Ultraviolet water disinfection system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10040699-B2
Application number	US-201514817558-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 4, 2015
Priority date	Jul 8, 2013
Publication date	Aug 7, 2018
Grant date	Aug 7, 2018

Abstract

A solution for treating a fluid, such as water, is provided. An ultraviolet transparency of a fluid can be determined before or as the fluid enters a disinfection chamber. In the disinfection chamber, the fluid can be irradiated by ultraviolet radiation to harm microorganisms that may be present in the fluid. One or more attributes of the disinfection chamber, fluid flow, and/or ultraviolet radiation can be adjusted based on the transparency to provide more efficient irradiation and/or higher disinfection rates. In addition, various attributes of the disinfection chamber, such as the position of the inlet(s) and outlet(s), the shape of the disinfection chamber, and other attributes of the disinfection chamber can be utilized to create a turbulent flow of the fluid within the disinfection chamber to promote mixing and improve uniform ultraviolet exposure.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A system comprising:
a disinfection chamber for disinfecting a fluid, the disinfection chamber comprising:
an outer chamber, the outer chamber including ultraviolet reflective material;
an inner chamber located within the outer chamber, the inner chamber including ultraviolet transparent material;
a low index of refraction material separating the outer chamber and the inner chamber, wherein the low index of refraction material has an index of refraction lower than an index of refraction of the fluid;
at least one inlet located at a first end of the disinfection chamber and at least one outlet located at a second end of the disinfection chamber, wherein the fluid flows through the at least one inlet directly into the inner chamber and directly out of the inner chamber through the at least one outlet, such that the fluid is only within the inner chamber, and wherein the at least one inlet and the at least one outlet are positioned to provide a rotational force to the fluid within the inner chamber, and
a set of ultraviolet radiation sources configured to emit ultraviolet radiation directed towards the inner chamber to treat the fluid located within the inner chamber.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the set of ultraviolet radiation sources are located within the outer chamber and outside of the inner chamber.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the inner chamber comprises: a first transparent inner chamber and a second transparent inner chamber located within the first transparent inner chamber.

4. The system of claim 3 , further comprising a passageway connecting the first transparent inner chamber and the second transparent inner chamber.

5. The system of claim 3 , wherein an exterior surface of the second transparent inner chamber includes a set of roughening elements to provide mixing of the fluid.

6. The system of claim 3 , further comprising a rotational unit configured to rotate the first transparent inner chamber around an axis of the second transparent inner chamber.

7. The system of claim 3 , wherein a cross sectional area of at least one of: the first transparent inner chamber and the second transparent inner chamber changes along a length of the disinfection chamber.

8. The system of claim 3 , wherein an exterior surface of the second transparent inner chamber includes a set of fins configured to provide additional rotational force to the fluid.

9. The system of claim 1 , wherein the inner chamber includes a pitch configured to provide additional rotational force to the fluid.

10. The system of claim 1 , wherein the at least one inlet includes a set of smaller inlets located along a length of the at least one inlet, the set of smaller inlets configured to provide additional rotational force to the fluid.

11. The system of claim 1 , wherein the at least one outlet comprises a set of outlet pipes adjacent to a heat sink for the set of ultraviolet radiation sources, wherein the set of outlet pipes are configured to extract heat from the heat sink.

12. A system comprising:
a disinfection chamber for disinfecting a fluid, the disinfection chamber comprising:
an outer chamber, the outer chamber including ultraviolet reflective material;
an inner chamber located within the outer chamber, the inner chamber including ultraviolet transparent material;
a low index of refraction material separating the outer chamber and the inner chamber, wherein the low index of refraction material has an index of refraction lower than an index of refraction of the fluid;
at least one inlet located at a first end of the disinfection chamber and at least one outlet located at a second end of the disinfection chamber, wherein the fluid flows through the at least one inlet directly into the inner chamber and directly out of the inner chamber through the at least one outlet, such that the fluid is only within the inner chamber, and wherein the at least one inlet and the at least one outlet are positioned to provide a rotational force to the fluid within the inner chamber; and
a set of ultraviolet radiation sources configured to emit ultraviolet radiation directed towards the inner chamber to treat the fluid located within the inner chamber;

a sensing component located adjacent to the at least one inlet configured to obtain sensing data corresponding to a transparency of the fluid; and
a control component configured to determine the transparency of the fluid using the sensing data and control the set of ultraviolet radiation sources based on the transparency of the fluid.

13. The system of claim 12 , wherein the set of ultraviolet radiation sources are located within the outer chamber and outside of the inner chamber.

14. The system of claim 12 , wherein the inner chamber comprises: a first transparent inner chamber and a second transparent inner chamber located within the first transparent inner chamber.

15. The system of claim 14 , further comprising a passageway connecting the first transparent inner chamber and the second transparent inner chamber.

16. The system of claim 14 , wherein an exterior surface of the second transparent inner chamber includes a set of roughening elements to provide mixing of the fluid.

17. The system of claim 14 , further comprising a rotational unit configured to rotate the first transparent inner chamber around an axis of the second transparent inner chamber.

18. A system comprising:
a cylindrical disinfection chamber for disinfecting a fluid, the disinfection chamber comprising:
an outer chamber, the outer chamber including ultraviolet reflective material;
an inner chamber located within the outer chamber, the inner chamber including ultraviolet transparent material;
a low index of refraction material separating the outer chamber and the inner chamber, wherein the low index of refraction material has an index of refraction lower than an index of refraction of the fluid;
at least one inlet located at a first end of the disinfection chamber and at least one outlet located at a second end of the disinfection chamber, wherein the fluid flows through the at least one inlet directly into the inner chamber and directly out of the inner chamber through the at least one outlet such that the fluid is only within the inner chamber, and wherein the at least one inlet and the at least one outlet are positioned to provide a rotational force to the fluid within the inner chamber; and
a set of ultraviolet radiation sources configured to emit ultraviolet radiation directed towards the inner chamber to treat the fluid located within the inner chamber;

a filtering system located at the at least one inlet of the disinfection chamber configured to filter the fluid;
a sensing component located along the flow path for the fluid, the sensing component configured to obtain sensing data corresponding to a transparency of the fluid; and
a control component configured to control the set of ultraviolet radiation sources based on the transparency of the fluid.

19. The system of claim 18 , the set of ultraviolet radiation sources are located within the outer chamber and outside of the inner chamber.

20. The system of claim 18 , wherein the inner chamber comprises: a first transparent inner chamber and a second transparent inner chamber located within the first transparent inner chamber, and wherein a passageway connects the first transparent inner chamber and the second transparent inner chamber.

Assignees

• Sensor Electronic Tech Inc
• Sensor Electronics Tech Inc

Inventors

• Smetona Saulius
• Bettles Timothy James
• Agafonov Igor
• Gaska Ignas
• Dobrinsky Alexander
• Shur Michael
• Gaska Remigijus

Classifications

• C02F2201/3226

  Units using UV-light emitting lasers · CPC title

• C02F2209/40

  Liquid flow rate · CPC title

• C02F2209/05

  Conductivity or salinity · CPC title

• C02F2201/3228

  Units having reflectors, e.g. coatings, baffles, plates, mirrors · CPC title

• C02F1/008

  Control or steering systems not provided for elsewhere in subclass C02F · CPC title