GB2070900A - Water purification apparatus - Google Patents

Water purification apparatus Download PDF

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Publication number
GB2070900A
GB2070900A GB8105410A GB8105410A GB2070900A GB 2070900 A GB2070900 A GB 2070900A GB 8105410 A GB8105410 A GB 8105410A GB 8105410 A GB8105410 A GB 8105410A GB 2070900 A GB2070900 A GB 2070900A
Authority
GB
United Kingdom
Prior art keywords
housing
water
lamp
pump
loop
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Withdrawn
Application number
GB8105410A
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
Sybron Transition Corp
Original Assignee
Sybron Corp
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Sybron Corp filed Critical Sybron Corp
Publication of GB2070900A publication Critical patent/GB2070900A/en
Withdrawn legal-status Critical Current

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Classifications

    • CCHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
    • C02TREATMENT OF WATER, WASTE WATER, SEWAGE, OR SLUDGE
    • C02FTREATMENT OF WATER, WASTE WATER, SEWAGE, OR SLUDGE
    • C02F1/00Treatment of water, waste water, or sewage
    • C02F1/30Treatment of water, waste water, or sewage by irradiation
    • C02F1/32Treatment of water, waste water, or sewage by irradiation with ultraviolet light
    • C02F1/325Irradiation devices or lamp constructions
    • CCHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
    • C02TREATMENT OF WATER, WASTE WATER, SEWAGE, OR SLUDGE
    • C02FTREATMENT OF WATER, WASTE WATER, SEWAGE, OR SLUDGE
    • C02F2201/00Apparatus for treatment of water, waste water or sewage
    • C02F2201/32Details relating to UV-irradiation devices
    • C02F2201/322Lamp arrangement
    • C02F2201/3223Single elongated lamp located on the central axis of a turbular reactor
    • CCHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
    • C02TREATMENT OF WATER, WASTE WATER, SEWAGE, OR SLUDGE
    • C02FTREATMENT OF WATER, WASTE WATER, SEWAGE, OR SLUDGE
    • C02F2201/00Apparatus for treatment of water, waste water or sewage
    • C02F2201/32Details relating to UV-irradiation devices
    • C02F2201/326Lamp control systems

Landscapes

  • Health & Medical Sciences (AREA)
  • Toxicology (AREA)
  • Life Sciences & Earth Sciences (AREA)
  • Hydrology & Water Resources (AREA)
  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Environmental & Geological Engineering (AREA)
  • Water Supply & Treatment (AREA)
  • Chemical & Material Sciences (AREA)
  • Organic Chemistry (AREA)
  • Physical Water Treatments (AREA)
  • Physical Or Chemical Processes And Apparatus (AREA)

Abstract

Organic matter which may be contained in purified feed water, e.g. distilled or deionized water, is at least substantially removed by processing the water in apparatus having an upright cylindrical housing 1 containing a coaxial tubular ultraviolet lamp 4. The ultraviolet radiation causes almost all of the organic matter to be oxidized to carbon dioxide which can escape through vent 13. A circulating loop 3 connected to the housing ensures repeated exposure of the water to the radiation, while also serving as a sight-glass. The end of a timed cycle is indicated by a timer-controlled signal lamp or other indicator, but the ultraviolet lamp and the circulation loop continue to operate, to prevent possible contamination. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Water purification apparatus description This invention relates to the purification of water and, more particularly, to water purification apparatus which can be used to produce water of a very high purity. The apparatus of the invention is especially intended for the production of ultra-pure water substantially free from organic materials, using purified feed water, for instance distilled or deionized water.
In order to be suitable for use in various sensitive analytical techniques and critical processes, water needs to be deionized and substantially free from organic carbon compounds. Water can be cleaned and deionized by passing it through mixed beds of ion exchange resins and submicron filters or, instead, by distilling it. However, neither of these techniques adequately removes organic molecules, whether they were originally present in the water or were produced during subsequent treatments. This invention provides a simple apparatus for decomposing residual organic materials which may be present in pretreated feed water. The apparatus of the invention utilises the known technique of subjecting the water to ultraviolet radiation, which decomposes most of the organic materials found in the feed water and converts them into carbon dioxide.
An example of earlier apparatus utilizing this technique are the photo-oxidation units sold by La Jolla Scientific Company. In a La Jolla unit, water may be processed either while contained in quartz sample tubes or while flowing through quartz spiral tubes, by being exposed to ultraviolet radiation which is said to be in the wavelength range from 2,000 to 2,400 Angstroms.
A device made by the Aqua-Fine Corporation irradiates water with ultraviolet light as it passes through a chamber. The radiation has a wavelength of 2537 Angstroms, which fatally modifies the DNA of microorganisms. It is said that the resistivity of the water does not change after irradiation, which indicates that organic materials are not in fact oxidized to CO2 in this form of apparatus. U.S. Patent Specification 3,958,941 is also of interest, as it discloses apparatus for measuring the amount of organic carbon by irradiating water with ultraviolet radiation and measuring the amount of carbon dioxide produced.
None of these known forms of apparatus fulfils the needs which are met by the apparatus of this invention. This comprises a cylindrical housing having its axis vertical, a vent at the upper end of the housing, a circulation loop interconnecting the upper and lower ends of the housing, a pump in the loop for circulating water through the housing and the loop, at least part of the loop comprising a transparent section serving as a sight glass for the housing and an untraviolet lamp arranged coaxially along the length of the housing, whereby feed water supplied to the housing and circulated by the pump is subjected to ultraviolet radiation emitted by the lamp, so that organic material in the water is converted into carbon dioxide and the desired organic-free water can then be recovered from the housing.
Preferably a timer and an indicator are provided, the timer being actuated upon operation of the lamp and the pump and being arranged to energisethe indicator at the end of a predetermined period while the iamp and the pump remain in operation.
It is also preferableforthe housing to have at its top an inlet which includes an inlet valve, the apparatus in use thus being filled with the inlet valve open and the valve being closed during operation.
Further, it is also preferable for the housing to have its lower end in communication with an outlet and forthis to include an outlet valve, which is normally closed, i.e. during filling and operation, the valve being opened to recover the treated product.
In the apparatus of the invention, the feed water, which may contain various amounts of organic material, is subjected to treatment with ultraviolet light, which causes most of the organic materials to be oxidized to carbon dioxide. In order to ensure a very high degree of purity of the product, the water is desirably circulated repeatedly through the housing past the lamp and thus undergoes repeated exposurn to the ultraviolet radiation. Typically, the apparatus incorporates a switch, operation of which turns on the ultraviolet lamp, the pump and the timer which is preferably provided. At the end of a timed period, the timer energizes a lamp or other indicator, while the pump and ultraviolet lamp remain on.The purified water in the apparatus continues to be treated until operation is ended, by switching off the apparatus and withdrawing the desired organic-free water from the housing, e.g. by way of the outlet.
In order that the invention may be readily understood, a preferred form of water purification apparatus is described below, together with its operation, in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 shows diagrammatically a preferred embodiment of an apparatus according to the invention for producing substantially organic-free water; Figure 2 is a graph representing an analysis of feed water priorto treatment by the apparatus of the present invention; and Figure 3 is a graph representing an analysis of the water subsequent to treatment by the apparatus.
Referring to Figure 1, the apparatus in accordance with the invention is remarkable for its simplicity which, in addition to economic considerations, is important in contributing to the high degree of reliability of the apparatus. Nevertheless, this apparatus provides water having organic purity standards equal to or greater than standards published by manufacturers of more complicated apparatus. The primary components of the apparatus are an upright cylindrical housing 1, a pump-driven circulation loop 2 interconnecting the upper end and the lower end of the housing 1, all or part of the loop 2 serving as a sight glass 3, and an ultraviolet source in the form of a tubular lamp 4 extending coaxially along the length of the housing 1. Fittings are associated with the housing 1 for providing an input, an output and a venting arrangement, as explained below.
These and the associated components are first described in detail below, followed by a description of their functions in conjunction with the operation of the unit.
The housing 1 substantially encloses the ultraviolet source and is a stainless steel sheet cylinder having an inside diameter of, for instance, 10 cm (4"). The length of the cylinder is, for instance, 25 cm (10"), so that it suitably accommodates the length of the coaxially-located tubular lamp 4, of the mercury vapour type. The lamp used is preferably one rated at 14 watts output and has a length of at least 27.5 cm and a diameter of 18 mm (11116"). Circular stainless steel end plates 5,6 are welded to the upper and lower ends of the cylinder to complete the housing 1.
During manufacture, the housing 1 is desirably electropolished to remove possible surface contaminations. The axis of the cylinder is vertical, as shown.
The end plates 5,6 each include a central aperture in which the respective ends 7,8 of the lamp 4 are located. A quartz tube 9 having an inside diameter of 25 mm (1") extends between the apertures in the housing end plates 5, 6 and encloses the lamp 4. In operation, mercury vapour lamps emit a number of lines of different wavelengths including many in the ultraviolet range. The quartz tube 9 is desirably fabricated from 214 quartz, as this material passes the 184.9 nanometre line with little attenuation.
Ultraviolet light of this wavelength partially decomposes waterto form hydrogen and hydroxyl ions.
The quartz tube 9 allows easy replacement of the mercury vapour lamp 4. A housing having the dimensions given has a capacity of approximately 21 when the volume of the lamp 4 is subtracted. The interior of the housing 1 is smooth and no baffles are necessary. The housing 1 and the lamp 4 have their longitudinal axes coincident and vertical.
The upper end plate 5 has fittings 11, 12 and 13 fixed to it and the lower end plate 6 has a tee fitting 10, all of which are connected with the interior of the housing 1. Tubing 14 is connected to the lower end plate 6 by way of the tee fitting 10 and to the input side of a pump 15. An oscillating pump is preferably used, but the particular type is not critical so long as the parts in contact with the water do not release organic materials. The pump preferably has a pumping rate of about 2 litres per minute. The output side of the pump 15 is connected by tubing 16 to the fitting 11 on the upper end plate 5, so that the fittings 10 and 11, the pump 15 and the tubing 14 and 16 form the water circulation loop 2 of the apparatus.
The tubing 16 or at least part of it is made of transparent material, such as polyethylene. The transparent part, preferably vertical, of the tubing 16 serves as a sight-glass and indicates when the housing 1 is filled with water.
A water inlet 17 is connected to the fitting 12 at the top of the housing 1 and includes an inlet valve 18.
An outlet or drain 19 is connected to the lower end of the housing 1 via a second or outlet valve 20 and the tee fitting 10.
The upper end of the housing 1 is vented by way of the fitting 13. The vent is always open to the atmosphere, so means are provided to prevent contamination of the water inside the housing 1 by any impurities in the air. Such means may be an activated charcoal filter or, as shown in the drawing, a down pipe 21 connected to the fitting 13 and having its open end facing a awnwards and ending below the bottom of the housing 1.
Control circuitry, indicated generally at 22, is provided which is connectible to an electricity supply and includes an onloff switch 23 for actuating a power supply unit 24 for the lamp 4, the power supply unit 24 being connected by leads to the respective ends 7 and 8 of the lamp 4. The mains supply is also connected via the switch 23 to the pump 15 and to a timer 25, which is in turn connected to an indicator 26, such as a lamp, arranged to indicate the lapse of a timed period of predetermined length.
The operation of the apparatus will now be described. With the valve 19 closed, the inlet valve 18 is opened and the housing 1 is then filled with feed water. The vertical portion 3 of the circulation loop may be used as a sight-glass to ascertain when the housing 1 is filled.
The feed water should either be distilled to have a minimum resistivity of 300,000 ohm-centimetres or deionized to have a minimum resistivity of one megohm-centimetre and filtered through a 0.22 micron sieve. The inlet 17 may be connected directly to a water purification apparatus or the feed water may be fed in via the inlet 17. Once the housing 1 is filled, the inlet valve 18 is closed and the switch 23 is operated to actuate the supply unit 24 and thus the ultraviolet lamp 4, the pump 15 of the circulation loop 2 and the timer 25.
As the water in the housing 1 is irradiated, some of it is decomposed to form H and OH ions. The feed water will already contain a small amount of dissolved oxygen. The H and OH ions and the dissolved oxygen, under the influence of the ultraviolet radiation, react with most of the organic substances present in the feed water. The amount of organic material in the feed water is small and, therefore, the amount of oxygen present in the feed water is almost certain to be in excess of the stoichiometric quantity necessary for reaction. The product of oxidation of the organic materials in the feed water is carbon dioxide, which in the presence of water forms or behaves as carbonic acid, a weak acid, which reduces the resistance of the irradiated water.
The water is continuously recycled through the loop 2 and this ensures repeated irradiation, leading to the eliminating of virtually all organic matter.
With apparatus having the dimensions given and a pumping rate of 2 litres per minute, a 30 minute period has been found to be sufficient to oxidize most of the organic material found in the water. At the end of the timed period determined by the initial setting of the timer 25, the lamp 26 lights up indicating completion of the cycle. The timer 25 does not affect either the lamp 4 or the pump 15, which continue to operate until the apparatus is switched off.
This ensures that any organic matter derived from material in the apparatus or entering by way of the vent pipe 21 will be oxidized.
The circulating water has a desirable cooling effect. An apparatus as described above was run overnight and the maximum temperature reached was 450C (110 F).
Substantially organic-free water is withdrawn from the outlet 19 by opening the valve 20. This water contains dissolved carbon dioxide corresponding to the amount of organic matter oxidised.
The carbon dioxide is easily and routinely removed from the water before use, e.g. in analytical techniques such as high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC).
The effectiveness of the disclosed apparatus in eliminating organic material is easily demonstrated.
Figure 2 illustrates a typical HPLC analysis of feed water prior to processing in the apparatus. Figure 3 illustrates the substantial reduction in organic contaminants after the water has been processed in the apparatus.

Claims (6)

1. An apparatus for producing substantially organic-free water from purified feed water, which comprises a cylindrical housing having its axis vertical, a vent at the upper end of the housing, a circulation loop interconnecting the upper and lower ends of the housing, a pump in the loop for circulating water through the housing and the loop, at least part of the loop comprising a transparent section serving as a sight glass for the housing and an ultraviolet lamp arranged coaxially along the length of the housing, whereby feed water supplied to the housing and circulated by the pump is subjected to ultraviolet radiation emitted by the lamp, so that organic material in the water is converted into carbon dioxide and the desired organicfree water can then be recovered from the housing.
2. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a timer and an indicator are provided, the timer being actuated upon operation of the lamp and the pump and being arranged to energise the indicator at the end of a predetermined period while the lamp and the pump remain in operation.
3. An apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, wherein a valve is provided in an inlet which is in communication with the upper end of the housing and the housing is filled when the inlet valve is open.
4. An apparatus according to claim 1,2 or 3, wherein a valve is provided in an outlet which is in communication with the lower end of the housing and organic-free water is recovered from the housing by opening the outlet valve.
5. An apparatus according to claim 1, substantially as described with reference to Fig. 1 of the accompanying drawings.
6. Purified water, when produced in an apparatus according to any preceding claim.
GB8105410A 1980-03-05 1981-02-20 Water purification apparatus Withdrawn GB2070900A (en)

Applications Claiming Priority (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
US12738780A 1980-03-05 1980-03-05

Publications (1)

Publication Number Publication Date
GB2070900A true GB2070900A (en) 1981-09-09

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ID=22429835

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
GB8105410A Withdrawn GB2070900A (en) 1980-03-05 1981-02-20 Water purification apparatus

Country Status (3)

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JP (1) JPS56166985A (en)
DE (1) DE3108159A1 (en)
GB (1) GB2070900A (en)

Cited By (7)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US4450139A (en) * 1982-05-03 1984-05-22 Solid State Systems, Corporation Light generating apparatus for curing dental restorative composites
EP0307242A1 (en) * 1987-09-10 1989-03-15 Solarchem Enterprises Inc. Process for the treatment of organic contaminants in solid or liquid phase wastes
FR2784092A1 (en) * 1998-10-01 2000-04-07 Moulinex Sa HOUSEHOLD APPLIANCE FOR BACTERIAL TREATMENT AND WATER PURIFICATION.
WO2000068152A1 (en) * 1999-05-05 2000-11-16 Milton Paul Pinel Method and apparatus for fluid treatment by uv-radiation
WO2012176134A1 (en) * 2011-06-24 2012-12-27 Emd Millipore Corporation System and method for purification and distribution of water with separation barrier taking away the biological contamination
WO2016085385A1 (en) 2014-11-27 2016-06-02 Wallenius Water Ab Liquid treatment apparatus including an oversized lamp protecting sleeve
US9745207B2 (en) 2011-06-24 2017-08-29 Emd Millipore Corporation System and method for water purification with automatic purge

Families Citing this family (3)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
DE3221350A1 (en) * 1982-06-05 1983-12-08 Erich 5412 Ransbach-Baumbach Alhäuser DEVICE FOR PROVIDING HIGH PURITY, STERILE WATER
DE3414870A1 (en) * 1984-04-19 1985-10-31 René 8521 Möhrendorf Stein Apparatus for drinking-water disinfection for mobile homes
DE8517817U1 (en) * 1985-06-19 1987-05-14 Multimatic Maschinen GmbH & Co, 4520 Melle Water separator of a dry cleaning machine

Cited By (11)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US4450139A (en) * 1982-05-03 1984-05-22 Solid State Systems, Corporation Light generating apparatus for curing dental restorative composites
EP0307242A1 (en) * 1987-09-10 1989-03-15 Solarchem Enterprises Inc. Process for the treatment of organic contaminants in solid or liquid phase wastes
FR2784092A1 (en) * 1998-10-01 2000-04-07 Moulinex Sa HOUSEHOLD APPLIANCE FOR BACTERIAL TREATMENT AND WATER PURIFICATION.
WO2000020340A1 (en) * 1998-10-01 2000-04-13 Moulinex S.A. Water treatment apparatus by filtering and irradiation
WO2000068152A1 (en) * 1999-05-05 2000-11-16 Milton Paul Pinel Method and apparatus for fluid treatment by uv-radiation
WO2012176134A1 (en) * 2011-06-24 2012-12-27 Emd Millipore Corporation System and method for purification and distribution of water with separation barrier taking away the biological contamination
FR2976936A1 (en) * 2011-06-24 2012-12-28 Millipore Corp SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR PURIFYING AND DISPENSING WATER WITH SEPARATION BARRIER REMOVING BACTERIAL CONTAMINATION
CN103608301A (en) * 2011-06-24 2014-02-26 Emd密理博公司 System and method for purification and distribution of water with separation barrier taking away the biological contamination
US9745207B2 (en) 2011-06-24 2017-08-29 Emd Millipore Corporation System and method for water purification with automatic purge
US9926210B2 (en) 2011-06-24 2018-03-27 Emd Millipore Corporation System and method for purification and distribution of water with separation barrier taking away the biological contamination
WO2016085385A1 (en) 2014-11-27 2016-06-02 Wallenius Water Ab Liquid treatment apparatus including an oversized lamp protecting sleeve

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
DE3108159A1 (en) 1982-02-04
JPS56166985A (en) 1981-12-22

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