BG113594A - Method and device for gas purification - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to a method and device for gas purification which may find industrial and domestic applications and in particular for the purification of air in indoor spaces. In the method, a contaminated gas is drawn in and directed as a gas stream through an aqueous surfactant solution. A surfactant foam is generated, which is a plurality of foam cells, each having an active cell surface in the form of a surfactant film with a water core sandwiched between two layers of surfactant molecules. The surfactant foam increases in volume to create a greater amount of active cell surfaces. The contaminated gas is encapsulated in the surfactant foam, surrounded by the active cell surface of each foam cell. The surfactant foam is then ruptured, releasing purified gas. The gas purification device applying the method has a chamber (1) which is divided into four consecutive segments (2, 3, 4 and 5), of which the first segment (2) is a reservoir containing an aqueous surfactant solution ( 2.1) and a solid porous medium (2.2), and the second segment (3) is a regenerative filter in the form of a cavity filled with surfactant foam, while the third segment (4) has a mechanism for bursting the foam (4.1) and is separated from the second segment (3) with a perforated screen (6), and the fourth segment (5) has a mechanism for controlling the temperature, pressure and humidity of the purified gas (5.1).

Description

METHOD AND DEVICE FOR GAS PURIFICATION

FIELD OF ENGINEERING

The present invention relates to a method and device for gas purification which may find industrial and domestic applications and in particular for the purification of air in indoor spaces.

PREVIOUS CONDITION

Since the industrial revolution, humanity has been destroying its natural ecosystem through irresponsible innovation. A serious imprint of this uncontrolled problem is the gradual deterioration of the quality of the air we breathe both indoors and in urban environments. Various types of gas purification methods are known, including liquid-to-gas contact methods used in scrubber systems based on the effect of adsorption and/or dissolution of contaminants by droplet liquid. These known methods require large amounts of water or other chemicals and they create the active surface by forming droplets.

The most common method of purifying gases from contaminants and gas-borne microbes is by using permeable natural or synthetic fibers and solid porous media based on high efficiency particulate absorption filters and high efficiency particulate air filters (HEPA). The main mechanism used in these filtration systems is to provide a highly active surface area that can also be statically charged, resulting in the capture of particles and microbes due to Coulomb attraction. HEPA filters must be changed or washed after a certain period of time, depending on the level of environmental pollution. If NERA filters are not washed or replaced, they become incubators for airborne pathogens that can then be released into the air we breathe. Therefore, this technology becomes unreliable in the event of a pandemic like COVID-19. There are other types of air purifiers such as water spray-based microdroplet purification that require a supply of fresh water. Another example is pathogenic oxidation, which primarily uses T1O2 nanoparticles that oxidize and thereby destroy airborne volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and microbes without removing them from the air. And finally, there are ionizing purifiers that ionize and settle airborne microbes and particles, but they form toxic ozone and new NO _X emissions, as well as other oxide pollutants.

TECHNICAL ESSENCE OF THE INVENTION

The object of the present invention is to provide a method and device for capturing and separating, deactivating or breaking down unwanted contaminants, pathogens and allergens in a gas and providing a purified gas with a desired degree of purity.

The task, according to the present invention, is solved by creating a gas purification method that includes the following sequence of operations:

- polluted gas is sucked in and directed as a gas flow through an aqueous solution of surfactant;

- surfactant foam is generated by passing the contaminated gas through the aqueous solution of the surfactant, where the surfactant foam is a plurality of foam cells, each of which has an active cell surface in the form of a surface-active film with a water core located between two layers of surfactant molecules, the water core being made up of alkaline pH water and dissolved hydroxides;

- the surfactant foam increases in volume to create a greater amount of active cell surfaces;

- the polluted gas is encapsulated in the surfactant foam, surrounded by the active cell surface of each foam cell of the set, with all volatile organic pollutants, oxide gaseous pollutants and airborne unwanted particles of the polluted gas being adsorbed and dissolved by the water core of the surfactant film until all microbes, pathogens and allergens from the contaminated gas bind to the surfactant molecules of the two layers of the surfactant film, then are deactivated and removed from the contaminated gas;

- the surface-active foam is cracked, in which purified gas is released from the surface-active foam.

In a preferred embodiment of the gas purification method of the present invention, the surfactant foam is subjected to an external stimulus to facilitate purification of the contaminated gas. The external stimulus may be one or a combination of the following: visible, ultraviolet and/or infrared light and/or microwave or radio waves, ionizing radiation such as preferably gamma or X-ray radiation, and/or an acoustic stimulus such as sound or ultrasonic vibrations.

In another preferred embodiment of the gas purification method according to the present invention, the aqueous surfactant solution is located in a solid porous medium. Preferably, the solid porous medium is a polymer, metal or ceramic rigid foam, porous material or fibrous mesh.

In a further variant of the gas purification method according to the present invention, the surfactant foam can be broken by radio frequency field, mechanical vibration, heating or cooling of a surface, a chemically treated surface, an infrared light source, or with antifoaming elements such as drops of lipophilic material, hydrophobic solids, or a mixture of both.

In another embodiment of the gas purification method according to the present invention, the surfactant is desirably selected from the following substances: a photoactive or photocatalytic surfactant that forms free radicals and charges upon photoexcitation and/or a protein denaturing surfactant that binds to proteins and destroys their folds and/or pathogen-inactivating surfactant that attaches to the pathogen, encapsulates it and deactivates its active sites and/or lipid-solubilizing surfactant that dissolves pathogen cell walls and destroys them and/ or a two-dimensional surfactant that keeps the water vapor content of the surfactant foam low and aids in the deactivation of the surfactant.

In yet another variant of the gas purification method of the present invention, silver ions are added to the aqueous solution of the surfactant along with the surfactant molecules to accelerate the breakdown of pathogens in the polluted gas.

In another embodiment of the gas purification method of the present invention, the temperature, pressure and humidity of the purified gas can be controlled prior to its final release. In addition, the pH, pressure, and temperature of the aqueous surfactant solution and the surfactant foam, as well as the quality, type, quantity of the purge gas, and/or the level of unwanted contaminants removed from the purge gas are desirably monitored online.

In a further variant of the gas purification method of the present invention, the used and contaminated aqueous surfactant solution is replaced by pumping fresh solution or by a replacement solution cartridge, and the used and contaminated aqueous surfactant solution is periodically discarded or continuously to maintain optimum purification efficiency. In this option, the discarded used and contaminated aqueous surfactant solution is deactivated to ensure environmental protection and recyclability.

The task according to the present invention is also solved by creating a gas purification device applying the gas purification method having a chamber which is divided into four consecutive segments, of which the first segment is a reservoir containing the aqueous surfactant solution substance and the solid porous medium, and the second segment is a regenerative filter in the form of a cavity filled with the surfactant foam, while the third segment has a mechanism for breaking the foam and is separated from the second segment by a perforated screen, and the fourth segment has a mechanism for controlling temperature, pressure and moisture of the purified gas.

In a preferred embodiment of the gas purification device according to the present invention, a pump or fan for sucking in the contaminated gas and directing it as a gas stream can be mounted at the first end of the chamber, and an additional fan for sucking in the purified gas is preferably mounted at the second end of the chamber.

In preferred embodiments of the gas purification device according to the present invention, an external stimulus is preferably installed in the second segment. In this embodiment, the external stimulus may be one or a combination of the following: a light, ultraviolet, infrared, microwave or radio wave source and/or an ionizing or gamma radiation source and/or a neutron source and/or a radio frequency medium, including microwaves and/or a means of electromagnetic radiation and/or a source of sound or ultrasonic vibrations.

In a further preferred embodiment of the gas purification device according to the present invention, the porous medium may be open-cell polymer foam, metal foam, ceramic foam, or an aggregate of particles such as sand or glass beads, or a mesh of wire or cloth.

In yet another preferred embodiment of the gas purification device according to the present invention, the foam breaking mechanism is a radio frequency generator, an infrared light source, a mechanical vibration source, or a functional surface for disintegrating the surfactant foam by contact or electric field.

In an additional variant of the gas purification device according to the present invention, a mechanism for controlling the temperature, pressure and moisture of the purified gas is a temperature-controlled perforated grid heat exchanger.

In another variant of the gas purification device according to the present invention, sensors are installed in the first, second and fourth segments to provide information on the pH level, pressure and temperature of the aqueous surfactant solution and the surfactant foam.

In a further embodiment of the gas purification device according to the present invention, the aqueous surfactant solution is in a replaceable cartridge.

The present gas purification method and device are specifically aimed at the removal of airborne viruses such as COVID19 and volatile organic compounds (VOC) pollutants and are generally applied to purify gases from a host of pollutants, pathogens and allergens. The gas purification method and device removes gas-borne microbial contaminants such as pathogens and destroys them providing pathogen-free gas. They are especially useful if airborne viruses such as COVID-19 are present, as they can be captured and broken down using current gas purification methods and devices. The disclosed gas purification method can also be used to remove toxic gaseous pollutants such as SOx, NOx, CO, H2S, and volatile organic compounds (VOC) in the form of micelles such as polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). The method and device may also be used to capture airborne allergens and to remove target gases such as CO? from gas mixtures. They can be used for air purification in hospitals, in commercial and public spaces such as movie theaters, shopping malls, airports, etc., in vehicles such as ships, airplanes, trucks, cars, etc., as well as for indoor air purification such as buildings, houses or OTHERS.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

The method and device for gas purification, according to the invention, are explained in the attached figures, where:

Fig. 1 is a schematic block diagram representing the gas purification method in the form of operations and outputs associated with the chamber segments.

Fig. 2 is an image showing the gas purification device.

Fig. 3 is an image showing the formation of surfactant foam in the first segment of the chamber.

Fig. 4 is a depiction of the third operation in the second segment 2, which is formation of the designed surfactant foam filtration system, trapping the polluted gas in its plurality of surfactant foam cells.

Fig. 5 is an image representing the three classes of functional materials used for gas purification.

Fig. 6. depicts classic methods for inactivating microbial pathogens, which are protein denaturation, solubilization of the cell wall lipid membrane into surfactant micelles, and pore formation in the cell wall lipid membrane.

Fig. 7 is a view illustrating the third segment which functions as a cavity for cracking the surfactant foam.

Fig. 8 is a view illustrating the fourth segment that functions as a purge gas moisture control cavity.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The following is a detailed description of exemplary embodiments to illustrate the principles of the invention. The embodiments are intended to illustrate aspects of the invention, but are not intended to limit its particular implementation. The invention may include other alternatives, modifications or equivalents falling within its scope. Certain specific details are disclosed in the following description to provide a thorough understanding of the invention. However, the invention may be made, as claimed, without some of these specific details. For the sake of clarity, technical materials which are known in the technical fields related to the invention are not described in detail so that the detailed description of the invention is not unnecessarily complicated. A gas purification invention using engineered surfactant foam as a regeneration filter solves critical problems associated with existing gas purification techniques.

The gas purification method (figure 1), according to the invention, includes a sequence of operations, from which in the first operation a polluted gas is sucked in and directed as a gas stream through an aqueous solution of surfactant 2.1. The aqueous solution of surfactant 2.1 can be located in a solid porous medium 2.1. Porous medium 2.1 is essentially a low density solid having interconnected gas paths and can retain the entire amount of aqueous surfactant solution.

In the second operation, when the polluted gas passes through the aqueous solution of surfactant 2.1 and the solid porous medium 2.2, a surfactant foam (part IV.B in Figure 4) is generated, which is composed of many foam cells (part IV.C in Figure 4). In this operation, the Solid Porous Medium 2.2 acts as a reservoir for the aqueous surfactant solution 2.1 and serves as a foam generator and an indicator of the level of pollutants, pathogens and allergens. Each foam cell has an active cell surface in the form of a surfactant film (part IV.D in Figure 4). The surface-active film is a water core located between two layers of surface-active molecules with surface-targeted functions (part IV.E in Figure 4). The water core is made up of water with an alkaline pH and dissolved hydroxides. The water core contains reagents that extract the pollutants through a chemical reaction. Alkaline pH water is used to effectively dissolve SO _X , NO _X , H2S, CO, and CO2. Sodium hydroxide (NaOH) solutions and iron hydroxide solutions are used to form the surfactant foam. The alkaline pH water core in the surfactant foam effectively adsorbs oxide gaseous contaminants from the gas stream. The surfactant molecules on the surface of the surfactant film (part VA in Figure 5) are a broad class of molecules called surfactants that have a hydrophilic head and a hydrophobic tail. In the gas purification method, advanced functional surface-active molecules and a mixture thereof are used to achieve purification of the polluted gas from volatile organic compound pollutants and from microbes such as pathogens and others. Surfactants can be (but are not limited to):

• Surfactants that break down the cell wall of pathogens and absorb volatile organic pollutants in micelles;

• Photoactive and photocatalytic surfactants (part V.B in Figure 5) forming free radicals and charges upon photoexcitation. They attach to pollutants and microbes and oxidize them photocatalytically. The uniqueness of this system compared to photocatalytic oxidation of TU2-based nanoparticles is that the surfactants in the surfactant films preferentially attach to contaminants and microbes, unlike TU2 nanoparticles, which do not preferentially attach.

• Protein denaturing surfactants (part V.C in Figure 5) that bind to proteins and destroy their folds. An example is sodium dodecyl sulfate, which can attach to the crown protein of the COVID-19 pathogen and denature it.

• Pathogen-inactivating surfactants (part V.D in Figure 5) that attach to pathogens and encapsulate them and deactivate their active sites. An example is CHAPS zwitterionic detergent.

• Lipid-dissolving surfactants that dissolve the cell walls of pathogens and destroy them.

• Two-dimensional surfactants such as modified graphene and graphene oxide surfactants, which support surfactant foams with low water vapor content and aid in pathogen inactivation.

Silver ions (Ag+) can be added to the surfactants in the aqueous surfactant solution 2.1 to help break down the cell walls of bacterial pathogens and viruses such as COVID-19. Pathogens such as the example virus have their genetic material embedded in the cell, where the wall is made of lipid. Silver ions can be incorporated into the aqueous surfactant solution as counterions of the ionic surfactants or as soluble silver salts such as silver nitrate and silver fluoride. Silver ions are effective in neutralizing pathogens, especially in combination with surfactants.

Next comes the third operation, increasing the volume of the surfactant foam to create millions of micro cells with multiple active surfaces, creating a larger amount of active cell surfaces (Part IV.A in Figure 4).

In the fourth operation, the contaminated gas is encapsulated in the surfactant foam surrounded by the active cell surface of each foam cell of the plurality. The active cell surfaces are in contact with the polluted gas, resulting in the adsorption of pollutants and VOCs from the gas, as well as the capture and separation of gas-borne pathogens and allergens. All volatile organic pollutants, oxide gaseous pollutants and airborne unwanted particles from the pollutant gas are adsorbed and dissolved by the water core of the surfactant film, while all microbes, pathogens and allergens from the pollutant gas bind to the surfactant molecules of the two surface layers. the active film.

In the fifth operation, which is optional, the surfactant foam is subjected to an external stimulus such as electromagnetic and/or acoustic excitation to deactivate and/or disintegrate the pathogens. The external stimulus may be one or a combination of the following: visible, ultraviolet and/or infrared light and/or microwave or radio waves, ionizing radiation such as preferably gamma or X-ray radiation, and/or an acoustic stimulus such as sound or ultrasonic vibrations. The process of inactivating, denaturing, and disintegrating microbial pathogens with a particular example virus, COVID-19, is shown in Figure 6. Pathogens, such as the example virus, have genetic material embedded in a cell where the wall is made of lipid (Part VI.D in Figure 6 ). The cell wall has crown-shaped folds of functional protein (part VI.A in Figure 6) that attach to target living cells. A way to inactivate these pathogens is to provide surfactant molecules that attach to the proteins and immobilize the pathogens in the surfactant foam, where the tail of the surfactant molecule attaches to the pathogen protein or lipid cell wall (part VI.B in Figure 6) and the head of the surfactant molecule is designed to be excited by an external stimulus such as radio frequency, infrared light, etc. (part VI.C of figure 6). These attached surfactant molecules are further functionalized with an active head group that: oxidizes the crown protein when the surfactant molecules are excited by light using photocatalytic oxidation; denatures the corona protein by breaking its folds; inactivates the pathogen by encapsulating the corona and then breaks down the corona protein and lipid cell by generating local heating due to thermal motion caused by absorption of for example (but not limited to) an externally applied radio frequency field or infrared light. After the disintegration of the pathogens, the surfactant molecules further encapsulate the protein or cell membrane fragments by forming micelles or by immobilizing the fragments in the surfactant foam. Silver ions are added to the surfactant to facilitate dissolution (Part VI.E in Figure 6). The surfactant foam can be irradiated to facilitate gas purification after the contaminated gas is encapsulated. For example, the radiation may be (but is not limited to) ultraviolet or visible light, infrared light, ionizing radiation (gamma, x-rays), neutrons, radio frequency, or electromagnetic radiation.

Within the method, after the purification operations, the sixth operation is the cracking of the surfactant foam, in its advancing front (part VILA in Figure 7). The advancing front of the surfactant foam breaks up, successively releasing the purified gas. The breaking of the surfactant foam (part VII.B in Figure 7) also causes all microbes and allergens to break down along with the surfactant molecules. A surfactant foam can be broken by a radio frequency field, mechanical vibration, a hot or cold surface, a chemically treated surface, an infrared light source, or with defoamers such as drops of lipophilic material, hydrophobic solids, or a mixture of both. After the advancing surfactant foam front is ruptured, the temperature, pressure, and moisture of the released purified gas stream are controlled (part VIII.A in Figure 8) during the seventh operation of the gas purification method.

According to the method, the eighth operation is online monitoring of the amount and/or type and quality and/or level of the removed unwanted contaminants from the purified gas. Online monitoring provides feedback to control the quality and production rate of purified gas by adjusting operating parameters.

The ninth operation is periodic or continuous replacement of the contaminated design aqueous surfactant-based solution to maintain optimal cleaning efficiency of the method. This operation is facilitated by online monitoring in the seventh operation. Changing can be done with the use of a pump or through a replaceable cartridge containing a freshly designed aqueous surfactant-based solution.

Within the method, the tenth operation is to deactivate the discharged contaminated solution to ensure environmental protection and recyclability according to regulatory standards. This operation is facilitated by online monitoring in the seventh operation. Changing can be done with the use of a pump or through a replaceable cartridge containing a freshly designed aqueous surfactant-based solution. The tenth operation can be facilitated by the use of non-toxic and degradable surfactants and the use of standard protocols for the recycling and disposal of water-based degradable solutions. For example, the contaminated solution is collected in standard deposition bottles containing an acid tablet to neutralize the base pH to a pH within acceptable limits. The neutralized solutions can then be disposed of according to standard sanitary practices.

Furthermore, the invention discloses a gas purification device (shown in figure 2) that implements the gas purification method, which has a chamber 1 divided into four consecutive segments 2, 3, 4 and 5. The first segment 2 is a tank (figure 3 ), containing the aqueous solution of surfactant 2.1 and the solid porous medium 2.2. Contaminated gas is directed into the chamber 1 by a pump or fan 7 (part III.A in Figure 3) installed at the first end of the chamber 1 and passes to the projected aqueous solution based on surfactant 2.1 in the first segment 2 of the chamber 1, which successively leads to the formation of the surfactant foam (part III.B in Figure 3) with the desired foam composition and geometry and formation rate by controlling the density and morphology of the porous medium 2.1. The contaminated gas exits through the foam in the second segment 3. The porous medium 2.2 can be open-cell polymer foam (polyurethane foam, polyacrylamide foam, etc.), metal foam (aluminum foam, etc.), ceramic foam (alumina foam) , or it can be an aggregate of particles such as sand or glass balls, or a mesh of wire or fabric. The second segment 3 is a regenerative filter, which is a large cavity filled with the surface-active foam. The surfactant foam in the second segment 3 of the chamber 1 is driven at the desired flow rate to increase the volume of the surfactant foam to create a larger amount of active cell surfaces and an advancing front. An external stimulus 3.1 may be installed in the second segment 3 to facilitate gas purification. External stimulus 3.1 is one or a combination of the following: a light, ultraviolet, infrared, microwave or radio wave source and/or ionizing or gamma radiation source and/or neutron source and/or radio frequency means including microwaves and/or means for electromagnetic radiation and/or a source of sound or ultrasonic vibrations. The third segment 4 (Figure 7) has a mechanism for bursting the foam 4.1 (part VII.A in Figure 7) and is separated from the second segment 3 by a perforated screen 6 (part VII.B in Figure 7). Surfactant foam passes through the perforated sieve 6, which separates the third segment 4 from the second segment 3. In this case, the advancing front of the surfactant foam passes through the perforated sieve 6 and reaches the third segment 4 of the chamber 1, where the cracking mechanism 4.1 breaks the boundary of the foam by rupturing the foam cells, which results in the release of the purified gas from the foam cells. The sieve 6 can be made of plastic fibers or a metal wire frame, depending on the foam cracking mechanism 4.1 used. The foam bursting mechanism 4.1 may operate in either continuous wave mode or pulsed mode and may be (but not limited to) one or a combination of the following:

• A radio frequency generator such as a magnetron (for microwaves) to generate RF that will be strongly absorbed by the advancing front of the surfactant foam, leading to local heating and subsequent breakdown. Radiofrequency can also be absorbed by surfactants and lipids, resulting in faster destruction of pathogens by cell wall disruption.

• An infrared (IR) heat source such as an infrared lamp, LED, or laser to locally heat the advancing front of the surfactant foam and break it down.

• A source of mechanical vibration such as sound or ultrasonic waves to break up the advancing front of the surfactant without using significant temperature rise.

• A functional surface that can cause the surfactant foam to break down by contact, which can be (but not limited to) lipophobic or hydrophobic fibers, or fibers with a high static charge.

• Source of electric field to break the surface active foam cells.

The foam breaking mechanism 4.1 releases the purified gas from the surfactant foam and breaks down any microbes and allergens in contact with the designed surfactant. Upon breaking the surfactant foam, the surfactant solution flows back to the first and second segments 2, 3. The purified gas enters the fourth segment 5 (Figure 8), where a temperature, pressure and humidity control mechanism 5.1 is located (Part VIII .A in Figure 8). The temperature, pressure and humidity control mechanism 5.1 may function by passing the wet scrubbed gas through a temperature-controlled perforated grid heat exchanger (part VIII.B in Figure 8). The heat exchanger temperature is controlled (but not limited to) electrically (thermoelectric effect or electrical resistance heater) or by a standard thermodynamic heating or cooling cycle depending on the gas handling capacity of the scrubber. An additional fan 8 is installed at the second end of the chamber 1, which ejects and distributes the purified gas outside the device. According to the gas purification method, online monitoring of the quality and/or type and amount and/or level of removed unwanted contaminants from the purified gas in the device can be performed with sensors to provide information on the pH, pressure and temperature of the solution based of surfactant and the surfactant foam and are installed in the first segment 2, the second segment 3, and the fourth segment 5. According to the method, in order to facilitate the replacement of the surfactant solution in the gas purification device, the designed surfactant-based aqueous solution active substance 2.1 can be in a replaceable cartridge.

The first embodiment of the invention is a gas purification method that finds application in removing water-soluble or partially water-soluble gaseous pollutants such as SOx, NOx, H2S, CO, CO2 from water-insoluble gases such as nitrogen or breathing air. The second embodiment of the invention is a gas purification method for removing volatile organic compounds (VOCs) such as alcohols, aldehydes, ethers, esters, chloromethane, PFAS, etc. from air and from other water-insoluble gases such as nitrogen. The third embodiment of the invention is a gas purification method for removing, inactivating or breaking down gas-borne microbes such as pathogens (bacteria, viruses) and allergens such as mites, spores and pollen. When all three embodiments are combined, the result reveals a simple, elegant and scalable solution revealing a method and device for gas purification and in particular for breathing air purification.

Claims (21)

1. A gas purification method, characterized in that it includes the following sequence of operations: - contaminated gas is sucked in and directed as a gas stream through an aqueous solution of surfactant; - surfactant foam is generated by passing the contaminated gas through the aqueous solution of the surfactant, where the surfactant foam is a plurality of foam cells, each of which has an active cell surface in the form of a surface-active film with a water core located between two layers of surfactant molecules, the water core being made up of alkaline pH water and dissolved hydroxides; - the surfactant foam increases in volume to create a greater amount of active cell surfaces; - the polluted gas is encapsulated in the surfactant foam, surrounded by the active cell surface of each foam cell of the set, with all volatile organic pollutants, oxide gaseous pollutants and airborne unwanted particles of the polluted gas being adsorbed and dissolved by the water core of the surfactant film until all microbes, pathogens and allergens from the contaminated gas bind to the surfactant molecules of the two layers of the surfactant film, then are deactivated and removed from the contaminated gas; - the surface-active foam is cracked, in which purified gas is released from the surface-active foam. 2. A gas purification method according to claim 1, characterized in that the surfactant foam is subjected to an external stimulus to facilitate the purification of the polluted gas. 3. A gas purification method according to claim 2, characterized in that the external stimulus is one or a combination of the following: visible, ultraviolet and/or infrared light and/or microwave or radio waves, ionizing radiation such as preferably gamma or x-ray radiation and/or acoustic stimulus such as sound or ultrasonic vibrations. 4. A gas purification method according to claims 14-3, characterized in that the aqueous solution of surfactant is located in a solid porous medium. 5. A gas purification method according to claim 4, characterized in that the solid porous medium is a polymer, metal or ceramic solid foam, porous material or fibrous network. 6. A gas purification method according to claims 14-5, characterized in that the surface-active foam is broken by a radio frequency field, mechanical vibrations, heating or cooling of a surface, a chemically treated surface, a source of infrared light or with antifoams elements such as droplets of lipophilic material, hydrophobic solids, or a mixture of both. 7. A gas purification method according to claims 1-?6, characterized in that the surfactant is selected from the following substances: a photoactive or photocatalytic surfactant, forming free radicals and charges upon photo-excitation and/or protein a denaturing surfactant that binds to proteins and destroys their folds and/or a pathogen-inactivating surfactant that attaches to the pathogen, encapsulates it and deactivates its active sites, and/or a lipid-solubilizing surfactant that dissolves the cell walls of pathogens and destroys them and/or a two-dimensional surfactant that maintains a low water vapor content in the surfactant foam and aids in deactivation of the surfactant. 8. A gas purification method according to claims 14-7, characterized in that silver ions are added to the aqueous solution of the surfactant together with the surfactant molecules to accelerate the decomposition of pathogens in the polluted gas. 9. A gas purification method according to claims 14-8, characterized in that the temperature, pressure and humidity of the purified gas are controlled before its final release. 10. A gas purification method according to claims 14-9, characterized in that the degree of pH, pressure and temperature of the aqueous solution of surfactant and of the surfactant foam, as well as the quality, type, quantity of the purified gas and/or the level of unwanted contaminants removed from the purified gas are monitored online. 11. A gas purification method, according to claims 1 4-10, characterized in that the used and contaminated aqueous surfactant solution (2.1) is replaced by pumping a fresh solution or by means of a replaceable solution cartridge, and the used and contaminated aqueous surfactant solution is discharged periodically or continuously to maintain optimum purification efficiency. 12. A gas purification method according to claim 11, characterized in that the discharged used and contaminated aqueous surfactant solution is deactivated to ensure environmental protection and recyclability. 13. A gas purification device applying the method of claims 1 4-12, characterized in that it has a chamber (1) which is divided into four consecutive segments (2, 3, 4 and 5), of which the first segment (2) is a reservoir containing an aqueous solution of surfactant (2.1) and a solid porous medium (2.2), and the second segment (3) is a regeneration filter in the form of a cavity filled with surfactant foam, while the third segment (4) has a mechanism for bursting foam (4.1) and is separated from the second segment (3) by a perforated screen (6), and the fourth segment (5) has a mechanism for controlling the temperature, pressure and moisture of the purified gas (5.1). 14. A gas purification device according to claim 13, characterized in that a pump or fan (7) for sucking in the contaminated gas and directing it as a gas flow is installed at the first end of the chamber (1), and an additional fan (8) for suction of the purified gas is installed at the second end of the chamber (1). 15. A gas purification device according to claims 13 and 14, characterized in that the porous medium (2.2) is an open-cell polymer foam, metal foam, ceramic foam, or is an aggregate of particles such as sand or glass beads, or is mesh of wire or cloth. 16. A gas purification device according to claims 13-15, characterized in that an external stimulus (3.1) is installed in the second segment (3). 17. A gas purification device according to claim 16, characterized in that the external stimulus (3.1) is one or a combination of the following: a light, ultraviolet, infrared, microwave or radio wave source and/or an ionizing or gamma source radiation and/or neutron source and/or radio frequency means, including microwaves and/or electromagnetic radiation means and/or sonic or ultrasonic vibration source. 18. A gas purification device according to claims 13 4-17, characterized in that the foam breaking mechanism (4.1) is a radio frequency generator, a source of infrared light, a source of mechanical vibrations or a functional surface for disintegration of surface the active foam by contact or electric field. 19. A gas purification device according to claims 13-18, characterized in that the mechanism for controlling the temperature, pressure and humidity of the purified gas (5.1) is a temperature-controlled perforated grid heat exchanger. 20. A gas purification device according to claims 13-19, characterized in that sensors are installed in the first, second and fourth segments (2, 3 and 5) to provide information on the pH level, pressure and temperature of the water surfactant solution (2.1) and the surfactant foam. 21. A gas purification device according to claims 13 to 20, characterized in that the aqueous solution of surfactant (2.1) is in a replaceable cartridge.