Photochemical reactor

Details Photochemical reactor Photochemical reactor

2000-03-27

2001-10-09

Gorgos, Kathryn (Department: 1741)

Chemical apparatus and process disinfecting, deodorizing, preser

Chemical reactor

With means applying electromagnetic wave energy or...

C422S186300, C210S748080

Reexamination Certificate

active

06299844

ABSTRACT:

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to a photochemical reactor for carrying out a photoreaction. More specifically, the present invention is directed to a photochemical reactor adapted for irradiating a reactant feed with actinic light and for performing a photoreaction such as photosynthesis, photodecomposition, photoreduction, photooxidation, photocatalytic reaction, photosterilization, photocleaning, photoheating, photodeodorization or photocuring.
A typical known reaction apparatus for carrying out a photoreaction includes a tubular linear reactor and a tubular linear lamp disposed in parallel with and adjacent to the reactor. Also known is an apparatus having a tubular linear lamp and a helical tubular reactor wound around the lamp. Further, an apparatus having a tubular linear lamp inserted into a central hole of a cylindrical reactor is known. An apparatus is further known in which light from a linear tubular lamp is reflected on a reflector and is redirected to a reactor. These known photochemical reactors have the following problems.
With the apparatus in which a linear tubular reactor and a linear tubular lamp are juxtaposed in parallel, only a part of the light from the lamp is irradiated on the reactor.
The light irradiation efficiency is improved when the reactor is helical and wound around the linear tubular lamp. However, the improvement is not so significant. Moreover, the helical reactor is apt to be broken upon collision with a hard thing.
In the case of the apparatus having a tubular linear lamp coaxially disposed in a cylindrical reactor, the size of the reactor is unavoidably large. With such an apparatus, therefore, it is impossible to effectively perform photoreaction of a small amount of reactant.
Furthermore, the above-described conventional photochemical reactor apparatuses have a problem that, when a jacket is mounted around the lamp for cooling the lamp with a cooling medium fed to the jacket, the light from the lamp is partly absorbed by the jacket and the cooling medium before arriving at the reactor. Additionally, when the photochemical reaction is carried out with the use of vacuum ultraviolet rays, the conventional apparatuses must be disposed in a vacuum chamber or in an oxygen-free chamber.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is, therefore, an object of the present invention to provide a photochemical reactor which can irradiate a reactant with light with a high efficiency.
Another object of the present invention is to provide an easy to handle photochemical reactor which is simple and compact and which is fabricated without need of high costs.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a photochemical reactor which permits cooling of a lamp without reducing the irradiation efficiency.
It is yet a further object of the present invention to provide a photochemical reactor which is not required to be disposed in a vacuum chamber or in an oxygen-free chamber even when vacuum ultraviolet rays are to be used for the intended photochemical reaction.
In accomplishing the foregoing objects, there is provided in accordance with the present invention a photochemical reactor which comprises a discharge lamp for producing light when supplied with electric current, and a transparent pipe secured to and extending within and through said lamp, said pipe having both ends protruding from said lamp so that a reactant feed can be fed from one end of said pipe, irradiated with light from said lamp and discharged from the other end of said pipe.
In another aspect, the present invention provides a photochemical reactor comprising:
a tubular discharge lamp for producing UV light when supplied with electric current, said discharge lamp having a tubular transparent shell in which a discharge gas is confined;
a tubular transparent pipe secured to and extending within and through said shell and having both ends protruding from both longitudinal ends of said shell,
a reflector surrounding said shell so that light from said lamp is reflected thereon and is irradiated on said pipe, and
a tubular transparent reaction tube detachably fitted in said pipe so that a reactant feed can be fed from one end of said reaction tube, irradiated with UV light from said lamp and discharged from the other end of said reaction tube.
The photochemical reactor according to the present invention is useful for carrying out a photoreaction such as photosynthesis, photodecomposition, photoreduction, photooxidation, photocatalytic reaction, photosterilization, photocleaning, photoheating, photodeodorization or photocuring.


REFERENCES:
patent: 3790801 (1974-02-01), Coleman
patent: 4456512 (1984-06-01), Bieler et al.
patent: 5205913 (1993-04-01), Grossman et al.
patent: 281 545 A (1990-08-01), None
patent: 195 00 803 A (1995-12-01), None
patent: 195 00 802 A (1995-12-01), None

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