Compact high-throughput ultraviolet processing chamber

A compact processing chamber for decontamination, disinfection and other treatment of waste water or the like with ultraviolet (UV) radiation comprising:

• a chamber body defining a flow passageway for water or the like under treatment, said chamber body including an inlet port and an outlet port for said water under treatment;
• a plurality of lamp shells formed of a material substantially transparent to UV radiation, said shells extending transversely through said passageway and being linearly disposed along said passageway in the flow direction of said water under treatment;
• a removable lamp module including a base portion and an array of UV lamps linearly disposed on said base portion in registration with said lamp shells, said module providing electrical power connections to said lamps and said lamps extending through said lamp shells so as to irradiate the water under treatment in said passageway;
• wherein said lamp module is easily removable from said chamber body in such a way that removal of said lamp module does not affect the flow of waste water or the like through the chamber body;
• and
• a plurality of flow diverters disposed within said chamber extending substantially parallel to said lamp shells, said flow diverters being structured and arranged to direct the water under treatment to peripheral regions of the chamber passageway and to regions of the passageway proximate to said lamp shells wherein at least one such parallel flow diverter is shaped and disposed with respect to each shell so as to divert flowing water from a faster flowing portion of the flow to a slower flowing portion of the flow in the vicinity of said shell;
• and
• a receiving assembly disposed opposite said base portion and structured to receive said lamps and provide electrical power connections thereto;
• wherein said base portion and receiving assembly are formed to be in flow communication with said lamp shells to permit circulation of coolant therethrough and about said lamps within said lamp shells to cool said lamps.

A compact processing chamber for decontamination, disinfection and other treatment of waste water or the like with ultraviolet (UV) radiation from linear flashlamps, linear medium-pressure mercury lamps, and the like comprising:

• a chamber body defining a flow passageway for water or the like under treatment, said chamber body including an inlet port and an outlet port for said water under treatment;
• a removable lamp module including a base portion and an array of linear UV lamps on said base portion, said module providing electrical power connections to said lamps;
• wherein said lamp module is easily removable from said chamber body in such a way that removal of said lamp module does not affect the flow of waste water or the like through the chamber body;
• and
• an enclosed volume for said array of linear UV lamps, said enclosed volume having a protective wall substantially transparent to UV radiation and said wall being disposed to permit UV radiation to pass from said array to said flow passageway, wherein said array of lamps extends into said enclosed volume so as to irradiate the water under treatment in said passageway;
• a plurality of flow diverters disposed within said chamber, said flow diverters being structured and arranged to direct the water under treatment from peripheral regions of the chamber passageway and to regions of the passageway of higher UV intensity proximate to said lamp volume;
• and
• a receiving assembly disposed opposite said base portion and structured to receive said lamps and provide electrical power connections thereto;
• wherein said base portion and receiving assembly are formed to be in flow communication with said lamp volume to permit circulation of coolant therethrough and about said lamps within said lamp shells to cool said lamps.

A replaceable UV lamp module for use with a processing chamber for decontamination, disinfection and other treatment of waste water or the like with ultraviolet (UV) radiation, said processing chamber comprising:

• a chamber body defining a flow passageway for water or the like under treatment, said chamber body including an inlet port and an outlet port for said water under treatment;
• and
• wherein said lamp module is easily removable from said chamber body in such a way that removal of said lamp module does not affect the flow of waste water or the like through the chamber body;
• and
• a plurality of lamp shells formed of a material substantially transparent to UV radiation, said shells extending transversely through said passageway;
• wherein said replaceable lamp module comprises:
• a linear array of UV lamps;
• and
• a base portion formed to hold the lamps of said linear array in a disposition aligned with the plurality of lamp shells in said processing chamber, said base portion being further formed to define a flow passageway for coolant, said coolant flow passageway being in flow communication with the region exterior to said lamps and providing a sealing member for each lamp to seal said base portion at each said lamp to the respective shell in said processing chamber.