FR3093103A1 - WATER TREATMENT UNIT - Google Patents

Abstract

Chlorinated water treatment apparatus (15), comprising: - a reservoir (11) and a plug (12), arranged to define a predetermined closed volume intended to receive chlorinated water (15) to be treated, - at least a light source (21) arranged to expose the predetermined closed volume to ultraviolet radiation with a wavelength ranging from 320 nm to 400 nm and preferably from 325 nm to 395 nm, - a housing (30) arranged to receive the reservoir (11) closed with the cap (12), preferably reversibly, characterized in that the housing (30) has a wall: - which comprises an interface for fixing said at least one light source ( 21), and- which comprises means for cooling said at least one light source (21). Figure for the abstract: Fig. 1

Description

WATER TREATMENT APPARATUS

The present invention generally relates to a water treatment device, and in particular to a chlorinated water treatment device.

The drinking water market is largely dominated by chlorinated treatments, the only ones to combine low prices and sufficient residual disinfection to cope with long distribution networks. In some countries (for example in the USA), the chlorine levels allowed in the water are very high (0.8mg/l against 0.4mg/l in Europe), around 1mg/l in the water distributed to the network.

Chlorine has several disadvantages, including the creation of dangerous by-products (chloramines (chemical compounds characterized by the -N-Cl group), Trihalomethane, chloroform, etc.), and these chlorinated treatments have another disadvantage: if the chlorine does not does not smell very good, its taste remains limited, chloramines are very fragrant and induce a pronounced (and very unpleasant) taste, which does not disappear after one hour of airing. Contrary to some popular belief, water that contains chloramines may require at least 24 hours of aeration for a partial reduction, which would leave room for microbial recolonization in the event of practice.

Treatment devices are known in the prior art, such as filter jugs, but as seen above, the water should be allowed to stagnate there for a long time, which can cause bacterial contamination, and moreover, such filter jugs can retain mineral salts or trace elements which are nevertheless beneficial for the consumer.

Reverse osmosis-based solutions create almost distilled water, which lacks essential mineral salts, they are more expensive in energy and require more consumables than filter jugs.

Ultrafiltration and microfiltration are ineffective on dissolved chlorine, and of course on its derivatives.

Finally, ultraviolet purifiers (UV-C) are effective on bacteria, and can to some extent kill chlorine (subject to a dose of UV-C twenty times greater...). These devices are subject to an annual lamp change (which must not be extinguished to preserve it…), and their wavelength, effective on chlorine, is less so on chloramines. Disposable lamps use mercury extensively, which provides an additional inconvenience.

An object of the present invention is to respond to the drawbacks of the prior art mentioned above and in particular, first of all, to propose a simple chlorinated water treatment apparatus, which does not affect on trace elements, and which can quickly treat a volume of water to be consumed to remove the unpleasant taste of chlorine and its derivatives.

For this, a first aspect of the invention relates to a chlorinated water treatment device, comprising:
- a tank and a plug, arranged to define a predetermined closed volume intended to receive chlorinated water to be treated,
- at least one light source arranged to expose the predetermined closed volume to ultraviolet radiation with a wavelength comprised in an interval ranging from 320 nm to 400 nm and preferably from 325 nm to 395 nm,
- a housing arranged to receive the reservoir closed with the cap, preferably reversibly,
characterized in that the housing has a wall:
- which comprises an interface for attaching said at least one light source, and
- Which comprises means for cooling said at least one light source.

Such a treatment device is simple to manufacture, and allows rapid and efficient treatment of the predetermined volume to remove the chlorine taste from the chlorinated water initially introduced into the tank which is closed during the treatment. Said at least one light source is arranged to generate type A ultraviolet rays, that is to say whose wavelength is between 320 nm (nanometers) and 400 nm (nanometers) and preferably between 325 nm and 395nm. The general architecture of the device is simple: all you need is a reservoir (removable or not), and light sources to expose the contents of the reservoir to UV rays (type A).

In particular, the device has no filter, filter cartridge or microfilter. The trace elements are therefore not retained by such a filter.

In particular, the device does not have separate means for generating and circulating ozone, for circulating gaseous ozone in the reservoir.

In particular, the apparatus is devoid of photocatalyst, such as titanium dioxide for example.

That is, the basic operation of the device is aimed at exposing water to ultraviolet radiation only. Thus, exposure to ultraviolet rays causes the chlorine smell to disappear. Exposing the water to only ultraviolet radiation can treat malodorous molecules. In other words, the invention proposes a device which makes it possible to make the chlorinated odor disappear only by exposing the water in a closed container to a particular UV radiation, and this therefore without filtration, without exposure to ozone. , or without using a photocatalyst.

In particular, chlorine in tap water is present in particular in the form of hypochlorous acid (HClO) and hypochlorite ions (ClO ⁻ ), and the action of UV radiation causes a reduction in these chlorinated molecules, in generating free radicals:
HOCl + UV radiation → ^∙ OH + Cl ^∙
ClO ^- + UV → O ^- + Cl ^{∙ ∙}
Thus, the free radicals generated can then destroy (by oxidation, or advanced oxidation process) the other molecules, and any viruses or bacteria present in the solution being treated.

Finally, the means of cooling directly provided by the wall make it possible to limit overheating, which makes it possible to keep water fresh to drink directly. The overall apparatus is therefore very simple, and provides easy use.

Advantageously, the cooling means comprise a wall portion of the casing, arranged to conduct heat to the exterior of the casing. It is possible to provide a portion of the wall or the entire wall made of a highly heat-conductive material (a metal, a plastic filled with carbon, graphite or metal fibres). The conduction of the heat generated by the light source(s) is then directly evacuated to the exterior.

Advantageously, the wall of the casing is formed from metal, preferably aluminum.

Advantageously, the wall of the case includes a groove arranged to receive said at least one light source.

Advantageously, said at least one light source comprises a base and at least one light-emitting diode fixed to the base, the base being housed in the groove.

Advantageously, the processing device comprises a plurality of bases, with a plurality of light sources fixed on each base. A plurality of grooves can then be provided.

Advantageously, the box comprises:
- a main body,
- a fund,
- a lid,
- At least one transparent ring arranged between the main body and the bottom and/or the cover, so as to allow light to be conducted from inside the case to the outside of the case.

In other words, the housing comprises at least one window transparent to light rays, so that the user can easily see whether the device is in operation or not.

Advantageously, the main body is a tube, preferably formed by extrusion.

Advantageously, the processing apparatus comprises reservoir authentication means.

Advantageously, the means of authentication include:
- an electronic tag attached to the tank, and arranged to store an identifier of the tank
- means for reading the electronic tag, connected to a control unit of said at least one light source, the control unit being arranged to control the light source only if the tank identifier is received by the means of reading. The use is then secure, because provision can be made to inhibit operation if the tank is not compatible (if the user inserts a container opaque to ultraviolet light, there is no point in operating the light sources).

Advantageously, the authentication means comprise a control element, such as a switch, sensitive to light radiation of a wavelength comprised in an interval ranging from 320 nm to 400 nm and preferably from 325 nm to 395 nm, secured to the tank, and arranged to form part of a control circuit of the treatment apparatus. In other words, the switch (a photo diode for example) is embedded on the tank and is part of the control circuit. Once exposed to UV, this switch can close and validate to continue to operate the device. According to a first option, if the switch is not or not sufficiently exposed to UVs, then the device can send a message to the user that a failure of the light sources has occurred. According to a second option, if the user inserts a container without this switch, then the device can stop operation. Proper use is then guaranteed, with authenticated components, which allow diagnosis.

Advantageously, the processing device comprises a control unit, and wireless communication means, arranged to establish a connection with a remote device, such as a server or a portable electronic device. We can plan to send information messages to the user, on the cycle time, the end of the cycle, the frequency of use, encourage him to drink enough... We can also plan to send a message on an energy level of the batteries or battery, encourage recharging or changing the batteries...

Advantageously, the casing comprises at least one air passage to the outside, so as to allow a cooling air current between the interior of the casing and the exterior of the casing. Advantageously, a first passage hole can be provided in a lower part of the case, and a second passage hole in an upper part, so as to allow a flow of convection, which is particularly effective in cooling the interior space of the case.

Advantageously, the treatment apparatus comprises a wall that reflects ultraviolet rays, surrounding the predetermined volume of water and said at least one light source arranged to generate ultraviolet radiation.

Very advantageously, said at least one light source is a light-emitting diode.

In particular, said at least one light source is a light-emitting diode chosen to emit or generate ultraviolet radiation with a wavelength of 365 nm ± 15 nm and preferably 365 nm ± 10 nm.

Advantageously, the reservoir is removable.

Advantageously, the reservoir is transparent to ultraviolet rays of a wavelength comprised in a range ranging from 320 nm to 400 nm and preferentially from 325 nm to 395 nm.

Advantageously, said at least one light source is a light-emitting diode comprising a light-emitting head, and optionally, the reservoir is in contact with the light-emitting head. This allows heat to be transferred directly to the reservoir (to cool the LEDs and thus increase the cooling surface).

Advantageously, the reservoir is made of borosilicate glass.

A second aspect of the invention relates to a process for treating chlorinated water, comprising a step consisting in exposing a predetermined volume of chlorinated water to ultraviolet radiation with a wavelength comprised in an interval going from 320 nm to 400 nm and preferably from 325 nm to 395 nm.

Advantageously, the step of exposing the predetermined volume to ultraviolet radiation is carried out long enough to supply at least 5.5Wh of light energy per liter of water to be treated.

In other words, the invention relates to the use of the treatment apparatus according to the first aspect, or the use of the treatment method according to the second aspect, to treat chlorine or its derivatives present in water chlorinated. This chlorinated water contains few or no microbes or bacteria (and therefore should not be disinfected again before being consumed), but has an unpleasant smell or taste, whether the treatment device or the method of treatment can make it disappear in a short time. In fact, the applicant has noticed that exposure to type A UV radiation makes it possible to eliminate the taste or smell of chlorine. The odorous molecules (chlorine, active chlorine, and especially chloramines…) are broken down to generate free radicals and then ions which do not have the characteristic smell of chlorine.

Other characteristics and advantages of the present invention will appear more clearly on reading the following detailed description of an embodiment of the invention given by way of non-limiting example and illustrated by the appended drawings, in which:

shows a sectional view of a water treatment device according to the invention;

shows a section of the main body of the treatment apparatus of Figure 1.

Figure 1 shows a sectional view of a chlorinated water treatment device, which comprises a housing 30 (formed here by a main body 30a, a cover 30b, a bottom 30c and a transparent ring 30d), a tank 10 formed by a bottle 11 and a cap 12, so as to form a closed volume, a plurality of light-emitting diodes 20 embedded on bases 21.

FIG. 2 represents a section of the main body 30a, which comprises two grooves 31, which can accommodate the bases 21. Thus, assembly is easy and heat conduction to the outside is effective, since the bases which support the diodes emitters 20 are directly in contact with the wall of the main body 30a.

It is possible to envisage making the main body 30a of metal by rolling, molding, and preferably by extrusion in the case of aluminum. The bottom 30c and the cover 30b can clip onto the main body, or be screwed for example.

The light emitting diodes 20 are arranged to emit a light signal in the ultraviolet range, and in particular the light emitting diodes 20 are provided to emit type A ultraviolet rays (otherwise called UV-A). The light-emitting diodes 20 are therefore arranged to emit a light signal whose wavelength is within an interval ranging from 320 nm to 400 nm and preferably from 325 nm to 395 nm.

The transparent ring 30d allows the user to easily check whether the device is in operation, by projecting outward the light emitted by the light-emitting diodes 20. Other transparent windows can of course be provided, to facilitate the outward light transmission.

The housing 30 can temporarily accommodate the tank 10 containing chlorinated water 15 (it suffices to remove the cover 30b). As shown in Figure 1, the light-emitting diodes 20 are close to the tank 10. This makes it possible to effectively illuminate the contents of the tank 10.

The processing apparatus also comprises cooling means, for cooling the light-emitting diodes 20 and the contents of the reservoir 10. In particular, the cooling means comprise at least a wall portion of the casing 30, and in particular, provision may the main body 30a made of metal, and aluminum for example, so as to easily conduct the heat from the light-emitting diodes 20 to the outside.

In addition, a first air passage hole 32 can be provided in the bottom 30c of the case 30 (which, for example, opens onto an external groove), and a second air passage hole 33 in the cover 30b, so to be able to establish a convection current which also avoids excessive heating of the interior space of the housing 30.

Finally, the processing device includes an electrical control unit 60 to control the light-emitting diodes 20, according to the processing cycle. You can provide an external mains power supply, or a battery to obtain a portable device. It is also possible to provide an authentication unit in the housing 30, with for example means for reading an electronic tag 13 of the RFID type, for example on board the tank 10. Thus, the device can recognize the type of tank 10 and then authorize the start of the work cycle.

Through a series of tests, the applicant has established that the useful wavelength for this work is between 320 nm and 400 nm and preferably between 325 and 390 nm. Thus, for a 1l bottle, representing approximately 600cm² of unrolled surface, a quantity of UV-A received of approximately 5.5 Wh is required, i.e. the equivalent of two hours of full sun.

By making a box, and placing a series of light-emitting diodes 20 around the bottle 11 placed inside, it is possible to use a power for example four times greater (11W) to manage to treat this same liter of water in 30 minutes.

But the effect does not just eliminate chlorine and its derivatives: it generates a lot of hydroxyl radicals, H2O2, O3, which thus sterilize the water by a triple advanced oxidation process (l only one of these processes would allow the content to be sterilized without difficulty)

In addition, the device advantageously uses a property of UVA radiation which is germicidal, thus making it possible to accelerate the treatment with a significant reduction, but also to stabilize the result by protective irradiation, for example once a day.

In addition, this solution has the advantage of offering sterilization of the contents and the container at each cycle, as well as working in noble materials such as tempered glass or quartz (both transparent to UV-A).

The fact of using light-emitting diodes 20 makes it possible to achieve approximately 50% light output (i.e. a consumption of approximately 12Wh per liter treated) and not to deal with annual lamp changes, the lifetimes of the light-emitting diodes 20 are of the order of 50,000 hours and they withstand repetitive ignition cycles without suffering, so there is no consumable to provide, nor any particular maintenance, the bottle 11 being sterilized at each cycle.

One of the embodiments of the invention is the use of a tempered borosilicate glass bottle and the use of a box opening from above. Several rows of light-emitting diodes 20 can be arranged (two in the implementation of FIG. 1, but 4, 6 or 8 bases 21 can be provided) with preferentially regular angular spacings, preferentially arranged so that the upper globe of each diode electroluminescent 20 either facing the outside of the glass.

This innovative arrangement is preferable because it allows, without loss of power, to reach the middle of the container with the UV-A beam, thus allowing a well-distributed disinfection.

It is also possible to provide a UV-A reflecting screen (between the body of the box and the light-emitting diodes 20 + the bottle 11), to concentrate the UV-A exposure on the water 15.

It will be understood that various modifications and/or improvements obvious to those skilled in the art can be made to the various embodiments of the invention described in the present description without departing from the scope of the invention.

Claims (12)

Apparatus for treating chlorinated water (15), comprising:
- a reservoir (11) and a cap (12), arranged to define a predetermined closed volume intended to receive chlorinated water (15) to be treated,
- at least one light source (21) arranged to expose the predetermined closed volume to ultraviolet radiation of a wavelength comprised in a range ranging from 320 nm to 400 nm and preferably from 325 nm to 395 nm,
- a housing (30) arranged to receive the tank (11) closed with the plug (12), preferably reversibly,
characterized in that the housing (30) has a wall:
- which comprises an interface for attaching said at least one light source (21), and
- Which comprises means for cooling said at least one light source (21). Treatment apparatus according to the preceding claim, in which the cooling means comprise a wall portion of the casing (30), arranged to conduct heat towards the exterior of the casing (30). Treatment device according to one of the preceding claims, in which the housing wall (30) is formed from metal, preferably aluminium. Processing apparatus according to the preceding claim, in which the wall of the casing (30) comprises a groove (31) arranged to receive the said at least one light source (21). Processing apparatus according to the preceding claim, in which the said at least one light source (21) comprises a base and at least one light-emitting diode fixed on the base, the base being housed in the groove (31). Treatment apparatus according to one of the preceding claims, in which the housing (30) comprises:
- a main body (30a),
- a bottom (30c),
- a lid (30b),
- at least one transparent ring (30d) arranged between the main body (30a) and the bottom (30c) and/or the lid (30b), so as to allow light to be conducted from inside the case (30) towards the exterior of the housing (30). Treatment apparatus according to the preceding claim, wherein the main body (30a) is a tube, preferably formed by extrusion. Treatment apparatus according to one of the preceding claims, comprising means for authenticating the tank (11). Processing apparatus according to the preceding claim, in which the authentication means comprise:
- an electronic tag (13) secured to the tank (11), and arranged to store an identifier of the tank (11)
- means for reading the electronic tag, connected to a control unit of said at least one light source (21), the control unit being arranged to control the light source (21) only if the identifier of the reservoir (11) is received by the reading means. Treatment apparatus according to one of Claims 8 or 9, in which the authentication means comprise a control element, such as a switch, sensitive to light radiation of a wavelength comprised in an interval ranging from 320 nm to 400 nm and preferably from 325 nm to 395 nm, secured to the reservoir (11), and arranged to form part of a control circuit of the processing device. Processing device according to one of the preceding claims, comprising a control unit, and wireless communication means, arranged to establish a connection with a remote device, such as a server or a portable electronic device. Treatment apparatus according to one of the preceding claims, in which the casing (30) comprises at least one air passage towards the outside, so as to allow a flow of cooling air between the interior of the casing (30 ) and the exterior of the housing (30).