Water treatment method and apparatus

A laundry washing apparatus comprising:

• a chamber constructed and arranged to receive laundry and wash water therein, means for agitating the laundry in the wash water, a generator having an electrically energized lamp producing ultraviolet radiation to which air is exposed to produce activated air, an injector constructed and arranged to disperse bubbles of the activated air from the generator in the wash water, a pump constructed and arranged to recirculate the washer water through the chamber with activated air dispersed in the wash water in the chamber while agitating the laundry therein, and said generator has at least one cell having an axially elongate tube having a fluid inlet adjacent one end and a fluid outlet adjacent the other end, an electrically energized and axially elgonate ultraviolet lamp received in and extending generally axially of said tube, and a plurality of baffles received in said tube in axially spaced apart relation and extending generally transversely of the axis of said tube and constructed and arranged to provide a serpentine path for the flow of air through said tube between said inlet and outlet thereof.

A laundry washing apparatus comprising:

• a chamber constructed and arranged to receive laundry and wash water therein, means for agitating the laundry in the wash water, a generator having an electrically energized lamp producing ultraviolet radiation to which air is exposed to produce activated air, a mixer constructed and arranged to subject the wash water flowing therethrough to turbulent flow conditions, a pump constructed and arranged to recirculate the wash water through the chamber with activated air dispersed in the wash water in the chamber while agitating the laundry therein, and an injector disposed upstream of said mixer and having an axially elongate casing tube with an inlet adjacent one end and an outlet adjacent the other end through which the water is recirculated, and a discharge tube with a porous sidewall permeable to air disposed in said casing tube, having an outside diameter which is smaller than the inside diameter of said casing tube and being operably connected with said generator and constructed and arranged so that in operation the activated air produced by said generator passes through said porous sidewall and is discharged into the water flowing through said casing tube.

A laundry washing apparatus comprising:

• a chamber constructed and arranged to receive laundry and wash water therein, means for agitating the laundry in the wash water, a generator having an electrically energized lamp producing ultraviolet radiation to which air is exposed to produce activated air, a mixer constructed and arranged to disperse bubbles of the activated air from the generator in the wash water, and a pump constructed and arranged to recirculate the wash water through the chamber with activated air dispersed in the wash water in the chamber while agitating the laundry therein, and said mixer has an axially elongate casing tube with an inlet adjacent one end and an outlet adjacent the other end through which water with activated air therein flows and a plurality of baffles received in said casing tube in axially spaced apart relation between said inlet and outlet, said baffles extending generally transversely of the axis of said casing tube and being constructed and arranged to provide a serpentine path for the flow of wash water with activated air therein through said casing tube between said inlet and outlet thereof.