Sterilizer

A lamp assembly for use in a fluid sterilization system, the lamp assembly comprising:

• one or more lamp clusters, the lamp clusters comprising one or more electrodeless ultraviolet lamps for receiving microwaves;
• a substantially microwave-opaque waveguide wholly surrounding the lamp clusters to form a waveguide enclosure, the waveguide blocking the escape of the microwaves so as to substantially contain the microwaves within the waveguide enclosure thereby directing the microwaves to the lamp clusters;
• the waveguide comprising a flange, an end cap and a mesh, the mesh extending from the flange to the end cap, the waveguide allowing emission of UV rays to the fluids;
• a housing releasably coupled to the flange, the housing comprising a a microwave generator, for generating and transmitting microwaves to excite the UV lamps to emit UV rays;
• a power source to light the UV lamps;
• and
• a sleeve essentially transparent to UV rays, the sleeve enclosing the waveguide and coxial with the waveguide, the sleeve comprising a material impervious to fluids to protect the waveguide from the fluids while allowing the emission of UV rays into the fluids.

A fluid sterilization system comprising:

• a closed vessel system having an inlet and an outlet;
• one or more lamp clusters positioned within the closed vessel system, each lamp cluster comprising one or more electrodeless ultraviolet lamps for receiving microwaves;
• a waveguide comprising a size and shape to wholly surround the lamp clusters to substantially enclose the microwaves within the waveguide, the waveguide further comprising a flange;
• a sleeve essentially transparent to UV rays, the sleeve enclosing the waveguide and coxial with the waveguide, the sleeve comprising a material impervious to fluids to protect the waveguide from the fluids while allowing the emission of UV rays into the fluids;
• and
• a housing, the housing comprising a microwave generator for generating and transmitting microwaves to excite the UV lamps to emit UV rays and an antenna extending from the microwave generator to transmit the microwaves;
• a power source to light the UV lamps;
• and
• a launcher releaseably connected to the flange, the launcher positioned adjacent to antenna to receive the microwaves and transmit the microwaves from the antenna to the waveguide.

A modular lamp assembly comprising:

• one or more lamp assemblies grouped in selective multiples to form one or more modules;
• the one or more lamp assemblies comprising at least one or more electrodeless UV lamps for receiving microwaves from a microwave generator;
• an essentially UV transparent, substantially microwave-opaque waveguide wholly surrounding the electrodeless UV lamps to substantially contain the microwaves within the waveguide and direct the UV rays to the UV lamps;
• the waveguide comprising an end cap, a flange and a mesh connecting the flange to the end cap to enclose the one or more UV lamps;
• a sleeve essentially transparent to UV rays enclosing the waveguide and coaxial with the waveguide, and
• a housing comprising a microwave generator releasably coupled to the waveguide flange.