This invention relates to an air cleaner, and more particularly to a scrubbing type air cleaner which can be operated in a low cost and effectively remove particulates and solvable pollutants in air.
In the air pollution control field, a scrubbing method have advantages in simple operation and high efficient removal of particulates and solvable pollutants in the air. Various apparatus utilizing such a method, such as the spraying tower, Venturi scrubber and the packed tower have been widely used in many sites for processing polluted air. Taiwan Patent Application No. 56,526 discloses a multi-layer air cleaner in which the polluted air is pumped into a purifying tank and is filtered by the operation of a rapid eddy in water caused by the air stream. The purified air rising up and entering into a second layer having a cone shape generates a rapid eddy in water again and is thus purified by water again. The purified air is pumped out by a venting apparatus disposed on the upper portion of the air cleaner. This apparatus has disadvantages in limited processing speed and complex structure. Taiwan Patent Application No. 81,209,751 discloses an indoor water sprayer which can also work as an air cleaner. The sprayer is provided with a circulating pump and a nozzle. Water pumped by the circulating pump will be sprayed upward via the nozzle for scrubbing the air. This sprayer may have a better mixing effect of air and liquid, but the nozzle is easily blocked.
One object of this invention is to provide an air cleaner which can effectively perform a purifying operation of mass air in a low cost, and is adapted to be used in the peripheries of sites and roads for reducing air pollution in the working area and urban.
Another object of this invention is to provide an air cleaner which is provided with a fine-drop generating means for achieving high mixing effect of air and liquid without a problem that a nozzle is easily blocked.
Still another object of this invention is to provide an air cleaner which can recycle scrubbing water and thus has economic operation cost.
According to one aspect of this invention, an air cleaner comprises:
a scrubber including a housing being provided with a central tank for containing scrubbing water at lower portion thereof and having an air outlet for discharging air at a side wall thereof, a barrel being disposed inside the housing so as to form a scrubbing room with the central tank, an air pump being disposed on top of the housing for pumping air into the scrubbing room in a high speed via a pipe extending downward to the central tank so as to force scrubbing water contained in the central tank sprayed upward and scattered, and one or a plurality of perforated middle barrels being disposed inside the scrubbing room in a manner coaxial with the central tank for dividing the sprayed and scattered water into fine drops;
a water purifier having a filtering layer and an activated carbon part for purifying the scrubbing water discharged from a water discharging pipe connecting the central tank and the water purifier; and
a water feeding means being disposed on the upper portion of the scrubbing room for supplying scrubbing water into the central tank from the water purifier through a water supplying pipe connecting the water feeding means and the water purifier.
According to another aspect of this invention, the barrel in the air cleaner is further provided with an inner air outlet at one side wall, and the water feeder further has an flat water outlet disposed above the inner air outlet for generating a water-curtain falling down to the inner air outlet.
According to still another aspect of this invention, a plurality of perforated filtering plates are disposed around an area outside the inner air outlet for performing an additional scrubbing operation in conjunction with the water-curtain.
According to still another aspect of this invention, an upper limit of water level in the central tank is about half the height of the central tank.
According to another aspect of this invention, a water-mill type activated carbon adsorbing apparatus comprises a plurality of symmetrical separation plates and an activated carbon bag disposed between each pair of adjacent separation plates and is adapted to be rotated in a water purifier by a drive motor so as to adsorb pollutants in water.