APPARATUS FOR SIMULTANEOUSLY EXPOSING FLUIDS OR GASES TO A MAGNETIC FIELD AND TO ULTRAVIOLET LIGHT

Abstract

An apparatus for simultaneously exposing fluids or gases to a magnetic field and to ultraviolet light includes a tubular body having a fluid inlet, a fluid outlet, an internal passageway, and a lamp-receiving port, the tubular body houses one or more magnets surrounding the internal passageway to provide a magnetic field in the internal passageway along a defined axial length, a UV lamp secured to a lamp-receiving port is disposed in the internal passageway throughout the axial length, a fluid inlet is disposed between the lamp-receiving port and the fluid outlet for introducing flowing fluids, or gases, into the internal passageway for simultaneous exposure to the magnetic field and to UV light generated by the lamp.

Claims

1. An apparatus for simultaneously exposing fluids or gases to a magnetic field and to ultraviolet light comprising: a tubular body having an internal passageway, the tubular body housing one or more magnets along a defined axial length thereof for establishing a magnetic field that extends into the internal passageway, and a UV lamp disposed throughout said defined axial length in the passageway, so that fluids or gases flowing through the internal passageway may be exposed simultaneously to the magnetic field and to UV light emitted from the UV lamp throughout the defined axial length.

2. The apparatus for simultaneously exposing fluids or gases to a magnetic field and to ultraviolet light of claim 1 further comprising: the tubular body having a fluid inlet, a fluid outlet and a lamp-receiving port, the internal passageway extending between the lamp-receiving port and the fluid outlet, the fluid inlet in communication with the internal passageway between the lamp-receiving port and the fluid outlet.

3. An apparatus for simultaneously exposing fluids or gases to a magnetic field and to ultraviolet light comprising: a tubular body having a fluid outlet and an internal passageway, the tubular body housing one or more magnets for establishing a magnetic field that extends into the internal passageway along a defined axial length thereof, a lamp-receiving port attached to the tubular body and in [linear] communication with the internal passageway, the internal passageway extending between the lamp-receiving port and the fluid exit, a fluid inlet in communication with the internal passageway between the lamp-receiving port and the fluid exit, and a UV lamp secured to the lamp-receiving port and disposed in the passageway throughout said defined axial length, so that fluids or gases flowing through from the fluid inlet to the fluid outlet through the internal passageway may be exposed simultaneously to the magnetic field and to UV light emitted from the UV lamp.

4. The apparatus for simultaneously exposing fluids or gases to a magnetic field and to ultraviolet light of claim 3 further comprising: the internal passageway of the tubular body having an inside diameter, and the UV lamp having a cylindrical dimension having an outside diameter smaller than the inside diameter of the internal passageway such that fluids or gases may flow between the UV lamp and the tubular body.

5. The apparatus for simultaneously exposing fluids or gases to a magnetic field and to ultraviolet light of claim 4 further comprising: the tubular body having a fluid entry port, a multi-port fitting including the lamp-receiving port, the fluid inlet, and a fluid exit port, the fluid exit port engaged with the fluid entry port of the tubular body, and the UV lamp secured to the lamp-receiving port of the multi-port fitting.

6. An apparatus for simultaneously exposing fluids or gases to a magnetic field and to ultraviolet light comprising: a tubular body having a lamp-receiving port, a fluid outlet, and an internal passageway extending between the lamp-receiving port and the fluid outlet, the tubular body housing one or more magnets along a defined axial length thereof for establishing a magnetic field that extends into the internal passageway, a UV lamp disposed throughout the defined axial length in the passageway, the fluid inlet in communication with the internal passageway between the lamp-receiving port and the fluid outlet, so that fluids or gases flowing from the fluid inlet through the internal passageway to the fluid outlet may be exposed simultaneously to the magnetic field and to UV light emitted from the UV lamp.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0026] FIG. 1 is an image of calcium carbonate crystals in a natural state.

[0027] FIG. 2 is an image of an agglomeration of calcium carbonate crystals after perturbation.

[0028] FIG. 3 is a schematic representation of an apparatus for simultaneously exposing fluids or gases to a magnetic field and to ultraviolet light according to the invention.

[0029] FIG. 4 is an end view thereof.

[0030] FIG. 5 is a schematic representation of another embodiment thereof.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE ILLUSTRATED EMBODIMENT

[0031] An apparatus for simultaneously exposing fluids or gases to a magnetic field and to ultraviolet light, referred to generally at 10 in FIG. 3, comprises a tubular body 12 having an interior passageway 14 through which fluids or gases can flow, a lamp-receiving port 16 at one end and a fluid outlet 18 at the opposite end.

[0032] With additional reference to FIG. 4, it is seen that the body 12 houses one or more magnets 20 surrounding the interior passageway 14 which create a magnetic field that extends into the interior passageway 14 along a defined axial length L thereof.

[0033] A UV lamp 22 includes a base 24 for securing the lamp to the lamp-receiving port 16 of the tubular body 12, as seen in FIG. 3, disposing UV lamp 26 in the interior passageway 14 of the tubular body 12. An extension 28 between the base 24 and the lamp 22 positions the lamp 22 so that it is axially coextensive with the axial length L along which the magnets 20 are positioned. The lamp 22 is cylindrical having an outer diameter 22D smaller than the inner diameter 12D of the tubular body 12 allowing fluids to flow in the space between the lamp 22 and the tubular body 12 as best seen in FIG. 4.

[0034] In the embodiment shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the tubular body 12 includes a fluid inlet 29 for introduction of fluids or gases into the interior passageway 14 thereof. Fluids or gases may be guided into the interior passageway 14 by attaching tubes or conduits to the fluid inlet 29 using any mechanism that creates a fluid- or gas-tight connection.

[0035] When assembled, fluids or gases introduced into the interior passageway 14 flow along the axial length L of the tubular body 12 where they are exposed to the magnetic fields generated by magnets 20 and simultaneously to UV light emitted by lamp 22.

[0036] In another embodiment of the invention shown in FIG. 5, a multi-port fitting 30 is attached to a tubular body 32. The multi-port fitting 30 includes a lamp-receiving port 34 and a fluid inlet 36, as in the embodiment shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, as well as a fluid exit port 38 by which fitting 30 may be attached to the fluid entry port 40 of tubular body 32. It will be readily understood that additional tubes or conduits 42 may be attached to fluid inlet 36 to bring to the apparatus the fluids or gases to be treated.

[0037] Simultaneous treatment of water using the apparatus described above favors agglomeration of micro-particles increasing their availability as plant nutrients, decreases scaling downstream in pipe systems, and disinfects the water.

[0038] There have thus been described and illustrated certain embodiments of an apparatus for simultaneously exposing fluids or gases to a magnetic field and to ultraviolet light according to the invention. Although the present invention has been described and illustrated in detail, it should be clearly understood that the disclosure is illustrative only and is not to be taken as limiting, the spirit and scope of the invention being limited only by the terms of the appended claims and their legal equivalents.