Ultraviolet Irradiation of Fluids

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2019100718-A1
Application number	US-201816142965-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Sep 26, 2018
Priority date	Sep 30, 2017
Publication date	Apr 4, 2019
Grant date	—

Abstract

Ultraviolet irradiation of fluids for the purposes of disinfection, sterilization and modification of a target organic compound found within the fluids. The target compound in the fluids can have an absorption spectra with an ultraviolet wavelength ranging from 230 nm to 360 nm. The absorption spectra includes a first and second set of wavelengths corresponding to absorption peaks and absorption valleys in the absorption spectra, respectively. A-set of ultraviolet radiation sources irradiate the fluids. The set of ultraviolet radiation sources operate at a set of peak wavelengths ranging from 230 nm to 360 nm with a peak full width at half maximum that is less than 20 nm. The set of peak wavelengths are proximate to at least one wavelength in the second set of wavelengths corresponding to the absorption valleys in the absorption spectra with a variation of a full width half maximum of the absorption valley.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A system, comprising:
a fluid having a target compound with an absorption spectra having an ultraviolet wavelength ranging from 230 nm to 360 nm, the absorption spectra including a first set of wavelengths corresponding to absorption peaks in the absorption spectra and a second set of wavelengths corresponding to absorption valleys in the absorption spectra; and a set of ultraviolet radiation sources to irradiate the fluid, the set of ultraviolet radiation sources configured to operate at a set of peak wavelengths ranging from 230 nm to 360 nm with a peak full width at half maximum that is less than 20 nm, wherein each of the set of peak wavelengths is proximate in value to at least one wavelength in the second set of wavelengths corresponding to the absorption valleys in the absorption spectra with an allowed variation of a full width half maximum of the absorption valley.

2 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the set of peak wavelengths generated from the set of ultraviolet radiation sources each have a width that precludes wavelength regions in proximity to the first set of wavelengths corresponding to the absorption peaks in the absorption spectra.

3 . The system of claim 2 , wherein the set of peak wavelengths generated from the set of ultraviolet radiation sources coincide within a full width at half maximum value of a wavelength associated with one of the absorption valleys in the absorption spectra.

4 . The system 1 , wherein each of the set of peak wavelengths correlates with at least one wavelength in the second set of wavelengths corresponding to the absorption valleys in the absorption spectra, wherein absorption at any wavelength in the second set of wavelengths is at least less than half the difference between an absorption value of a neighboring highest absorption peak and an absorption value at its corresponding absorption valley.

5 . A system, comprising:
a fluid having a target compound with an absorption spectra having an ultraviolet wavelength ranging from 230 nm to 360 nm, the absorption spectra including a first set of wavelengths corresponding to absorption peaks in the absorption spectra and a second set of wavelengths corresponding to absorption valleys in the absorption spectra; and an ultraviolet treatment chamber to treat the fluid with ultraviolet radiation, the ultraviolet treatment chamber including a set of ultraviolet radiation sources to irradiate the fluid, the set of ultraviolet radiation sources configured to operate at a set of peak wavelengths ranging from 230 nm to 360 nm with a peak full width at half maximum that is less than 20 nm, wherein the set of peak wavelengths are proximate in value to at least one wavelength in the second set of wavelengths corresponding to the absorption valleys in the absorption spectra with an allowed variation of a full width half maximum of the absorption valley, at least one sensor to detect a process condition associated with the fluid; and a control unit operatively coupled to the set of ultraviolet radiation sources and the at least one sensor, wherein the control unit is configured to adjust at least one of a plurality of irradiation parameters associated with the radiation generated from the set of ultraviolet radiation sources as a function of the process condition detected by the at least one sensor, the plurality of irradiation parameters comprising the wavelength of the ultraviolet radiation emitted by the set of ultraviolet radiation sources, an intensity or overall dosage of the ultraviolet radiation delivered to a volume of the fluid in the ultraviolet treatment chamber by the set of ultraviolet radiation sources, and a treatment time that the ultraviolet radiation sources deliver the ultraviolet radiation to the fluid.

6 . The system of claim 5 , further comprising a conduit to transport the fluid into, through, and out from the ultraviolet treatment chamber.

7 . The system of claim 6 , wherein the conduit comprises an ultraviolet transparent conduit, wherein the ultraviolet transparent conduit comprises a predetermined height that allows passage of ultraviolet radiation while the fluid is transported through the ultraviolet treatment chamber.

8 . The system of claim 5 , wherein the set of peak wavelengths generated from the set of ultraviolet radiation sources each has a width that precludes wavelength regions in proximity to the first set of wavelengths corresponding to the absorption peaks in the absorption spectra.

9 . The system of claim 5 , wherein the set of ultraviolet radiation sources include a sub -set of sources that operate at wavelengths ranging from 250 nm to 290 nm.

10 . The system 9 , wherein each of the set of peak wavelengths correlates with at least one wavelength in the second set of wavelengths corresponding to the absorption valleys in the absorption spectra, wherein absorption at any wavelength in the second set of wavelengths is at least less than half the difference between an absorption value of a neighboring highest absorption peak and an absorption value at its corresponding absorption valley.

11 . A system, comprising:
a fluid having a target compound with an absorption spectra having an ultraviolet wavelength ranging from 230 nm to 360 nm, the absorption spectra including a first set of wavelengths corresponding to absorption peaks in the absorption spectra and a second set of wavelengths corresponding to absorption valleys in the absorption spectra; an ultraviolet transparent conduit to transport the fluid about a beverage manufacturing process having multiple fluid processing stages for formation of the beverage; and at least one ultraviolet treatment chamber located about a fluid processing stage within the beverage manufacturing process to treat the fluid, the at least one ultraviolet treatment chamber including a set of ultraviolet radiation sources configured to irradiate the fluid, the set of ultraviolet radiation sources operating at a set of peak wavelengths ranging from 230 nm to 360 nm with a peak full width at half maximum that is less than 20 nm, wherein the set of peak wavelengths are proximate in value to at least one wavelength in the second set of wavelengths corresponding to the absorption valleys in the absorption spectra with an allowed variation of a full width half maximum of the absorption valley, at least one sensor to detect a process condition associated with the fluid, and a control unit operatively coupled to the set of ultraviolet radiation sources and the at least one sensor, wherein the control unit is configured to adjust at least one of a plurality of irradiation parameters associated with the radiation generated from the set of ultraviolet radiation sources as a function of the process condition detected by the at least one sensor.

12 . The system of claim 11 , wherein the at least one sensor comprises a fluid transparency sensor configured to detect the transparency of the fluid, wherein the control unit is configured to adjust at least one of the plurality of irradiation parameters generated by the set of ultraviolet radiation sources as a function of the transparency of the fluid.

13 . The system of claim 11 , wherein the at least one sensor comprises a fluorescence sensor configured to detect the fluorescence emissivity of the fluid after irradiation by the set of ultraviolet radiation sources, wherein the control unit is configured to adjust at least one of the plurality of irradiation parameters generated by the set of ultraviolet radiation sources as a function of the wavelength and the intensity of the fluorescence of the fluid.

14 . The system

Assignees

• Sensor Electronic Tech Inc

Inventors

• Estes Faris Mills Morrison
• Dobrinsky Alexander

Classifications

• C12C11/006

  Fermentation tanks therefor · CPC title

• C12H1/165 Primary

  by irradiation · CPC title

• C12C7/20

  Boiling the beerwort (brew kettles C12C13/02) · CPC title