US 10,040,699 B2Granted

Ultraviolet water disinfection system

AssigneeSensor Electronics Technology, Inc.

InventorsSaulius Smetona, Timothy James Bettles, Igor Agafonov, Ignas Gaska, Alexander Dobrinsky, Michael Shur, Remigijus Gaska

Life of this patent

Estimating the term…

patentgrep

Loading patent…

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.

Claims20

Dependent claims

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.

3 more elements

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.

7 more elements

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.

8 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 14/817,558Filed 4 Aug 2015 · continuation in part
Priority: 8 Jul 2013
Published: US 2015/0008167 A126 Nov 2015
Granted: 7 Aug 2018
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification17 codes

C02F 1/325
With ultraviolet light: irradiation devices or lamp constructions
C02F 1/008
Treatment of water, waste water, or sewage: control or steering systems not provided for elsewhere in subclass C02F
C02F 1/001
Treatment of water, waste water, or sewage: processes for the treatment of water whereby the filtration technique is of importance
C02F 2201/3222
Lamp arrangement: units using UV-light emitting diodes [LED]

Family

Application61/843,498Us provisional application · filed 8 Jul 2013
Application61/874,969Us provisional application · filed 6 Sep 2013
Application14/324,528Parent of this continuation-in-part · filed 7 Jul 2014
Application62/032,730Us provisional application · filed 4 Aug 2014
US 2015/0336810 A1Pre-grant publication · published 26 Nov 2015
US 2015/0008167 A1Published application
US 9,802,840 B2Related patent
US 10,040,699 B2This patent

From the US filing history. Foreign family members aren’t listed.