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US 2006/0186059 A1Published application
Apparatus for disinfecting fluid using ultraviolet radiation
AssigneeHoneywell International Inc.
InventorRobert Saccomanno
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Ultraviolet radiation is used to disinfect water or a fluid in a flow tube, where the flow tube acts as a fluid filled light guide for the ultraviolet radiation and the ultraviolet radiation propagates through the flow tube via total internal reflection.
Claims11
A liquid light pipe based fluid purification system comprising
- a cladding mechanism defining the wall of a liquid light pipe within which the fluid is to be purified, the fluid flowing within the liquid light pipe wall having a refractive index greater than the refractive index of said cladding mechanism defining the wall of the liquid light pipe, and
- a source of ultraviolet energy directing ultraviolet radiation into the fluid within the liquid light pipe, the ultraviolet radiation being guided within the liquid light pipe via total internal reflection due to the differences in the refractive indices of said fluid and said cladding mechanism defining the wall of the liquid light pipe.
An apparatus for purifying a fluid and comprising
- a cladding tube through which the fluid to be purified is channeled, the fluid having a refractive index greater than the refractive index of said cladding tube, and
- a source of ultraviolet energy positioned to couple ultraviolet radiation into the fluid within said cladding tube, said ultraviolet radiation being guided through said cladding tube via total internal reflection due the differences of refractive indices.
A method for purifying a fluid by ultraviolet radiation, said method comprising
- directing the fluid through a liquid light pipe structure, the fluid having a greater refractive index than the light pipe structure within a range of wave lengths of the ultraviolet radiation, whereby the ultraviolet radiation travels within the liquid light pipe structure by total internal reflection.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.