SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR CLEANING AND STERILIZING FLUIDS AND ARTICLES USING ELECTROMAGNETIC WAVES

• US 20190314537A1
• Filed: 04/17/2019
• Published: 10/17/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 04/17/2018
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Rasmus Par Tomas Norling
• Original Assignee: Rasmus Par Tomas Norling
• Inventors: NORLING, RASMUS PAR TOMAS
• Granted Patent: US 11,426,482 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: A23L 3/32 by treatment with electric currents without heating effect
• CPC Class Codes: A61L 2/03 Electric current
• CPC Class Codes: A61L 2/24 Apparatus using programmed or automatic operation
• CPC Class Codes: A61L 2/26 Accessories or devices or components used for biocidal treatment
• CPC Class Codes: A61L 2202/11 Apparatus for generating biocidal substances, e.g. vaporisers, UV lamps
• CPC Class Codes: A61L 2202/14 Means for controlling sterilisation processes, data processing, presentation and storage means, e.g. sensors, controllers, programs
• CPC Class Codes: A61L 2202/20 Targets to be treated
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 1/283 using coal, charred products, or inorganic mixtures containing them
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 1/482 located on the outer wall of the treatment device, i.e. not in contact with the liquid to be treated, e.g. detachable
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 1/487 using high frequency electromagnetic fields, e.g. pulsed electromagnetic fields
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 2201/483 using coils
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 2303/04 Disinfection

Abstract

Systems and methods are disclosed for cleaning and sterilizing fluids and other materials. In one implementation, one or more emitters are submerged within a fluid and emit electromagnetic waves having a variable frequency. The frequency of the electromagnetic waves is swept across a frequency range to neutralize bacteria, viruses, and other pathogens in the fluid. The emitters may be submerged within a fluid reservoir and/or within the interior of an enclosed fluidic path (e.g., a pipe). Solid materials may be sterilized by immersing the solid materials within the fluid of such a fluid reservoir. In another implementation, electromagnetic waves may be applied to one or more wires that are wrapped around an exterior wall of a pipe. The frequency of the electromagnetic waves may be varied across a frequency range, resulting in scale and other materials being cleaned from the interior wall of the pipe.

Claims

1. A system for sanitizing a fluid in a receptacle or an object disposed in a fluid, the system comprising:

at least one emitter disposed in said receptacle, the first emitter having a first end and a second end separated by a length;

a signal generator electrically coupled to the first emitter and configured to generate an electromagnetic signal of variable frequency; and

a controller communicatively coupled to the signal generator, said controller configured to cause the signal generator to generate an electromagnetic signal that varies in frequency across a frequency range.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the receptacle is an enclosed fluidic path having a central axis and a path diameter and said at least one emitter is disposed within the enclosed fluidic path with the length of the at least one emitter extending parallel to a central axis of the enclosed fluidic path.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein said at least one emitter is two or more emitters disposed within the enclosed fluidic path symmetrically offset from the central axis with respect to the one another.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein said two or more emitters are mounted to an emitter holder, said emitter holder comprising:

a first emitter plate having a first face and a second face opposite said first face, said first emitter plate further comprising;

a first emitter bracket extending outward at a right angle from the first face, said first emitter bracket including a first tab or clip configured to hold a first end of a first emitter and a second tab or clip for holding a second, opposite end of said first emitter; and

a second emitter bracket extending outward at a right angle from the second face, said second emitter bracket including a third tab or clip configured to hold a first end of a second emitter and a fourth tab or clip for holding a second, opposite end of said second emitter.

5. The system of claim 4, further comprising:

a second emitter plate having a first face and a second face opposite said first face, said second emitter plate further comprising;

a third emitter bracket extending outward at a right angle from the first face of said second emitter plate, said third emitter bracket including a first tab or clip configured to hold a first end of a third emitter and a second tab or clip for holding a second, opposite end of said third emitter; and

a fourth emitter bracket extending outward at a right angle from the second face, said fourth emitter bracket including a third tab or clip configured to hold a first end of a fourth emitter and a fourth tab or clip for holding a second, opposite end of said fourth emitter; and

said first emitter plate and said second emitter plate are configured to couple to one another at right angles to one another and sized to fit securely in said path diameter.

6. The system of claim 1 wherein said at least one emitter is from 12 inches to 24 inches in length.

7. The system of claim 1 wherein the frequency range varies between 0 Hz and 30 kHz.

8. The system of claim 7 wherein the frequency range varies between 0 Hz and 25 kHz in 10 milliseconds or less.

9. The system of claim 8 wherein the signal generator operably sweeps between 0 Hz and 25 kHz in a time period, the time period based at least in part on a flow rate of the fluid and the length of the first emitter.

10. The system of claim 9 wherein the time period is less than one third of the length of the at least one emitter divided by the flow rate of the fluid.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein the receptacle is a tank or fluid reservoir, and said at least one emitter is disposed in said tank or fluid reservoir.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein said at least one emitter is two or more emitters positioned at different location within said tank or fluid reservoir, each emitter of said two or more emitters being at least 12 inches in length.

13. The system of claim 1, wherein said at least one emitter comprises tube including steel wool inside said tube.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein said tube is made from perforated stainless steel.

22. A method for sanitizing, in a system according to claim 1, a fluid in a receptacle or an object disposed in the fluid, the method comprising:

positioning at least one emitter in the receptacle;

generating an electromagnetic wave with a wave frequency;

varying the wave frequency of the electromagnetic wave across a frequency range;

applying the varying electromagnetic wave to the emitter.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein the varying step varies the frequency from between 0 Hz and 30 kHz within a predefined time period.

24. The method of claim 23, further comprising:

determining the time period for sweeping the frequency of the electromagnetic wave between 0 Hz and 25 kHz based at least in part on the length of the emitter and the flow rate of the fluid within the enclosed fluidic path.

25. The method of claim 22, wherein said at least one emitter is at least four emitters mounted symmetrically relative to the central axis of the fluidic path on an emitter holder disposed in the enclosed fluidic path.

26. The method of claim 25, wherein the enclosed fluidic path is formed by an interior wall of a pipe.

27. The method of claim 22, wherein the receptacle is a tank or fluid reservoir.

28. The method of claim 27, further comprising placing a food item on a horizontal surface in said tank or fluid reservoir.

15. A system for treating a fluid as it travels along a fluidic path, the system comprising:

a wire coil having a toroidal shape with a defined central opening, the wire capable of conducting electromagnetic waves, said wire coil oriented such that said fluidic path passes through said defined central opening;

a signal generator, the signal generator electrically coupled to the wire, the signal generator operable to generate an electromagnetic signal of a signal frequency; and

a controller, the controller communicatively coupled to the signal generator, the controller operable to transmit one or more signals that cause the signal generator to generate an electromagnetic signal that varies in frequency across a frequency range.

16. The system of claim 15 wherein the frequency range is between 0 Hz and 30 kHz.

17. The system of claim 16 wherein the signal generator in operation sweeps the frequency of the generated electromagnetic signal from 2 kHz to 24 kHz in 10 milliseconds or less.

18. The system of claim 15 wherein the electromagnetic signal is a square wave.

19. The system of claim 15, wherein said wire coil is the wire wrapped around the exterior wall of a pipe to form the wire coil along a length of the pipe, and the fluidic path extends through said pipe held in the defined central opening of said wire coil.

20. The system of claim 15, wherein said wire coil is supported by a stand and the fluidic path extends from a tank or reservoir into a suction line, said defined central opening being placed in the fluidic path between the tank or reservoir and the suction line.

21. The system of claim 15, wherein said wire coil is located inside a pipe.

29. A method for treating a fluid traveling along a fluidic path in a system according to claim 15, the method comprising:

placing a wire coil having a defined central opening relative to the fluidic path, such that the fluidic path flows through the defined central opening

generating a square waveform having a frequency;

varying the frequency of the square waveform across a frequency range;

applying the square waveform to the wire; and

transferring a volume of fluid through the defined central opening of the wire coil.

30. The method of claim 29, wherein the frequency range is between 2 kHz and 25 kHz and the frequency of the square waveform is varied such that the frequency is swept once across the frequency range within 10 milliseconds.

31. The method of claim 29, wherein the wire is wrapped around an exterior wall of a pipe located through said defined central opening, and the fluidic path is through the interior of said pipe.