UV-LED radiation photoreactor

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10640397-B2
Application number	US-201815922667-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 15, 2018
Priority date	Oct 28, 2013
Publication date	May 5, 2020
Grant date	May 5, 2020

Abstract

A reactor that operates with ultraviolet light emitting diodes (UV-LEDs) to attain UV photoreactions or UV photo-initiated reaction in a fluid flow for various applications, including water purification. The UV-LED reactor is comprised of a conduit means for passing fluid flow, an ultraviolet light emitting diode (UV-LED), and a radiation-focusing element to focus the UV-LED radiation to the fluid in the longitudinal direction of the conduit. The UV-LED reactor may include photocatalysts or chemical oxidants, which are activated by UV emitted by UV-LEDs for photocatalytic and photo-initiated reactions.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method of directing ultraviolet (UV) radiation into at least one photoreaction chamber of a photoreactor apparatus, the method comprising:
causing at least one lens to refract at least some of the UV radiation into the at least one photoreaction chamber, the at least one lens comprising a first at least one lens and a second at least one lens, wherein causing the at least one lens to refract the at least some of the UV radiation into the at least one photoreaction chamber comprises:
causing the first at least one lens to converge at least some rays of the UV radiation onto the second at least one lens; and
causing the second at least one lens to refract at least some of the converged rays of the UV radiation into the at least one photoreaction chamber.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the at least one photoreaction chamber comprises a longitudinal fluid conduit defining a longitudinal fluid flow direction in the longitudinal fluid conduit.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein causing the at least one lens to refract the at least some of the UV radiation into the at least one photoreaction chamber comprises causing the second at least one lens to refract the at least some of the converged rays of the UV radiation generally along the longitudinal fluid flow direction of the fluid conduit.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein:
the longitudinal fluid conduit has a transverse cross section and a central longitudinal axis extending through the transverse cross section; and
the at least one lens refracts the at least some of the UV radiation substantially throughout the transverse cross section of the fluid conduit including the central longitudinal axis of the fluid conduit.

5. The method of claim 3 , wherein causing the second at least one lens to refract the at least some of the converged rays of the UV radiation generally along the longitudinal fluid flow direction of the fluid conduit comprises causing the second at least one lens to collimate the at least some of the converged rays of the UV radiation generally along the longitudinal fluid flow direction of the fluid conduit.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein:
the first at least one lens comprises a converging lens; and
the second at least one lens comprises a collimating lens.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein causing the second at least one lens to refract the at least some of the converged rays of the UV radiation comprises causing the second at least one lens to collimate the at least some of the converged rays of the UV radiation.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein causing the at least one lens to refract the at least some of the UV radiation into the at least one photoreaction chamber comprises irradiating at least one fluid in the at least one photoreaction chamber.

9. The method of claim 1 , further comprising causing at least one UV-light-emitting diode (UV-LED) to emit the UV radiation.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein at least one UV-transparent body separates the at least one lens from the at least one photoreaction chamber.

11. A photoreactor apparatus comprising:
at least one photoreaction chamber;
a means for emitting ultraviolet (UV) radiation; and
a means for refracting at least some of the UV radiation into the at least one photoreaction chamber, wherein the means for refracting the at least some of the UV radiation into the at least one photoreaction chamber comprises:
a means for converging at least some rays of the UV radiation emitted from the UV-radiation emitter into converged rays of the UV radiation; and
a means for refracting at least some of the converged rays of the UV radiation into the at least one photoreaction chamber.

12. A photoreactor apparatus comprising:
at least one photoreaction chamber;
an ultraviolet (UV)-radiation emitter (UV-radiation emitter); and
at least one lens configured to refract at least some UV radiation emitted from the UV-radiation emitter into the at least one photoreaction chamber, wherein the at least one lens comprises:
a first at least one lens configured to converge at least some rays of the UV radiation emitted from the UV-radiation emitter into converged rays of the UV radiation; and
a second at least one lens configured to refract at least some of the converged rays of the UV radiation into the at least one photoreaction chamber.

13. The apparatus of claim 12 , wherein the UV-radiation emitter comprises a UV-light-emitting diode (UV-LED).

14. The apparatus of claim 12 , wherein the UV-radiation emitter comprises a plurality of UV-LEDs.

15. The apparatus of claim 12 , wherein the first at least one lens comprises a converging lens.

16. The apparatus of claim 15 , wherein the second at least one lens comprises a collimating lens.

17. The apparatus of claim 15 , wherein the converging lens is integrated into the UV-radiation emitter.

18. The apparatus of claim 15 , wherein the converging lens comprises at least one convex face.

19. The apparatus of claim 16 , wherein the collimating lens is integrated into the UV-radiation emitter.

20. The apparatus of claim 12 , wherein the first at least one lens consists of a converging lens.

21. The apparatus of claim 20 , wherein the second at least one lens consists of collimating lens.

22. The apparatus of claim 12 , wherein the apparatus is devoid of any optical components between the first at least one lens and the second at least one lens such that the first at least one lens is configured to direct at least some of the converged rays of the UV radiation directly onto the second at least one lens.

23. The apparatus of claim 12 , wherein the second at least one lens comprises a collimating lens.

24. The apparatus of claim 23 , wherein the collimating lens comprises a plano face.

25. The apparatus of claim 12 , wherein:
the at least one photoreaction chamber comprises a fluid conduit having a longitudinal fluid flow direction; and
the second at least one lens is configured to refract the at least some of the converged rays of the UV radiation generally along the longitudinal fluid flow direction of the fluid conduit.

26. The apparatus of claim 12 , wherein the at least one photoreaction chamber comprises a fluid conduit having a longitudinal fluid flow direction.

27. The apparatus of claim 25 , wherein the first at least one lens is configured to refract the at least some of the UV radiation generally along the longitudinal fluid flow direction of the fluid conduit.

28. The apparatus of claim 27 , wherein:
the longitudinal fluid conduit has a transverse cross section and a central longitudinal axis extending through the transverse cross section; and
the at least one lens is configured to refract the at least some of the UV radiation substantially throughout the transverse cross section of the fluid conduit including the central longitudinal axis of the fluid conduit.

29. The apparatus of claim 28 , wherein the first at least one lens comprises a converging lens.

30. The apparatus of claim 28 , wherein the second at least one lens comprises a collimating lens.

31. The apparatus of claim 29 , wherein the second at least one lens comprises a collimating lens.

32. The apparatus of claim 27 , wherein the UV-radiation emitter is positioned at one or more longitudinal ends of

Assignees

• Univ British Columbia

Inventors

• Taghipour Fariborz

Classifications

• C02F1/32

  with ultraviolet light · CPC title

• C02F2307/10

  as part of a potable water dispenser, e.g. for use in homes or offices · CPC title

• C02F2103/026

  Treating water for medical or cosmetic purposes · CPC title

• C02F2307/12

  as part of household appliances such as dishwashers, laundry washing machines or vacuum cleaners · CPC title

• C02F2201/3228

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