DE102017117324A1 - Disinfection plant for liquids - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention relates to a disinfection system (20) for fluids, comprising a housing body (22) through which the fluid to be disinfected has an inlet (24) and an outlet (26) and at least one UV light source (34) for irradiation through the housing body (22) flowing fluid. This is characterized in that the housing body (22) is at least partially formed by at least one glass surface (32), wherein the glass surface (32) on its outer side (42) has an inwardly directed mirror coating (28), and- the glass surface (32) is transparent to radiation emitted by the UV light source (34).

Description

The present invention relates to a disinfection system for fluids, comprising a housing body through which the fluid to be disinfected can flow with an inlet and an outlet and at least one UV light source for irradiating the fluid flowing through the housing body.

The germicidal, disinfecting effect of UV light for germ killing is known and is often used in water treatment. For example, UV lamps have been used for many decades for the disinfection of drinking water and wastewater, for the disinfection of work areas in biological laboratories and in air conditioning systems. With appropriate dose and wavelength UV light is very well suited to deactivate microorganisms such as spores, fungi, bacteria, parasites, algae, etc.

Disinfection systems of this type can be used for liquids and gases.

Unlike chemical water disinfection processes, UV disinfection relies on a physical process. When bacteria, viruses, etc. are irradiated with the germicidal wavelength of UV radiation, they lose their ability to reproduce and become infected. The microorganisms are thus deactivated by photooxidation of their DNA. More than 99.9% of all pathogens can be rendered harmless in fractions of a second in this way.

The high-energy, entertaining UV radiation has mainly a length of 200 to 280, preferably from 265 to 280 nm. It falls into the so-called short-wave UV-C range and has a strong germicidal effect.

UV disinfection has many advantages and has been proven for a long time. For example, housing body are used with an inlet and an outlet, which are traversed by the liquid to be disinfected and inside have a light source in the form of a UV lamp. Such a housing body or reactor is relatively robust and compact. However, the efficiency of such systems is not yet satisfactory.

The object of the invention is to improve such a disinfection plant in terms of their efficiency. The disinfection system should still be robust and compact and in particular have long service life.

• - der Gehäusekörper zumindest bereichsweise durch mindestens eine Glasfläche gebildet ist, wobei die Glasfläche auf ihrer Außenseite eine nach innen gerichtete Verspiegelung aufweist,
• - die Glasfläche durchlässig für von der UV-Lichtquelle emittierte Strahlung ist.

According to the invention the object is achieved by a disinfection system, which is characterized in that

• - The housing body is at least partially formed by at least one glass surface, wherein the glass surface has on its outside an inwardly directed mirror coating,
• - The glass surface is transparent to radiation emitted by the UV light source radiation.

Among other things, it is crucial for the invention that the glass surface of the housing body has on its outer side a reflective coating which prevents radiation emitted by the UV light source from escaping from the housing body. It is essential that the mirror coating is arranged on the outside, since this contamination of the mirroring is excluded by dirt particles in the fluid. With an arrangement inside the housing body there is a risk that the pretensioning becomes blind. In addition, in the interior of the housing body, ie in the area in which it is intended to be disinfected, no additional foreign material is arranged in the interior due to the arrangement on the outside. The prerequisite for this is that the glass surface is permeable to the radiation emitted by the UV light source. Radiation incident from the inside on an inner surface of the housing body or the glass surface can thus penetrate the glass surface, in order then to be reflected back into the interior of the housing body on the mirror coating arranged on the outside.

As a permeable glass is particularly suitable quartz glass or synthetic quartz glass. This is permeable to UV light in the wavelength range from 220 nm to 280 nm.

In a particularly advantageous embodiment, the flow-through housing body has at least one cross-sectional change on its inner side. As a result, on the one hand the fluid flowing through is fluidized, on the other hand the radiation is reflected in different directions and thus scattered.

The cross-sectional changes may be formed for example by depressions on the outside of the housing body, which cause corresponding bulges on the inside. Also, constrictions or similar cross-sectional changes are conceivable. It may be a single cross-sectional change or a variety of cross-sectional changes.

In a particularly advantageous embodiment, the entire housing body is made of glass, it forms, so to speak, only a single glass surface. Already during production, the cross-sectional changes can be introduced into the housing body. Subsequently, a mirroring can be carried out from the outside.

In essence, two embodiments are conceivable according to the invention. In a first embodiment, the UV light source is arranged on the outside of the housing body. Accordingly, the housing body per UV light source has a non-mirrored region through which the UV light source radiates into the interior. A significant advantage of this variant is that the entire electronics is arranged outside the housing body.

In a particularly advantageous embodiment, the UV light source is at least one, but preferably a plurality of LED light sources are used. If several LED light sources are used, these are preferably arranged along a longitudinal axis of the housing body and thus in the flow direction of the fluid to be disinfected. LED light sources have the advantage that they require much less energy. Furthermore, the resulting heat is released on the back and does not radiate into the fluid to be disinfected.

According to the invention, a cooling system can be provided that cools the LED light sources on its rear side.

The UV light sources, in particular the LED light sources, can preferably be arranged in the region of the cross-sectional changes on the outside of the housing body. The cross-sectional changes or recesses on the outside and the UV illuminants can be coordinated with one another in such a way that the UV illuminants do not project or protrude only insignificantly beyond the maximum diameter of the housing body. Thus, the disinfection system, in particular the housing body remains unchanged slim. Damage to the UV light sources can be reduced because they do not protrude or barely protrude beyond the outer circumference.

The at least one UV light source can also be arranged inside the housing body according to the second embodiment variant. For example, a tube radiator with a protective tube (submersible) is also used, which extends in the longitudinal direction through the housing body and radiates toward the inside of the housing body. The fluid to be disinfected or gaseous media thus flow through the annulus between the central lamp and the inside of the housing body.

Alternatively, an arrangement of the LED light sources in the interior of the housing body is conceivable. They may be arranged, for example, on a tubular support, wherein the electrical connections are led out inside the carrier out of the housing body.

In a particularly advantageous embodiment, the fluid to be disinfected, preferably a liquid, in particular water, is used as coolant for the LED light sources arranged in the interior of the housing body. In this case, the LED light sources are arranged on an inner tube, into which the fluid flows through an inner tube inlet at one end and first flows through it in the longitudinal direction. The fluid cools the back of the LED light sources. If the disinfection system is designed for liquids, electrical connections and lines and other components are preferably sealed by an encapsulation or an intermediate wall against the liquid.

At the opposite end of the inner tube, the liquid flows out through an inner tube outlet, enters an annular space between an inner tube outside and an inner side of the case body, and flows back in the opposite direction. In this case, the radiation emitted by the LED light sources directly or reflected by the mirror coating meets the fluid and disinfects it.

In particular, when using LED light sources a combination with a regenerative energy source due to their low power consumption is possible and useful. For example, an autonomous disinfection system can be realized by use and combination with a solar panel.

Deviating from the geometric design as the housing body as a tubular body, other shapes are conceivable, e.g. square, rectangular circular, as well as any other technically manufacturable geometry. Also, the reactor may be designed as a planar reactor.

The disinfection system according to the invention is also suitable in particular as a photolysis reactor for the targeted removal of undesired accompanying substances or selective deposition by UV radiation with an adapted wavelength of, for example, 220 nm to 400 nm. A device according to the invention is also suitable for producing substances, for example vitamin D.

• - Die UV-Strahlung der LED steht unmittelbar nach dem Einschalten zur Verfügung. Bisherige Strahler benötigen eine Aufwärmzeit von 10 bis 20 Minuten,
• - bei Schaltvorgängen weisen die LED keine Alterung oder Reduzierung der Lebensdauer auf. Bisherige Strahler verlieren etwa 2-6 Stunden an Lebensdauer je Schaltvorgang. Dadurch und aufgrund der Aufwärmzeit sind herkömmliche Strahler für sogenannte „Point of Use Anwendungen“ nicht geeignet, LED Strahler dagegen schon,
• - durch die Verspiegelung der Glasflächen kann der Wirkungsgrad der Desinfektion bis über 70 % gesteigert werden, und
• - die LED Lichtquellen weisen einen definierten engen Wellenlängenbereich auf. Zudem sind die emittierten Wellenlängen je nach Anwendungszweck und Kundenwunsch einstellbar.

The use of LED as a UV light source has the following additional advantages:

• - The UV radiation of the LED is available immediately after switching on. Previous spotlights require a warm-up time of 10 to 20 minutes,
• - during switching operations, the LEDs show no aging or reduction of the service life. Previous spotlights lose about 2-6 hours of life per switching operation. Because of this, and due to the warm-up time, conventional spotlights are not suitable for so-called "point of use applications", LED spotlights, on the other hand,
• - By mirroring the glass surfaces, the efficiency of disinfection can be increased to over 70%, and
• - The LED light sources have a defined narrow wavelength range. In addition, the emitted wavelengths are adjustable depending on the application and customer request.

• 1 eine stark vereinfachte Prinzipdarstellung einer erfindungsgemäßen Desinfektionsanlage im Längsschnitt
• 2 eine Ausschnittsvergrößerung eines Bereichs a aus 1,
• 3 eine zweite Ausführungsvariante der erfindungsgemäßen Desinfektionsanlage im Längsschnitt,
• 4 eine weitere Ausführungsvariante der Erfindung in perspektivischer Darstellung,
• 5 im Querschnitt der Ausführungsvariante gemäß 4.

The invention will be explained in more detail with reference to the following figures. These are not intended to be limiting, but merely to better describe the invention. Show it:

• 1 a greatly simplified schematic representation of a disinfection system according to the invention in longitudinal section
• 2 an enlarged detail of a range a 1 .
• 3 a second embodiment of the disinfection system according to the invention in longitudinal section,
• 4 a further embodiment of the invention in perspective view,
• 5 in cross section of the embodiment according to 4 ,

The 1 . 3 and 4 show disinfection systems according to the invention 20 from the outside, or in longitudinal section. It can be seen that such a disinfection system has a housing body 22 with an inlet 24 and an outlet 26 having. Fluid to be disinfected, for example a liquid, in particular water, flows through the inlet 24 in the housing body 22 or in an interior 46 of the housing body 22 into it and gets there with light from a UV light source 34 irradiated. The wavelength of the emitted light is preferably in the wavelength range from 265 nm to 280 nm.

In particular 2 clarifies, is the housing body 22 at least partially with a glass surface 32 provided by the UV light source 34 emitted radiation is permeable. This is recognizable in particular by the illustrated exemplary beam path 48 , This is from the UV light source 34 emitted, passes through the glass surface 32 and is at a mirroring 28 back towards the interior 46 reflected. The mirroring 28 is on the outside of the quartz glass case body 22 arranged.

3 shows a particularly advantageous embodiment of the invention. As UV light sources 34 are LED light sources 30 provided on an inner tube 50 arranged coaxially through the housing body 22 runs. The LED light sources 30 radiate into an annulus 54 or the interior 46 that is between the inner tube 50 and an inside 40 of the housing body 22 is trained. The fluid to be disinfected is through an inner tube inlet 56 in the inner tube 50 introduced and flows through the inner tube 50 where there are the LED light sources 30 on their backs cools. At a free end of the inner tube 50 is at least one, preferably several Innenrohrauslässe are arranged through which the fluid back into the annulus 54 arrives. From there, the fluid, for example water, flows in the opposite direction to the outlet 26 of the housing body 22 , During the backflow, the fluid from the LED light sources 30 illuminated and disinfected.

The 3 and 4 further clarify that the housing body 22 Changes in cross section 36 which may lead to bulges 38 on the inside 40 of the housing body 22 in the interior 46 to lead. These can have almost any shape, it is essential that they are inside the housing body 22 lead to a turbulence of the fluid and to a scattering of the emitted light by reflection.

The housing body 22 according to the 3 and 4 are preferably made entirely of quartz glass. It is not apparent that they are preferably completely mirrored on their outside, the mirroring 28 So the whole outside 42 covered. The only exception is not mirrored areas, through which the LED light sources 30 in the interior 46 can radiate.

4 shows by way of example only four LED light sources 30 However, these can also be over the entire length of the housing body 22 be arranged distributed.

The invention is not limited to the illustrated representation ranges, but also covers further embodiments of the invention.

LIST OF REFERENCE NUMBERS

20

disinfection system

22

housing body

24

inlet

26

outlet

28

silvering

30

LED light sources

32

glass surface

34

UV-light source

36

Cross-sectional change

38

bulge

40

inside

42

outside

46

inner space

50

inner tube

52

openings

54

annulus

Claims (14)

Disinfection plant (20) for fluids comprising a housing body (22) through which the fluid to be disinfected has an inlet (24) and an outlet (26) and at least one UV light source (34) for irradiating the body (22) flowing through the housing body Fluid, characterized in that - the housing body (22) is at least partially formed by at least one glass surface (32), wherein the glass surface (32) on its outer side (42) has an inwardly directed mirror coating (28), - the glass surface ( 32) is transparent to radiation emitted by the UV light source (34). Disinfection plant (20) after Claim 1 , characterized in that the UV light source (34) emits UV light in the wavelength range of 220 nm to 280 nm. Disinfection plant (20) after one of Claims 1 - 3 , characterized in that the glass surface (32) consists of natural or synthetic quartz glass. Disinfection plant (20) after one of Claims 1 - 3 , characterized in that the housing body (22) has at least one cross-sectional change (36) on its inner side (40). Disinfection plant (20) after Claim 4 , characterized in that the cross-sectional change (36) is formed by a recess on an outer side (42), which causes a bulge (38) on the inside (40) of the housing body (22). Disinfection plant (20) after Claim 4 or Claim 6 , characterized in that the housing body (22) has a plurality of cross-sectional changes (36). Disinfection plant (20) after one of Claims 1 - 6 , characterized in that the housing body (22) is made almost entirely of natural or synthetic quartz glass. Disinfection plant (20) after one of Claims 1 - 7 , characterized in that the UV light source (34) on the outer side (42) of the housing body (22) is arranged and irradiates the UV light source (34) in an inner space (46) of the housing body (22). Disinfection plant (20) after Claim 8 , characterized in that the UV light source (34) in the region of the glass surface (32) is arranged and the glass surface (32) in its mirror coating (28) has a non-mirrored region through which the UV light source (34) in can radiate in the interior (46) of the housing body (22). Disinfection plant (20) after one of Claims 1 to 9 , characterized in that the at least one UV light source (34) is formed by an LED light source (30). Disinfection plant (20) after Claim 10 , characterized in that the LED light source (30) via a cooling system (42) is cooled on the back side. Disinfection plant (20) after one of Claims 1 - 9 , characterized in that the UV light source (34) inside the interior (46) of the housing body (22) is arranged and emits radiation in the direction of the inside (40) of the housing body (22). Disinfection plant (20) after Claim 12 characterized in that the UV light source (34) is constituted by an LED light source (30) disposed on an inner tube (50) coaxial with the case body (22) and adapted to receive disinfectant fluid first flows through the inner tube (50) in a first flow direction while the LED light source (30) cools back, wherein the inner tube (50) has at least one opening (52) through which the fluid from the inner tube (50) in an annular space (54) between the inner tube (50) and the inner side (40) of the housing body (22) is deflectable and flows back through the annular space (54) in a second opposite flow direction and thereby from the radiation of the LED light source (30) is irradiated. Disinfection plant (20) after one of Claims 1 - 13 , characterized in that a plurality of UV light sources (34) is provided, which are arranged distributed in the flow direction of the fluid.

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