text:
|Publication number
|Publication type
|Application number
|Publication date
|4 Jan 2011
|Filing date
|27 Sep 2007
|Priority date
|27 Sep 2007
|Fee status
|Also published as
|Publication number
|Stephen A. Yencho
|Original Assignee
|Water Of Life, Llc.
|Export Citation
|BiBTeX, EndNote, RefMan
|Patent Citations (83), Non-Patent Citations (8), Referenced by (14), Classifications (20), Legal Events (3)
|External Links: USPTO, USPTO Assignment, Espacenet
This invention relates to the purification of fluids and particularly to the purification of water. Embodiments of this invention relate to the combination of water purification systems with communication systems.
The leading cause of death in the world today is water-borne disease. Over 2.3 billion people worldwide suffer from diseases linked to water, with 300 million people critically ill and 2.2 million people dying every year, mostly children below five years of age1. The majority of these people are living on less than two dollars per day, severely limiting the range of technologies they can afford for water purification. 1United Nations Task Force on Water and Sanitation 2003
At the same time, nations worldwide are using greater percentages of their freshwater resources every year, reducing the availability of safe drinking water and increasing the need for effective water purification systems. The United Nations Population Fund projects that in 2025, if present rates of water consumption are maintained, 5 billion of the world's projected 7.9 billion person population will live in areas where safe water is scarce.
Much of the unmet need for drinking water occurs in developing countries. The average per capita water consumption in the developing world is 2 gallons (7.6 liters) per person per day. For a typical 1000 person village in the developing world, the drinking water requirement is 2000 gallons (7600 liters) per day. Many existing UVC water purifying systems are designed for individual users or for small groups of people and therefore have too low of flow rate to supply this daily volume of water. The price per gallon of many of these small systems is too high to make them practical for use in developing countries.
Other water purification systems are intended to be used as fixed infrastructure for urban areas with much larger water volume and are often too expensive to be deployed in rural areas, especially since the rural areas in the developing world often lack the reliable electric power required for these large plants to operate. The present invention is intended for areas where large metropolitan water purification plants are cost ineffective. One embodiment of the water purification system is portable and lightweight, allowing it to be easily transported to remote areas or to be used in disaster relief or to be rapidly deployed in emergencies.
Existing Drinking Water Purification Techniques and Systems
Many natural drinking water sources are contaminated with waterborne pathogens. Lakes, rivers, and streams worldwide commonly contain bacteria, viruses, and protozoa which can cause serious health problems. Even dug wells and tube wells, which are commonly used as drinking water sources worldwide, can be contaminated by groundwater during the rainy season in many parts of the world when surface water contaminates the well introducing waterborne pathogens. If the tube well is poorly constructed or poorly maintained, contaminated groundwater can seep into the well on a more regular basis.
Many water purification techniques exist ranging from simple and inexpensive to very sophisticated and expensive, with a resulting wide range of levels of effectiveness in treating waterborne pathogens, organic contaminants, and inorganic contaminants. One simple and common technique is to boil the water. For many parts of the world, boiling is impractical for everyday use because of the significant amount of energy required and because of the possibility that the water will not be heated to a full boil or heated for too short a time so as not to inactivate or kill the waterborne pathogens. Boiling also increases the concentration of heavy metals already present in the water due to water loss during the boiling process.
A more recently developed technique is solar water disinfection, or SODIS. Unlike boiling, SODIS relies only on solar energy to disinfect the water. SODIS is a simple method to inactivate or kill pathogens using a combination of solar heat and sunlight. SODIS is used with 1 to 2 liter plastic bottles, preferably made of polyethylene terephalate and preferably painted black on the non-sunlit back surface of the bottles. The bottles are completely filled with water and placed on a corrugated steel sheet in the sun. SODIS requires the water to attain a temperature of 60� C. to 80� C. for a minimum of 4 hours to remove the pathogens. Under cloudy conditions, the bottles must be placed in the sun for two consecutive days. SODIS is very inexpensive to implement, but is not as effective against viruses and protozoa. SODIS processed water is not recommended for infants less than 18 months or for people with chronic gastrointestinal illness. The quality of the purified water is very difficult to control. The technique does not work as well with even partial shade. SODIS does not kill protozoa such as cryptosporidium parvum oocysts.
Other more advanced water purification systems are readily available but have limitations as well. Both iodine and chlorine are effective at eradicating most bacteria, viruses, and protozoa. However, cryptosporidium parvum is one of several chlorine-resistant pathogens which is increasing in importance. Cryptosporidium parvum is an intestinal parasite that can be life threatening to infants, the elderly and people with compromised immune systems. Typically, it takes about seven days for symptoms of cryptosporidiosis to appear, long after the initial exposure occurred. The illness often can last up to two weeks. Removing protozoa like cryptosporidium parvum oocysts and giardia with chlorine purification is difficult because it requires a high product of chlorine concentration and application time. Since adding too much chlorine to drinking water can cause organ damage or death in humans, the concentration of chlorine that can be used to disinfect the water is limited. Therefore, the time required for chlorine disinfection of cryptosporidium is often prohibitive.
Chlorine has been shown to produce hazardous trihalomethanes when it is added to water with organic contaminants, as is typically found in natural sources such as rivers, lakes and streams. Trihalomethanes are also environmental pollutants, and many such as chloroform are considered carcinogenic. Additionally, chlorine is ineffective if the pH of the water is below 7.5. If the chlorine is from a bleach bottle more than six months old, it loses its potency.
Both iodine and chlorine can cause side effects in humans if used for an extended time. Iodine treated drinking water is not suitable for pregnant women or women over age 50 or people with thyroid problems.
Many modern water purification systems use chloramines instead of chlorine, adding increased sophistication to the treatment systems.
Chlorine dioxide is also used as a purification agent that kills most bacteria, viruses and protozoa. Due to the explosion hazard, it is typically manufactured at the point of use, increasing purification system complexity and expense. Chlorine dioxide purification produces reaction by-products, the toxicity of which is unknown.
Ozone is the most effective disinfectant for all types of pathogens in drinking water. It leaves minimal or no residue in the water. However, ozonation systems are expensive to implement.
Other approaches rely on advanced ceramics or membranes instead of disinfectants to filter pathogens from the water. Ceramic filters are effective for filtering protozoa, but may clog easily due to particulates in the water. Typical ceramic filter elements have pores from 2 to 5 microns in size. Since bacteria such as cholera and salmonella are typically between 0.2 and 1.0 microns in size, bacteria pass through many of these filters. Viruses such as Hepatitis A and B, rotavirus, and the Norwalk virus are typically below 0.004 microns in size, allowing them to pass easily through the ceramic filter element. These viruses and some bacteria may even penetrate reverse osmosis purifiers.
Reverse osmosis (RO) water purifiers are capable of rejecting bacteria, salts, sugars, proteins, particles, dyes, heavy metals, chlorine and related byproducts, and other contaminants with a molecular weight greater than 150-250 daltons. The reverse osmosis systems require pressurized water that is not available in many parts of the developing world. Reverse osmosis membranes may foul unless the incoming water is carefully filtered before the reverse osmosis system. The RO systems may also need water softening equipment upstream of the RO purifier where the water has high mineral content (hard water) to prevent membrane fouling.
There are two primary types of RO membrane: Thin Film Composite (TFC) and Cellulose Triacetate (CTA). TFC membranes filter out more contaminants than CTA membranes, but they are more susceptible to damage by chlorine. Since the RO membranes are subject to degradation by chlorine, iron, manganese, hydrogen sulfide, and to bacterial attack, a sediment filter and a granular activated carbon (GAC) pre-filter is often used ahead of the RO system. Additional treatment such as GAC is needed for volatile organic compounds such as benzene, MTBE, trichloroethylene, trihalomethanes, and radon.
The RO process is fairly slow and may require from 3 to 10 gallons (11.4 to 38 liters) of untreated water for each gallon (3.8 liters) of purified water, making it problematic for use in areas where water is scarce. RO water treatment is not recommended for use without secondary treatment such as UV treatment for water that may contain biological contaminants such as viruses and bacteria.
UVC purifiers work by irradiating the pathogens in the water, usually with low pressure mercury lamp(s) which emit a 253.7 nm peak wavelength. Other UVC systems are based on medium pressure mercury lamps. Many different types of UVC water purification systems currently exist.
UVC has a wavelength ranging from approximately 200 nm to 280 nm and is also called germicidal UV because of its proven effectiveness in inactivating or killing a very wide range of viruses, bacteria, protozoa, helminthes, yeast, and mold. An advantage of UVC purification systems is that they are capable of treating the drinking water for all segments of the population, unlike other disinfection technologies such as iodine and chlorine. UVC systems do not leave residual disinfection compounds in the water.
One of the most difficult pathogens to kill is the cryptosporidium parvum oocyst, which requires a UV-C irradiation density of approximately 200 mJ/cm2 to kill.
Accordingly, what is needed is a water purification system which purifies all the water which is being treated, which requires no expensive chemicals or filters which will need to be replaced, which produces water which can be drunk by all persons, including pregnant women, small children and seniors and which allows the inexpensive adjustment of the purification process in response to the types and concentrations of impurities present in the water.
In accordance with the present invention, an ultraviolet-C (UVC) based water purification system employs a novel array of baffles to increase the efficiency of eradication of the pathogens in the water per unit energy of applied UVC light. The system is capable of treating a wide range of significant waterborne bacteria, viruses, protozoa, helminthes, yeasts, and molds found in natural freshwater sources worldwide. By adding pre-filter(s) or post-filter(s) or ozonation or hydrogen peroxide to the system, heavy metals, inorganic compounds, pesticides, and/or harmful organic compounds can be removed. Because it is capable of treating a large variety of the waterborne pathogens from around the world, this single purifier system design may be used to effectively treat the waterborne pathogens in the drinking water anywhere in the world.
A novel feature of one embodiment of the system is the use of an optional closed loop feedback system to monitor lamp power output to directly measure the radiation level. This can be done with a photodiode or indirectly by continuously measuring the UVC lamp electrical current or ballast current with a current transformer or a hall effect sensor. The feedback circuit compares the measurement of the actual power to a predetermined level and uses this comparison to control a valve that stops or reduces the water's flow rate if the system produces insufficient power to inactivate or kill the pathogens. The system may be equipped with flow rate measuring devices and a digital or an analog control system.
In accordance with one embodiment of the present invention sufficient amounts of UVC power are applied to the water to inactivate the cryptosporidium parvum oocysts. The present invention applies enough UVC energy to cause cell death of the pathogens.
In accordance with this invention, sufficient UVC radiation is applied to water to inactivate the cryptosporidium parvum oocysts and to cause cell death of the pathogens.
The prior art (U.S. Pat. No. 6,403,030) teaches that lower UVC power levels can be used to inactivate cryptosporidium under laboratory conditions instead of the higher power levels needed to cause cell death.
In the inactivation process, the thymine base of the DNA contains an aromatic ring that strongly absorbs the wavelength of the UVC light. When enough UVC light has been absorbed, the chemical bond is broken between the thymine base and its base pair across the DNA strand. The thymine base then chemically bonds to a neighboring base, creating a thymine dimer, which prevents the replication of the pathogen. However, in field conditions the protozoa are often attached to particles which block the UVC light, so higher amounts of UVC energy may need to be applied to ensure sufficient kill of the protozoa than the amount of UVC energy needed to kill the protozoa in laboratory conditions.
A wide range of pathogens, including bacteria, viruses, protozoa and helminthes are inactivated or killed by UVC radiation. In accordance with the present invention sufficient amounts of UVC radiation are produced which are intended to kill each of the pathogens on the following list. This list is representative of pathogens typically found in natural water sources worldwide. It is not exhaustive.
More common protozoa as listed by the World Health Organization:
Entamoeba histolytica
Giardia intestinalis
Cryptosporidium parvum
Other protozoa:
Entamoebic Dysentery
Giardia Lamblia
Strongyloides stercoralis
Schistosoma stercoralis
Schistosoma mansoni
Schistosoma japonicum
Schistosoma mekongi
Schistosoma haemotobium
Wuchereria bancrofti
Brugia malay
Loa Loaeye
Onchocerca volvulus
Clonorchis sinesis
Hyatid disease
Trypanosoma cruzi
Ascarisgiant roundworm
Ancylostoma duodenale
Trypanasoma parasites
More common bacteria as listed by the World Health Organization:
Campylobacter jejuni or C. coli
Pathogenic E. coli
Salmonella typhi
Vibrio cholera
Yersinia enterocolitica
Pseudomonas aeruginosa
Aeromonas spp.
Other relevant bacteria:
Bacillus anthracis
Brewer's yeast
Corynebacterium diptheriae
Dysentery bacilli (Diarrhea)
Escherichia coli (Diarrhea)
Leptospiracanicola Legionella pneumophilia
Mycobacterium tuberculosis
Salmonella enteritidis
Salmonella paratyphi
Shigella dysenteriae
Shigella flexneri
Staphylococcus epidermidis
Streptococcus faecalis
Enterococcus faecium,
Coliform bacteria
Faecal Streptococci
Staphlococcus aureus
Sulphite reducing anaerobes
Pseudomonas aeruginosa
Vibrio parahaemolyticus
Meningococcal meningitis
More common viruses as listed by the World Health Organization:
Enterovirus (meningitis)
Hepatitis A
Norwalk virus
Small round structured viruses including Norwalk virus, astro and rota viruses
Other Viruses:
Bacteriophage—E. Coli
Hepatitis B
Hepatitus E
Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy
One of the more common helminthes identified by the World Health Organization is dracunulus medinensis (dracunculiasis guinea worm).
Other Helminthes:
Shistosoma spp (schistosomiasis, bilharziasis)
Water Sources
Sources of water for purification system by embodiments of this invention can vary widely. Examples of water sources are lakes, rivers, streams, wells, artesian wells, and even domestic water supplies that may have poor quality water.
The system is designed to operate on low water pressure from sources such as an elevated tank, although it can also effectively operate with high water pressure such as a 60 psi (410 kPa) domestic water connection. It is preferentially gravity fed. The purifier has a low resistance to flow resulting in a low head pressure requirement for the input water supply. For gravity fed systems, this low head requirement will minimize the elevation of the water tank above the purification unit. For example, a tank with an elevation above the purifier of 12 feet (3.7 m) would provide a head pressure of 5.2 psi (36 kPa) at the purifier intake. Many other methods for providing water to the unit are possible such a manual powered or motor driven pump, domestic pressurized water, elevated natural source, and similar or equivalent structures or arrangements. Alternately, water is lifted manually to an elevated holding tank.
Research has shown that water turbidity inhibits ultraviolet disinfection when organisms are lodged within particles or when the particles themselves are UV-absorbers. Otherwise, turbidity is not a hindrance to disinfection. Many of these lodged organisms can be extricated from the water supply through the use of a pre-filter. One example of a prefilter is a sand pre-filter. The preferred embodiment of the system is designed for incoming water turbidity of less than 5 NTU (Nephelometric Turbidity Units). For more turbid water, a sand pre-filter or diatomaceous earth pre-filter or cartridge filter or other pre-filter must be used to remove particulate matter. Alternately, a settling tank may be used to allow the particulates to settle out of the water before it enters the filter. A pre-filter screen with 2 micron openings or other sub-3 micron filter may be used to pre-filter cryptosporidium parvum oocysts and other protozoa from the water if the system is not able to sufficiently purify it by UV disinfection.
The turbidity of the water affects the pathogen kill radius of the UVC energy. For water with turbidity below about 5 NTU, the UVC absorption coefficient typically varies between about 0.01/cm to about 0.021/cm. Therefore, at a radius of 15 cm from the lamp surface using the best case absorption coefficient, 85 percent of the UVC energy is absorbed. This information was used in designing the irradiation subchamber as described below.
Among the features which can be incorporated into one or more embodiments of a system with a fluid flow subchamber in accordance with this invention are the following:
This invention will be more fully understood in conjunction with the following drawings relating to this invention taken together with the detailed description.
Although the word "invention" is used herein from time-to-time in the Background, Summary, Description of the Drawings, and Written Description, only the claims are intended to define the invention and the remainder of this document is intended to describe the background to the invention and exemplary embodiments in accordance with the invention and thus the descriptions of these embodiments are illustrative only and not limiting.
The preferred embodiment of the present invention comprises a portable unit, having a dry weight of about 50 pounds (23 kg) without pre- or post-filters. In the preferred embodiment, the system purifies between about 50 gallons (1900 liters) to about 5000 gallons (3800 liters) per hour. Of course, this invention can also be implemented in non-portable embodiments.
For a system producing 500 gallons (1900 liters) per hour, the entire 2000 gallon daily need of an average 1000 person village can be purified in 4 hours of daily operation. The preferred embodiment of the invention produces water at 500 gallons (1900 liters) per hour which is intended to meet the EPA Guide Standard for water quality as discussed below.
The present invention saves significant energy over the prior art in killing pathogens because it incorporates an array of baffles to increase the flow rate of purified water output per total UVC power output from the system as compared to existing UVC water purification systems. Thus, the baffles multiply the pathogen killing power of the UVC light to increase the system efficiency.
System Configuration and Operation
The preferred embodiment for the system is shown in
Aluminum or stainless steel bolts are preferentially used to connect the enclosure mounts 26 to the electronics housing 36. These bolts will transfer heat from the housing to the water-cooled heat sink. The electronics enclosure 36 can be permanently sealed or openable for serviceability. Alternatively, or in combination, a conventional free or forced air convection heat sink of well-known design may be used.
Water enters the purifier system from an optional sand filter (not shown) and/or other pre-filter (not shown) through the inlet elbow 28 and filter screen 29. The inlet of the system preferentially contains one or more screens, such as a woven stainless steel screen, to keep particulate matter from entering the system. This screen may be coupled with a second removable screen upstream from it.
Lamp Sealing and Electrical Connections
The stainless steel system preferentially has for each subchamber stainless steel end caps 50 as shown in
Each end cap 50 is preferentially gas tungsten arc welded (GTAW) separately to the end of one purification tube 40. Each end cap 50 may be separate to facilitate ease of welding to the purification tube. After welding to the purification tube, each end cap 50 may be welded or joined to the neighboring end cap 50 by welding their straight edges 54 together. Alternately, other joining techniques such as adhesives or screwing on of compression bushings or o-rings surrounding the tubes 40 slipped into the end cap 50 may be used. Alternately, the end caps are not made of stainless steel, but are diecast alloy or molded plastic as described below.
The lamp cap 14 has an optional center elastomeric bumper 57 to align the lamp 20 during assembly and prevent impact from the lamp cap 14 to the lamp end during shipment and operation. The outer portion of the lamp cap 14 may seal to the end cap 50 on its smooth outer surface with a second sealing o-ring 46 to create a separate waterproof wiring compartment for the lamp electrical connections and wiring. The lamp wiring may pass through hole 53 in the end cap 50 into a waterproof sealed conduit system.
The outer groove 61 in the lamp cap 14 is shown in more detail in
FEP Lamp Coating
The lamp may be preferentially covered with a circumferential layer of FEP (fluoroethylene propylene) 80 over its entire length as shown in
Thin foil shields 82 located under the FEP coating 80 near the ends of the lamp 20 are preferentially made of aluminum foil with an acrylic adhesive backing. Alternatively, they may be made of stainless steel foil, or thin films of PVDF, PTFE filled with carbon black, PEI, or other thin material. These foil shields 82 are wrapped around the ends of each lamp 20 to protect the o-ring 44 and polymeric lamp cap 14 from possible damage by the UVC radiation from each lamp 20.
The FEP coating 80 surrounding the lamp 20 may completely encase the lamp 20 and the electrical contacts as shown in
The end caps 14 may be molded from a common thermoplastic material such as PVC, ABS, polycarbonate, or other material, or a thermoset material or metal die cast from an aluminum, zinc, magnesium, or other alloy. The inner surface of the end caps 14 can be made from PVDF or PEEK or PEI or other UV-resistant material.
With a molded end cap 14 and a stainless steel or aluminum chamber 40 (also called tube 40), a wider shield tape layer 82 (
If the system uses a molded plastic end cap 50, the PVC elbows mounted on the end cap 50 may be protected from UVC radiation by stainless steel or aluminum shields (not shown) mounted to shield the direct irradiation of the plastic by the UVC.
Impact Protection
The preferred embodiment of the system is designed to withstand rugged field conditions. The preferred embodiment of the system has a protective housing 10 (
Bleed Valve
The crossover tube 41 (
Preferentially, the optional air bleed valve 42 (
Flow Control Valve
After traveling through the crossover tube 41, the water then enters the second tube 40-2 (
The valve 32 is preferentially made of injection molded plastic and threaded onto a stainless steel exit tube 31. Alternately the valve 32 can be molded in a more conformal shape and mounted directly above the exit tube 31 from the last subchamber 22-N. The valve 32 may be integrated into an injection molded end cap with integrated inlet and outlet ports (not shown). The system can use a single tube 40 for a lower flow rate or more than two tubes 40 for higher flow rate. The system may use smaller diameter subchambers 22-n (where n is an integer given by 1≦n≦N) for lower flow rates or lower lamp power levels. The system can also use larger diameter subchambers 22-n if turbidity is low enough. The system can also use more than two tubes 40 in series if needed. Alternatively, two or more sets of tubes 40 can be used in parallel to increase the flow rate for higher volume applications.
System Materials
The tubes 40 in the system are preferentially constructed of 304, 304L, 316, 316L or other stainless steel or anodized aluminum. Alternatively, the purification tubes 40 may be fabricated of a co-extruded polymer food grade plastic such as PVC, polyethylene, or polypropylene, high density polyethylene, or low density polyethylene with a co-extruded inner lining of a UVC resistant polymer such as polyimide, polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE), fluorinated ethylene propylene (FEP), polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF), polyetheretherketone (PEEK), or polyetherimide (PEI). Alternately, the purification tubes 40 may be constructed of PVC or polycarbonate or acrylic or other non-UVC resistant polymer material if carbon black or other UV inhibitor is added to the polymer to prevent UVC damage.
Alternately, a tube 40 can have a blow molded inner layer of a UV resistant polymer such as FEP or PVDF. The co-extruded tube 40 can be heated and compressed to seal and register the locations of the baffles 21 along the tube 40 as described below.
Alternately, the polymeric tubing 40 can be lined with aluminum or stainless steel. These linings can be perforated, slotted, or grooved to hold the baffles 21 in position. The liners may be slid into the tubes 40. A tube 40 can be softened and compressed around the liner, or alternately, the PVC tube 40 may be molded over an aluminum or stainless steel or other liner.
Alternately, a PVC tube 40 with stainless steel or aluminum baffles 21 can be metallized or plated with copper, aluminum or other metals to reduce UVC damage to the subchamber walls.
A material such as PVC which has finite life during long term exposure to concentrated UVC may be acceptable for use in the tube 40 if it is protected with UV stabilizers such as titanium dioxide or carbon black and if it has a large enough radius to keep it a sufficient distance from the lamp 20 to provide adequate life. In field tests, water with turbidity of 5 NTU absorbed approximately 1/e of the UVC energy over a 200 mm distance.
The reflection of UVC from the inner surface of the PVC tube 40 is approximately 12% of the incident energy, though the energy loss is still small since the tube radius reduces the amount of UVC light reaching the PVC tube 40. Although the PVC does not have the approximately 66% UVC reflectivity of aluminum or the approximately 30% UVC reflectivity of stainless steel, the use of lower reflection PVC for tubes 40 may be justified by the lower cost, durability, and lower weight of the PVC. The reflectivity of the tubing is important because higher reflectivity tubing increases the amount of UVC energy applied to the water being purified.
The hardness of the water affects the solubility of the water that can absorb UV light. Hard water can precipitate carbonates on the tubes 40 or the FEP surfaces or if the lamps 20 are encased in quartz, on the exposed surface of the quartz. An inspection window may be added to the system to observe the cleanliness of one or more selected subchambers 22-n and to observe deposits on each lamp 20. The use of FEP coatings may reduce the formation of these deposits and the formation of organic deposits.
The tubes 40 can have a cleaning port (not shown) on one or both end caps 50. The cleaning port allows a thin cleaning tool to be inserted through an opening in the end of each tube 40 and in the annular opening 23 (
The volume of water retained in the preferred system when full is between about 0.25 gallons and 10 gallons (1 L to 38 L), depending on the size of the system. However, the system can be any appropriate size and these volumes are illustrative only and not limiting.
The Baffle Array
As described above, each UVC irradiation tube 40 is comprised of a set of cylindrical subchambers 22-n in series separated by baffles 21-i where i is a integer given by 1≦i≦(N−1) as described above. The baffles 21 increase the kill rate of the pathogens along the length of the purifier by restricting the flow of the pathogens in the water in a staged manner. The water and its water-borne pathogens are not free to flow the length of the irradiation field as in other UV-based purification systems, but instead are restricted to be constrained in a series of subchambers 22-n separated by a set of baffles such as baffles 21-i (
Many systems currently exist and are commercially available in which a simple tube contains a centrally positioned germicidal lamp which illuminates the flow of water past the lamp along the length of the tubing. In conventional UVC systems without the baffles 21 and subchambers 22, currents in the water may cause some of the water to reach the outlet on average faster and with less average UVC radiation than for this invention employing the baffles 21. Laboratory experiments have proven the effectiveness of the baffles 21 in enabling a system employing an array of baffles 21 to kill significantly more pathogens than an otherwise identical system without the baffles 21.
Microbiological Testing
Tests of the system described above are reported below in Tables I and II. These tests were conducted at the University of Arizona according to the United States Environmental Protection Agency Guide Standard And Protocol for testing microbiological water purifiers2. This standard sets the levels of pathogen removal from drinking water at 99.9999% (6 logs) for bacteria, 99.99% (4 logs) for viruses, and 99.9% (3 logs) for giardia and cryptosporidium during a standardized test procedure. 2Reference US EPA Guide Standard
A system with 38 subchambers 22 produced 1,000 gallons of purified water per hour (3,800 liters per hour) at 7.0 psi (48 kPa) incoming head pressure (measured at filter entrance)—equivalent to 16 feet (4.88 m) of water pressure. This system had two 75 W UVC lamps 20 producing a combined total of approximately 50 W of UVC power (30% UVC power output). The system was constructed of PVC subchambers 22-n each having a 4.0 inch (100 mm) inside diameter and a 2.5 inch (64 mm) axial length. The baffles 21-i were constructed of 24 gauge (0.4 mm thick) stainless steel plate with center hole 263 (
MS-2 bacteriophage testing on this system at a flow rate of 500 gallons per hour (1900 liters per hour) yielded greater than 99.9997% reduction in plaque forming units per liter. The same test unit reduced E. coli contamination by greater than 99.99998% at a flow rate of 500 gallons per hour (1900 liters per hour).
As shown in Tables I and II below, water purification systems with baffles 21 in accordance with this invention provide a significant improvement in the elimination of pathogens from water. The data in Tables I and II was obtained in tests run using MS-2 (a standard bacteriophage used to determine the effectiveness of systems intended to eliminate pathogens) and E. coli (a well-known bacteria). Table I shows the results of tests run with two systems, denoted RemotePure version 3.0 and RemotePure version 4.0. RemotePure version 3.0 had two tubes 40 with fourteen (14) baffles 21 per tube 40 so as to form fifteen (15) subchambers per tube 40 for a total of thirty (30) subchambers 22 in the system. RemotePure version 4.0 had two tubes 40 with eighteen (18) baffles 21 per tube 40 so as to form nineteen (19) subchambers 22 per tube 40 for a total of thirty eight (38) subchambers 22 in the system. The volume of each of the three units tested was the same. As Table I shows, and as will be discussed in the next paragraph, the two systems yielded comparable results.
Two flow rates of water were run through each system. The first flow rate was five hundred (500) gallons per hour (GPH) and the second flow rate was three hundred (300) gallons per hour. The water flowing through the system was infused with MS-2 and E. coli in accordance with the US EPA Guide Standard and Protocol for Testing Microbiological Water Purifiers, available from the United States Envioronmental Protection Agency, Registration Division, Office of Pesticide Programs and Criteria and Standards Division, Office of Drinking Water, Washington, D.C. (1987), p. 39.
The results shown in Tables I and II were based on tests which were intended to provide valid measurements similar to those which would have been achieved by following the above-cited guide standard, but, for reasons of cost and time, did not conform completely to the Guide Standards. Thus Tables I and II show the results of these tests which were similar to but not in exact conformance with the Guide Standard. In each test a reservoir of purified water had a carefully measured quantity of MS-2 and E. coli pathogens added and mixed all in accordance with the Guide Standard. Once the water and pathogens were mixed, the mixture was run through each system until the appropriate number of system volumes (sometimes called "unit volumes") had been passed through the system. Each run involved the generation of about twenty five (25) watts of UVC light per lamp. The concentration of surviving pathogens in the water output from the system was measured by pipetting a metered quantity of output water from the system into a container containing constituents as described in the Guide Standard and incubating the resulting contents in accordance with the Guide Standard. The resulting pathogen conservation was measured in accordance with the Guide Standard. Tables I and II show these results.
Thus Table I shows with one exception that for both three hundred (300) and five hundred (500) gallons per hour flow rates, the percent reductions in pathogens exceed five nines (i.e. was in excess of ninety nine point nine nine nine five percent (99.9995%) in both the thirty (30) baffle system and the thirty eight (38) baffle system. The one exception shows only a ninety nine point six two percent (99.62%) reduction. This data is believed to be an unexplained anomaly.
System With Baffles
Flow Rate
Log Reduction
MS-2 Reduction by RemotePure version 3.0 -
Thirty (30) baffle system
Results are given as plaque forming unit per liter (PFU/L)
E. coli Reduction by RemotePure version 3.0 -
Thirty (30) baffle system
Results are given as colony forming unit per liter (PFU/L)
MS-2 Reduction by RemotePure version 4.0 -
Thirty eight (38) baffle system
Results are given as plaque forming unit per liter (PFU/L)
E. coli Reduction by RemotePure version 4.0 -
Thirty eight (38) baffle system
Results are given as colony forming unit per liter (PFU/L)
Table II shows the results for a system identical in all respects with the two systems used to obtain the results shown in Table I except no baffles were used with the tubes in the systems. Table II shows that the percent reduction in pathogens declines as the flow rate increases. Note that the highest percent reduction in pathogens is ninety nine point eight two percent (99.82%) in the system with no baffles at 300 gph. A comparison of the results achieved using the systems with baffles to the results achieved using the system without baffles shows that the overall percent reduction in pathogens is at least two orders of magnitude higher for the systems used in the tests with baffles compared to the identical system used in the tests without baffles. This increase in water purity caused by the baffles in the system may significantly prevent the transmission of water-borne diseases in the water produced by the system. The increase in water purity for the same flow rate and the same UVC energy represents a significant energy savings over the prior art, which is achieved by using the baffles in the system.
System With No Baffles
Flow Rate
Log Reduction
MS-2 Reduction by RemotePure version 2.0
Results are given as plaque forming unit per liter (PFU/L)
E. coli Reduction by RemotePure version 2.0
Results are given as colony forming unit per liter (PFU/L)
The embodiments of the invention as tested achieved significant improvements in the purification of water flowing through a purification chamber with subchambers as compared to the same volumetric flow rate of water through a purification chamber without subchambers. Although the reasons behind this are not clearly understood, it is believed that the subchambers cause each particle of water to be exposed to UVC radiation in a manner such that each particle of water receives approximately the same UVC radiation as opposed to prior art systems where water flows directly through a tube. In the prior art systems it is believed that some particles of water flow rapidly along the tube and therefore receive less UVC exposure while other particles of water receive more UVC exposure. However, the purification at the end reflects the average of the impurities in all the particles of water and therefore the total purification is less than has been achieved with the structure of this invention. It is believed that the subchambers cause each particle of water to receive a substantially uniform UVC radiation thereby insuring that all particles of water have any impurities destroyed at a fairly uniform rate. As shown by the test results in Table I, approximately two to three (3) orders of magnitude improvement in purification of water is achieved using the structure of this invention compared to the prior art structures.
Another way of looking at the basis for the results achieved by this invention is that the baffles 21 and subchambers 22 ensure that the statistical distribution of the dwell times for each particle of water in tube 40 is very tight with a small standard deviation. On the other hand, prior water purification systems allowed the particles of water to flow through the system over a wide range of dwell times thus allowing some particles to leave the system with relatively low exposure to UVC radiation. Thus for the same flow rates of water through a system in accordance with this invention and through prior systems, the killing of pathogens is much more effective with the system of this invention due to the more tightly controlled (i.e. more uniform) dwell times.
In one embodiment, central openings 263 in the baffles 21 (
In each subchamber 22-n along the length of the tube 40, the water flows into the subchamber 22-n, remains for a certain amount of time, and then flows to the next subchamber 22-(n+1). The amount of UVC energy each pathogen receives in each subchamber 22-n is a function of the flow rate, the volume of the subchamber 22-n and the cross-sectional area available for water to flow to the next subchamber 22-(n+1). For a given flow rate (or pressure difference between subchambers), experiments have demonstrated an optimal ratio of subchamber volume to cross sectional flow area for an optimal kill rate of pathogens in the water for a given total lamp length. As each subchamber 22-n becomes longer, the water spends more time in the subchamber 22-n and receives more UVC radiation. However, not until the water passes to the next subchamber 22-(n+1) is the water now at a certain confidence level of average purity because the water in subchamber 22-n has on average received a certain amount of UVC energy up to the point where it crosses into the next subchamber 22-(n+1). Therefore, the greater the number of subchambers 22-n, the greater the likelihood that each subchamber 22-n contains water of a certain minimum purity, up to the point where the volume of a subchamber 22-n is small enough relative to the flow area that much of the water flows through to the next subchamber 22-(n+1) without spending enough average time in each subchamber 22-n before release to the next subchamber 22-(n+1). In addition, there may be an effect due to water currents in each subchamber 22-n that acts to contain the water in each subchamber 22-n for a certain amount of time.
For example, if the UV energy in each subchamber 22-n kills twenty five percent (25%) of the waterborne pathogens present in that subchamber, then each subchamber passes seventy five percent (75%) of its incoming live pathogens on to the next subchamber 22-(n+1). Therefore, a system with forty (40) subchambers 22 would have (0.75)40 of the total incoming pathogens still alive in the water at the exit from the system. Since (0.75)40 equals approximately 0.00001, this example system would remove all but 0.001% of the incoming pathogens, corresponding to a 99.999% pathogen removal.
Preferentially, each baffle 21 has a slot or protrusion 262 (
There is a slight leakage of water from subchamber 22-n to subchamber 22-(n+1) through the bleed slots 261 which slightly decreases the efficiency of the system. Alternately, to prevent the slight leakage from subchamber to subchamber, the air bleed slots 261 are not used and small holes (not shown) are placed along the top of each subchamber 22-n to allow the air to escape from the subchamber 22-n. These small holes bleed the air to a plenum separate from the main flow subchambers 22-1 to 22-N where the air is released.
The baffles 21 are preferentially constructed of stainless steel or anodized aluminum because of the excellent UVC reflectivity and UVC durability of these materials. The baffles 21 should be thin to minimize volume and weight. Alternately, the baffles 21 can be fabricated from corrosion resistant or plated steel, or UVC resistant polymers such as polyimide, polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE), fluorinated ethylene propylene (FEP), polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF), polyetheretherketone (PEEK), or polyetherimide (PEI). Alternately, the baffles 21 may be constructed of PVC or polycarbonate or acrylic or other non-UVC resistant polymer material if carbon black or other UV inhibitor is added to the polymer to prevent UVC damage.
A small amount of water will escape through the slots 282 between the tabs 281. These openings allow trapped air to escape to the last subchamber 22-N where the air is vented to the inlet, outlet, or bleed valve 42 (
Each baffle 21 may have ridges or patterns stamped into it to increase its stiffness. These ridges or patterns may be shaped to increase the beneficial currents inside adjacent subchambers 22-n and 22-(n+1) to increase the effectiveness of pathogen removal.
By creating a swirling or rotation of the water in each subchamber 22-n, the pathogens can be constrained to narrow the distribution of living pathogens over the length of the chamber. Each volume element of water and thus each pathogen spends a more uniform time in each subchamber 22-n and therefore absorbs more UV energy per subchamber 22-n to kill more pathogens. Fins can be added to the baffles 21 or to the interior walls of each subchamber 22-n to enhance this swirling effect as described below. In one embodiment, the system can alternate the water swirling direction from subchamber 22-n to subchamber 22-(n+1) by alternating right hand and left hand oriented baffles.
Creating a current in each subchamber 22-n with a velocity component normal to the longitudinal axis of the tube 40 may improve the likelihood of the average pathogen cell receiving an increased amount of UVC irradiation before it advances to the next subchamber 22-(n+1) and mixes with the other water and surviving pathogens in the next subchamber 22-(n+1) as compared to a design in which the flow is purely along the axis of each subchamber 22-n. This effect is offset by the effect of less radiation from lamp 20 at a further distance from lamp 20.
In order to reduce the dependency of the flow area into and out of each subchamber 22-n on the tolerance of the lamp 20 diameter, each baffle 21 can be perforated with holes 291 or slots 292 near the opening 263 through which lamp 20 passes.
Alternately, the baffles 21 may be mounted directly in contact with the lamp 20 or the center quartz tube 24 which surrounds the UVC source as shown in
Alternate Baffle Designs
The various baffle configurations described below are intended to increase the UVC energy absorption of the pathogens from the UVC radiation. In the preferred embodiment, the flow occurs in the turbulent flow regime. A slight pressure reduction from one subchamber 22-n to the next subchamber 22-(n+1) along the length of the system moves the water from subchamber to subchamber.
To improve the circulation of flow in the subchambers 22-n so as to increase the average energy exposure a pathogen cell or cyst receives in each subchamber 22-n, an array of holes, such as holes 292-1 to 292-5 or slots (not shown but of the same comparable relative size as the holes 292-1 to 292-5) can be placed in the baffle 21 as shown in
The above-described baffles 21 may be used in combination in a tube 40 or a tube 40 may use variations of one or more baffle types at various locations in the system.
Flow Testing
Flow testing has been performed on prototype systems to study the effect of subchamber 22-n volume on the pathogen kill rate per unit of energy input for a given flow rate. This testing has demonstrated that there is an optimal ratio of subchamber 22-n volume to baffle flow area which maximizes the kill rate of the pathogens for a given flow rate. As the number of baffles 21 along a given length of tube 40 increases, the pathogen kill rate increases until the ratio of the subchamber 22-n volume to baffle 21 area reaches about 20 cm. Below this optimal value, the addition of more baffles 21 has been found to decrease the pathogen kill rate. Therefore, there exists an optimum number of baffles 21 to maximize the UVC pathogen killing power for a given subchamber 22-n diameter and baffle 21 flow area. The optimum number of baffles 21 will vary depending on the baffle and subchamber design, the flow area, and the flow rate and will be determinable by experimentation.
UVC Lamps
The preferred embodiment uses a 253.7 nm low pressure mercury lamp 20 such as the Philips TUV 75 W HO lamp, which emits over 95% of its energy at a frequency of 253.7 nm. The preferred lamp is manufactured with quartz tubing. Quartz has excellent UVC transmission characteristics and high thermal shock resistance to minimize breakage upon sudden temperature changes such as when cold water comes in contact with a warm lamp.
In the preferred embodiment, the quartz lamp 20 is directly coated with fluorinated ethylene propylene (FEP) which is in direct contact with the water to be purified. The FEP is not degraded by long term exposure to UVC and UVC transmission loss is minimal. If a lamp 20 breaks during operation, the FEP coating will contain the broken quartz and the small amount of mercury vapor in the lamp and prevent them from contaminating the drinking water. Further, the FEP coating reduces the thermal shock to the quartz lamp 20. The coating also acts to reduce the heat transfer coefficient of the lamp 20 to the surrounding water, thus increasing the effective UVC output of lamp 20 in cold water.
The FEP coating 80 (
In the preferred embodiment, the UVC lamps 20 are sealed directly to the chamber end cap 50 (
Alternately, the lamp 20 is surrounded by a separate quartz tube 24 (see
The central ultraviolet lamp 20 can be surrounded by a quartz tube 24 inside the tube 40 as shown in
Alternately, multiple ultraviolet lamps such as 20-1 and 20-4 can be placed in a single tube 40 as shown in
Baffles with multiple openings, such as openings 263-1 to 263-4 in baffle 21-1 shown in
Manufacturing Process
The preferred system is comprised of stainless steel purifier tubing 40 and baffles 21. As shown
Each baffle 21 may also be held by dimples 452-1 and 452-2 pressed or impacted into the purification tube 40 before or after the baffle 21 has been placed in the proper location as shown in
Alternately the tubes 40 may be formed from flat sheet material rolled into a tube shape with grooves or welded together to register the baffles 21 in their proper locations.
Alternately, the baffles 21 and tubes 40 may be constructed of anodized aluminum.
As discussed above, PVC can be used for tube 40. Heating the PVC tubing to about 320F causes it to expand in diameter and become compliant. It can be heated by rotating it in a standard PVC pipe heater. It is then placed in an open compression fixture made up of two half cylinders hinged together. The compression fixture is then closed applying radial compression force to the polymeric tube 40. The tube 40 is radially compressed in the compression fixture, embedding the edges of the baffles 21 into the inner wall of the PVC tubing, locking them in place, as shown by isometric cross-section in
Then tubes 40 are aligned, the end caps 50 are assembled and sealed to tubes 40, then the lamps 20 are inserted, and the electronics enclosure 36 is assembled to the system (see
Alternately, the housing and baffle assembly may be blow molded from materials such as polyethylene terephalate (PET) using precut baffles placed in the mold. Alternately, the housing may be rotationally molded using precut baffles placed in the mold.
Alternately, as shown in
Alternately, both tubes 40-1 and 40-2 are injection molded in three longitudinal sections 40-1 a, 40-3 and 40-2 b. In this case, the center section 40-3 is made up of half tube 40-1 b forming a unitary structure with half tube 40-2 a. Center section 40-3 has baffles on both sides as shown in
Power Sources
In one embodiment, the system is powered by one or more deep cycle batteries charged from the power grid or by solar photovoltaic cells or other solar electrical generation techniques. It may be connected directly to the AC power grid in areas with reliable electric power.
Alternately, the system is may be powered directly by a solar photovoltaic panel or may be powered by batteries charged from a solar photovoltaic panel. The advantage of charging one or more batteries from a photovoltaic panel is that the solar panel can have less power output and be used for more hours each day while the water purifier consumes a similar amount of energy over a shorter time each day.
For areas where grid electricity is not reliable or continuous, battery power will enable the system to operate reliably, using the intermittent grid electricity to charge the batteries. A low voltage shutoff feature may be designed into the inverter to keep the battery from being discharged below about 70 percent of its capacity (about 10.6 volts) to protect the battery and preserve its life. The inverter and the ballast to operate the lamps may be integrated together in the system.
A deep cycle battery allows up to about 80 percent of the energy stored in the battery to be used before recharging. Alternately, the power source can be a lead acid starting battery which is typically lower in cost than a deep cycle lead acid battery. For a reasonable battery life, a lead acid starting battery can typically discharge only 20 to 30 percent of its stored energy. A 30 percent discharge of three 76 amp-hour truck starting batteries in parallel yields a usable capacity of 68.4 amp hours, assuming the batteries are fully charged prior to use. If the purifier consumes 165 watts at 12 volts nominal battery voltage, it will draw a current of 13.8 amps. The available 68.4 amp hours from the batteries will provide approximately 5 hours of purification at a continuous 13.8 amps.
Alternately, the system may be powered by alkaline, lithium ion, nickel cadmium, nickel metal hydride, zinc air, sodium sulfur, lithium polymer batteries or any battery or combination of batteries with proper voltage and sufficient capacity.
Alternately, the system can be powered directly from the electrical grid by providing an AC power cord and plug 572 which bypasses the AC inverter 565 as shown in
Instead of battery or grid power, the purifier can be pedal powered either through an integrated unit as shown in
Alternatively, the system is powered by a generator such as an electric, diesel, gasoline, propane, or natural gas powered generator or water wheel generator or other motive power source.
The electronics and electrical components for the system may be housed in a waterproof or water resistant enclosure 36 as shown in
The ballast 566 (
Control System
The purifier system is preferentially controlled either by an analog control system or by an integrated digital microprocessor or microcontroller. The digital control system employs an analog to digital (A/D) converter to sample the analog inputs as described below.
The inverter, (the input leads to which are denoted as INV—1 PLUS, INV—5 FRAME, and INV—2 GND in
Current transformer T1 in block 302 (
Transformer T3 in block 304 provides a signal to valve 32 and to valve control 306 (shown in more detail in
Signals from the inverter are also sent directly to transformer T3 (block 304 in
Logic gate U7A in logic gates 307 (
Upon receiving two high-level signals, NAND gate U7A produces on its output lead a low level signal. Because the output lead from NAND gate U7A is connected to the cathode of LED D7, and the five (5) volt power supply from voltage regulator 310 is connected to the anode of LED D7, LED D7 turns on and activates switch U4. This turns on valve 32. As a result, water to be purified starts flowing through the system and the water in the system before valve 32 is opened is purified before this water starts flowing.
Cumulative timer 312 (
When the current to ballast 303 (which is a measure of the current supplied to the lamps 20) is detected by a signal from current monitoring transformer 302 to fall beneath a selected value, a signal is sent on the output lead from transformer 302 through block 301 to amplifiers 309 (
In addition, the low signal on the output lead from amplifiers U18A and U18B in block 309 is sent directly to the RS input terminal of comparator U10 (block 308;
Comparator block 314 (
Comparator U16 (block 314,
4.7 uF
0.1 uF
0.1 uF
0.1 uF
0.1 uF
0.1 uF
0.1 uF
0.1 uF
0.1 uF
47 uF
47 uF
0.1 uF
0.1 uF
0.1 uF
0.1 uF
47 uF
0.001 uF
0.47 uF
120 V to 24 V
With a digital control system, it is possible to record and save the system data and status for recall at a later time. The data for all the key variables may be sampled and recorded in a rolling record that continually rewrites itself, overwriting the oldest data first. Alternately, the data may be saved in fixed files. The data can be later accessed remotely through one or more techniques. Preferably, the system automatically transmits the data on flow and water condition to a central database over the Internet.
In addition, the system may contain an infrared port, or a Universal Serial Bus (USB) or Firewire (IEEE Standard 1394) port, or one of many possible standardized interfaces. Alternatively, the data may be retrieved through wireless means using a built in radio.
A microprocessor 577 may control the valve 32 through a pulse width modulation (PWM) solenoid driver.
The system may alternately use a latching solenoid valve 32 designed to be turned on and off using a momentary 12 VDC pulse to reduce power consumption. The DC latching solenoid 580 does not require a constant supply of power. Instead, it uses current pulses to the solenoid 580 to open and close the valve 32.
Valve Delay Timer
The output valve 32 (
With the flow rate information above, the valve solenoid 569 (
For example, if the UVC light output has been reduced as measured by a current monitor or a photodiode, the valve 32 can be modulated to reduce the flow rate of the system as monitored by the flow sensors such as pressure sensors 579 (
The system controller can monitor and reduce the flow if the current transformer 568 (
Current Monitor
The preferred embodiment of the system is equipped with a built in automatic continuous system to monitor the UVC power emitted by the germicidal lamps 20. The system may be designed to stop the flow of water from the purifier if conditions are triggered which infer that the water produced is not pure. The current monitor 574 (
Two types of current monitoring systems have been tested with the system. The first and preferred embodiment (
A second embodiment uses a Hall effect sensor (not shown) to measure the current to lamps 20 at the input to the ballast 566. As in the previous embodiment, when at least one lamp 20 is not operating properly or when there is a decrease in current produced by the system or when the ballast 566 is not operating properly, this current monitor will measure a reduced current to the lamps 20 and produce a signal in response thereto which signal is input to the comparator in the circuit. Alternately, the output signal from the Hall effect sensor is input via an A/D converter to a microprocessor. Alternately, the current is measured between the lamp 20 and ballast 566, though multiple current sensors may be required with this latter approach.
With either the current transformer or Hall effect measurement technique, an analog or digital control system produces a signal to control the solenoid of the valve 32 and stop or reduce the flow when the current to the ballast 566 falls below the threshold value. An LED indicator may indicate when the current is still sufficient but near to the threshold value to alert the operator to the potential need for preventative maintenance to the system.
Photodiode Monitor
Instead of measuring the lamp current, an alternate embodiment employs a photodiode 630 (
The photodiode signal is amplified in a circuit and fed into a comparator for an analog circuit or an A/D converter in a digital control system to check for a minimum acceptable UVC light output for proper system operation. As in the approaches described above, either an analog or a digital control system produces a signal to control the solenoid of the valve and to stop the flow when the UVC light level falls below the threshold value. In the preferred embodiment, an LED indicator shows when the light level is sufficient but near to the threshold value to alert the operator to the potential need for preventative maintenance to the system.
The photodiode 630 may become partially blocked by sediment or deposits from the water, which may lead to false negative readings causing the valve to close or flow to reduce when not justified. A system using the photodiode 630 relies on an extremely sensitive amplifier that may not perform reliably under severe operating conditions and a wide range of temperatures. For these reasons, current monitoring is the preferred technique for obtaining feedback from the lamps 20. A study of the failure modes and operation of the unit shows that the critical failure modes detectable by the photodiode 630 would be detectable by the more robust and simpler current monitor 574 as shown in
Turbidity Monitor
The turbidity of the water may be used as a criterion for stopping or reducing the flow of water through the system by feedback to a digital control system. The system may incorporate a nephelometric sensor to measure the turbidity of the water, using a simple phototransistor or photodiode and an LED source. If the turbidity of the water exceeds a critical value, the valve 32 (
Alternatively, the turbidity sensor is a UVC photodiode measuring the absorption of the water from the UVC emitted by the germicidal lamp or another light source.
Differential Flow Sensor
The flow rate through the system can be measured using two or more solid state electronic pressure sensors 651 and 652 that span one or more baffles as shown in
Flow information is generated by comparing the output signal from sensors 651 and 652 in the case of an analog control system by using an analog comparator or wheatstone bridge circuit. For a digital control system, it is preferred to use a multiplexed analog-to-digital converter and compare the values from sensors 651 and 652 by embedded algorithms using an integrated microprocessor. The pressure sensors 651 and 652 are multiplexed to an A/D converter for use with a microcontroller based digital control system.
Alternately, a simple rotating flow meter or other suitable flow meter can be incorporated in the system. The flow meter can provide information to either an analog or digital control system.
Temperature Sensor
Similarly, the water temperature may be sensed by a thermocouple or thermistor or other thermal measurement device. The temperature information may be used by the digital control system to modulate the valve 32 (
Any of the sensors described above can be configured to communicate wirelessly with the control system as needed.
System Status Indicators
The water purification system preferentially includes indicator LEDs 25 which display the system status as shown in
When a digital control system is used, an LCD or other display can be utilized to display the system status alphanumerically and allow the operator to interact with the system through menu-driven displays to alter settings in the system.
Ultrasonic Transducer in Combination with System to Clean Deposits from System.
In another aspect of the present invention, ultrasonic frequency is applied to each ultraviolet illumination subchamber as a means of removing deposits from the lamp and from tube 40. A common problem with ultraviolet purification systems is the accumulation of deposits on the surface of the ultraviolet lamp 20 or on the quartz tube 24 surrounding the lamp 20 and on the tube 40 in which lamp 20 is located. These deposits typically include biofilms, calcium deposits, and magnesium deposits. The calcium and magnesium deposits primarily result from the use of hard water in the purification process. Today, many ultraviolet purification units employ manual or automatic wipers to periodically remove these deposits from the lamp.
In this aspect of the invention, one or more ultrasonic transducers (shown in the embodiment of
Each transducer 1011 itself is typically fabricated from a piezoelectric material surrounded by a stainless steel housing. The transducer is connected to an ultrasonic generator. The transducer can be attached as shown in
A single ultrasonic or sonic frequency can be used, or multiple frequencies may be used in sequence or simultaneously. Typically frequencies in the range from about 20 kHz to 120 kHz would be used. The higher frequencies generate smaller cavitation bubbles and remove smaller particles from the lamp and subchamber. Lower frequencies could be generated earlier in the cleaning sequence to remove the larger particles first. Then, higher frequencies could be generated to remove the smaller particles. Alternately, the system may use multiple frequencies simultaneously or in another sequence. If the higher ultrasonic frequencies are integer multiples of the lower frequencies, it is possible that multiple frequencies can be transmitted through the same transducers.
Using a control system, the system may automatically ultrasonically clean itself at predefined intervals. Alternately, the ultrasonic cleaning can be controlled manually. Of course, ultrasonic cleaning of a water purifier can be used with other types of purification systems including systems without baffles.
Combination with Other Filters
The UVC irradiation will kill waterborne pathogens, but may not be sufficient by itself to treat the other impurities in the water such as organic solvents, inorganic materials such as heavy metals, and pesticides. The current invention may require pre-or post- filters (not shown in the drawings) or ozone injection or hydrogen peroxide injection to remove these non-microbial contaminants.
Preferably, the water sources are measured for harmful organic compounds, inorganic compounds, heavy metals, and pesticides prior to the use of the water purification system to allow additional pre- or post-filters to be added as needed.
Sand Pre-Filter
In one embodiment, the water purifier system is used with a sand pre-filter to remove particulates down to 20 microns in size using commonly available silica sand media. Zeolite media can be used instead of sand media in the sand filter to remove even smaller particulate matter.
Alternately, the system can be used with a diatomaceous earth (DE) pre-filter in addition to or instead of a sand filter. DE pre-filters can remove particulates down to 3 microns. Alternately, a settling tank can be used instead of the sand filter or DE filter or in combination with them.
The sand filter, whether integrated into the UV unit or separate, may have a back flush valve which can be manually or automatically operated. An automatic valve would back flush the system on certain intervals that could automatically shorten or lengthen based on automatically measured cumulative water flow through the system, or the product of cumulative water flow and turbidity, using the information from embedded sensors fed back to the microcontroller.
Alternately, a very fine stainless steel screen (in one embodiment a sixty mesh stainless steel screen) is used on the inlet of the water purifier. A cone shaped or corrugated or cylindrical screen may be used to increase surface area to reduce flow resistance and to reduce clogging of this filter.
Embodiments of the present invention can be used in series with activated charcoal pre-filter or post-filter and a water softener before the reverse osmosis filter to prevent build-up on the reverse osmosis membrane.
Optionally, the system may employ a pre-filter such as a polypropylene spun bonded pre-filter. Alternatively, a fine cloth filter can be used on the inlet to filter out small particles. One or more layers of cloth may be used. The particles will become trapped by the fibers of the cloth.
Activated Carbon Pre-Filter
Another embodiment of the present invention integrates an activated carbon block filter or granular activated carbon (GAC) filter into the system either before or after the UV system to remove organic chemicals, pesticides, and other impurities which will adsorb onto the surface of the activated carbon filter.
Activated Alumina Filter
An activated alumina filter can be used to remove arsenic, phosphate, sulfate, chromate, fluoride, but not nitrate from the water. It is preferentially used as a pre-filter.
In one embodiment, the sand filters, the activated carbon filter, and the activated alumina filter are located in series in a third tube alongside the other two UVC irradiation tubes.
Alternately, a fourth parallel tube is employed as activated charcoal filter alongside the two UV tubes and the sand filter tube.
Water Softener
The system may be equipped with a water softener, either a powered salt-recharged type or a non-powered type to soften the water before entrance to the water purifier. The water softener can reduce or eliminate the precipitation of calcium and magnesium compounds which may occur on the inner surfaces of the system, possibly including the lamp or FEP coated lamp surface.
Alternate System Designs
An alternate system design employs a non-submerged lamp using similar baffles as shown above to maximize the UVC irradiation of the water as described above. In this design, as shown in
The window 681 is preferentially constructed of an FEP membrane adjacent to the UVC lamp 20 over its length which separates lamp 20 from the water and a set of stainless steel baffles 21 as shown in
Instead of a UVC lamp, UVC emitting LEDs may be used. As shown in
Wireless Data Transmission
The water purifier system of the present invention may be combined with wireless communications equipment to enable it to function as a node in a wireless mesh communications network. The combination of two or more of these nodes will create a wireless mesh network. Mesh networks are self-configuring systems wherein each node can relay messages on behalf of others, thus increasing the range and available bandwidth. Nodes in a mesh network will only connect with other nodes that are within a fixed range.
A battery or energy storage system may be used onboard to provide power for the communications system. The battery may be charged by the power source for the water purifier, and then discharged by the use of the communication system over a longer period of time after the water purification has been completed for the day.
In the preferred embodiment, all nodes communicate with the other in-range nodes directly, as shown in
As more devices are added to the network, more bandwidth becomes available, provided that the number of transmissions in the average communication path is low enough. Repeaters may be used between nodes if distances between nodes are too large.
Data is preferrably transferred through the system from node to node in packets which contain a header with routing and other information followed by a small amount of data until each packet reaches the proper destination, where the packets are reassembled and used. Routing capabilities included in each device allow this to happen. To implement such dynamic routing capabilities, each device needs to communicate its routing information to every device it connects with. Each device then decides whether to pass the packet it received to the next device or to keep it.
Each node only needs to transmit as far as the next node. Nodes act as repeaters to transmit data from nearby nodes to peers beyond radio range, resulting in a network that can span large distances, even over rough terrain. Mesh networks are also extremely reliable, as each node may be connected to several other nodes. If one node is lost due to hardware failure or other reason, its neighbors simply find another route. It has been shown that the benefit of communicating at the highest data rate to the closest node outweighs the negative performance impact of packet forwarding in a multi-hop mesh.
Since every node on the network carries the load of every other as needed, each node must be capable of receiving and transmitting each frequency on the system. Each node must have a uniquely assigned static IP address although this may not be needed on all protocols.
The water purifier nodes may be used in combination with fixed or mobile nodes which are not part of water purifiers to create a wireless mesh network which will provide Internet access/phone service/video/data to and from the nodes.
A useful framework for describing the mesh network is the seven layer OSI model. For simplicity, here the model is reduced to three layers: physical, transport, and application layers.
Physical Layer
In the physical layer, the system consists of discrete nodes separated geographically with single- or multi-frequency capability. The nodes may be capable of point-to-point and point-to-multipoint communications to allow the system to find the best pathway through the network based on the chosen protocol.
The system may require antennas separate from the water purifier to obtain the proper range. For example, the antenna may be placed on a separate tower. High gain directional antennas may be needed due to the combination of low transmission power and long distances between some villages. In some cases, 802.11b links have been made without amplifiers that cover 200 km in distance using parabolic antennas at 11 Mbps data rates. Alternately, OFDM equipment operating in the 5.8 GHz band is used for the long distance links.
Single or multiple carrier frequencies may be used simultaneously to communicate between nodes. The multiple frequencies increase the speed of data transmission, while a single frequency would make the system easier to implement.
Any microprocessor based system with sufficient performance and systems resources may be programmed to interface with a proper radio transmitter/receiver to create a node in the wireless mesh as long as it operates on the proper frequency(ies) and protocol and has proper transmitting power, S/N ratio and antenna
Alternately, the system may use a hybrid of high power/low power radios operating over two different frequencies (or sets of frequencies)—one for more local nodes and one for more distant nodes.
The communications equipment may be located on the water purifier and powered with the same power source. It may be possible to use one microcontroller to control the filter and function as the controller for the wireless node. Possibly the system may employ the Linux operating system.
Transport Layer
The transport layer enables automatic topology learning and dynamic path configuration. As part of the transport layer, auto-discovery and auto-configuration capabilities are provided with each node. Dynamic path configuration may also be provided to allow each mobile device to possibly select alternate paths for the transmission of information from the device.
One or more of many different techniques may be used as a protocol to format packets, determine mesh topology, and route packets in order to transfer information through the system. Currently, over seventy (70) different protocols exist for routing packets across mesh networks such as but not limited to:
802.11s adds extra functions to allow wireless nodes to discover each other and their relative locations (automatic topology learning), authenticate and establish connections, and to work out the most efficient route for a particular task.
The 802.11s standard uses auto-configuring paths between nodes over self-configuring multi-hop topologies enable automatic topology learning and dynamic path configuration.
Application Layer
Preferably, one or more nodes on the wireless mesh network is connected to the Internet. This Internet connection (see
There are several methods to connect to the Internet: satellite uplink and/or downlink to transfer the data to and from the Internet. Alternately, one or more nodes may have a hardwired connection to a high speed Internet service provider using fiber optic trunk or cable modem or DSL or other high speed link to send data from the mesh network to an internet server or mail server.
Voice communications may be carried over the system using a packet-based voice communications protocol, such as SIP or another type of Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP)3. By upgrading the mesh to support SIP routing, any wireless mesh network can be voice enabled in a few moments. 3Asterisk Phone Exchange operates over a wireless mesh already.
Preferably, voice traffic gets top priority on the mesh, so the quality of the call is not affected by the demands from broadband data users. With a VoIP mesh, customers can receive incoming calls and make outgoing calls, reaching the public telephone network, and connecting to other Internet voice users for free.
A telephone can be attached or connected by cable to the water purifier even though the telephone signal is going through packet communications and VOIP. The user interface can still look like a telephone.
The data for water collection, system status, power level, hours of use, flow rate, (even possibly built-in water quality checking and system functional status, for example, could be automatically transferred via the Internet to a website for monitoring of the system.
Data can be sent to and received from the water system. Thus one can diagnose and troubleshoot the system remotely and change settings on the system from remote locations. Data from the water purification system can be recorded in a data base that is connected to the internet. This allows central monitoring of the performance of the water purification system even if it is at a remote location.
Video may be routed in packets through the mesh either by streaming it or by sending it as a file, preferably compressed, to the destination node. A camera may be attached to the water purifier to transmit video images.
As an option a built in or attachable terminal or laptop computer or phone can be provided that may be powered by the battery powering the water purifier.
Security is also a concern since each node theoretically carries the traffic of every other node, enabling someone with evil intent to see the entire stream of packets from one or more sources and therefore reassemble and read the communication. One approach to security is to use WEP encryption. Alternately, WPA encryption is used.
Alternatively, under 802.11i—all of the nodes are controlled by a single logical administrative entity for security. One or more 802.11 radios can be allowed on each node in the mesh.
Handheld UV Water Purifier System
Another embodiment of the invention comprises a handheld water purification system consisting of a manual power source such as the squeeze handle. In this system, the user squeezes the handle repeatedly, moving a magnet in the handle in the vicinity of a coil to create a source of power. A spring in the handle automatically returns the handle to the previous position for the next power stroke. Alternately, the system could have two handles: one to hold, one to squeeze. Alternately, the system may be powered by repeatedly pressing on a foot pedal to create power through the same principle.
The power source provides power to an ultraviolet LEDs as shown in
An exit orifice is provided at the lower tip of the subchamber. This orifice is sized to provide a flow rate when the subchamber 22 is full which will provide sufficient UVC radiation to kill or inactivate all of the relevant bacteria, viruses, protozoa and helminthes, including the cryptosporidium parvum oocysts.
Other embodiments of this invention will be obvious to those skilled in the art in view of the above disclosures.
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|U.S. Classification
|210/748.01, 422/22
|International Classification
|Cooperative Classification
|European Classification
|28 Sep 2007
Owner name: WATER OF LIFE, LLC, CALIFORNIA
Free format text: ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST;ASSIGNOR:YENCHO, STEPHEN A.;REEL/FRAME:019894/0942
Effective date: 20070927
|8 Jul 2014
|Fee payment
Year of fee payment: 4
|8 Jul 2014
|Surcharge for late payment


text:
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subset: commoncrawl