ULTRAVIOLET WATER PURIFICATION SYSTEM

• US 20090084734A1
• Filed: 09/27/2007
• Published: 04/02/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 09/27/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Water of Life LLC
• Original Assignee: Water of Life LLC
• Inventors: YENCHO, STEPHEN A.
• Granted Patent: US 7,862,728 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 210/741
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 1/281 using inorganic sorbents
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 1/283 using coal, charred products, or inorganic mixtures containing them
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 1/325 Irradiation devices or lamp constructions
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 2101/20 Heavy metals or heavy metal compounds
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 2101/306 Pesticides
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 2201/004 Seals, connections
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 2201/008 Mobile apparatus and plants, e.g. mounted on a vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 2201/326 Lamp control systems
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 2201/328 Having flow diverters (baffles)
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 2209/008 comprising telecommunication features, e.g. modems or antennas
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 2209/02 Temperature
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 2209/11 Turbidity
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 2209/40 Liquid flow rate
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 2303/04 Disinfection
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 5/00 Softening water; Preventing scale; Adding scale preventatives or scale removers to water, e.g. adding sequestering agents softening using ion-exchange C02F1/42
• CPC Class Codes: Y02W 10/37 using solar energy

Abstract

An Ultraviolet-C (UVC) based portable water purification system employing a novel array of baffles increases the efficiency per unit energy of irradiating UVC light in the eradication of pathogens in the water. Closed loop feedback allows monitoring the application of UVC light power to ensure high levels of pathogen eradication. This system is capable of eradicating a wide range of waterborne bacteria, viruses, protozoa, helminthes, yeast, and mold found in natural freshwater sources worldwide. By adding pre- or post-filters, the system can remove harmful organic compounds, pesticides, inorganic compounds and heavy metals from the water. The system can also be used to eradicate pathogens in fluids other than water. As a feature of this invention, a communications systems that can reach geographically dispersed populations at low cost without the need to install costly wired communications infrastructure is combined with and powered by the water purification system. In one embodiment, a packet radio system is provided to create nodes in a wireless mesh communications system to provide voice, data, video and internet communications using an array of the water purifiers to create a wireless mesh network.

Claims

1. A fluid purification system comprising:

a chamber through which fluid can flow, said chamber having an inlet through which fluid enters the chamber and an outlet through which fluid exits the chamber,

a source for providing ultraviolet light within said chamber; and

a plurality of baffles within said chamber for defining a multiplicity of subchambers within said chamber through which fluid to be purified flows from said inlet to said outlet;

each said subchamber being located to receive ultraviolet light.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein said subchambers are located along said source of ultraviolet light.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein at least a portion of said source of ultraviolet light is located within each of said subchambers.

4. A water purification system comprising:

a chamber having an inlet through which water enters the chamber and an outlet through which water exits the chamber;

at least one ultraviolet light source for producing ultraviolet light within said chamber; and

a plurality of baffles defining a multiplicity of subchambers within said chamber, said subchambers being located to receive ultraviolet light from said at least one source of ultraviolet light.

5. The system of claim 4 wherein said at least one ultraviolet light source is coated with a UV transmissive material.

6. The system of claim 5 wherein said transmissive material comprises a fluoropolymer.

7. The system of claim 6 wherein said fluoropolymer comprises a material selected from the group consisting of fluoroethylenepropylene, polytetrafluoroethylene, PFA, AF, and ETFE.

8. The system of claim 4 including:

an ultrasonic generator arranged to remove deposits from said system.

9. The system of claim 8 wherein said ultrasonic generator is arranged to turn on from time-to-time during operation of said system.

10. The system of claim 9 wherein said ultrasonic generator is arranged to turn on periodically during operation of said system.

11. The system of claim 4 wherein each baffle comprises a disk with at least one opening, each said disk being mounted in said chamber such that said at least one ultraviolet light source extends through said at least one opening.

12. The system of claim 11 wherein each baffle further includes a number of lips formed around the circumference of said opening.

13. The system of claim 12 wherein said lips cause water passing through said opening into a subchamber to dwell in said subchamber so as to be exposed to ultraviolet light from said source of ultraviolet light.

14. The system of claim 4 further comprising a circuit for causing a time delay between the turning on of the system and the beginning of the flow of water through the system to allow the system to purify any water dwelling in the system prior to the turning on of the system before water begins to flow through the system.

15. The system of claim 4 further comprising:

at least one sensor for sensing the ultraviolet light and for stopping the flow of water through said chamber should the ultraviolet light drop below a selected intensity.

16. The system of claim 8 further comprising:

at least one sensor for sensing the current to said at least one ultraviolet light source and for stopping the flow of water through said chamber should said current drop below a selected intensity.

17. The system of claim 16 further comprising:

means for turning on said ultrasonic generator in response to a signal from said sensor stopping the flow of water through said chamber.

18. The system of claim 4 further comprising:

a quartz tube surrounding each ultraviolet light source.

27. The system of claim 12 wherein each baffle has at least one fluid passage near the edge of the baffle.

28. The system of claim 12 wherein each baffle includes one or more features to cause the fluid passing the baffle to flow at least in part circumferentially around the source of ultraviolet light.

29. The system of claim 28 wherein said one or more features comprises:

one or more openings in the baffle.

30. The system of claim 28 wherein each said baffle is formed mainly in a plane and said one or more features comprises one or more portions of the baffle formed other than in said plane.

46. The structure as in claim 4 wherein said baffles are arranged to increase the kill rate of pathogens in the water compared to the kill rate of pathogens in water being treated by systems not containing the subchambers.

19. A water purification system comprising:

at least one ultraviolet light source for irradiating water to be purified with UV light; and

an ultrasonic generator arranged to produce ultrasonic waves for use in cleaning said system including said ultraviolet light source.

20. The system of claim 19 further comprising:

a quartz tube surrounding each said at least one ultraviolet light source; and

wherein said ultrasonic generator is arranged to produce ultrasonic waves for use at least in cleaning each quartz tube.

21. Structure as in claim 19 wherein said ultrasonic generator is arranged to remove deposits from components of said water purification system.

22. Structure comprising:

a water purification system; and

a wireless communication system arranged in combination with said water purification system.

23. The method of purifying a fluid comprising:

flowing the fluid through a chamber, said chamber having an inlet through which fluid enters the chamber and an outlet through which fluid exits the chamber,

providing a source of ultraviolet light within said chamber; and

controlling the flow of fluid within said chamber relative to said source of ultraviolet light so as to increase the dwell time and thus the exposure of fluid to said ultraviolet light

24. The method of claim 23 wherein said controlling the flow of fluid comprises:

providing a plurality of baffles within said chamber for defining a multiplicity of subchambers within said chamber through which said fluid to be purified flows from said inlet to said outlet;

said subchambers being located substantially along said source of ultraviolet light.

25. Structure comprising:

an ultraviolet light source; and

an array of baffles formed of impervious material and spaced along said ultraviolet light source thereby creating subchambers along said ultraviolet light source which act in series to reduce the concentration of pathogens in the treated water.

26. The structure of claim 25 wherein said baffles are substantially linearly-spaced along said ultraviolet light source.

31. Structure comprising:

a water purification system; and

means associated with said system for storing and/or retrieving one or more parameters in a data base.

32. Structure comprising:

a water purification system; and

means associated with said water purification system for transmitting and/or receiving information.

33. A water purification system comprising:

a UVC lamp with a ballast; and

means for monitoring lamp current or ballast current.

34. The system as in claim 33 further comprising:

means for controlling a valve through which said water being purified flows in response to a signal from said means for monitoring.

35. The system as in claim 34 wherein said means for controlling further comprises:

means for shutting off said valve thereby to prevent water from flowing through said system in response to said signal from said means for monitoring indicating that the UVC output energy has fallen below a threshold.

36. A method of sensing the fluid flow rate in a water purification system which comprises:

measuring the pressure of the fluid at two or more points along the flow channel of the fluid; and

using the measured pressures to calculate the fluid flow rate through the system.

37. The method of using water purification systems as part of a communication network, said method comprising:

providing a plurality of electrically powered water purification systems;

placing a wireless transmitter and receiver in combination with each said system; and

connecting said plurality of systems to function as part of a communications network.

38. A method for controlling a water purification system, said method comprising:

providing a chamber having an inlet through which water enters the chamber and an outlet through which water exits the chamber;

providing at least one ultraviolet light source within said chamber for producing ultraviolet light; and

providing in said chamber a plurality of subchambers through which water flows, said subchambers being located along said chamber such that said ultraviolet light source extends through each subchamber.

39. The method of claim 38 wherein said plurality of subchambers makes more uniform the exposure of water flowing through said chamber to said ultraviolet light, thereby to increase the kill rate of pathogens in the water compared to the kill rate of pathogens in water being treated by systems not containing the subchambers.

40. The method of claim 38 wherein providing in said chamber a plurality of subchambers comprises:

providing a plurality of baffles defining a multiplicity of subchambers within said chamber.

41. The method of cleaning a water purification system containing at least one ultraviolet light source for irradiating water to be purified with UV light, said method comprising:

generating ultrasonic waves for use in cleaning said system including said ultraviolet light source.

42. The method of claim 41 further comprising:

placing one or more ultrasonic generators in said system so as to be capable of generating ultrasonic waves which will come in contact with selected internal portions of said system;

measuring the build-up of impurities on one or more of said selected internal portions of said system; and

providing a signal based on said measuring for controlling said one or more ultrasonic generators.

43. Structure comprising:

an electrically powered water purification system; and

a cooling system utilizing the water being purified to cool the electronics in said system.

44. A fluid purification system comprising:

a chamber through which fluid can flow, said chamber having an inlet through which fluid enters the chamber and an outlet through which fluid exits the chamber;

a source for producing ultraviolet light within said chamber; and

a multiplicity of subchambers within said chamber through which fluid to be purified flows from said inlet to said outlet;

said subchambers being located to receive said ultraviolet light.

45. The system of claim 44 wherein said subchambers increase the kill rate of pathogens in the fluid compared to the kill rate of pathogens in fluid being treated by systems not containing the subchambers.

47. The method of purifying a fluid comprising:

flowing the fluid through a chamber, said chamber having an inlet through which fluid enters the chamber and an outlet through which fluid exits the chamber,

providing a source of ultraviolet light within said chamber; and

controlling the flow of fluid within said chamber relative to said source of ultraviolet light so as to increase the uniformity of exposure of fluid volume elements and thus the exposure of fluid to said ultraviolet light.

48. The method of claim 47 wherein controlling the flow of fluid within said chamber increases the kill rate of pathogens in the fluid compared to the kill rate of pathogens in water being treated by systems not containing the subchambers.

49. Structure comprising:

a plurality of electrically powered water purification systems; and

a wireless transmitter and receiver in combination with each said system;

thereby to allow said plurality of systems to function as part of a communications network.

thereby to allow said plurality of systems to function as part of a communications network.

50. A water purification system comprising:

a UVC light source; and

means for monitoring the current to said UVC light source.