Method and apparatus for the uv-treatment of aqueous liquids

Abstract

Method and apparatus for treating a pressurized liquid. The apparatus includes pressurized liquid treatment chamber ( 16 ) having a window ( 18 ) transmissive to UV light; a UV light source ( 14 a , 14 h ) outside of the chamber to emit UV light into the chamber, a shaft ( 24 ) which extending between inlet and outlet ends of the chamber which turns about a central axis of the chamber, a flexible cleaning member ( 30 ) affixed to the shaft and engaging an interior surface of the window ( 18 ); and at least one member ( 36 ) extending radially from the shaft into the treatment chamber ( 16 ) to disrupt axial flow of water through the chamber.

1 . An apparatus for treating a pressurized liquid, the apparatus comprising: 
 a pressurized liquid treatment chamber having an inlet end and an outlet end, the chamber having a window permeable to UV light;    a UV light source external of the chamber located to emit light through the window into the chamber to expose liquid within the chamber to the emitted light;    a shaft which extends between the inlet end and the outlet end of the chamber, located to turn about a central axis of the chamber extending between the inlet end and the outlet end;    a flexible cleaning member affixed to the shaft and extending radially therefrom to flexibly engage an interior surface of the window for cleaning thereof as the shaft turns; and    at least one member extending radially from the shaft into the treatment chamber to disrupt axial flow of liquid through the chamber.    
     
     
         2 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein: 
 the window comprises a hollow cylinder of circular cross section; and the volume of the treatment chamber free to be occupied by the pressurized liquid is at least 50 percent of the total volume of the cylinder.    
     
     
         3 . The apparatus of  claim 2 , wherein the volume of the treatment chamber free to be occupied by the liquid is at least 55, or 60, or 65, or  70 , or 75, or 80, or 85 percent of the total volume of the cylinder.  
     
     
         4 . The apparatus of  claim 3 , wherein the volume of the treatment chamber free to be occupied by the liquid is at least 89 percent of the total volume of the cylinder.  
     
     
         5 . The apparatus of  claim 2 , wherein the ratio of the inner diameter of the cylinder to the average outer diameter of the shaft is between about 10:1 and about 3:1, or between about 10:1 and 5:1, or between about 9:1 and 7:1, or about 8:1.  
     
     
         6 . The apparatus of  claim 2  wherein the at least one member has a surface transverse to the axis, an obverse face of the surface facing the inlet end of the chamber and having a cross sectional area equal to at least 5 percent of the area of the cross section of the cylinder.  
     
     
         7 . The apparatus of  claim 3 , wherein said cross sectional surface area is equal to at least 6, or at least 7, or at least 9, or least 10, or at 10, or at least 15, or at least 20, or at least 25 percent of the area of the cross section of the cylinder.  
     
     
         8 . The apparatus of  claim 2  wherein there is a first pair of said at least one members, angularly spaced from each other and axially located nearer to the inlet end of the cylinder than to the center of the cylinder, a second pair of said members, angularly spaced from each other and axially located nearer to the center of the cylinder than to either of the inlet or outlet ends of the cylinder, and a third pair of said members, angularly spaced from each other and axially located nearer to the outlet end of the cylinder than to the center to of the cylinder.  
     
     
         9 . The apparatus of  claim 6 , wherein the at least one member is located nearer the inlet end of the chamber than the outlet end.  
     
     
         10 . The apparatus of  claim 9 , further comprising a second said at least one member, the first and second members being spaced apart angularly from each other.  
     
     
         11 . The apparatus of  claim 10 , wherein the first and second members are angularly spaced apart from each other by an angle of up to 180°.  
     
     
         12 . The apparatus of  claim 9 , further comprising a second said at least one member, the first and second members being spaced apart axially from each other.  
     
     
         13 . The apparatus of  claim 12 , wherein there is a third said at least one member, the third member being spaced angularly apart from the first member.  
     
     
         14 . The apparatus of  claim 12 , wherein the combined said cross sectional areas of the obverse faces of the members is at least 40 percent of said area of cross section of the cylinder.  
     
     
         15 . The apparatus of  claim 2  wherein each of the at least one members protrudes radially outwardly from the shaft toward the cylinder a distance of from about ⅕ to about {fraction (5/11)}, or from about 14 to about ⅜, or about ⅓ the inner diameter of the cylinder.  
     
     
         16 . The apparatus of  claim 8 , wherein the combined said cross sectional areas of the obverse faces of the members is at least 50, or at least 60, or at least 70, or at least 80, or at least 90, or at least 100, or at least 150, or at least 200, or at least 250, or at least 300 percent of said area of cross section of the cylinder.  
     
     
         17 . The apparatus of  claim 14 , wherein the volume of the interior volume of the cylinder is between about 25 and 200 cubic inches.  
     
     
         18 . The apparatus of  claim 14 , wherein the volume of the interior volume of the cylinder is between about 50 and 140, or between about 60 and 120, or between about 60 and 100, or between about 60 and 80, or between about 60 and 70 cubic inches.  
     
     
         19 . The apparatus of  claim 17 , wherein the inner diameter of the cylinder is between about 1 and 3 inches.  
     
     
         20 . The apparatus of  claim 19 , wherein the inner diameter of the cylinder is between about 1 and about 2.5 inches, or the inner diameter of the cylinder is between about 1 and about 2 inches, or is about 1.5 inches.  
     
     
         21 . The apparatus of  claim 19 , wherein the length of the cylinder is between about 6 inches and about 3 feet.  
     
     
         22 . The apparatus of  claim 21 , wherein the length of the cylinder is between about 1 and about 2.5 feet, or between about 1.5 and about 2.5 feet, or is about 2 feet.  
     
     
         23 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein said flexible member comprises a thermoplastic material.  
     
     
         24 . The apparatus of  claim 23 , wherein said thermoplastic material is a planar sheet of a tetrafluoroethylene fluorocarbon polymer.  
     
     
         25 . The apparatus of  claim 24 , wherein said tetrafluoroethylene fluorocarbon polymer is Teflon™.  
     
     
         26 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the flexible cleaning member comprises a metal blade.  
     
     
         27 . The apparatus of  claim 26 , wherein the metal blade is steel.  
     
     
         28 . The apparatus of  claim 26  wherein the blade has the flexibility of a sheet of Type 316 stainless steel about 0.003 inches in thickness.  
     
     
         29 . The apparatus of  claim 27 , wherein said steel is stainless steel.  
     
     
         30 . The apparatus of  claim 29 , wherein the steel has a thickness of between about 0.002 inches and about 0.008 inches, or between 0.002 and 0.006, or between 0.002 and 0.005, or between 0.002 and 0.004, or about 0.003 inches.  
     
     
         31 . The apparatus of  claim 30 , wherein said steel is Type 316 stainless steel.  
     
     
         32 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the cleaning member comprises a flexible blade having an edge which extends in substantially continuous contact with the interior surface of the cylinder between first and second longitudinal ends of the cylinder.  
     
     
         33 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the cleaning member comprises a flexible blade having an edge which extends in substantially continuous contact with the interior surface of the cylinder between first and second longitudinal ends of the cylinder.  
     
     
         34 . The apparatus of  claim 33 , wherein the blade is dimensioned such that said edge, when the blade is in relaxed condition, extends radially beyond the inner surface of the cylinder so as to force the edge into flexed abutment with the curved interior surface of the cylinder.  
     
     
         35 . The apparatus of  claim 34 , wherein the blade comprises a planar sheet of Type 316 stainless steel about 0.003 inches in thickness.  
     
     
         36 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , further comprising: 
 a first UV radiation sensor trained to receive UV radiation from the UV light source which has not been transmitted through the treatment chamber;    a second UV radiation sensor trained toward the chamber to receive UV radiation emitted from therewithin; and    means for determining the intensities of UV light received by the first and second sensors so as to determine the effectiveness of treatment of liquid within the chamber.    
     
     
         37 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , further comprising: 
 a first UV radiation sensor trained to receive UV radiation from the UV light source which has not been transmitted through the treatment chamber;    a second UV radiation sensor trained toward the chamber to receive UV radiation emitted from therewithin; and    means for determining the intensities of UV light received by the first and second sensors so as to determine the UV transmittance of liquid through the treatment chamber.    
     
     
         38 . The apparatus of  claim 2 , wherein the hollow cylinder comprises a quartz tube.  
     
     
         39 . An apparatus for treating an aqueous liquid such as water with UV light, the apparatus comprising: 
 a pressurized liquid treatment chamber having an inlet end and an outlet end, the chamber being defined by a window transmissive to UV light;    a plurality of UV light sources external of the chamber located to emit light through the window into the chamber to expose liquid within the chamber to the emitted light;    a first sensor located and trained to receive UV light emitted from a first of the UV light sources and which has not emerged from the treatment chamber;    a second sensor located and trained to receive UV light emergent from the liquid chamber; and    means for determining the intensity of UV light received by the first sensor relative to the intensity of UV light received by the second sensor so as to determine the effectiveness of the treatment.    
     
     
         40 . The apparatus of  claim 39 , further comprising an indicator operably connected to said means, to provide an indication of when the intensity of UV light received by the first sensor relative to the intensity of UV light received by the second sensor is above a predetermined level.  
     
     
         41 . The apparatus of  claim 39 , further comprising an indicator operably connected to the first indicator, to provide an indication of when the intensity of UV light received by the first sensor is below a predetermined level.  
     
     
         42 . The apparatus of  claim 39 , further comprising means for precluding flow of said liquid through the treatment chamber, operably connected to said means for determining the intensity of UV light received by the first sensor relative to the intensity of UV light received by the second sensor.  
     
     
         43 . The apparatus of  claim 39  wherein each of said UV light sources comprises a low-pressure mercury lamp and the lamps are electrically connected to each other in series.  
     
     
         44 . The apparatus of  claim 32 , wherein: 
 said cylinder can withstand interior liquid pressure of up to about 150 pounds per square inch;    said UV light source is a low-pressure mercury vapor bulb; and    the blade is secured to the shaft along a line parallel to the central axis of the cylinder.    
     
     
         45 . The apparatus of  claim 39 , wherein the first sensor is trained to receive radiation emitted directly from the first UV light source, and the second sensor is oriented so as not to receive radiation emitted directly from a said light source.  
     
     
         46 . The apparatus of  claim 39 , wherein the window comprises a quartz sleeve of circular cross section, and further comprising an interior cleaning member having a surface in abutting engagement with an interior surface of the sleeve and moveable with respect thereto for cleaning thereof.  
     
     
         47 . The apparatus of  claim 46 , wherein said cleaning member is mounted on a central shaft so as to be rotatable about a central axis of the sleeve, the surface of the cleaning member in abutting engagement with the interior surface of the sleeve extends continuously between first and second axial ends of the sleeve, and the member includes a plurality of protrusions located radially intermediate the shaft and the sleeve to promote turbulence of liquid flowing axially through the sleeve.  
     
     
         48 . A process for treating an aqueous liquid, the process comprising the steps of: 
 passing liquid under pressure through a treatment chamber, the chamber having a window permeable to UV light, an inlet end, and an outlet end;    treating the liquid within the chamber by exposing the liquid to UV light emitted from a UV source external of the chamber; and    cleaning an interior surface of the window by turning a shaft located within the chamber, the shaft having a flexible cleaning member affixed thereto, with respect to the window when the member is in flexible engagement with the surface; wherein:    the shaft includes at least one relatively rigid member extending therefrom, so as to disrupt axial flow of the liquid through the chamber from the inlet end to the outlet end.    
     
     
         49 . The method of  claim 48  wherein the window is a cylindrical quartz tube of circular cross section; the shaft extends axially between first and second ends of the tube, and said extending member extends radially from the shaft toward to the tube a distance equal to at least one quarter the inner diameter of the tube.  
     
     
         50 . The method of  claim 49  wherein, the extending member has a surface facing the inlet end, the cross-sectional area of which surface is equal to at least 5 percent of the cross sectional area of the tube, there are at least two said extending members, and the combined cross-sectional areas of the said extending members are equal to at least 30 percent of the cross sectional area of the tube.  
     
     
         51 . The method of  claim 50  wherein the total volume of the interior of the tube is up to about ¼ U.S. gallons, the volume occupied by the liquid is at least 50 percent of the total volume, and the flow rate of the liquid through the tube is up to about 20 gallons per minute.  
     
     
         52 . The method of  claim 51  wherein the pressure of the liquid within the chamber is between about 60 and 100 pounds per square inch.