Portable ultraviolet water purification system
First Claim
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1. A portable water purification system, comprising:
- a container having an opening and defining an interior volume suitable for holding a liquid,an ultraviolet light source configured to extend at least partially into the interior volume;
a power supply;
a fly-back inductor electrically coupled to the power supply and the ultraviolet light source, wherein a cathode end of the ultraviolet light source is grounded and the fly-back inductor provides a pulsed voltage to an anode end of the ultraviolet light source; and
a ground pin electrically coupled to the cathode end of the ultraviolet light source, the ground pin extending at least partially into the interior volume such that liquid in the container is used to ground the cathode end.
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Abstract
A portable water-purification system includes a container for holding a liquid and an ultraviolet light source configured for immersion in the liquid. The ultraviolet light source is a straight low-cost tube controlled by electronic circuitry for providing hot-cathode striking at a relatively low voltage using a fly-back inductor. The operation of the water purification system is controlled by a micro-controller within the electronic circuitry.
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Citations
19 Claims
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1. A portable water purification system, comprising:
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a container having an opening and defining an interior volume suitable for holding a liquid, an ultraviolet light source configured to extend at least partially into the interior volume; a power supply; a fly-back inductor electrically coupled to the power supply and the ultraviolet light source, wherein a cathode end of the ultraviolet light source is grounded and the fly-back inductor provides a pulsed voltage to an anode end of the ultraviolet light source; and a ground pin electrically coupled to the cathode end of the ultraviolet light source, the ground pin extending at least partially into the interior volume such that liquid in the container is used to ground the cathode end. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
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10. A portable water purification system, comprising:
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a container having an opening and defining an interior volume suitable for holding a liquid, an ultraviolet light source configured to extend at least partially into the interior volume for immersion in the liquid, the ultraviolet light source having a cathode end and an anode end, the cathode end of the ultraviolet light source being grounded; an inductor electrically coupled to the anode end of the ultraviolet light source; a field-effect transistor for controlling an electrical current through the inductor, wherein the inductor and field-effect transistor cooperate to provide a pulsed voltage to the anode end of the ultraviolet light source for emitting ultraviolet radiation; and a micro-controller operatively connected to the field-effect transistor for controlling the frequency of the pulsed voltage. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13, 14)
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15. A method of disinfecting water, comprising:
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providing a container having an interior volume suitable for holding a liquid, the container having an opening; inserting an ultraviolet light source through the opening and into the liquid; and applying a high frequency series of voltage pulses to the ultraviolet light source for ionizing vapor in the light source and emitting ultraviolet radiation using a uni-directional current, wherein an inductor and a field-effect transistor cooperate to form a fly-back inductor for applying the voltage pulses to the ultraviolet light source, and wherein a micro-controller is operatively coupled to the field-effect transistor for controlling the frequency of the voltage pulses. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18, 19)
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Specification