Device And Method For Disinfecting A Fluid By Means Of UV Light

Abstract

A device is presented for disinfecting a fluid by means of UV light. The device includes: a reactor chamber, which is arranged in the container and adapted to receive a fluid to be disinfected; an inlet, via which the fluid can be introduced into the reactor chamber; an outlet, via which the fluid can leave the reactor chamber; and an irradiation device, which is adapted to provide UV-light rays and to irradiate into the reactor chamber in order to disinfect the fluid therein; wherein the reactor chamber with the inlet and the outlet is adapted to transport the fluid by way a turbulent streamflow from the inlet to the outlet and a fluid guide device facilitating the formation of the turbulent streamflow is provided which has a fluid-guiding element in a reactor chamber area adjacent to the inlet.

Claims

1. A device for disinfecting a fluid by means of UV light, comprising: a container; a reactor chamber, which is arranged in the container and adapted to receive a fluid to be disinfected; an inlet, via which the fluid can be introduced into the reactor chamber; an outlet, via which the fluid can leave the reactor chamber; and an irradiation device, which is adapted to provide UV-light rays and to irradiate into the reactor chamber in order to disinfect the fluid therein; wherein the reactor chamber with the inlet, and the outlet is adapted to transport the fluid by means of a turbulent streamflow from the inlet to the outlet and a fluid-guiding device is provided that facilitates the formation of the turbulent streamflow, said fluid-guiding device having a fluid-guiding element in a reactor chamber area adjacent to the inlet, the fluid-guiding element being configured so as to minimize a non-turbulent streamflow toward the outlet and to intensify the turbulent streamflow by this means.

2. The device according to claim 1, wherein the fluid-guiding element is arranged so as to be at a distance in relation to the outlet in a distal area of the tube section.

3. The device according to claim 1 wherein the fluid-guiding element has blade elements extending into the reactor chamber and arranged there in a free-standing manner.

4. The device according to claim 1 wherein the fluid-guiding element is arranged in the reactor chamber across from the inlet.

5. The device according to claim 1, wherein fluid-guiding element is arranged in the reactor chamber in a movable manner.

6. The device according to claim 5, wherein the fluid-guiding element is arranged in the reactor chamber in a rotatable manner about an axis of rotation.

7. The device according to claim 1, wherein in that the outlet arranged on a tube section.

8. The device according to claim 7 wherein the outlet is formed so as to extending from a wall section of the reactor chamber into the reactor chamber, and the outlet is arranged at an end of the tube section extending into the reactor chamber.

9. The device according to claim 7 wherein the fluid-guiding element is configured around the tube section.

10. The device according to claim 7, wherein the outlet is arranged on the tube section in the area of an end plane.

11. The device according to claim 7, wherein in the fluid-guiding element is configured so as to minimize a non-turbulent streamflow along an outer surface of the tube section toward the outlet and to intensify the turbulent streamflow by this means.

12. A method for disinfecting a fluid by means of UV light, comprising: Providing a device for disinfecting a fluid by means of UV light according to claim 1; Introducing the fluid through the inlet into a reactor chamber of a container of the device; Transporting the fluid in the reactor chamber to an outlet; and Disinfecting the fluid in the reactor chamber by means of UV-light rays irradiated by an irradiation device into the reactor chamber; wherein the fluid in the reactor chamber is transported by means of a turbulent streamflow from the inlet to the outlet and, at this, a fluid-guiding device facilitates the formation of the turbulent streamflow, which by means of a fluid-guiding element in a reactor chamber area adjacent to the inlet minimizes a non-turbulent streamflow toward the outlet and thereby intensifies the formation of the turbulent streamflow.

Description

DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS

[0033] In the following, further embodiments are illustrated in greater detail with reference to the figures, which show:

[0034] FIG. 1 a schematic representation of a container for a device for disinfecting a fluid by means of UV light;

[0035] FIG. 2 a schematic sectional representation of the container shown in FIG. 1 along the plane AA indicated in FIG. 1;

[0036] FIG. 3 a schematic sectional representation of the container shown in FIG. 1 along the plane BB indicated in FIG. 1;

[0037] FIG. 4 a schematic representation of a further container for a device for disinfecting a fluid by means of UV light;

[0038] FIG. 5 a schematic sectional representation of the container shown in FIG. 4 along the plane AA indicated in FIG. 4;

[0039] FIG. 6 a schematic sectional representation of the container shown in FIG. 4 along the plane BB indicated in FIG. 4;

[0040] FIG. 7 a schematic representation of another container for a device for disinfecting a fluid by means of UV light;

[0041] FIG. 8 a schematic sectional representation of the container shown in FIG. 7 along the plane AA indicated in FIG. 4; and

[0042] FIG. 9 a schematic sectional representation of the container shown in FIG. 7 along the plane BB indicated in FIG. 4.

[0043] FIG. 1 shows a schematic representation of a container 1 for a device for disinfecting a fluid by means of UV light. FIGS. 2 and 3 show sectional representations along the planes AA and BB indicated in FIG. 1.

[0044] An irradiation device 2, which provides UV-light rays for disinfecting a fluid in a reactor chamber 3 of the container 1 and which is formed e.g. with UV-LEDs, is indicated schematically by means of dotted lines.

[0045] The fluid to be disinfected, in particular water, for example drinking water, enters into the reactor chamber 3 via an inlet 4. The stream of fluid enters here so as to produce a turbulent streamflow in the reactor chamber 3, which in particular causes the fluid in the reactor chamber 3 to circulate several times so that the time spent by the fluid in the reactor chamber 3 is optimized in order to use the UV-light radiation for disinfection.

[0046] After the fluid in the reactor chamber 3 has reached the top, it can leave the reactor chamber 3 through an outlet 5, which is formed on the side of an end of a tube section 6, which in turn extends into the reactor chamber 3 from the floor 7 and in which a drain 8 is provided, through which the disinfected fluid can then be guided for further disposal, for example to a water discharge point.

[0047] The container 1 features a pot-shaped container 1a as well as a lid 1b, which is screwed on in the illustrated embodiment.

[0048] In order to facilitate the formation of the turbulent streamflow of the fluid in the reactor chamber 3, a fluid-guiding device 9 with a fluid-guiding element 10 is provided, which is formed circumferentially on the tube section 6 and which in the illustrated embodiment has blade or wing elements 11 that are arranged at equal intervals around the tube section 11 and that are arranged so as to extend from the tube section 6 into the reactor chamber 3. With the aid of the fluid-guiding element 10, a non-turbulent streamflow of the fluid introduced into the reactor chamber 3 is reduced or essentially completely eliminated along the surface of the tube section 6 toward the outlet. Indeed, the fluid-guiding element 10 facilitates the formation of the turbulent streamflow so that the introduced fluid is exposed to the same to the greatest possible extent. As the fluid flowing along the surface of the tube section 6 temporarily reaches the outlet 5, the outlet 5 is impeded in the illustrated direction by means of the fluid-guiding element 10.

[0049] FIG. 4 shows a schematic representation of a further container 20 for a device for disinfecting a fluid by means of UV light. FIGS. 5 and 6 show sectional representations along the planes AA and BB indicated in FIG. 4. In FIGS. 4 to 6, the same references are used as in FIGS. 1 to 3 for the same features.

[0050] In the embodiment shown in FIGS. 4 to 6, the inlet 4 and the outlet 5 are arranged in the area of opposite end sections 21, 22 of the further container 20, which is formed with a tube 23, which is, for example, a quartz glass tube. The fluid-guiding element 10, which is configured as a vane or impeller, lies across from the inlet 4 in the area of a floor 24 and is received with its entire constructional height in the lower end section 22. If the further container 21 (i.e. the tube 23) is made of a transparent material and the lower section 22 is made of a non-transparent material (for example plastic), the latter covers the fluid-guiding element 10. The stream of fluid entering via the inlet 4 impinges on the fluid-guiding element 10 essentially perpendicularly to the plane in which the three-dimensionally formed blade and wing elements 11 are arranged.

[0051] The further container 20 in various embodiments can have a surface that reflects UV light, preferably in a diffuse manner, on an inner side facing the reactor chamber 3. For this purpose, a coating with PTFE can be provided. The further container 20 can also consist of PTFE, stainless steel or aluminium.

[0052] The fluid-guiding element 10 is arranged in the reactor chamber 3 in the longitudinal direction outside an area of the further container 20, which is covered in the longitudinal direction by the irradiation device 2.

[0053] The irradiation device 2 providing the UV light for disinfection is formed around the reactor chamber 3 and irradiates from outside into the reactor chamber 3, wherein UV-LEDs can be implemented. A cooling element 25, for example an aluminium cooler, cools the irradiation device 2 during operation. In this or other embodiments, a cooling can be provided with a fluid and/or air.

[0054] FIG. 7 shows a schematic representation of another container 30 for a device for disinfecting a fluid by means of UV light. FIGS. 8 and 9 show sectional representations along the planes AA and BB indicated in FIG. 7. In FIGS. 7 to 9, the same references are used as in FIGS. 1 to 3 for the same features.

[0055] In the embodiment shown in FIGS. 7 to 9, the inlet 4 and the outlet 5 are arranged in the area of opposite ends 31, 32 of the other container 30. The fluid-guiding element 10, which is configured as a vane or impeller, lies across from the inlet 4 in the area of a floor 33. The stream of fluid entering via the inlet 4 impinges on the fluid-guiding element 10 essentially perpendicularly to the plane in which the blade elements 11 are arranged.

[0056] The irradiation device 2 providing the UV light for disinfection is itself arranged in the reactor chamber 3 and is surrounded by the steaming fluid when the latter is transported toward the outlet. For example, UV-LEDs are used here. The reactor chamber 3 is formed by means of tubes 34, 35, which are, for example, made of quartz glass. By means of the tube 33, the irradiation device 2 is separated from the reactor chamber 3 in which the fluid flows. The tube 35 can be a quartz glass tube, and the tube 34 can consist of a robust, structure-defining material, for example quartz glass, stainless steel or plastic. In order to facilitate light reflection in the tube 35, an interior coating can be provided, for example consisting of PTFE or aluminium.

[0057] The features disclosed in the foregoing description, in the claims as well as in the drawings can be of importance both when taken alone as well as in any possible combination for the realisation of the various embodiments.