Fluid filtration system

Abstract

A fluid treatment system having in one version an irradiation chamber with UV lamps with a swirl vane pack in the inlet for effecting clockwise and counterclockwise swirl in fluid entering the chamber. Other versions employ a central filter media element with an irradiation chamber with UV lamps disposed annularly thereabout. In other versions, mechanical wiper discs are provided for wiping debris from the filter media and the lamp tubes. In other versions, the UV lamps are in a central irradiation chamber with plural filter media tubes arrayed annularly there around. In other versions, mechanical wipers are provided for the UV tubes and a rotating drain arm is provided for backwashing individual filter tubes. In other versions, the central filter and annularly arrayed UV tubes are mounted in a pressure vessel lid.

1 . A fluid filter system comprising:
 (a) a housing having an inlet and an outlet;   (b) a filter media element disposed within the housing and having a flow inlet side in fluid communication with the housing inlet and a flow outlet side and operative to filter all inlet flow;   (c) an irradiation chamber having an inlet in communication with the flow outlet side of the filter media element and having an outlet in fluid communication with the housing outlet;   (d) at least one ultra violet (UV) lamp disposed in the irradiation chamber with a quartz sleeve disposed over the at least one UV lamp;   (e) wherein flow from the filter media element outlet side flows sequentially downward to the inlet of the irradiation chamber and then upwardly through the irradiation chamber to the housing outlet wherein all flow to the housing outlet is irradiated.   
     
     
         2 . The system of  claim 1  further comprising, a plurality of filter media elements and a plurality of UV lamps in the irradiation chamber, each with a quartz sleeve disposed thereover. 
     
     
         3 . The system of  claim 2 , wherein the filter media elements are disposed about at least portions of the irradiation chamber. 
     
     
         4 . The system of  claim 2 , wherein the filter media elements are disposed annularly about the irradiation chamber. 
     
     
         5 . The system defined in  claim 1 , further comprising a swirl vane pack disposed to effect swirl to flow in the irradiation chamber inlet, the swirl vane packs having a first annular array of vanes effecting clockwise swirl and a second annular array of vanes effecting counterclockwise swirl. 
     
     
         6 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the filter media element has a tubular configuration. 
     
     
         7 . The system of  claim 6 , further comprising a cleaning disc disposed closely adjacent the inlet side of the filter media element; and, a drive mechanism operable upon selective activation to move the cleaning disc along the inlet side of the filter media element for removing trapped debris from the inlet side surface of the tubular filter media element. 
     
     
         8 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the housing inlet is disposed vertically below the outlet and the irradiating chamber comprises a vertically oriented tubular member with the inlet at a lower end thereof and the outlet at an upper end thereof; and,
 the filter media element includes a plurality of vertically oriented tubular members disposed about the tubular irradiating chamber member wherein the lower end of the media element tubular members communicate exclusively with the housing inlet and the upper end of the media element tubular members communicate exclusively with the lower inlet end of the tubular irradiating chamber; and,   the upper outlet end of the tubular irradiating chamber communicates exclusively with the housing outlet wherein flow through the irradiating chamber is vertically upward.   
     
     
         9 . The system defined in  claim 1 , wherein the irradiation chamber inlet includes a plurality of vanes operable to cause clockwise and counterclockwise swirl in the flow from the irradiation chamber inlet. 
     
     
         10 . The filter system of  claim 1 , wherein the filter media element comprises a plurality of tubular filter elements disposed vertically each with a lower end having the exterior thereof isolated for communicating exclusively with the housing inlet and the interior thereof at an upper end isolated for communicating exclusively with the inlet of the irradiating chamber; and,
 further comprising a backwash tube for selectively communicating with the exterior of each filter media tube sequentially for discharging backflow therefrom to a drain while maintaining normal flow through the remaining tubes.   
     
     
         11 . The filter system of  claim 1 , further comprising a swirl vane pack having a plurality of stacks of oppositely directed swirl vanes operative for reducing flow velocity gradients in the irradiating chamber. 
     
     
         12 . The system of  claim 10 , further comprising a drive mechanism operable for effecting rotation of the backwash tube with respect to the filter media tubes. 
     
     
         13 . The system defined in  claim 1 , further comprising a cleaning disc disposed in the irradiating chamber and operable upon movement therein for removing debris therealong from the quartz sleeve; and,
 drive means operable upon selective activation to effect the movement of the cleaning disc along the quartz sleeve.   
     
     
         14 . A method of treating fluid comprising:
 (a) providing a pressure vessel having an inlet and an outlet disposed above the inlet;   (b) forming an irradiating chamber within the pressure vessel, the chamber having a flow outlet communicating with the vessel outlet and a flow inlet disposed at a level below the flow outlet;   (c) disposing filter media in the pressure vessel about the irradiating chamber and communicating a flow inlet side of the filter medium exclusively with the pressure vessel inlet and communicating a flow outlet side of the filter media exclusively with the flow inlet of the irradiating chamber; and,   (d) disposing an ultraviolet (UV) lamp in the irradiating chamber and irradiating fluid flow therethrough.   
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein forming an irradiating chamber comprises disposing a tube in the vessel oriented vertically such that flow from the filter media enters the tube at a lower end thereof and exits at an upper end thereof. 
     
     
         16 . The method defined in  claim 14 , further comprising disposing a swirl vane pack in the flow inlet of the irradiating chamber and effecting swirl in clockwise and counterclockwise directions. 
     
     
         17 . The method defined in  claim 14 , further comprising disposing a plurality of vanes in the inlet and causing clockwise and counterclockwise swirl in the flow. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein forming an irradiating chamber comprises disposing a tube in the vessel oriented horizontally. 
     
     
         19 . A fluid treatment system comprising:
 (a) a vessel defining an irradiation chamber having a fluid inlet and a fluid outlet located at a level above the inlet;   (b) an ultraviolet lamp disposed in the chamber and operative upon selective activation for irradiating fluid flowing in the chamber from the inlet to the outlet;   and,   (c) a vane pack disposed in the inlet, the vane pack including a first annular array of vanes operable to effect clockwise swirl and a second annular array of vanes operable to effect counterclockwise swirl of fluid entering the chamber from the inlet.   
     
     
         20 . The system of  claim 19 , wherein the vane pack includes a first and second annular array of vanes operable to effect swirl in one of clockwise and counterclockwise directions and a third annular array disposed intermediate the first and second array and operative to effect swirl in a direction opposite the one direction. 
     
     
         21 . A fluid treatment system comprising:
 (a) a fluid pressure vessel having a filtration chamber with an open end and a fluid inlet;   (b) a plurality of tubular filter media elements disposed therein with one flow side of each tubular media element communicating exclusively with the inlet and the flow side of each media element opposite the one flow side communicating exclusively with the open end;   (c) a lid disposed over the open end and defining an irradiation chamber having a fluid outlet; and,   (d) at least one ultraviolet (UV) lamp in the irradiating chamber and operative upon selective activation to irradiate fluid flowing from the tubular filter media to the outlet.   
     
     
         22 . The system of  claim 21 , further comprising a plurality of UV lamps disposed in an annular array. 
     
     
         23 . A water treatment system comprising:
 (a) a fluid pressure vessel having a pressure chamber with an inlet and an outlet disposed at a level above the inlet;   (b) a tubular filter media element disposed in the pressure chamber and having one flow side thereof communicating exclusively with the chamber inlet and the flow side thereof opposite the one side communicating exclusively with the chamber; and,   (c) a plurality of ultraviolet (UV) lamps disposed in an array about the tubular media element, wherein fluid flowing from the inlet through the tubular media element is irradiated in the chamber before flowing through the outlet.   
     
     
         24 . The system of  claim 23 , further comprising:
 (a) cleaning disc disposed within the tubular media element in closely spaced arrangement with the one flow side wherein the disc is operable upon movement with respect to the media element to remove trapped solids accumulated thereon; and,   (b) a drive mechanism operable upon selective activation to effect the movement of the disc.   
     
     
         25 . The system of  claim 23 , wherein the drive mechanism includes a motor and axial lead screw. 
     
     
         26 . A water treatment system comprising:
 (a) a fluid pressure vessel having a first chamber communicating with an inlet and a second separate chamber communicating with an outlet and an open end communicating with said first and second chambers;   (b) closure structure removably received over the open end including a filter media element having a flow inlet side communicating through the open end exclusively with said first chamber and a flow discharge side communicating through the open end exclusively with said second chamber; and,   (c) at least one ultraviolet (UV) lamp disposed for upon selective activation to irradiate therein filtered flow discharging from the filter media element.   
     
     
         27 . The system of  claim 26 , wherein the at least one UV lamp is disposed about the filter media element. 
     
     
         28 . The system defined in  claim 26 , wherein the at least one UV lamp is disposed in the second chamber. 
     
     
         29 . The system of  claim 26 , wherein the at least one UV lamp includes a plurality of UV lamps disposed in an annular array.