JP2011179791A - Sterilizing cleaning method and sterilizing cleaning device of indoor unit of air conditioner - Google Patents

Abstract

Disclosed is a sterilization cleaning method and a sterilization cleaning device for an air conditioner indoor unit that can provide an excellent sterilization effect without affecting the air conditioner indoor unit and the human body.
A step of spraying hydrogen peroxide solution mist on an air conditioner indoor unit to form a thin film of hydrogen peroxide solution, and an air conditioner indoor unit on which the thin film of hydrogen peroxide solution is formed containing ozone. It is set as the sterilization washing | cleaning method of the air conditioner indoor unit characterized by including the process exposed to gas in this order. In addition, hydrogen peroxide solution supply means for generating hydrogen peroxide solution, ozone supply means for generating ozone and providing ozone-containing gas, and hydrogen peroxide solution from the hydrogen peroxide solution supply means is misted into air An air conditioner comprising: a hydrogen peroxide mist spraying means for spraying a conditioner indoor unit; and an ozone-containing gas supply means for supplying the ozone-containing gas from the ozone supply means to the air conditioner indoor unit A sterilizing and cleaning device for indoor units.
[Selection] Figure 1

Description

  The present invention relates to a sterilization cleaning method and a sterilization cleaning apparatus for an air conditioner indoor unit.

  From the viewpoint of preventing the effects of microorganisms such as bacteria and viruses on the human body, sterilization and washing of various articles is generally performed. Conventional sterilization cleaning methods include a method using hydrogen peroxide as a sterilizing substance (for example, see Patent Document 1), a method using ozone (for example, see Patent Document 2), and the like. Here, in the method using hydrogen peroxide, after sterilizing and cleaning with hydrogen peroxide, the remaining hydrogen peroxide is decomposed and removed with ozone in order to prevent the influence of the toxicity of hydrogen peroxide. Recently, a method using both hydrogen peroxide and ozone as a sterilizing substance has been proposed (see, for example, Patent Document 3). In this method, the bactericidal action is improved by hydroxy radicals generated by the reaction between hydrogen peroxide and ozone.

  Among various articles, the air conditioner indoor unit has a device or member in contact with water such as a heat exchanger that generates condensed water or a drain pan that receives the condensed water, and thus microorganisms are likely to be generated. On the other hand, since the air conditioner indoor unit has a member that does not have heat resistance such as resin, sterilization cleaning that requires severe conditions such as high temperature is not suitable. Therefore, as a method for sterilizing and cleaning an air conditioner indoor unit, a method using a medicine (for example, see Patent Document 4), a method using ozone water (for example, see Patent Document 5), and a method using ultraviolet light (for example, Patent Document 6). Have been proposed).

JP 2002-360672 A JP 2002-360674 A Japanese Patent No. 3859691 JP-A-63-73039 JP-A-10-185494 JP 2001-324195 A

  However, various problems still remain even if various sterilization cleaning methods are used in the sterilization cleaning of the air conditioner indoor unit. Specifically, in a method using a drug, a microorganism may be resistant to the drug due to regular use of the drug. As a result, there is a problem that a sufficient bactericidal action cannot be obtained due to the generation of drug-resistant bacteria. Moreover, in the method using ozone or ozone water, it is necessary to make the ozone concentration high in order to obtain a sufficient sterilization effect, which has a problem of affecting the human body and the air conditioner indoor unit. In addition, the method using ultraviolet rays has a problem that it is not possible to sterilize portions where ultraviolet rays do not reach. In addition, in the method using hydrogen peroxide, in addition to the problem of COD (chemical oxygen demand) and oxidant generation, the bactericidal action is not sufficient. Furthermore, in the method using both hydrogen peroxide and ozone, the lifetime of the hydroxy radical generated by the reaction between hydrogen peroxide and ozone is extremely short, a few microseconds, and the bactericidal action of the hydroxy radical cannot be fully utilized. There is. In other words, if hydroxy radicals are not generated in the vicinity of microorganisms, sufficient bactericidal action cannot be obtained, and as described above, ozone is also a decomposing agent of hydrogen peroxide. There is a problem that the bactericidal action is reduced.

  The present invention has been made to solve the above-described problems, and provides a method for sterilizing and cleaning an air conditioner indoor unit that provides an excellent sterilization effect without affecting the air conditioner indoor unit and the human body, and It aims at providing a sterilization washing device.

  As a result of diligent research to solve the above problems, the inventors of the present invention sprayed a hydrogen peroxide solution mist on an air conditioner indoor unit to form a hydrogen peroxide solution thin film. By exposing an air conditioner indoor unit with a thin film of ozone to an ozone-containing gas, it is possible to generate hydroxyl radicals by the reaction of hydrogen peroxide and ozone in the vicinity of microorganisms present on the surface of the air conditioner indoor unit. It has been found that hydrogen peroxide and ozone used for sterilization and cleaning can be efficiently decomposed and removed.

That is, the present invention includes a step of spraying hydrogen peroxide solution mist on an air conditioner indoor unit to form a thin film of hydrogen peroxide solution, and an air conditioner indoor unit having the hydrogen peroxide solution thin film formed thereon. And a step of exposing to an ozone-containing gas in this order.
The present invention also provides a hydrogen peroxide solution supply means for generating a hydrogen peroxide solution, and a hydrogen peroxide solution sprayed on an air conditioner indoor unit by misting the hydrogen peroxide solution from the hydrogen peroxide solution supply means. Including mist spraying means, ozone supply means for generating ozone and supplying ozone-containing gas, and ozone-containing gas supply means for supplying ozone-containing gas from the ozone supply means to an air conditioner indoor unit This is a sterilizing and cleaning device for an air conditioner indoor unit.

  ADVANTAGE OF THE INVENTION According to this invention, the sterilization washing | cleaning method and sterilization washing | cleaning apparatus of an air conditioner indoor unit which provide the outstanding sterilization effect without affecting an air conditioner indoor unit and a human body can be provided.

It is a block diagram of the sterilization washing | cleaning apparatus suitable for the sterilization washing | cleaning method of the air conditioner indoor unit in Embodiment 1. FIG. It is a block diagram of another sterilization washing | cleaning apparatus suitable for the sterilization washing | cleaning method of the air conditioner indoor unit in Embodiment 1. FIG. It is a flowchart of the sterilization washing | cleaning method of the air conditioner indoor unit in Embodiment 1. FIG. It is a graph which shows the relationship between the spraying amount of hydrogen peroxide mist, and a sterilization rate. It is a graph which shows the relationship between the particle size of hydrogen peroxide solution mist, and a disinfection rate. It is a graph which shows the relationship between the ozone density | concentration in ozone-containing gas at the time of changing the hydrogen peroxide density | concentration in hydrogen peroxide mist, and the survival rate of a microbe. It is a graph which shows the relationship between the product of the hydrogen peroxide density | concentration in hydrogen peroxide mist, and the ozone density | concentration in ozone-containing gas, and the survival rate of a microbe. It is a block diagram of the sterilization washing | cleaning apparatus suitable for the sterilization washing | cleaning method of the air conditioner indoor unit in Embodiment 2. FIG. It is a block diagram of another sterilization washing | cleaning apparatus suitable for the sterilization washing | cleaning method of the air conditioner indoor unit in Embodiment 2. FIG. It is a flowchart of the sterilization washing | cleaning method of the air conditioner indoor unit in Embodiment 3. It is a flowchart of the sterilization washing | cleaning method of the air conditioner indoor unit in Embodiment 4.

Embodiment 1 FIG.
A method for sterilizing and cleaning an air conditioner indoor unit (hereinafter abbreviated as “air conditioner indoor unit”) in the present embodiment is to spray a hydrogen peroxide solution mist on the air conditioner indoor unit to form a thin film of hydrogen peroxide solution. And the step of exposing the air conditioner indoor unit on which the hydrogen peroxide solution thin film is formed to an ozone-containing gas in this order. This sterilizing and cleaning method is not particularly limited, but is a process for forming a hydrogen peroxide solution that generates hydrogen peroxide solution and a hydrogen peroxide solution from the hydrogen peroxide solution supply unit that is misted and sprayed on the air conditioner indoor unit. A sterilizing and cleaning apparatus comprising hydrogen oxide water mist spraying means, ozone supply means for generating ozone and supplying ozone-containing gas, and ozone-containing gas supply means for supplying ozone-containing gas from the ozone supply means to the air conditioner indoor unit It is preferable to carry out using.
Here, in this specification, “hydrogen peroxide mist” means fine droplets of hydrogen peroxide. In addition, “a thin film of hydrogen peroxide solution” means a thin continuous layer of hydrogen peroxide solution covering the surface of an object, but a discontinuous layer may be partly provided. The “ozone-containing gas” means a gas containing ozone. The gas used for the ozone-containing gas is not particularly limited as long as it is a gas that does not easily react with ozone, but is generally air.

Hereinafter, a sterilization cleaning method and a sterilization cleaning apparatus for an air conditioner indoor unit according to the present embodiment will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram of a sterilization cleaning apparatus suitable for the sterilization cleaning method for an air conditioner indoor unit in the present embodiment.
The sterilizing and cleaning device for an air conditioner indoor unit according to the present embodiment includes a hydrogen peroxide solution supply unit that generates hydrogen peroxide solution and a hydrogen peroxide solution supplied from the hydrogen peroxide solution supply unit to mist. Hydrogen peroxide mist spraying means for spraying on, ozone supply means for generating ozone and supplying ozone-containing gas, and ozone-containing gas supply means for supplying ozone-containing gas from the ozone supply means to the air conditioner indoor unit Including.

The hydrogen peroxide solution supply means is not particularly limited. As shown in FIG. 1, the hydrogen peroxide solution generator 1 that generates the hydrogen peroxide solution and the hydrogen peroxide solution generated by the hydrogen peroxide solution generator 1 are used. It is comprised from the storage tank 2 which accumulates. Examples of the hydrogen peroxide generator 1 include a water electrolysis apparatus that generates hydrogen peroxide by electrolyzing water. Further, instead of the hydrogen peroxide generator 1, a means for directly injecting a hydrogen peroxide solution having a predetermined concentration into the storage tank 2 (for example, a cassette storing a hydrogen peroxide solution having a predetermined concentration) or a high concentration Alternatively, a means for injecting the hydrogen peroxide solution and water into the storage tank 2 after adjusting to a predetermined concentration may be used.
The hydrogen peroxide solution mist spraying means is not particularly limited, but as shown in FIG. 1, the pump 3 for increasing the internal pressure of the storage tank 2 and the hydrogen peroxide solution ejected from the pump 3 are misted to form a mist room. And a hydrogen peroxide solution supply nozzle 5 sprayed on the machine 9. Further, as the hydrogen peroxide solution mist spraying means, a known method such as ultrasonic spraying, electrostatic spraying or natural vaporization may be used, or the hydrogen peroxide solution mist may be sprayed using a manual spray.

Although an ozone supply means is not specifically limited, it is the ozone generator 4 which produces | generates ozone and gives ozone containing gas as shown in FIG.
Although an ozone containing gas supply means is not specifically limited, it is the ozone containing gas supply nozzle 6 which supplies the ozone containing gas from the ozone generator 4 to the air conditioner indoor unit 9 as shown in FIG.
Further, as shown in FIG. 1, an on-off valve 7 may be provided between the pump 3 and the hydrogen peroxide solution supply nozzle 5 in order to control the supply amount of the hydrogen peroxide solution. Similarly, an open / close valve 8 may be provided between the ozone generator 4 and the ozone-containing gas supply nozzle 6 in order to control the supply amount of the ozone-containing gas.

The sterilization cleaning apparatus in the present embodiment can further include an ozone decomposition means for decomposing residual ozone after sterilization cleaning. Although an ozonolysis means is not specifically limited, it is the ozonolysis device 13 as shown in FIG.
In addition, the sterilizing and cleaning apparatus in the present embodiment can further include an ozone concentration measuring means for measuring the ozone concentration in the processing space and a temperature control means for controlling the temperature. The ozone concentration measuring means is not particularly limited, but is an ozone concentration meter 15 as shown in FIG. The temperature control means is not particularly limited, but is an air conditioner 16 as shown in FIG.
Each of these means may be controlled by a controller 17 as shown in FIG.
Since the sterilization cleaning method using the sterilization cleaning apparatus having the above-described configuration uses ozone that affects the human body, it is preferably performed in the sterilization cleaning processing chamber 14. In the sterilization cleaning chamber 14, it is preferable that the air conditioner indoor unit 9 can be accommodated and the dead space is as small as possible because the sterilization cleaning processing efficiency can be increased. A plurality of air conditioner indoor units 9 may be arranged in the sterilization cleaning processing chamber 14.

  In the above embodiment, each means such as the hydrogen peroxide generator 1, the storage tank 2, the pump 3, and the ozone generator 4 is placed in the same space as the air conditioner indoor unit 9 (that is, the sterilization cleaning processing chamber 14). However, as shown in FIG. 2, each means such as the hydrogen peroxide generator 1, the storage tank 2, the pump 3, and the ozone generator 4 is arranged outside the sterilization cleaning processing chamber 14. May be. With this arrangement, the sterilization treatment that prevents the corrosion of each means by the hydrogen peroxide generated by the hydrogen peroxide generator 1 and the ozone generated by the ozone generator 4 and exhibits stable operation over a long period of time. An apparatus can be obtained.

Next, a sterilization cleaning method for the air conditioner indoor unit 9 in the present embodiment will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG.
First, a thin film of hydrogen peroxide solution is formed on the air conditioner indoor unit 9 which is an object to be sterilized and washed as follows.
After the air conditioner indoor unit 9 is placed at a predetermined position in the sterilization cleaning processing chamber 14, when the hydrogen peroxide generator 1 is started, the hydrogen peroxide generated by the hydrogen peroxide generator 1 is stored. It begins to be stored in the tank 2. When the amount of the hydrogen peroxide solution in the storage tank 2 reaches a predetermined amount, the hydrogen peroxide generator 1 is stopped to stop the storage of the hydrogen peroxide solution. Next, after confirming that the on-off valve 7 is closed, when the pump 3 is started, the pressure in the storage tank 2 increases. When the pressure in the storage tank 2 reaches a predetermined pressure, the on-off valve 7 is opened, and the hydrogen peroxide solution mist is sprayed from the hydrogen peroxide solution supply nozzle 5 onto the air conditioner indoor unit 9. At this time, by starting the fan 11 of the air conditioner indoor unit 9, the hydrogen peroxide mist can be efficiently sprayed on the inner surface of the air conditioner indoor unit 9. Here, the “internal surface of the air conditioner indoor unit 9” means the surface of equipment such as the heat exchanger 10 and the drain pan 12 provided inside the air conditioner indoor unit 9 and the internal members of the air conditioner indoor unit 9. Means the surface. The sprayed hydrogen peroxide solution mist collides with the inner surface of the air conditioner indoor unit 9 to form a thin film of hydrogen peroxide solution. When the spray amount of the hydrogen peroxide solution mist reaches a predetermined amount, the fan 11 is stopped, the on-off valve 7 is closed, and the pump 3 is stopped.

Next, ozone treatment is performed as follows.
When the ozone generator 4 is started after opening the on-off valve 8, an ozone-containing gas is generated. This ozone-containing gas is sprayed from the ozone-containing gas supply nozzle 6 to the air conditioner indoor unit 9. At this time, the ozone concentration in the sterilization cleaning processing chamber 14 is constantly measured by the ozone concentration meter 15, and a signal of the measured ozone concentration is transmitted from the ozone concentration meter 15 to the controller 17. The controller 17 that has received the ozone concentration signal operates the ozone generator 4 (for example, ON-OFF control, power control, etc.) and the opening degree of the on-off valve 8 (containing ozone) so that the ozone concentration becomes a predetermined concentration. Adjust gas flow control. Then, after exposing the air conditioner indoor unit 9 to an ozone-containing gas having a predetermined ozone concentration for a predetermined time, the ozone generator 4 is stopped and the on-off valve 8 is closed. After forming a thin film of hydrogen peroxide water on the inner surface of the air conditioner indoor unit 9 in this way, it is exposed to ozone-containing gas, so that peroxidation occurs in the vicinity of microorganisms present on the inner surface of the air conditioner indoor unit 9. Hydroxyl radicals can be generated by the reaction between hydrogen and ozone. This makes it possible to efficiently sterilize microorganisms present on the inner surface of the air conditioner indoor unit 9 by the hydroxy radical before the hydroxy radical is deactivated. In addition, hydrogen peroxide and ozone used for sterilization cleaning are efficiently decomposed and removed by the reaction.

Next, residual ozone in the sterilization cleaning processing chamber 14 is removed as follows. If there is no residual ozone, this step can be omitted.
When the ozonolysis device 13 is activated, all residual ozone in the sterilization cleaning processing chamber 14 is decomposed. The ozone decomposition process may be terminated by checking the ozone concentration with the ozone concentration meter 15 in the sterilization cleaning processing chamber 14 and stopping the ozone decomposer 13 when the ozone concentration reaches a predetermined ozone concentration. Further, when ozone decomposition processing is performed, the fan 11 is started and the fan 11 is rotated at a high speed, thereby increasing the circulation of air in the sterilization cleaning processing chamber 14 and promoting the ozone decomposition processing.
In the above embodiment, the ozone decomposing unit 13 is used to decompose the residual ozone in the sterilization cleaning chamber 14. After the ozone treatment, the hydrogen peroxide solution mist is sprayed again to remove the ozone. The residual ozone may be decomposed by reacting hydrogen peroxide with water. By performing such treatment, it is not necessary to use the ozonolysis device 13, and the sterilization treatment apparatus becomes inexpensive. If sterilization efficiency is not required, ozone decomposition treatment is not particularly required, and it may be waited for ozone to self-decompose.

  Next, the influence of the spray amount of the hydrogen peroxide solution mist on the sterilization action will be described. FIG. 4 is a graph showing the relationship between the spray amount of hydrogen peroxide mist and the sterilization rate. Here, the spray amount of the hydrogen peroxide solution mist means the supply amount per unit area of the hydrogen peroxide solution mist supplied to the entire internal surface of the air conditioner indoor unit 9. In addition, the result of this graph shows that hydrogen peroxide mist having a particle size of 100 nm and hydrogen peroxide concentration of 2000 ppm is used, and ozone-containing gas having ozone concentration of 3 ppm is used as the ozone-containing gas. When the experiment was conducted with an exposure time of 240 minutes. In addition, the sterilization rate was determined by subtracting the value obtained by subtracting the number of microorganisms after the main sterilization treatment from the number of microorganisms before the main sterilization treatment by the number of microorganisms before the main sterilization treatment, by percentage display. (The same method was used in the following experiments). Further, the particle diameter of the hydrogen peroxide mist was determined by measuring with a particle counter or an electric mobility classifier (also determined in the same manner in the following experiments).

As can be seen from the results of FIG. 4, the sterilization rate was the highest when the spray amount of the hydrogen peroxide solution mist was 0.01 mL / cm ² . Moreover, in order to obtain a sterilization rate of 90% or more, it was found that the spray amount of the hydrogen peroxide solution mist is preferably in the range of 0.005 mL / cm ² or more and 0.02 mL / cm ² or less. When the spray amount of the hydrogen peroxide solution mist is less than 0.005 mL / cm ² , a thin film of the hydrogen peroxide solution is not sufficiently formed on the inner surface of the air conditioner indoor unit 9, and hydrogen peroxide and ozone The amount of hydroxy radicals produced by the reaction is reduced. As a result, it is considered that the bactericidal action by hydroxy radicals is not sufficiently obtained and the bactericidal rate is lowered. On the other hand, when the spray amount of the hydrogen peroxide solution mist exceeds 0.02 mL / cm ² , the hydrogen peroxide solution film formed on the inner surface of the air conditioner indoor unit 9 becomes thick and comes into contact with the ozone-containing gas. Hydroxy radicals generated on the surface of the membrane are deactivated before reaching the microorganisms. As a result, it is considered that the bactericidal action by hydroxy radicals is not sufficiently obtained and the bactericidal rate is lowered. Therefore, it is possible to adjust the spray amount of the hydrogen peroxide solution mist to an appropriate range from the viewpoint of forming a thin film of hydrogen peroxide solution on the inner surface of the air conditioner indoor unit 9 to obtain a desired sterilizing action by hydroxy radicals. preferable.

Next, the effect of the hydrogen peroxide mist particle size on the sterilization effect will be described. FIG. 5 is a graph showing the relationship between the particle diameter of the hydrogen peroxide mist and the sterilization rate. Here, the result of this graph shows that hydrogen peroxide mist having a hydrogen peroxide concentration of 2000 ppm is used, ozone-containing gas is ozone-containing air having an ozone concentration of 3 ppm, and hydrogen peroxide mist is sprayed. The experiment was conducted with an amount of 0.01 mL / cm ² and an exposure time to the ozone-containing gas of 240 minutes.

  As can be seen from the results of FIG. 5, the sterilization rate was the highest when the particle size of the hydrogen peroxide solution mist was 100 nm (0.1 μm). Further, it has been found that in order to obtain a sterilization rate of 90% or more, it is preferable that the particle size of the hydrogen peroxide solution mist is in the range of 10 nm (0.01 μm) to 10 μm. If the particle diameter of the hydrogen peroxide mist is less than 10 nm (0.01 μm), the weight of the individual droplets is too light, and it is difficult for the wind generated by the fan 11 to collide with the inner surface of the air conditioner indoor unit 9. A thin film of hydrogen peroxide solution is not sufficiently formed on the inner surface of the air conditioner indoor unit 9. As a result, the amount of hydroxy radicals produced by the reaction between hydrogen peroxide and ozone is reduced, so that the bactericidal action due to hydroxy radicals cannot be obtained sufficiently, and the bactericidal rate is considered to decrease. On the other hand, when the particle size of the hydrogen peroxide solution mist exceeds 10 μm, the hydrogen peroxide solution film formed on the inner surface of the air conditioner indoor unit 9 becomes thick and is generated on the surface of the film in contact with the ozone-containing gas. Hydroxy radicals are deactivated before reaching the microorganism. As a result, it is considered that the bactericidal action by hydroxy radicals is not sufficiently obtained and the bactericidal rate is lowered. Therefore, from the viewpoint of forming a hydrogen peroxide solution thin film on the inner surface of the air conditioner indoor unit 9 to obtain a desired sterilizing action by hydroxy radicals, the particle size of the hydrogen peroxide solution mist can be adjusted to an appropriate range. preferable.

Next, the effect of the hydrogen peroxide concentration in the hydrogen peroxide mist and the ozone concentration in the ozone-containing gas on the bactericidal action will be described. FIG. 6 is a graph showing the relationship between the ozone concentration in the ozone-containing gas and the survival rate of the bacteria when the hydrogen peroxide concentration in the hydrogen peroxide mist is changed. Here, the result of this graph is that hydrogen peroxide mist having a particle diameter of 100 nm, ozone-containing gas using ozone-containing air, the spray amount of hydrogen peroxide mist being 0.01 mL / cm ² , ozone The experiment was conducted with the exposure time for the contained gas set to 240 minutes. In addition, the survival rate of the bacteria was determined by displaying the value obtained by dividing the number of microorganisms after the main sterilization treatment by the number of microorganisms before the main sterilization treatment as a percentage (percent display). In this graph, samples that have been subjected to ozone treatment after sprayed with hydrogen peroxide mist (in FIG. 6, expressed as “500 ppm”, “1000 ppm”, and “2000 ppm”). In addition to the results of the hydrogen peroxide concentration in the mist.), For comparison, a sample that was only treated with ozone (indicated as “0 ppm” in FIG. 6), a spray of hydrogen peroxide mist, The result of a sample (shown as “500 ppm (simultaneous)” in FIG. 6) subjected to ozone treatment at the same time is also shown.

As can be seen from the results of FIG. 6, the sample that was sprayed with the hydrogen peroxide mist and the ozone treatment at the same time had a higher survival rate of the fungus than the sample that was only subjected to the ozone treatment (that is, the bactericidal action was higher). Decreased). This is because, before the hydrogen peroxide solution mist reaches the inner surface of the air conditioner indoor unit 9, hydrogen peroxide and ozone react with each other to generate hydroxy radicals in the space. When reaching the internal surface, it is considered that the hydroxy radicals are deactivated and hydrogen peroxide and ozone are extinguished.
On the other hand, the sample subjected to the ozone treatment after spraying the hydrogen peroxide mist had a lower survival rate of the bacteria than the sample subjected to only the ozone treatment (that is, the bactericidal action was improved). This is because hydroxy radicals can be generated by the reaction between hydrogen peroxide and ozone in the vicinity of the microorganisms present on the inner surface of the air conditioner indoor unit 9, so that before the hydroxy radicals are deactivated, This is considered to be because it can be sterilized efficiently.
It was also found that the survival rate of the bacteria is reduced (that is, the bactericidal action is improved) when the hydrogen peroxide concentration in the hydrogen peroxide mist and the ozone concentration in the ozone-containing gas are increased.
Although not shown, the survival rate of the bacteria was also examined in the same manner as described above for the sample sprayed with hydrogen peroxide mist after the ozone treatment. As a result, ozone and hydrogen peroxide remaining in the gas phase were Due to the reaction, a sufficient bactericidal action could not be obtained.

  Next, the effect of the product of the hydrogen peroxide concentration in the hydrogen peroxide mist and the ozone concentration in the ozone-containing gas on the bactericidal action will be described. FIG. 7 shows the product of the hydrogen peroxide concentration in the hydrogen peroxide mist and the ozone concentration in the ozone-containing gas in the sample subjected to ozone treatment after spraying the hydrogen peroxide mist of FIG. It is a graph which shows the relationship with a survival rate. In this graph, compared to a sample that has only been subjected to ozone treatment (however, the sample having the same ozone concentration in the ozone-containing gas), a sample in which the decrease in the survival rate of the bacteria is 10 times or more (that is, the improvement of bactericidal action is improved). Samples that are 10 times or more) are marked with ◯, and samples with a decrease in the survival rate of bacteria of less than 10 times (that is, samples with an improvement of bactericidal action less than 10 times) are marked with Δ.

As can be seen from the results of FIG. 7, the ozone concentration × hydrogen peroxide concentration (that is, the product of the hydrogen peroxide concentration in the hydrogen peroxide mist and the ozone concentration in the ozone-containing gas) is set to 6000 ppm ² or more. It was found that a bactericidal action of 10 times or more can be obtained.

Embodiment 2. FIG.
Hereinafter, the sterilization cleaning method and the sterilization cleaning apparatus for the air conditioner indoor unit 9 in the present embodiment will be described with reference to the drawings.
FIG. 8 is a configuration diagram of a sterilization cleaning apparatus suitable for the sterilization cleaning method for the air conditioner indoor unit 9 in the present embodiment. In addition, since the basic structure of the washing | cleaning sterilization apparatus of this Embodiment is the same as the structure of the washing | cleaning sterilization apparatus of Embodiment 1, the same part attaches | subjects the same code | symbol and abbreviate | omits description.
In FIG. 8, the sterilization and washing apparatus for the air conditioner indoor unit 9 in the present embodiment seals the air conditioner indoor unit 9 by attaching the air conditioner indoor unit cover 18 to the air conditioner indoor unit 9. And after spraying hydrogen peroxide water mist in this sealed air conditioner indoor unit 9, ozone-containing gas is supplied. At this time, in order to measure the ozone concentration in the sealed air conditioner indoor unit 9, the gas in the air conditioner indoor unit 9 is sucked and supplied to the ozone concentration meter 15. Further, in order to remove residual ozone after completion of the ozone treatment, an ozone-containing gas is sucked from the sealed air conditioner indoor unit 9 and supplied to the ozone decomposer 13. Although not shown, when the air conditioner indoor unit cover 18 is removed from the air conditioner indoor unit 9, the ozone generator 4 is stopped, the ozone-containing gas is sucked from the inside of the air conditioner indoor unit 9, and the ozone A configuration for supplying to the decomposer 13 may be provided.

By setting it as such a structure, the sterilization washing | cleaning process space can be reduced to the limit, and the quantity of the hydrogen peroxide solution and ozone to be used can be reduced. As a result, since the hydrogen peroxide generator 1 and the ozone generator 4 can be reduced, an inexpensive sterilization apparatus can be obtained. Further, since it is not necessary to provide the hydrogen peroxide solution generator 1 and the ozone generator 4 in the sterilization cleaning treatment space, hydrogen peroxide generated by the hydrogen peroxide solution generator 1 and ozone generated by the ozone generator 4 are used. Thus, it is possible to obtain a sterilization apparatus that prevents the corrosion of each device due to the above and exhibits stable operation over a long period of time.
Further, as shown in FIG. 9, the ozone generator 4 and the ozone concentration meter 15 are arranged in a space formed between the air conditioner indoor unit 9 and the air conditioner indoor unit cover 18, and the operation is controlled by the controller 17. May be. Even if it is such a structure, the same effect as the above can be acquired.

Embodiment 3 FIG.
The method for sterilizing and cleaning the air conditioner indoor unit 9 according to the present embodiment is basically the same as the method for sterilizing and cleaning the air conditioner indoor unit 9 according to the above embodiment. Before spraying mist, the surface temperature of the air conditioner indoor unit 9 is made lower than the temperature of the hydrogen peroxide mist.
Hereinafter, the sterilization cleaning method of the air conditioner indoor unit 9 in the present embodiment will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG. Note that the basic flow of the cleaning and sterilizing method for the air conditioner indoor unit 9 in the present embodiment is the same as the flow of the cleaning and sterilizing method of the first embodiment shown in FIG. Omitted. Here, in the flowchart of FIG. 10, the steps of “hydrogen peroxide generator 1: ON” to “pump 3: OFF” in the flowchart of FIG. The process of the on-off valve 8: OPEN to the on-off valve 8: CLOSE is referred to as an “ozone treatment process”, and the process of the “ozone decomposer 13: ON” to “ozone decomposer 13: OFF” is referred to as a “residual ozone removal process”. Omitted.

In the cleaning and sterilization method for the air conditioner indoor unit 9 in the present embodiment, first, the air conditioner indoor unit 9 is cooled and the air conditioner indoor unit 9 is cooled. When the surface temperature of the air conditioner indoor unit 9 reaches a predetermined temperature (that is, a temperature lower than the temperature of the hydrogen peroxide solution mist), the cooling operation of the air conditioner indoor unit 9 is stopped. Here, instead of the cooling operation of the air conditioner indoor unit 9, the air conditioner indoor unit 9 may be cooled by supplying cooling air to the air conditioner indoor unit 9. Thereafter, as described with reference to FIG. 2, a thin film formation process using hydrogen peroxide mist, an ozone treatment process, and a residual ozone removal process are performed.
Thus, before spraying the hydrogen peroxide solution mist on the air conditioner indoor unit 9, the surface temperature of the air conditioner indoor unit 9 is made lower than the temperature of the hydrogen peroxide solution mist, so that the hydrogen peroxide solution mist is reduced. When sprayed, the hydrogen peroxide solution mist easily adheres to the inner surface of the air conditioner indoor unit 9, and a thin film of hydrogen peroxide solution can be formed uniformly. As a result, when this thin film of hydrogen peroxide solution is exposed to an ozone-containing gas, a large amount of hydroxy radicals are generated due to the reaction between hydrogen peroxide and ozone in the vicinity of microorganisms present on the inner surface of the air conditioner indoor unit 9. Can be made. This makes it possible to efficiently sterilize microorganisms present on the inner surface of the air conditioner indoor unit 9 by the hydroxy radical before the hydroxy radical is deactivated.
When the cooling operation of the air conditioner indoor unit 9 is performed, moisture in the air inside the air conditioner indoor unit 9 may condense. Therefore, the hydrogen peroxide in the hydrogen peroxide water is compared with the case where the cooling operation is not performed. It is desirable to set the concentration higher.

  In the above description, the surface temperature of the air conditioner indoor unit 9 is made lower than the temperature of the hydrogen peroxide solution mist by cooling the air conditioner indoor unit 9. The surface temperature of the indoor unit 9 may be lower than the temperature of the hydrogen peroxide mist. However, the higher the temperature of the hydrogen peroxide mist, the easier it is for the hydrogen peroxide in the hydrogen peroxide mist to decompose and the sterilization effect may decrease. Care must be taken not to overdo it.

Embodiment 4 FIG.
The method for sterilizing and cleaning the air conditioner indoor unit 9 according to the present embodiment is basically the same as the method for sterilizing and cleaning the air conditioner indoor unit 9 according to the above embodiment. Before the step of forming a thin film of hydrogen peroxide by spraying mist, the method includes a step of exposing the air conditioner indoor unit 9 to an ozone-containing gas.
Hereinafter, the sterilization cleaning method of the air conditioner indoor unit 9 in the present embodiment will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG. Note that the basic flow of the cleaning and sterilizing method for the air conditioner indoor unit 9 in the present embodiment is the same as the flow of the cleaning and sterilizing method of the first embodiment shown in FIG. Is omitted. Here, in the flowchart of FIG. 11, the steps of “hydrogen peroxide generator 1: ON” to “pump 3: OFF” in the flowchart of FIG. The process of the on-off valve 8: OPEN to the on-off valve 8: CLOSE is referred to as an “ozone treatment process”, and the process of the “ozone decomposer 13: ON” to “ozone decomposer 13: OFF” is referred to as a “residual ozone removal process”. Omitted.

In the cleaning and sterilizing method for the air conditioner indoor unit 9 in the present embodiment, first, ozone treatment is performed. The ozone treatment can be performed in the same manner as the ozone treatment described with reference to FIG. After the ozone treatment is finished, residual ozone in the air conditioner indoor unit 9 is removed. The residual ozone can be removed in the same manner as the residual ozone removing method described in the flowchart of FIG. Thereafter, as described with reference to FIG. 2, a thin film formation process using hydrogen peroxide mist, an ozone treatment process, and a residual ozone removal process are performed.
In this way, by performing the step of exposing the air conditioner indoor unit 9 to the ozone-containing gas before the step of spraying the hydrogen peroxide solution mist on the air conditioner indoor unit 9 to form the hydrogen peroxide solution thin film, Organic substances including microorganisms adhering to the surface of the air conditioner indoor unit 9 can be decomposed and removed. In addition, as a result of oxidizing and hydrophilizing the inner surface of the air conditioner indoor unit 9, a thin film of hydrogen peroxide solution is easily formed when the hydrogen peroxide solution mist is sprayed. Therefore, when this thin film of hydrogen peroxide solution is exposed to an ozone-containing gas, a large amount of hydroxy radicals are generated by the reaction between hydrogen peroxide and ozone in the vicinity of microorganisms present on the inner surface of the air conditioner indoor unit 9. be able to. This makes it possible to efficiently sterilize microorganisms present on the inner surface of the air conditioner indoor unit 9 by the hydroxy radical before the hydroxy radical is deactivated.

  As explained above, since hydrogen peroxide and ozone react, spraying hydrogen peroxide mist with ozone remaining will cause ozone and hydrogen peroxide to react and decompose in the gas phase. Resulting in. Therefore, it is desirable to sufficiently remove residual ozone before spraying the hydrogen peroxide mist. However, in order to decompose the residual ozone in the air conditioner indoor unit 9, the hydrogen peroxide solution mist is sprayed to remove the residual ozone, and then the hydrogen peroxide solution mist is formed to form a thin film of the hydrogen peroxide solution. Spraying may be performed again. According to this method, although the operating cost increases due to an increase in the amount of hydrogen peroxide water used, it is not necessary to provide the ozonolysis device 13, so that the equipment cost can be reduced.

  As described above, according to the present invention, it is possible to provide a sterilization cleaning method and a sterilization cleaning apparatus for an air conditioner indoor unit that provide an excellent sterilization effect without affecting the air conditioner indoor unit and the human body. .

  DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Hydrogen peroxide generator, 2 Storage tank, 3 Pump, 4 Ozone generator, 5 Hydrogen peroxide supply nozzle, 6 Ozone containing gas supply nozzle, 7, 8 On-off valve, 9 Air conditioner indoor unit, 10 Heat exchange 11 fan, 12 drain pan, 13 ozonolysis device, 14 sterilization washing treatment room, 15 ozone concentration meter, 16 air conditioning equipment, 17 controller, 18 air conditioner indoor unit cover.

Claims (8)

A step of spraying hydrogen peroxide water mist on the air conditioner indoor unit to form a thin film of hydrogen peroxide solution;
A method of sterilizing and cleaning an air conditioner indoor unit comprising the steps of exposing the air conditioner indoor unit on which the hydrogen peroxide solution thin film is formed to an ozone-containing gas in this order. The method for sterilizing and cleaning an air conditioner indoor unit according to claim 1, wherein the spray amount of the hydrogen peroxide solution mist is 0.005 mL / cm ² or more and 0.02 mL / cm ² or less.   The method for sterilizing and cleaning an air conditioner indoor unit according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the particle size of the hydrogen peroxide solution mist is 10 nm or more and 10 µm or less. The air according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein a product of a hydrogen peroxide concentration in the hydrogen peroxide mist and an ozone concentration in the ozone-containing gas is 6000 ppm ² or more. Sterilization cleaning method for the indoor unit of the harmony machine.   5. The surface temperature of the air conditioner indoor unit is made lower than the temperature of the hydrogen peroxide water mist before spraying the hydrogen peroxide solution mist on the air conditioner indoor unit. The sterilization washing | cleaning method of the air conditioner indoor unit as described in any one of Claims.   The method includes the step of exposing the air conditioner indoor unit to an ozone-containing gas before the step of spraying the hydrogen peroxide water mist on the air conditioner indoor unit to form a thin film of hydrogen peroxide solution. Item 6. The method for sterilizing and cleaning an air conditioner indoor unit according to any one of Items 1 to 5. Hydrogen peroxide supply means for generating hydrogen peroxide,
Hydrogen peroxide solution mist spraying means for misting the hydrogen peroxide solution from the hydrogen peroxide solution supply means and spraying it on an air conditioner indoor unit;
Ozone supply means for generating ozone and providing ozone-containing gas;
An ozone-containing gas supply means for supplying ozone-containing gas from the ozone supply means to an air conditioner indoor unit.   The sterilizing and cleaning apparatus for an air conditioner indoor unit according to claim 7, further comprising ozone concentration measuring means and ozonolysis means.

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