometric shape and
configured with air-permeable surfaces. Further, a frame arranged
between the surfaces and configured to maintain the shape of the
cartridge, and a plurality of partition walls arranged as part of,
within, or comprising the frame, the plurality of walls configured
to create a plurality of adjacently arranged compartments are
included. In some embodiments, the plurality of walls are
configured to provide structural strength to the cartridge and
inhibit redistribution or motion of sorbent between compartments,
and the surfaces are configured to allow air to flow through the
sorbent contained within the compartments. In addition, the
cartridge may be configured for opening thereof to remove and
replace a sorbent therein. For example, a solid sorbent, including
those encased by air permeable packets, may be contained within the
plurality of compartments and between the two surfaces. In some
embodiments, the sorbent contains organic amines for capture of
carbon dioxide. Further, the sorbent may be formed into a shaped
monolith with such shape and size so as to match and fill the
compartments. In some embodiments, the sorbent may be a granular
material with a particle size of between about 0.1 mm to about 10
mm. In some embodiments, the cartridges may be sized so that the
thickness of the cartridge is between about 0.5 centimeters and
about 10 centimeters.
[0005] In some embodiments, some of the partitions form a honeycomb
pattern of repeated similar geometrical shapes comprising squares,
rectangles, hexagons or triangles or a combination thereof. The
partitions may also be straight walls extending from one edge of
the cartridge to its facing edge, wherein the partition walls are
configured with perpendicular features to affect air flow or to
facilitate the attachment of a screen.
[0006] In some embodiments, the partitions and frame comprise a
single structure made of at least one of a polymer, plastic,
composite material, a material produced by injection molding and a
material produced by a molding technique. In addition, the frame
and the partitions can be made partly or substantially of cellulose
fibers such as paper, cardboard or wood-based materials. The frame
also comprises external features extending along one or more of its
edges, the edges comprising at least one of: ridges, protrusions,
rims, tabs, tracks, grooves and indentations that are configured to
facilitate the insertion of the cartridge into the assembly or
secure each cartridge's position in the assembly. For example, the
features may extend along one or more of the edges of the frame and
are configured to fit into and slide along matching rails or
grooves to allow the cartridge to slide into and out of the
assembly.
[0007] In some embodiments, the air-permeable surfaces are created
or reinforced by at least one of a filter material, fiber sheet,
polymer sheet, paper, screen, mesh and a perforated sheet. They can
also be made of a polymer mesh and attached to the frame or to the
partitions by ultrasonic or thermal welding.
[0008] In some embodiments, an assembly for removable sorbent
cartridges in a self-regenerating air treatment system with a
primary air flow direction that is substantially in a longitudinal
direction is disclosed. In some embodiments, the primary air flow
direction can be substantially horizontal or substantially
vertical. Such an assembly may comprise a plurality of
substantially planar rectangular cartridges arranged in a
substantially parallel orientation to a primary air stream, with a
tilt of no more than about 15 degrees relative to the primary air
flow direction. Further, it may include a housing configured with
internal structures comprising at least one of grooves, guides or
channels configured to receive edges of the cartridges, the
cartridge edges comprising two longitudinal edges and two lateral
edges, wherein, fitting of the cartridges within the housing is
configured such that air passages between adjacent cartridges are
substantially blocked on both longitudinal edges and at least one
lateral edge so as to force the air stream to pass through the
cartridges.
[0009] In some embodiments, the at least one of the cartridge edges
and assembly features can have profiles that interlock so as to
provide a mechanically secure and/or air-tight connection. Further,
an air passage blocking configuration can be created along one or
more of the edges of the cartridge via at least one of foam, felt,
rubber or a deformable material that is configured in the assembly
so as to come into contact with at least one of the cartridge
edges.
[0010] It should be appreciated that all combinations of the
foregoing concepts and additional concepts discussed in greater
detail below (provided such concepts are not mutually inconsistent)
are contemplated as being part of the inventive subject matter
disclosed herein. In particular, all combinations of claimed
subject matter appearing at the end of this disclosure are
contemplated as being part of the inventive subject matter
disclosed herein. It should also be appreciated that terminology
explicitly employed herein that also may appear in any disclosure
incorporated by reference should be accorded a meaning most
consistent with the particular concepts disclosed herein.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0011] The skilled artisan will understand that the drawings
primarily are for illustrative purposes and are not intended to
limit the scope of the inventive subject matter described herein.
The drawings are not necessarily to scale; in some instances,
various aspects of the inventive subject matter disclosed herein
may be shown exaggerated or enlarged in the drawings to facilitate
an understanding of different features. In the drawings, like
reference characters generally refer to like features (e.g.,
functionally similar and/or structurally similar elements).
[0012] FIGS. 1A-B show a cartridge in its exploded and assembled
arrangements according to some embodiments.
[0013] FIG. 2 shows a side view of an air scrubbing system
comprising a plurality of horizontally oriented cartridges
according to some embodiments.
[0014] FIGS. 3A-B show a front view of an air scrubbing system
comprising a plurality of vertically oriented cartridges, and of a
cartridge configured for vertical orientation in an air scrubbing
system, according to some embodiments.
[0015] FIGS. 4A-D show cartridges partitioned into a plurality of
geometrically shaped compartments according to some
embodiments.
[0016] FIGS. 5A-B show exploded views of a cartridge comprising
different types of screens according to some embodiments.
[0017] FIGS. 6A-B show airflow disrupting features on inner faces
of the partition walls of the compartments of cartridges according
to some embodiments.
[0018] FIGS. 6C-D show mating of outer edges of a cartridge with
matching features on the inside walls of the frame of the air
scrubbing system according to some embodiments.
[0019] FIG. 7 shows an assembled cartridge comprising sealants on
its edges according to some embodiments.
[0020] FIGS. 8A-B show cartridges configured for encasing
replaceable sorbents according to some embodiments.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF SOME OF THE EMBODIMENTS
[0021] In some embodiments of the present disclosure, an airflow
scrubbing system used for treating and conditioning contaminated
air is disclosed. The contaminated air may be indoor air within
closed or semi-closed spaces (e.g., buildings, vehicles, vessels,
etc.), and the contamination may be any unwanted substance in the
air that may have originated from occupants of the enclosed space,
building materials, food, consumer products (e.g., cleaning
products, etc.), and/or the like. Examples of such air contaminants
include inorganic compounds, organic vapors, micro-organisms such
as but not limited to bacteria, viruses, mold, fungi, airborne
particles, etc., gases such as but not limited to carbon dioxide,
carbon monoxide, sulfur oxide, nitrous oxide, radon, etc., and/or
the like. In some embodiments, the airflow scrubbing system may
comprise a scrubber (e.g., a cartridge) that contains a sorbent
configured to remove unwanted gas contaminants from the air stream.
For example, the stream of air may flow through the cartridge and
come in contact with the sorbent material, to which the
contaminants get attached to and thus are removed from the air
stream. In some embodiments, the airflow scrubbing system may be
configured to switch to a regeneration mode where the accumulated
contaminants are removed from the sorbent via a purge air stream
and/or heat. The sorbent may be heated via a heat source (e.g.,
heater) while the purge air may or may not be heated. The
combination of the effects of the heat and the purging air may
remove some or all of the contaminants via temperature swing
regeneration of the sorbents. In some embodiments, the system may
be designed to switch from the adsorption mode to the regeneration
mode automatically.
[0022] In some embodiments, with repeated adsorption and
regeneration cycles, the sorbent may reach a saturation point where
efficiency in removing contaminants is reduced significantly
(though it generally occurs gradually). Such degradation may be
irreversible due to changes in the chemical and physical properties
of the sorbent, and thus, the sorbent may require replacement so as
to improve in the performance of the sorbent and the air scrubbing
system. Practical and proper installation, operation, and removal
of the air scrubbing system (e.g., the scrubber and/or sorbents)
may depend on the physical configuration of the sorbent in the
scrubber. Accordingly, in some embodiments, one or more cartridges
having sorbents arranged therein may be configured to allow quick
and efficient replacement of spent sorbent so that the scrubbing
system can be revitalized.
[0023] In some embodiments, the amount of sorbent to be encased in
a cartridge may depend on the volume of air to be scrubbed, and/or
amount, type, etc., of the contaminant in the airflow, as well as
the number of cartridges to include. The cartridge configuration
according to some embodiments may be configured with a relatively
low pressure drop there-across, as thick sorbent beds can impede
the flow of the air through the sorbent leading to high pressure
drops. Correspondingly, in some embodiments, sorbent containing
cartridges are provided which are configured for arrangement within
a scrubbing system (e.g., air plenum) so as to substantially insure
that little to no air (e.g., purge air, contaminated air, etc.)
escapes around edges of the cartridge and the like (e.g., leaks,
etc.). Since the maintenance of the air scrubbing system, such as
replacing the sorbent and/or the cartridge, may be performed in the
field where the system is installed, a convenient approach to
accessing and maintaining the scrubbing system without entailing
extensive disassembly work of the system is desirable. Examples of
air scrubbers are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 8,157,892, titled
"Method and System for Improved-Efficiency Air-Conditioning," filed
May 17, 2011, the entire contents of which is incorporated by
reference herein in its entirety.
[0024] With reference to FIGS. 1A-B, in some embodiments, a
cartridge comprising sorbent material is shown in both exploded and
assembled arrangements. FIG. 1A shows components of a cartridge 101
(shown assembled in FIG. 1B) configured for inclusion in an air
scrubbing system. The cartridge 101 may comprise a sorbent bed 104
containing sorbent 102 for adsorbing air contaminants flowing
through the cartridge 101. The sorbent 102 may come in different
shapes and sizes, for example, granular solid material and/or a
chunk of a monolith, which may be configured to fill portions of
space within the cartridge frame 105. Alternatively, the sorbent
may be a monolith of material filling the entire extent of the
space within the cartridge frame 105. In some embodiments, granular
sorbents can be particles that are much smaller than the partitions
of the cartridge, and thus, the sorbent is distributed so as to
fill the cartridge 101, or the compartments arranged therein. In
some embodiments, the cartridge 101 may have any shape and size
configured to fit in the air scrubbing system (e.g., length, width,
thickness, subject to pressure drops--see above). For example, the
cartridge 101 may be flat and may have any geometrical shape (e.g.,
rectangular, square, circular, etc.).
[0025] In some embodiments, the sorbent 102 may comprise any
suitable material for capturing undesired substances from the air
flowing through the cartridge 101 of the air scrubbing system. The
type of sorbent used in the cartridge 101 of the air scrubbing
system may depend, although not necessarily exclusively, on the
types of contaminants to be removed from the contaminated air. For
example, if the unwanted substance in the air is carbon dioxide,
the active compound in the sorbent 102 may be an amine-based or
amine-like compound. Examples of such amine-based active compounds
comprise monoethanolamine (MEA), ethanolamine, methylamine,
branchedpolyethyleneimine (PEI), linear polyethyleneimine (PEI),
diethanolamine (DEA), dimethylamine, diethylamine,
diisopropanolamine (DTPA) tetraethylenepentamine (TEPA),
pentaethyleneheptamine (PEHA), methyldiethanolamine (MDEA),
methylethanolamine, and/or any of a number of polyamines such as
polyethylenimine, or a combination thereof, for example.
[0026] As another example, the contaminant in the air to be removed
may be a plurality of volatile organic compounds, and the sorbent
can be porous carbon, a molecular sieve, and/or a fiber based
sorbent. In some embodiments, the sorbent may comprise a
combination of some or all of the aforementioned sorbent
materials.
[0027] In some embodiments, the sorbent bed 104 comprising sorbent
102 may be confined via air-permeable screens 103 with the
cartridge frame 105, and preferably within the cartridge frame.
Such screens 103 may comprise any structure which is permeable to
air and thus having relatively low flow resistance. In some
embodiments, the screen 103 may be an air permeable structure that
is configured to maintain the shape of the cartridge 101 and/or the
cartridge frame 105. For example, the screen 103 may be made from
or reinforced by a permeable filter material such as, but not
limited to a fiber sheet (e.g., natural fiber, synthetic filter,
etc.), polymer sheet, perforated sheet, wood-based materials,
cellulose fibers, paper cardboard, meshed/perforated structure
(e.g., metal and/or plastic based sieve with holes and/or meshes to
allow for the flow of air), and/or the like. In some embodiments,
the screen 103 may comprise more than a single cover. For example,
the screen 103 may include a plurality of the aforementioned and/or
other air-permeable structures (e.g., on both sides of the
cartridge and/or frame).
[0028] In some embodiments, the dimensions of the cartridge 101 are
configured with respect to the properties of the scrubber and the
sorbents 102 within the cartridge. Accordingly, the volumetric air
flow F through each cartridge 101 can be expressed as the product
of the surface area A of the cartridge 101 the air is flowing
through and the face velocity, v:
F=A.times.v
The air flow velocity may be determined by the pressure drop on the
cartridge 101 and its flow resistance. As earlier noted, the
thicker the layer of the sorbent bed 104, the greater flow
resistance, and the same velocity can be sustained by a greater
pressure drop. For example, a granular sorbent with average sorbent
particles of approximately 0.5 millimeter diameter or any other
size measurement (e.g. length, thickness, etc.), in a bed that is 1
inch (25 mm) thick, can create a static pressure drop of 100 Pascal
at a face velocity of 5 cm/sec, or approximately 10 feet per minute
(FPM). Conventional centrifugal fans commonly used in air handling
systems can produce such pressure differences and thereby move air
through the sorbent at such velocity. For example, a 60.times.60
cm.sup.2 cartridge according to some embodiments may have a surface
area of 4 ft.sup.2 and therefore a volumetric flow of 40 CFM (cubic
feet per minute); a 20 cartridge assembly can therefore handle 800
CFM. A cartridge of this specified volume can carry about 7 liters
of sorbent volume. An increase in cartridge thickness allows for
greater sorbent volume and fewer cartridges (having the same total
sorbent volume), but at the cost of higher flow resistance and
correspondingly more fan power. In some embodiments, the cartridge
thickness is configured to be less than about 10 cm. In some
embodiments, thinner cartridges may be configured, leading to
reduced capacity due to lower sorbent volume. The reduced capacity
can be compensated by increasing the number of cartridges, which
may be beneficial in lowering fan power. The increased number of
cartridges, however, may lead to higher cost due to more cartridge
frames in the air scrubbing system. In some embodiments, smaller
cartridges can be used, examples of which are a square cartridge of
surface area 20.times.20 cm.sup.2 and a rectangular one with
dimensions of 15.times.30 cm.sup.2.
[0029] With reference to FIG. 2, in some embodiments a regenerable
air scrubbing system enclosure assembly 202 is provided and may
comprise a plurality of arranged (e.g., horizontally) cartridges
201. Multiple cartridges for parallel air flow configuration, in
some embodiments, allows for large sorbent volume for treating a
large airflow without creating a great amount of airflow resistance
and pressure drop. Since fluids/airflows typically prefer to flow
in the path of least flow resistance, the contaminated air or the
purge air may attempt to flow around the air scrubbing enclosure
assembly 202 or around the cartridges 201 thereby avoiding the
sorbent encased in the cartridges 201 and diminishing the
effectiveness of the scrubber. Accordingly, cartridge
configurations and arrangements of cartridges that urge all or a
substantial portion of the airflow to flow through the sorbent may
be used such that an arrangement of cartridges 201 is configured in
the air scrubbing enclosure assembly 202. For example, for a
primary air flow direction 203 shown in FIG. 2, a parallel
configuration of cartridges 201 with gaps between neighboring
cartridges, and arranged such that air flows through the cartridges
and not around the cartridges (e.g., alternative paths that avoid
the sorbents) may be used in constructing the air scrubbing
enclosure assembly 202.
[0030] In some embodiments, the cartridges 201 may be positioned in
parallel to or at a slight incline or tilt relative to the flow
direction to encourage flow of the air through the cartridges and
the sorbents. For example, the cartridges may all be parallel to
each other. In some embodiments, neighboring cartridges 201 may be
staggered with opposite tilts forming multiple V-patterns or
"accordion" (zigzag) patterns. For example, the cartridges may be
tilted at 10.degree., 5.degree. or 2.degree. or 1.degree. (e.g.,
between about 1 degree to about 15 degrees) relative to air flow
direction 203. The tilt angles of different cartridges 201 with
respect to the air flow direction 203 may be the same or different.
In some embodiments, the width of the gaps, and/or the incline
angles may be determined based on the assembly size, expected air
flow speed, air flow resistance, type of the contaminant to be
removed from the air, amount, size, type, etc., of the sorbent in
the cartridges 201, and/or the like. For example, very small gaps
imply narrow air passages between the cartridges 201 with high flow
resistance, whereas larger gaps increase the overall height of the
cartridge stack, and thus the air scrubbing system or enclosure
assembly 202. Examples of tilted cartridges in an air treatment
system are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 8,690,999, titled "Modular,
High-throughput Air Treatment System," filed Feb. 9, 2011, the
entire contents of which is incorporated by reference herein in its
entirety.
[0031] Each cartridge may include four edges, with two parallel to
the longitudinal orientation of the assembly (e.g., along the air
flow direction 203), and the other two are the lateral edges
transverse to the longitudinal direction. In some embodiments, air
flow coming into the air scrubbing assembly 202 along the air flow
direction 203 enters between neighboring cartridges through the
wider open gaps, but may be fully or partially blocked from
entering or existing through the narrowed gaps (e.g., if the narrow
gaps are sealed, air flow may be completely or substantially
blocked). The blockage may urge the air to flow through the
cartridge screens and the sorbents therein, and then to escape
downstream through the next open lateral gap, and/or to flow
through the next cartridge screens and the sorbents therein. The
tilting of the cartridges may facilitate a larger air flow through
the desired gaps while narrowing the passage towards the sealed
edge. In some embodiments, to avoid the flow of air around the
cartridges 201 (thereby avoid flowing through the sorbents),
lateral edges may be substantially sealed along the inner walls of
the assembly enclosure.
[0032] In some embodiments, cartridges 201 may be placed in the air
scrubbing assembly 202 with structures that allow access to, and
facilitate the operation of, the cartridges 201. For example, there
may be rails, guides, grooves, etc., along the inner walls of the
frame of the air scrubbing assembly 202 that mate with
corresponding structures along the edges of the cartridges 201 so
as to allow insertion and/or removal of the cartridges 201 in the
air scrubbing assembly 202. Access to the cartridges 201 may
further be facilitated by a panel or door on the air scrubbing
assembly 202.
[0033] With reference to FIGS. 3A-B, in some embodiments, the air
flow direction 303 may be substantially vertical (for example) or
the air flow direction 307 may be at an incline to allow flow of
the air through the cartridges 301. Correspondingly, the cartridges
301 in the air scrubbing assembly 302 may also be arranged
vertically. For example, the substantially horizontally oriented
cartridges discussed with reference to FIG. 2 may be rotated by
about right angle to arrive at the cartridge arrangement depicted
in FIG. 3A. As such, the discussion above with reference to FIG. 2
regarding gaps between cartridges, tilts of cartridges with respect
to air flow direction and/or with respect to each other, structures
like rails, guides, grooves, etc., that allow insertion and removal
of cartridges in the air scrubbing assembly, etc., apply equally or
substantially equally to vertically oriented cartridges 301.
[0034] However, in some embodiments, there may be some differences
between vertically oriented cartridges and horizontally oriented
cartridges. For example, as discussed with reference to FIG. 1, the
sorbents in the cartridges 301 may be granular, and when the
cartridges 301 are arranged substantially vertically, the granular
sorbents may redistribute and/or settle within the cartridges 301,
leading to a degraded ability to remove contaminants in the air
flowing through the cartridges, and/or resulting in a reduced
regeneration of the sorbents as the purge air passes through the
cartridges without accessing the sorbent. For example, a
substantial portion or all of the sorbents in a cartridge 301 may
settle down to a bottom section 305 of the cartridge 301, leading
to an upper section depleted of sorbents. The contaminated air may
flow through this section with little or no filtering due to the
reduced air flow resistance, or in the case of the purge air, the
purge air may flow through the cartridge with little or no access
to the sorbent and consequently without removing contaminants
adsorbed to the sorbents In some embodiments, an air-impermeable
rim 304 may be included in the cartridges 301 to reduce or
eliminate the passage of air through such sorbent-depleted
sections. The assembly of FIG. 3 may be formed with openings 310 to
allow flow of air therein and/or thereout. In some embodiments, as
will be discussed below especially with respect to FIG. 4,
partitioning the cartridges into a plurality of compartments may
alleviate the redistribution and settling of sorbents, and lead to
an enhanced filtering of the contaminated air flowing through the
compartmentalized cartridges and/or regeneration of the sorbents by
the purge air. Examples of such rims are disclosed in U.S.
Provisional Patent Application No. 62/046,174, titled "Vertical
Enclosure Assemblies in Airflow Systems," filed Sep. 5, 2014, the
entire contents of which is incorporated by reference herein in its
entirety.
[0035] With reference to FIGS. 4A-D, in some embodiments,
cartridges partitioned into a plurality of geometrically shaped
compartments are shown. Partitions can provide mechanical strength
to the frame 403 of the cartridge and help maintain the desirable
distribution of granular sorbent. The space within the cartridge
frame 403 that provides the exterior perimeter walls may be
partitioned into a plurality of compartments 404 by partition walls
401. The shape, number, size, etc., of the partitions can be any
suitable choice. For example, inner space of the cartridge may be
partitioned into a lattice of a plurality of square compartments
(FIG. 4A), triangular compartments (FIG. 4B), circular compartments
(FIG. 4C), hexagonal compartments (FIG. 4D), and compartments of
any desired shapes. For example, in some embodiments, the
partitions can be longitudinal only, as shown in FIGS. 5A-B, where
the cartridge is partitioned into three compartments.
Longitudinally partitioned cartridge frames can be constructed
using straight bars that attach to the edge pieces of the frame. In
some embodiments, the compartments may not be of the same shape or
size. For example, a cartridge may be partitioned into a plurality
of compartments where the compartments assume any of the
afore-mentioned shapes. Most or all of the compartments may contain
a sorbent bed 402 comprising sorbents for removing contaminants
from air flowing through the cartridge. In some embodiments, a
single sorbent monolith may fill each compartment 404, or several
monoliths placed side by side may be used together to fill each
compartment 404. The sorbents from different compartments may be
the same or different types.
[0036] As an example embodiment, a square cartridge with side
length about 60 cm with a thickness of 25 mms may be partitioned
into a honeycomb-like square lattice of 20 by 20 compartments, for
a total of 400 square compartments. In some embodiments, the
compartments may be sized larger or smaller, where more
compartments lead to the use of more partitioning materials, but
can provide greater structural strength and uniformity.
[0037] With reference to FIGS. 5A-B, in some embodiments, exploded
views of a cartridge comprising different types of screens are
shown. Frame partitions 503 and outer walls of cartridge frame 504
may be extruded aluminum profiles or any other suitable material
formed in any suitable manufacturing method, designed with features
that facilitate the attachment of the pieces to each other.
Examples of suitable features that facilitate attachment between
cartridge frame 504 and components of the cartridge such as frame
partitions 503 can be grooves 510 and protrusions 508 that mate to
provide, amongst other things, structural integrity to the combined
structure. The entire frame 504 and partitions 503 can be a single
solid element made of a suitable material, or the frame can be
assembled from suitably chosen partition elements (for example). In
such embodiments, the frame can be made from materials such as
polymer, metal, composite material, wood-based materials, cellulose
fibers, paper, cardboard and/or other natural fiber based sheet
materials. Side walls and partitions may be provided with suitable
folding of the materials. In constructing frames and/or partitions,
conventional techniques may be used. For example, frames can be
produced by conventional plastic injection molding techniques. The
entire frame can be a single monolithic piece made by such
technique. In some embodiments, the frame may then be covered with
screens or covers on one or both of the top and bottom sides of the
cartridges, with the sorbent inside and kept in place with the help
of the cover.
[0038] The cover may be a single screen that is permeable to air
and configured to maintain the shape of the cartridge it is
covering. For example, the screen 505 may be a filter sheet (e.g.,
natural fiber, synthetic filter paper, cloth, etc.) that is meshed,
perforated or otherwise configured to facilitate the flow of air
while holding the sorbent in place. In some embodiments a
perforated sheet of metal, paper or plastic material can be used to
form or reinforce the screen. The cover may also comprise two or
more parts. For example, the cover may have an air permeable screen
505 and another layer for maintaining the shape of the cartridge.
Examples of the second layer are a perforated metal cover 501 (FIG.
5A) made with holes 502, and a metal mesh or sieve screen 506 (FIG.
5B). In some embodiments, the screen material may be secured as
closely as possible to the partitions. In some embodiments, a
polymer or metal screen can be attached to a polymer or metal frame
by welding. In one embodiment, a polymer screen is attached to an
injection-molded polymer frame using ultrasonic welding or thermal
welding. Screens may be attached using adhesives, screws, rivets
and/or the like.
[0039] With reference to FIGS. 6A-D, in some embodiments, example
features that disrupt airflow and further facilitate attachment
between cartridge frames and components of cartridges such as frame
partitions, are disclosed. For example, FIGS. 6A-B show example
airflow disrupting features on the inner faces of the partition
walls of the compartments of cartridges. The walls of the
partitions may or may not be smooth and straight on all sides. For
example, features such as ridges, bumps, grooves, tabs and/or any
other physical variations and features can be formed in the
partition walls to achieve desirable function or improved sorbent
performance. In some embodiments, these features can be configured
to facilitate the attachment of the screen material to the
cartridge frame, such as, for example, an inner wall of the
partition with an "I" profile shown in FIG. 6A. Examples of other
features configured for attaching the screen to the walls include
features with profiles where the cross section of the inner wall
feature is thicker on the top and the bottom but thinner in the
middle of the inner wall. The attachment can be facilitated by
screws, glue, and/or any suitable manner. FIG. 6B shows an
alternative embodiment where the inner wall feature has a "+"
profile. Such features in particular disrupt airflow through the
cartridge. In some embodiments, the inner wall may have any
features that disrupt or impede air flow, such as protrusions,
bumps, etc., of any shape. The presence of such features can
increase the interaction of the flowing air with the sorbent
material therein, and further assist in impeding air flow channels
along the inner wall, which may result in part from settling or
movement of the sorbent.
[0040] With reference to FIGS. 6C-D, in some embodiments, example
illustrations of the mating of outer edges of a cartridge with
matching features on the inside walls of the frame of the air
scrubbing system are disclosed. The inside walls 602 of the air
scrubbing assembly may have mating features 604 (e.g., slots,
openings, grooves, ridges, receptacles, etc.) that match and/or
receive mating elements 605 from the edges of the cartridge (e.g.,
protrusions). Other ridge dimensions and shapes of cartridge edge
features are possible, with matching and interlocking features in
the side rails of the assembly that receive and guide the cartridge
insertion. For example, outer edges of the cartridge 603 may or may
not be straight and flat. The cartridge 603 can be configured with
ridges, grooves and/or other suitable features along the edges that
can facilitate the horizontal sliding and final positioning of the
cartridge 603 into the assembly. In some embodiments, both the
cartridge features and the assembly features may comprise a cross
sectional profile that extends lengthwise along the cartridge edge
and the assembly rail, which is configured to fit or to interlock
while allowing the cartridge to slide in and out. In some
embodiments, the fitting and/or interlocking may be graduated.
[0041] For example, FIG. 6C shows a mating between features of the
cartridge 603 and the assembly frame 602 where the overlap between
the features is maximal. When the cartridge is in its final
position, the interlocking ridges and trenches provide a stable
mechanical support for fixing the cartridge position and may also
perform a role of impeding air flow around the cartridge 603. In
the embodiments shown in FIG. 6D, the overlap may not be complete
(e.g., minimal), and all the available space of the assembly's
mating feature 604 may not be taken up by the corresponding
features 605 of the cartridge. Such incremental or graduated
fitting between the cartridge 603 and the assembly frame 602 may
facilitate the positioning (e.g., sliding in and out) of the
cartridge in the assembly and allow for manufacturing
imperfections. Furthermore, extra tolerance provides allowance for
thermal expansion and contraction that may occur in the scrubber
under temperature swing regeneration. For example, ridges on
opposing sides of the cartridge 603 mate with matching grooves or
trenches configured in the assembly frame 602, allowing the
cartridge to slide into position. In some embodiments, ridges can
be used between cartridge 603 and the assembly frame 602. Injection
molded frames or extruded frame pieces can be manufactured with the
precise profile edge feature. Frames made of paper, wood-based
materials, cellulose fibers cardboard or sheet metal can be bent,
folded, cut or glued to form similar ridges. In some embodiments,
there may be an optional gasket 601 to aid with the sealing of the
interface between the cartridge 603 and the assembly frame 602.
[0042] The cardboard described herein may be formed of paperboard,
corrugated fiberboard, and/or card stock or any other suitable
material.
[0043] With reference to FIG. 7, in some embodiments, an assembled
cartridge 701 comprising sealants 702 on its edges is shown. The
sealant 702, which may be formed from foams, felt, rubber strips,
and/or any other deformable material that can be shaped to any
suitable form may be placed around some or the entire stretch of
the periphery of the cartridge walls. Upon placement of the
cartridge 701 within air scrubbing assembly, in some embodiments,
the sealant 702 may press against the inside wall of the assembly
and substantially prevent air flow from escaping away from the
cartridge 701. As such, it facilitates the filtering of the
contaminated air by forcing it to flow through the cartridge 701,
and hence the sorbents in the cartridge 701. Similarly, by forcing
the purge air to flow through the cartridge 701 and hence the
sorbents, it may facilitate the regeneration of the sorbents (e.g.,
via temperature swing regeneration). Further, the sealant 702 may
secure the placement of the cartridge 701 within the air scrubbing
assembly, preventing the dislocation of the cartridge 701 from the
assembly (e.g., when the contaminated or purge air is flowing at a
high velocity).
[0044] In some embodiments, the sealant 702 may be placed on the
assembly frame 602
[0045] With reference to FIGS. 8A-B, in some embodiments, example
embodiments of cartridges configured for encasing replaceable
sorbents are disclosed. In some embodiments, with repeated
adsorption and regeneration cycles, sorbents in cartridges may
degrade and their efficiency in removing contaminants from airflow
may fall below an acceptable range, at which time, the cartridges
may be replaced. In some embodiments, it may instead be desirable
to design the air scrubbing system so as to allow the replacement
of the degraded sorbents (instead of or in addition to replacing
the cartridges) from the cartridges 802. In some embodiments, the
sorbent 803 may be contained in packets, bags or any sorbent
container 801 made from air permeable materials such as but not
limited to natural fiber, synthetic filter paper, cloth, wood-based
materials, cellulose fibers. The sorbents 803 may be contained in
any number of sorbent containers 801. Once the sorbents inside the
sorbent container 801 are exhausted, in some embodiments, the
cartridges 802 may be opened, the sorbent container 801 containing
used sorbent 803 may be replaced with a new container 801 without
necessarily removing/replacing the cartridge. In such embodiments,
the exhaustion of sorbent 803 inside a cartridge 802 may not
necessarily lead to the replacement of the cartridge 802
itself.
[0046] FIG. 8A shows the container 801 prior to placeman within a
receptacle 805 of the cartridge 802 and FIG. 8B shows the assembled
cartridge 802. The receptacle 805 may be formed in any suitable
manner with an air-permeable surface. The receptacle 805 may be
formed with a cover 806 at least partially covering the container
801 and securing the container 801 within the receptacle 805.
[0047] While various inventive embodiments have been described and
illustrated herein, those of ordinary skill in the art will readily
envision a variety of other means and/or structures for performing
the function and/or obtaining the results and/or one or more of the
advantages described herein, and each of such variations and/or
modifications is deemed to be within the scope of the inventive
embodiments described herein. More generally, those skilled in the
art will readily appreciate that all parameters, dimensions,
materials, and configurations described herein are meant to be an
example and that the actual parameters, dimensions, materials,
and/or configurations will depend upon the specific application or
applications for which the inventive teachings is/are used. Those
skilled in the art will recognize, or be able to ascertain using no
more than routine experimentation, many equivalents to the specific
inventive embodiments described herein. It is, therefore, to be
understood that the foregoing embodiments are presented by way of
example only and that, within the scope of the appended claims and
equivalents thereto, inventive embodiments may be practiced
otherwise than as specifically described and claimed. Inventive
embodiments of the present disclosure are directed to each
individual feature, system, article, material, kit, and/or method
described herein. In addition, any combination of two or more such
features, systems, articles, materials, kits, and/or methods, if
such features, systems, articles, materials, kits, and/or methods
are not mutually inconsistent, is included within the inventive
scope of the present disclosure. Some embodiments may be
distinguishable from the prior art for specifically lacking one or
more features/elements/functionality (i.e., claims directed to such
embodiments may include negative limitations).
[0048] Also, various inventive concepts may be embodied as one or
more methods, of which an example has been provided. The acts
performed as part of the method may be ordered in any suitable way.
Accordingly, embodiments may be constructed in which acts are
performed in an order different than illustrated, which may include
performing some acts simultaneously, even though shown as
sequential acts in illustrative embodiments.
[0049] Any and all references to publications or other documents,
including but not limited to, patents, patent applications,
articles, webpages, books, etc., presented anywhere in the present
application, are herein incorporated by reference in their
entirety. Moreover, all definitions, as defined and used herein,
should be understood to control over dictionary definitions,
definitions in documents incorporated by reference, and/or ordinary
meanings of the defined terms.
[0050] The indefinite articles "a" and "an," as used herein in the
specification and in the claims, unless clearly indicated to the
contrary, should be understood to mean "at least one."
[0051] The phrase "and/or," as used herein in the specification and
in the claims, should be understood to mean "either or both" of the
elements so conjoined, i.e., elements that are conjunctively
present in some cases and disjunctively present in other cases.
Multiple elements listed with "and/or" should be construed in the
same fashion, i.e., "one or more" of the elements so conjoined.
Other elements may optionally be present other than the elements
specifically identified by the "and/or" clause, whether related or
unrelated to those elements specifically identified. Thus, as a
non-limiting example, a reference to "A and/or B", when used in
conjunction with open-ended language such as "comprising" can
refer, in one embodiment, to A only (optionally including elements
other than B); in another embodiment, to B only (optionally
including elements other than A); in yet another embodiment, to
both A and B (optionally including other elements); etc.
[0052] As used herein in the specification and in the claims, "or"
should be understood to have the same meaning as "and/or" as
defined above. For example, when separating items in a list, "or"
or "and/or" shall be interpreted as being inclusive, i.e., the
inclusion of at least one, but also including more than one, of a
number or list of elements, and, optionally, additional unlisted
items. Only terms clearly indicated to the contrary, such as "only
one of" or "exactly one of," or, when used in the claims,
"consisting of," will refer to the inclusion of exactly one element
of a number or list of elements. In general, the term "or" as used
herein shall only be interpreted as indicating exclusive
alternatives (i.e. "one or the other but not both") when preceded
by terms of exclusivity, such as "either," "one of," "only one of,"
or "exactly one of." "Consisting essentially of," when used in the
claims, shall have its ordinary meaning as used in the field of
patent law.
[0053] As used herein in the specification and in the claims, the
phrase "at least one," in reference to a list of one or more
elements, should be understood to mean at least one element
selected from any one or more of the elements in the list of
elements, but not necessarily including at least one of each and
every element specifically listed within the list of elements and
not excluding any combinations of elements in the list of elements.
This definition also allows that elements may optionally be present
other than the elements specifically identified within the list of
elements to which the phrase "at least one" refers, whether related
or unrelated to those elements specifically identified. Thus, as a
non-limiting example, "at least one of A and B" (or, equivalently,
"at least one of A or B," or, equivalently "at least one of A
and/or B") can refer, in one embodiment, to at least one,
optionally including more than one, A, with no B present (and
optionally including elements other than B); in another embodiment,
to at least one, optionally including more than one, B, with no A
present (and optionally including elements other than A); in yet
another embodiment, to at least one, optionally including more than
one, A, and at least one, optionally including more than one, B
(and optionally including other elements); etc.
[0054] In the claims, as well as in the specification above, all
transitional phrases such as "comprising," "including," "carrying,"
"having," "containing," "involving," "holding," "composed of," and
the like are to be understood to be open-ended, i.e., to mean
including but not limited to. Only the transitional phrases
"consisting of" and "consisting essentially of" shall be closed or
semi-closed transitional phrases, respectively, as set forth in the
United States Patent Office Manual of Patent Examining Procedures,
Section 2111.03.
* * * * *