Ultraviolet-and-ozone disinfection apparatus having improvement on disinfection effect

• US 6,932,903 B2
• Filed: 06/11/2003
• Issued: 08/23/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 01/22/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Senno Technology Inc.
• Original Assignee: Senno Technology Inc.
• Inventors: Chang, Steven Shih-Yi
• Primary Examiner(s): LAWRENCE JR, FRANK M
• Application Number:
  US10/458,259
• Publication Number:
  US 20040140269A1
• Time in Patent Office: 804 Days
• Field of Search: 210/192, 210/748, 210/760, 422/24, 422/29, 422/186.07, 422/186.3, 250/435, 250/436, 250/437
• US Class Current: 210/192
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 1/001 Processes for the treatment of water whereby the filtration technique is of importance C02F1/44 takes precedence; construction of filters in general B01D24/00 - B01D41/00
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 1/32 with ultraviolet light
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 1/78 with ozone C02F1/4672 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 2201/003 Coaxial constructions, e.g. a cartridge located coaxially within another
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 2201/782 Ozone generators
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 2201/784 Diffusers or nozzles for ozonation
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 2301/02 Fluid flow conditions
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 2301/026 Spiral, helicoidal, radial
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 2303/04 Disinfection
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 9/00 Multistage treatment of water, waste water or sewage

Abstract

An ultraviolet-and-ozone disinfection apparatus 200 providing an improvement on disinfection, includes a disinfection tank 202, a mercury UV lamp 210 enclosed by a quartz tube 208 for generating UV light with air trapped between them undergoing UV irradiation to generate ozone, an ozone transmitting tube 216, a spiral water transmitting tube 215 wrapping around the quartz tube in a spiral manner to achieve sufficient disinfection by mixing ozone in water, a sleeve barrel enclosing the spiral tube. Along the entire flow path, water is exposed to UV radiation to achieve sufficient disinfection and reduce excessive ozone that is harmful to human health.

Claims

1. A dual mode, ultraviolet-and-ozone disinfection apparatus having an improved disinfection effect, which is a part of a water treatment system, the water treatment system being composed of a filter apparatus, the disinfection apparatus, and an ozone suction apparatus, the disinfection apparatus comprising:

a disinfection tank having a water inlet and a water outlet; and

a disinfection apparatus structure housed in the disinfection tank, including

a mercury ultraviolet lamp, which is centered in the disinfection tank and is used to generate UV light after switching on, the UV light including

UV light having a wavelength of about 185 nm for generating ozone in the air, and

UV light having a wavelength of about 254 nm for disinfecting the water and destroying excessive ozone;

a semi-transparent quartz tube that is penetrable by the UV light with wavelength of 254 nm and blocks the UV light with wavelength of 185 nm, the mercury UV lamp being enclosed in the quartz tube with a gap therebetween filled with air, the quantity of ozone generated by the UV irradiation with the wavelength of about 185 nm being more than the quantity of ozone destroyed by the UV irradiation having a wavelength of about 254 nm;

a non-transparent ozone transmitting tube impenetrable by the UV light, with an air inlet inserted in the gap between the mercury UV lamp and the quartz tube, the air in the gap generating ozone through the irradiation by UV light, the ozone being drawn into the ozone suction apparatus through the ozone transmitting tube;

a translucent UV light impenetrable spiral water transmitting tube, enclosing the quartz tube in a spiral manner with one end of the tube connected to the water inlet while the other end is connected to the water outlet, so that the ozonated water transmitted through the water inlet from the ozone suction apparatus mixes homogeneously, and

a sleeve barrel enclosing an exterior part of the spiral water transmitting tube, one end of the sleeve barrel being closed off at the top of the disinfection tank and the other end having an opening facing the bottom of the disinfection tank;

whereby, water flowing out of the spiral water transmitting tube creates a return flow from the downstream flow impact, the water then flows back to surround the quartz tube along the exterior of the spiral tube and through a gap between the pitch of the spiral shape and the sleeve barrel, and all along the path of the Water around the quartz tube, the water is exposed to UV irradiation having a wavelength of about 254 nm penetrating through the quartz tube, and at last, water that flows out of the disinfection tank is available for drinking water.

2. The ultraviolet-and-ozone disinfection apparatus having an improvement on disinfection effect of claim 1 wherein one end of the sleeve barrel is closed off at the top of the disinfection tank and another end of the sleeve barrel is closed off at the bottom of the disinfection tank.

3. The ultraviolet-and-ozone disinfection apparatus having an improvement disinfection effect of claim 1, wherein the disinfection tank is made of material selected from the group consisting of plastic, stainless steel and glass.

4. The ultraviolet-and-ozone disinfection apparatus having an improvement on disinfection effect of claim 1, where the spiral water transmitting tube is made of material selected from die group consisting of plastic and glass.

5. The ultraviolet-and-ozone disinfection apparatus having an improvement on disinfection effect of claim 1, wherein the sleeve barrel is made of material selected from the group consisting of plastic, polytetrafluoroethylene, stainless steel, and glass.

6. An ultraviolet-and-ozone disinfection apparatus for use in a water treatment system, the water treatment system being composed a filter apparatus, the disinfection apparatus, and an ozone suction apparatus, the disinfection apparatus comprising:

a disinfectant containment means having a water inlet and a water outlet; and

a disinfection apparatus structure housed in the containment means, including

a mercury ultraviolet lamp centered in the disinfection apparatus and used to generate UV light, the UV light including

UV light having a wavelength of about 185 nm for generating ozone in the air, and

UV light having a wavelength of about 254 nm for disinfecting and destroying excessive ozone;

a semi-transparent quartz tube, penetrable by the UV light having a wavelength of about 254 nm and blocking the UV light having the wavelength of about 185 nm, the mercury UV lamp being enclosed in the quartz tube with a gap therebetween filled with air, the quantity of ozone generated by the UV irradiation with the wavelength of about 185 nm being more than the quantity of ozone destroyed by the UV irradiation having the wavelength of about 254 nm;

a non-transparent ozone transmitting tube impenetrable by the UV light, with an air inlet in the gap between the mercury UV lamp and the quartz tube, the air in the gap generating ozone through the irradiation by UV light, the ozone being drawn into the ozone suction apparatus through the ozone transmitting tube; and

a translucent UV-light-impenetrable spiral water transmitting tube, enclosing the quartz tube in a spiral manner with one end of the tube connected to the water inlet end with the other end opening toward a bottom end of the quartz tube in communication with the water outlet, so that the ozonated water transmitted through the water inlet from the ozone suction apparatus mixes homogeneously;

the disinfectant containment means enclosing an exterior part of the spiral water transmitting tube, whereby water flowing out of the spiral water transmitting tube creates a return flow from the down stream flow impact, the water then flows back to surround the quartz tube along the exterior of the spiral tube and through a gap between the pitch of the spiral shape and the containment means, and all along the path of the water around the quartz tube the water is exposed to the UV irradiation having a wavelength of about 254 nm penetrating through the quartz tube, and at last, water that flows out of the disinfection tank is available as drinking water.

7. The ultraviolet-and-ozone disinfection apparatus of claim 6, wherein the containment means is made of material selected from the group consisting of polytetrafluoroethylene, plastic, stainless steel and glass.

8. The ultraviolet-and-ozone disinfection apparatus of claim 6, where the spiral water transmitting tube is made of material selected from the group consisting of plastic and glass.