Chemical apparatus and process disinfecting – deodorizing – preser – Chemical reactor – With means applying electromagnetic wave energy or...
Reexamination Certificate
2000-05-22
2001-10-16
Gorgos, Kathryn (Department: 1741)
Chemical apparatus and process disinfecting, deodorizing, preser
Chemical reactor
With means applying electromagnetic wave energy or...
C210S748080
Reexamination Certificate
active
06303087
ABSTRACT:
THE FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a UV-irradiation device for the treatment of wastewater.
BACKGROUND
Devices for the treatment of waste water are known and one such device is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,874,740.
Microbiologically contaminated liquids (such as for example wastewater from sewage plants) may be disinfected in a particularly environmentally protective manner by irradiating them with ultraviolet radiation. For this purpose, various irradiation devices are known in the prior art. In numerous cases, the problem arises that the lamp units of the radiation devices become externally contaminated. In particular, in the case of waters having a high alkaline earth ion content, precipitation of hardness constituents takes place to form encrustations which firmly adhere to the encasing tube surfaces and which are virtually unpreventable or removable by mechanical means.
In the abovementioned patent, a device is proposed in which annular chambers surround the lamp units. The chambers are situated at the surface of the encasing tubes and are sealed there by two O-rings. The interior of the chambers is filled with a cleaning liquid (for example phosphoric acid) via a supply device. To clean the surface of the lamp unit, the chamber filled with cleaning liquid is moved to and fro on the surface, as a result of which loosely adhering contaminants are pushed aside whereas firmly adhering encrustations are dissolved by means of the cleaning liquid.
In practice, this device functions only to a limited extent since the O-ring seals of the chamber in contact with the encasing tube surface react very sensitively to mechanical damage or dimensional deviations and in addition, the chemical action of the cleaning liquid on the encasing tube surface is inadequate without mechanical aid to prevent the formation of encrustations or to remove them. The exposure times are too short for this purpose.
Accordingly, it is Applicant's intent to provide a UV-Irradiation device that is capable (even at high contents of alkaline earths is the wastewater to treated) to counteract and to prevent effectively, the formation of encrustations on the encasing tube surface.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Thus viewed from one aspect the present invention provides a UV-irradiation device for treating wastewater having a number of lamp units that each have a radiation source and an encasing tube surrounding the radiation source, the lamp units being of substantially cylindrical design, a cleaning device which has cleaning elements annularly surrounding the encasing tubes, each encasing tube being assigned at least one cleaning element and the cleaning elements being displaceable by at least one drive unit in the longitudinal direction of the encasing tubes, and a device for supplying cleaning liquid to the cleaning elements, wherein the cleaning elements have a ring which is made of a liquid-permeable material and whose internal surface is in contact with the encasing tube and the cleaning liquid is fed into the material.
Because the cleaning elements have a ring made of a liquid-permeable material whose inner surface is in contact with the encasing tube and because the cleaning liquid is fed into the material, the material can convey the cleaning liquid onto the surface of the encasing tube and chemically dissolve even the beginning of contamination, during which process the mechanical action of the material aids the cleaning operation.
A reliable transportation of the cleaning liquid onto the surface of the encasing tube is achieved if the material is sponge-like with an open-pored structure. If, on the other hand, the material is a fibrous material, the fibres can advantageously aid the cleaning action as a woven, braided or nonwoven fabric depending on mechanical properties. If the material has a continuous surface in those regions of its end faces and of its outer surface that are not in contact with the encasing tube, a kind of reservoir which is open towards the encasing tube surface is formed for the cleaning liquid and this ensures a uniform distribution and transportation of the cleaning liquid to the encasing tube surface. When the cleaning elements are actuated by displacement in the longitudinal direction of the encasing tube, the material is supported if the cleaning elements have supporting means (in particular plastic or metal discs) next to the end faces of the material and these counteract deformation of the material. The liquid is advantageously fed in from at least one permanently installed stock container by means of at least sectionally flexible hose lines so that the cleaning liquid can be supplied even during the actuation stroke of the cleaning elements. At the same time, the cleaning liquid can be fed in from the stock container by means of a systematically generated overpressure in the stock container or by static pressure. In this connection, the supply may take place through sections of hollow design in a mounting or a drive. To avoid losses and for the purpose of precise metering, the cleaning liquid is advantageously fed directly into the material.
The material may also have an open surface at its end faces and/or at its outside at least sectionally so that the cleaning liquid can be fed into the material indirectly via nozzles assigned to the end faces or the outside.
The cleaning action is improved and the service life of the material extended if the cleaning elements have scraper rings adjacent to the end faces. The scraper rings can then initially remove coarse, easily removable contaminants so that only the surfaces contaminated with firmly adhering encrustations come into the region of the material soaked with cleaning liquid. The cleaning liquid is preferably constituted in such a way as to wet the surface of the encasing tubes under operating conditions and to keep it wetted at least for a limited time so that the formation of new encrustations can be prevented even at the onset.
Advantageously, all the components are made of acid-resistant and corrosion-resistant materials.
Exemplary embodiments of the present invention are described below by reference to the drawings.
REFERENCES:
patent: 5418370 (1995-05-01), Maarschalkerweerd
patent: 5874470 (1999-02-01), Ishiyama
patent: 5874740 (1999-02-01), Ishiyama
patent: 6013917 (2000-01-01), Ishiyama
Gorgos Kathryn
Tran Thao
Woodbridge Richard C.
Woodbridge & Associates P.C.
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