Radiant energy – Fluent material containment – support or transfer means – With cleaning means
Reexamination Certificate
2001-10-11
2004-03-16
Lee, John R. (Department: 2881)
Radiant energy
Fluent material containment, support or transfer means
With cleaning means
C210S748080, C250S43200R
Reexamination Certificate
active
06707048
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to the treatment of liquids by exposure to ultraviolet (UV) radiation. An aspect of the invention includes monitoring the effectiveness of UV treatment.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
It is often desirable, even necessary, to treat aqueous liquids, particularly water, so as to ensure its potability.
The treatment of household water, be it obtained from a municipal water distribution system, in which it has previously been treated, or from a well is often desired. A number of approaches has been developed, including the use of filters, distillation, reverse-osmosis, ultraviolet (UV) light, etc.
There are “point-of-use” systems where a user treats the water immediately prior to use, as by pouring water through a filter, e.g., an activated carbon filter.
There are “point-of-entry” treatment systems where the water is generally treated without the active involvement of the user, except for possibly maintaining the system. In a point-of-entry system the water is generally treated prior to release from its pressurized distribution system. The treatment system may thus be located in a household, for example, such that all water passing from the external source of water to be distributed within the household is treated. Sometimes, such a system is located so as to ensure treatment of water that is expected to be consumed, but to leave untreated water to be used for other purposes, such as washing clothes or lawn watering. This cuts down on wear on the treatment system and can improve economies of use.
In any case, UV-treatment is often regarded as a desirable approach for treating water that is to be protected against the presence of microorganisms that might be found therein. It is in the area of pressurized (e.g., point-of-entry) systems that the invention disclosed herein finds use.
A prior art system related to the present invention is described in the specification of U.S. Pat. No. 5,247,178, issued to Ury et al. on Sep. 21, 1993, the specification of which is incorporated herein by reference.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
A broad aspect of the present invention is an apparatus for treating a pressurized liquid in which the apparatus includes:
a pressurized liquid treatment chamber having an inlet end and an outlet end, the chamber having a window, preferably quartz, permeable to UV light;
a UV light source outside of the chamber located such that it emits light through the window into the chamber to expose liquid within the chamber to the emitted light and treats the liquid;
a shaft which extends between the inlet end and the outlet end of the chamber, located to turn about a central axis of the chamber extending between the inlet end and the outlet end;
a flexible cleaning member affixed to the shaft and extending radially therefrom to flexibly engage an interior surface of the window for cleaning thereof as the shaft turns; and
at least one member extending radially from the shaft into the treatment chamber to disrupt axial flow of water through the chamber.
In a preferred embodiment, the chamber window is a circular cylinder made of quartz, quartz being permeable to UV light.
The member extending from the shaft disrupts axial liquid flow, i.e., precludes linear flow parallel to the central axis of the cylinder as the liquid travels through the cylinder. This disruption serves to bring water near the center of the tube towards the window bringing it into better exposure to the UV light. This permits a relatively large proportion of the total volume of the cylinder to be occupied by water travelling through the treatment chamber. In the disclosed embodiment, total usable volume is about 90 percent. Alternatively, the amount of the treatment chamber defined by the cylinder that is free to be occupied by the pressurized liquid is at least 50 percent of the total volume of the cylinder; or is at least about 55 percent of the total volume of the cylinder; or is at least about 60 percent of the total volume of the cylinder; or is at least about 65 percent of the total volume of the cylinder; or is at least about 70 percent of the total volume of the cylinder; or is at least about 75 percent of the total volume of the cylinder; or is at least about 80 percent of the total volume of the cylinder; or is at least about 85 percent of the total volume of the cylinder; or is at least about 89 percent of the total volume of the cylinder.
The member that extends radially from the shaft has a surface transverse to the axis, the obverse face of which faces the inlet end of the chamber. In the embodiment detailed below, each such member or “wing” has an obverse face with cross-sectional area of about 8 percent of the inner cross-sectional area of the tubular cylinder. The cross-sectional area of a wing is generally at least about 5, 6, or 7 percent of the inner cross-sectional area of the tubular cylinder. In certain embodiments, the cross sectional area is equal to at least 9 or 10 percent of the area of the cross section of the cylinder, or about 15, or about 20, or about 25 percent of the area of the cross section of the cylinder.
In a preferred aspect, the apparatus of the invention includes, but is not limited to, three pairs of wings, in which the wings are spaced along the shaft. There is thus a first pair of wings (each wing of a pair angularly spaced from the other of the pair) axially located nearer to the inlet end of the cylinder than to the center (mid-plane) of the cylinder, a second pair of wings located nearer to the center of the cylinder than to either of the inlet or outlet ends of the cylinder, and a third pair of wings axially located nearer to the outlet end of the cylinder than to the center to of the cylinder.
Usually, there is at least one member that is located nearer the inlet end of the chamber than the outlet end. If there is a second member, the first and second members are spaced apart from each other. They can be angularly spaced from each other, or they can be axially spaced from each other, or they can be both axially and angularly spaced from each other.
Preferably, the combined cross sectional areas of the obverse faces of the members is at least 30, or at least 40, or at least 50, or at least 60, or at least 70, or at least 80, or at least 90, or at least 100, or at least 150, or at least 200, or at least 250, or at least 300 percent of the area of cross section of the cylinder. In the disclosed embodiment, the area of each wing is about 8 percent and there are six wings for total surface area of about 48 percent. It is thus preferred that the total obverse surface area presented by the wings be at least about 48 percent of the area of cross section of the cylinder.
The degree to which the wings radially extend from the shaft toward the outer tube also affects the degree to which axial liquid flow is disrupted. In the disclosed embodiment, the wings that protrude radially outwardly from the shaft a distance of about ⅓ the inner diameter of the tube. The distance can be between about ⅕ or ¼ to about ⅜ or {fraction (5/11)}, and to some extent depends upon the diameter of the shaft from which the member extends.
The volume of the interior of the cylinder (the total interior volume, i.e., the volume without taking into account displacement of free volume by the shaft, cleaning member, etc.) is typically between about 25 and 200 cubic inches, or between about 30 and 180 cubic inches, or between about 40 and 160 cubic inches, or between about 50 and 140 cubic inches, or between about 60 and 120 cubic inches, or between about 60 and 100 cubic inches, or between about 60 and 80 cubic inches, or between about 60 and 70 cubic inches. In the disclosed embodiment, the volume of the cylinder is about (&pgr;×(1.6/2 in)
2
×24 in=) 48 cubic inches (about 786.5 cubic centimetres; or about 0.205 U.S. gallons).
As described in greater detail below, the apparatus of the disclosed embodiment operates satisfactorily at a throughput rate of about 10 gallons per minute.
The inner diameter of the c
Hallett Ronald C.
Pecile Sandro
Blake Cassels & Graydon LLP
Kalivoda Christopher M.
Lee John R.
UV Pure Technologies Inc.
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