Water treatment system

Abstract

To provide a UV reactor for disinfecting water.SOLUTION: The UV reactor may include a cooling chamber in which heat from a UV source may be transferred to the water flowing through the UV reactor. The UV reactor may include a drive circuit operable to determine status information (such as health) of the UV source. The UV reactor may include a gas discharge path operable to substantially prevent accumulation of gas within a water treatment chamber.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 11

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The present disclosure relates to water treatment systems, and more specifically, to point-of-use treatment systems for residential or commercial applications. BACKGROUND ART

[0002] Conventional water treatment systems are often used to treat water intended for human consumption. Such treatment systems can be configured to remove pathogens, chemical contaminants, and turbidity from water. Many conventional treatment methods can be broadly classified as solid separation using physical and / or chemical processes, or sterilization using heating, irradiation or chemical additives. For example, conventional water treatment systems often include carbon filtration, non-carbon filtration, distillation, ozonation, reverse osmosis, ion exchange components, chlorination components, aeration components, advanced oxidation process components, flocculation components, sedimentation components, or ultraviolet radiation components.

[0003] Conventional point-of-use water treatment systems are designed for use at a single water outlet such as a sink or water dispenser. Conventional point-of-use water treatment systems are connected to a pressurized water supply to treat water as it is dispensed. In some applications, the water treatment system is placed on a countertop adjacent to the sink. On the countertop, the water treatment system is often connected to the end of the faucet, so that water exiting the faucet can be routed through the water treatment system before being dispensed.

[0004] Some conventional water treatment systems can use ultraviolet (UV) energy to substantially disinfect fluids. Exposure to UV light is thought to harmfully alter the genetic material (DNA) within cells, thereby reducing populations of potentially pathogenic microorganisms such as bacteria, viruses, fungi, and algae. Typically, water flows through UV lamps in a UV disinfection system, thereby exposing the microorganisms in the water to an administration of UV energy sufficient to substantially neutralize them. Typical water sterilization systems and devices emit UV light at approximately 254 nm, which is thought to penetrate the outer membrane of microorganisms, pass through the cell body, reach the DNA, and alter the genetic material of the microorganisms. [Overview of the project] [Problems that the invention aims to solve]

[0005] In some cases, the UV lamps in conventional UV disinfection systems generate heat during operation. This heat can shorten the operating life of the UV lamps. To dissipate this heat, conventional UV disinfection systems utilize convection cooling in conjunction with the surrounding air. A metal heatsink can be provided to facilitate heat transfer to the surrounding air. These types of cooling systems may not be effective in confined spaces where airflow is minimal, such as when the system is installed in a cabinet under a sink. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] A UV reactor for disinfecting water is provided. In one embodiment, the UV reactor may include a cooling chamber that can transfer heat from a UV light source to water flowing through the UV reactor. In one embodiment, the UV reactor may include a drive circuit that can be operated to determine state information (such as health status) of the UV light source. In one embodiment, the UV reactor may include a maneuverable gas discharge path to substantially prevent gas buildup in the water treatment chamber.

[0007] In one embodiment, a UV reactor for treating water is provided, which includes a water inlet implementable to receive water and a water outlet for discharging water from the UV reactor. The UV reactor may include a water treatment chamber having a first end and a second end having a longitudinal axis extending between them, the water treatment chamber including a chamber inlet that is in fluid communication with the water inlet to receive water to be purified, and the water treatment chamber including a plurality of chamber outlets operable to guide water that is not substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis of the water treatment chamber. The UV reactor may include a UV source configured to supply UV energy to the water treatment chamber, the UV energy directed substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis.

[0008] In one embodiment, the UV reactor may include a cooling chamber that is in fluid communication with multiple chamber outlets of the water treatment chamber. The cooling chamber may be in thermal communication with the UV source to facilitate the transfer of thermal energy from the UV source to the water in fluid communication with the water outlet. The cooling chamber may be configured to guide the water to the water outlet.

[0009] In one embodiment, the UV reactor may include a water treatment chamber having an internal side defined between a first end face and a second end face. The water treatment chamber may have a longitudinal axis extending from the first end face to the second end face. The water treatment chamber may include a chamber inlet that is in fluid communication with a water inlet to receive water to be purified, and a plurality of chamber outlets that are operable to guide water in a manner substantially not parallel to the longitudinal axis of the water treatment chamber. The plurality of chamber outlets may be provided by internal side surfaces adjacent to the second end face to substantially prevent gas from accumulating near the second end face during use. The UV reactor may include a UV source configured to supply UV energy to the water treatment chamber, the UV energy directed substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis.

[0010] In one embodiment, the UV reactor may include a water treatment chamber having an internal side defined between a first end face and a second end face, and the water treatment chamber may include a longitudinal axis extending from the first end face to the second end face. The water treatment chamber may include a chamber inlet that is in fluid communication with a water inlet to receive water to be purified, and a chamber outlet that is in fluid communication with a water outlet. The UV reactor may include a laminar flow element positioned to define the first end face, and the laminar flow element may be implemented to conditioned water downstream of the laminar flow element so that it flows substantially in a laminar manner. The laminar flow element may include a plurality of channels, wherein the plurality of first channels are larger than the plurality of second channels and are closer to the internal side of the water treatment chamber than the second channels.

[0011] In one embodiment, the UV reactor may include a UV source configured to supply UV energy to a water treatment chamber, and a UV-transmitting window positioned to form at least a portion of a partition between the UV source and the water treatment chamber. The UV-transmitting window may include a water chamber side and a UV source side, and may be positioned to facilitate the transmission of UV energy from the UV source to the water treatment chamber. The UV source side of the UV-transmitting window may include a coating that facilitates substantially unidirectional passage of UV energy from the UV source through the UV-transmitting window.

[0012] In one embodiment, a drive circuit for a UV reactor is provided, including a power supply operable to supply power to a UV source. The drive circuit may include a sensor operably coupled to the UV source, which is configured to sense the characteristics of the power supplied to the UV source. The drive circuit may include a control unit capable of directing a power flow to the UV source to forward-bias and reverse-bias the UV source. The control unit may be configured to determine health information regarding the UV source based on sensor outputs obtained for at least one of the forward-bias and reverse-bias conditions.

[0013] In one embodiment, the water treatment system is provided as a point-of-use system configured to receive water from a drinking water source. Once water is distributed from the water treatment system, the water moves through the system due to line pressure from the water source. The system may not have a pump. Water from the drinking water source enters the water treatment system and can then pass through a carbon filter. After exiting the carbon filter, the water may enter a UV reactor according to one or more embodiments described herein.

[0014] In one embodiment, the UV reactor includes one or more of the following: A reactor body having a reflective material (diffusive or specular reflectivity, e.g., PTFE or stainless steel), an outlet end cap having a patterned outlet passage, a UV transmission window or quartz window allowing UV energy to pass through the reactor body, one or more O-rings or alternative sealing mechanisms providing a seal between a water-facing thermal coupler (e.g., a stainless steel ring) and the end cap, a water-facing thermal coupler capable of acting as a lens holder (e.g., capable of supporting the UV transmission window and facilitating water cooling of the UV LED), and a heat sink (e.g., in direct contact with a printed circuit board assembly for the UV LED) The UV-LED(s) (or more) back support (which may be aluminum or copper for thermal conductivity), a printed circuit board assembly, potentially a metal-clad printed circuit board having a metal core, end caps for providing support for a heat sink and one or more other components of the UV reactor, one or more O-rings or alternative sealing mechanisms for providing a seal between the UV transmission window and the water-facing thermal coupler, a reactor body support that can act as an inlet end cap, one or more screws for providing fastening, and a laminar flow element or baffle (located at the bottom of the reactor body and operable to provide a change in the flow pattern).

[0015] In one embodiment, a UV reactor is provided that includes an optimized UV-LED reactor hydraulic structure. The LED pattern may achieve disinfection, and LED cooling may be via a water cooling path. In one embodiment, the UV reactor may be more compact than a conventional UV reactor and may consume less power while achieving the same disinfection targets. The UV reactor may not be limited by repeated ON / OFF cycles and can be instantaneously turned ON for operation (e.g., in response to the detection of water flow). Also, the UV reactor may have a longer lifespan than conventional low-pressure (LP) mercury lamps and may be mercury-free. The UV reactor may include LEDs that do not emit heat from the front toward the water being disinfected, thereby reducing the effects of changes caused by sunlight on the reactor material.

[0016] Before describing embodiments of the present invention in detail, it should be understood that the present invention is not limited to details of operation or details of the configuration and arrangement of components described below or shown in the drawings. The present invention can be carried out in various other embodiments and can be carried out or performed in alternative ways not expressly disclosed herein. It should also be understood that the language and terminology used herein are for illustrative purposes only and should not be considered as limitations. The use of “including” and “comprising” and their variations means that they include the items listed thereafter and their equivalents, as well as any additional items and their equivalents. Furthermore, enumerations may be used in the description of various embodiments. Unless otherwise specified, the use of enumerations should not be construed as limiting the present invention to any particular order or number of components. Nor should the use of enumerations be construed as excluding from the scope of the present invention any additional steps or components that can be combined with or incorporated into the listed steps or components. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0017] [Figure 1]Figure 1 shows a perspective view of a UV reactor according to an embodiment. [Figure 2] Figure 2 shows an exploded view of the UV reactor of Figure 1. [Figure 3] Figure 3 shows a plan view of the UV reactor of Figure 1. [Figure 4] Figure 4 shows a cross-sectional view of the UV reactor taken along the section line defined in Figure 3. [Figure 5] Figure 5 shows an enlarged, partial cross-sectional view of the UV reactor of Figure 4. [Figure 6] Figure 6 shows a cross-sectional view of a UV reactor according to an embodiment. [Figure 7] Figure 7 shows a cross-sectional view of a UV reactor according to an embodiment. [Figure 8] Figure 8 shows a cross-sectional view of a UV reactor according to an embodiment. [Figure 9] Figure 9 shows a cross-sectional view of a UV reactor according to an embodiment. [Figure 10A-10B] Figures 10A and 1B show a cross-sectional view and a side view, respectively, of a UV reactor according to an embodiment. [Figure 11] Figure 11 shows a cross-sectional view of a UV reactor according to an embodiment. [Figure 12] Figure 12 shows an enlarged partial cross-sectional view of a UV reactor according to an embodiment. [Figure 13] Figure 13 shows a temperature profile of a UV reactor according to an embodiment. [Figure 14] Figure 14 shows a cross-sectional view of an alternative embodiment of a UV reactor according to an embodiment and an enlarged partial view thereof. [Figure 15] Figure 15 shows a perspective view, an exploded view, and a plan view of the printed circuit board assembly and the thermal coupler according to the embodiment of Figure 14. [Figure 16] Figure 16 shows an enlarged partial perspective view of the printed circuit board assembly of Figure 15. [Figure 17] Figure 17 shows an enlarged partial plan view of the printed circuit board assembly of Figure 15. [Figure 18] Figure 18 shows a representative diagram of a thermal path of an embodiment according to Figure 14. [Figure 19]Figure 19 shows the UV intensity inside a UV reactor according to one embodiment. [Figure 20] Figure 20 shows the water flow path and flow velocity in a UV reactor according to one embodiment. [Figure 21] Figure 21 shows the water flow path in a UV reactor according to one embodiment. [Figure 22] Figure 22 shows a recovery trough for the outlet passage and end cap of a UV reactor according to one embodiment. [Figure 23] Figure 23 shows a recovery trough for the outlet passage and end cap of a UV reactor according to one embodiment. [Figure 24] Figure 24 shows a recovery trough for the outlet passage and end cap of a UV reactor according to one embodiment. [Figure 25] Figure 25 shows recovery troughs for the outlet passage and end cap of a UV reactor in various configurations. [Figure 26] Figure 26 shows a graph of the keep-out region related to performance according to the embodiment shown in Figure 25. [Figure 27] Figure 27 shows a recovery trough for the outlet passage and end cap of a UV reactor according to one embodiment. [Figure 28] Figure 28 shows the gas flow through a UV reactor in a vertical position according to one embodiment. [Figure 29] Figure 29 shows the gas flow through a UV reactor in a horizontal position according to one embodiment. [Figure 30] Figure 30 shows a bottom view of a laminar flow element according to one embodiment. [Figure 31] Figure 31 shows a perspective view of the laminar flow element in Figure 30. [Figure 32] Figure 32 shows another perspective view of the laminar flow element in Figure 30. [Figure 33] Figure 33 shows a plan view of the laminar flow element in Figure 30. [Figure 34] Figure 34 shows a cross-sectional view of the laminar flow element in Figure 33, cut along the cross-sectional line. [Figure 35]Figure 35 shows a partial view, a cross-sectional view, and an enlarged view of a UV reactor according to one embodiment. [Figure 36] Figure 36 shows the laminar and turbulent flow regions of a UV reactor according to one embodiment. [Figure 37A] Figure 37A shows a plan view of a laminar flow element according to one embodiment. [Figure 37B] Figure 37B shows a plan view of a laminar flow element according to one embodiment. [Figure 37C] Figure 37C shows a plan view of a laminar flow element according to one embodiment. [Figure 37D] Figure 37D shows a plan view of a laminar flow element according to one embodiment. [Figure 38] Figure 38 shows a partial view, a cross-sectional view, and an enlarged view of a UV reactor according to one embodiment. [Figure 39] Figure 39 shows a partial view, a cross-sectional view, and an enlarged view of a UV reactor according to one embodiment. [Figure 40] Figure 40 shows a printed circuit board assembly according to one embodiment. [Figure 41] Figure 41 shows a printed circuit board assembly of Figure 41, which includes a reflector according to one embodiment. [Figure 42] Figure 42 shows the printed circuit board assembly of Figure 41, which includes a reflector according to one embodiment. [Figure 43] Figure 43 shows the printed circuit board assembly of Figure 41, which includes a reflector according to one embodiment. [Figure 44] Figure 44 shows the printed circuit board assembly of Figure 41, which includes a reflector according to one embodiment. [Figure 45] Figure 45 shows a plan view of a printed circuit board assembly according to one embodiment. [Figure 46] Figure 46 shows a graph of the relationship between the position of the UV light source on the printed circuit board assembly and reactor performance, according to one embodiment. [Figure 47] Figure 47 shows the relationship between reactor diameter and reactor performance according to one embodiment. [Figure 48]Figure 48 shows the relationship between reactor length and reflection characteristics to performance according to one embodiment. [Figure 49] Figure 49 shows the ratio of the diameter and length of the UV reactor to the performance according to one embodiment. [Figure 50] Figure 50 shows a UV light source control circuit for a UV reactor according to one embodiment. [Figure 51] Figure 51 shows a power supply control methodology according to one embodiment. [Figure 52] Figure 52 shows a control method for a UV reactor according to one embodiment. [Figure 53] Figure 53 shows various configurations of multiple UV reactors in series or parallel according to one embodiment. [Figure 54] Figure 54 shows a perspective view of a water treatment system according to one embodiment, which has a cover shown separately from the system. [Figure 55] Figure 55 shows an exploded view of the water treatment system from Figure 54. [Figure 56] Figure 56 shows the water treatment system from Figure 54 in a different exploded view, revealing the UV reactor within the system. [Figure 57] Figure 57 shows a perspective view of a UV reactor according to one embodiment. [Figure 58] Figure 58 shows a side view of the UV reactor shown in Figure 57. [Figure 59] Figure 59 shows a side view of the UV reactor in Figure 57. [Figure 60] Figure 60 shows an exploded view of the UV reactor shown in Figure 57. [Figure 61] Figure 61 shows an exploded view of the UV reactor shown in Figure 57. [Figure 62] Figure 62 shows a plan view of the UV reactor in Figure 57. [Figure 63] Figure 63 shows a plan view of the UV reactor in Figure 57, lacking some components, in order to illustrate an end cap according to one embodiment. [Figure 64] Figure 64 shows a cross-sectional view of the UV reactor shown in Figure 62. [Figure 65] Figure 65 shows a cross-sectional view of the UV reactor shown in Figure 63. [Figure 66] Figure 66 shows a cross-sectional view of the UV reactor shown in Figure 62. [Figure 67] Figure 67 shows an enlarged cross-sectional view of Figure 66. [Figure 68] Figure 68 shows a sealing material according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0018] (I. UV reactor) A UV reactor 200 according to one embodiment is shown in Figures 1 to 5. The UV reactor 200 described herein includes a UV reactor inlet 232 for receiving water and a UV reactor outlet 230 for discharging disinfectant water exposed to UV light. The UV reactor 200 can be configured to direct UV light towards water that has been received through the UV reactor inlet 232 in order to disinfect the water.

[0019] In the illustrated embodiment, the UV reactor 200 can be configured to transfer heat generated from the UV light source to water flowing through the UV reactor 200. In this way, the UV reactor 200 can dissipate heat from the UV light source in a more efficient manner than relying solely on convective heat transfer to the surrounding air. In one embodiment, the thermal coupler may be in thermal communication with the UV light source inside the UV reactor 200. The UV light source may be an LED light source that generates heat during operation. This heat is transferred to the thermal coupler and ultimately transferred through the thermal coupler to the water being treated or discharged from the UV reactor 200, or both. In other words, the thermal coupler may be configured to dissipate heat from the UV light source to the water flowing through the reactor, thereby cooling the UV light source.

[0020] The UV reactor 200 in the embodiment illustrated in Figures 1-5 includes a UV reactor inlet 232 and a UV reactor outlet 230. The UV reactor 200 may include one or more of the following components: Reactor body 201, An end cap 202 having at least one outlet that is in fluid communication with the UV reactor outlet 230, UV-transmitting window 205, Water-facing thermal coupler 206, To substantially prevent leakage across the sealing interface between the water-facing thermal coupler 206 and the end cap 202, a first sealing material 210 is provided at least between the water-facing thermal coupler 206 and the end cap 202. The second sealant 203 is positioned between the water-facing thermal coupler 206 and the UV-transmitting window 205 to substantially prevent leakage across the sealing interface between the second sealant 203 and the UV-transmitting window 205. UV light source assembly 208 having one or more UV light sources as described herein, A light source-side thermal coupler 207 capable of transferring heat from a UV light source to a water-facing thermal coupler 206, wherein the thermal coupler 207 is either separate from or integrated with the UV light source assembly 208, as described herein. A support cap 209 is positioned at the interface with respect to the end cap 202 and holds the light source side thermal coupler 207, the first and second sealing materials 210 and 203, the UV transmission window 205, and the water-facing side thermal coupler 206 in place. Reactor body support 211 can be implemented to hold the reactor body 201 in order to facilitate the formation of the water treatment chamber 245, and can be implemented to be coupled to the end cap 202 in a leak-proof manner in association with the sealing materials 204, 212. A disposable laminar flow element 216 is placed inside the water treatment chamber 245 to generate a laminar flow of water. To maintain a watertight seal within the water treatment chamber 245 from the UV reactor inlet 232 to the UV reactor outlet 230, a support cap 209, an end cap 202, and fasteners 214 that can be implemented to interact with the reactor body support 211.

[0021] During use, the UV reactor 200 is configured to allow water to enter the UV reactor inlet 232, which in the illustrated embodiment is defined by the reactor body support 211. The water can flow through one or more channels provided by the laminar flow element 216 before entering the water treatment chamber 245.

[0022] The water treatment chamber 245 may be defined by the inner surface 290 (e.g., the inner side surface) of the reactor body 201, the longitudinal axis 240 extending between the first end 291 and the second end 292 of the water treatment chamber 245. As shown in the embodiment in Figure 4, the inner surface 290 does not have to define the entire inner side surface of the water treatment chamber 245. For example, one or more parts of the end cap 202, the reactor body support 211, and the laminar flow element 216 may define one or more parts of the inner side surface of the water treatment chamber 245. In a more specific example, a part of the end cap 202 of the illustrated embodiment adjacent to the UV-transmitting window 205 defines the inner surface portion of the water treatment chamber 245.

[0023] The reactor body 201 may include proximal first and second openings at the first and second ends 291 and 292 of the water treatment chamber 245, respectively. In the illustrated embodiment, the reactor body 201 may be a hollow cylinder having first and second ends corresponding to the bottom and top of the reactor body 201 and a longitudinal axis of the reactor body 201 corresponding to the longitudinal axis 240, as shown in Figure 4. Although the reactor body 201 is shown as a cylinder, it should be understood that the disclosure is not limited in this way. The reactor body 201 may be any type of cylinder, such as a curved cylinder (e.g., a cylinder) or a polygonal cylinder, or a combination of curves and straight lines to form a cylindrical structure. The thickness of the walls of the hollow cylinder may be variable or substantially uniform. For example, the thickness may be variable or substantially uniform along the longitudinal axis 240 from the first opening to the second opening. The inner surface 290 of the reactor body 201 may be part of its cylindrical wall, and at least a part of that cylindrical wall defines at least a part of the water treatment chamber 245.

[0024] In one embodiment, the reactor body 201 may be entirely formed of a UV-reflective material such as polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE), stretched PTFE (ePTFE), or stainless steel to facilitate the internal reflection of UV light from a light source in the water treatment chamber 245. PTFE is sold under the trademark name Teflon®. Alternatively, the reactor body 201 may contain two or more different materials, one of which may be a UV-reflective material. As an example, the UV-reflective material can form a coating on the inner surface 290 of the reactor body 201 substrate, supporting the coating under pressure during use.

[0025] The reflection of UV light within the water treatment chamber 245 by the reactor body 201 facilitates the maintenance of the UV light intensity within the water treatment chamber 245 and substantially prevents UV light from leaking outside the water treatment chamber 245.

[0026] It should be noted that while the UV reactor 200 is shown to operate in a generally upright, vertical position with water flowing from bottom to top, the UV reactor 200 is not limited to operating in this manner. For example, the UV reactor 200 may be positioned horizontally with the UV reactor outlet 230 potentially facing upwards (for example, to allow for gas discharge from the water treatment chamber 245).

[0027] In the illustrated embodiment, a UV light source assembly 208 is positioned adjacent to the second end 292 of the water treatment chamber. The UV light source assembly 208 may include a UV-LED printed circuit board assembly (PCBA) and may be configured to direct UV light into the water treatment chamber 245 through a UV-transmitting window 205 which may be formed from quartz. The UV light source assembly 208 may include a printed circuit board assembly 273 and a UV light source configuration 272 including a plurality of UV light sources 234, as described herein. In one embodiment, the UV light sources 234 may be UV-LEDs. The UV light source assembly 208 may include an operable connector 223 to facilitate external connections between the power supply and circuitry of the UV light source assembly 208.

[0028] During use, with the UV reactor 200 positioned vertically within the water treatment chamber 245 as shown in Figure 4, water flows upward toward the UV light source 234 and then exits the water treatment chamber 245 through at least one outlet path, at least partially defined by an end cap 202. The at least one outlet path may be fluid-coupled to a UV reactor outlet 230 for discharging treated water from the UV reactor 200. The at least one outlet path may include a plurality of chamber outlets 246, as illustrated in more detail in the embodiments shown in Figures 21-27. The plurality of chamber outlets 246 may be fluid-coupled to a heat exchange region 236 described herein as a trough or cooling chamber, in which case the water conducts thermal energy away from the opposing thermal coupler 206 before exiting through the UV reactor outlet 230.

[0029] In one embodiment, the multiple chamber outlets 246 may be at least partially defined by a plurality of openings on the inner surface 290 of the water treatment chamber 245, such that water flowing through the water treatment chamber 245 is discharged through a plurality of openings radially with respect to the longitudinal axis 240 of the water treatment chamber 245. Alternatively, the multiple chamber outlets 246 may be defined by one or more openings on the surface of the second end 292, resulting in water being discharged from the water treatment chamber 245 in a direction substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis 240 (at least initially).

[0030] In the illustrated embodiment, the multiple chamber outlets 246 can be defined by a passage provided in the end cap 202 and a portion of the chamber-facing surface of the UV-transmitting window 205. Another portion of the chamber-facing surface of the UV-transmitting window 205 may define the second end of the water treatment chamber 245. The portion of the chamber-facing surface of the UV-transmitting window 205 defining the inner surface of each chamber outlet 246 is positioned flat or parallel to the second end 292. In this way, gas accumulation on the portion of the chamber surface of the UV-transmitting window 205 defining the second end 292 can be substantially avoided. For example, if the chamber has a substantially flat surface facing the UV-transmitting window 205 that forms both the second end 292 and the inner surface of the chamber outlet 246, then when gas encounters the second end 292, it will be biased along the chamber-facing surface of the UV-transmitting window 205 toward the outlet passage or chamber outlet 246.

[0031] In the illustrated embodiment, a flow path defined by a plurality of chamber outlets 246 can be formed adjacent to the second end 292 of the end cap 202. The plurality of chamber outlets 246 can lead to a recovery trough or heat exchange region 236 that is in fluid communication with the UV reactor outlet 230 provided by the end cap 202. The recovery trough or heat exchange region 236 may extend around the inner circumference of the end cap 202, as depicted in the illustrated embodiments of Figures 20 and 22.

[0032] In the embodiments illustrated in Figures 1 to 5, the UV light source assembly 208 is thermally coupled to a light source-side thermal coupler 207, which may be made of aluminum or copper. The light source-side thermal coupler 207 can act as a heat sink, drawing thermal energy from the UV light source assembly 208 and facilitating the transfer of that energy to one or another medium, such as water across the UV reactor outlet 230 and / or ambient air.

[0033] In the illustrated embodiment, the support cap 209 includes a plurality of openings 222 that expose the light source-side thermal coupler 207 to the ambient air. The openings 222 can define a plurality of individual heat paths 221 for the light source-side thermal coupler 207 to dissipate heat by convection heat transfer to the ambient air or the like. The support cap 209 can also provide access for electrical connection to the UV light source assembly 208 through one or more openings 222.

[0034] The UV light source assembly 208 may be thermally coupled to the water-facing thermal coupler 206 or to the light source-side thermal coupler 207, as described herein. For example, the light source-side thermal coupler 207 may be an aluminum receiving plate for the UV light source assembly 208, and the water-facing thermal coupler 206 may be a metal ring (e.g., stainless steel) that is in contact with both the light source-side thermal coupler 207 and the water flowing through the heat exchange region 236. This allows the water flowing through the recovery trough or heat exchange region 236 to cool the water-facing thermal coupler 206, thereby cooling the light source-side thermal coupler 207.

[0035] The UV reactor 200 may include a laminar flow element 216 positioned to form a first end of the water treatment chamber 245, as described herein. In one embodiment, the laminar flow element 216 may be a baffle to facilitate the formation of laminar flow from the first end 290 to the second end 292. The laminar flow element 216 may include multiple fluid paths that connect the fluid received by the UV reactor inlet 232 to the water treatment chamber 245. The UV reactor 200 may optionally include a flow director or deflector 266 integrated with the laminar flow element 216 to facilitate the generation of turbulent water flow near the multiple fluid paths of the laminar flow element 216 on the opposite side of the water treatment chamber 245.

[0036] In the illustrated embodiment, the UV light source assembly 208 may be positioned relative to the UV transmission window 205 such that a space 233 exists between the UV light source assembly 208 and the UV transmission window 205. For example, a water-facing thermal coupler 206 can be placed between a portion of the UV transmission window 205 and the UV light source assembly 208 to form the space 233.

[0037] Alternative embodiments of the UV reactor according to this disclosure are shown in Figures 57-68 and are generally denoted as 200'. UV reactor 200' may be similar in some respects to UV reactor 200, with one or more exceptions as described herein. It should be understood that one or more components, features, and functions described in relation to UV reactor 200' may be incorporated into UV reactor 200, and similarly, one or more components, features, and functions described in relation to UV reactor 200 may be incorporated into UV reactor 200'. It should also be understood that one or more components, features, and functions described in relation to UV reactor 200' and UV reactor 200 may not be present in alternative embodiments.

[0038] The UV reactor 200' in the embodiment illustrated in Figures 57-61 includes a UV reactor inlet 232 and a UV reactor outlet 230. The UV reactor 200' may also include one or more of the following components: Reactor body 201', End cap 202' having at least one outlet that is in fluid communication with the UV reactor outlet 230', UV-transmitting window 205', Water-facing thermal coupler 406, A first sealant 210' is positioned at least between the water-facing thermal coupler 406 and the end cap 202' to substantially prevent leakage across the sealing interface between the water-facing thermal coupler 406 and the end cap 202'. In order to substantially prevent leakage across the sealing interface between the second sealant 203' and the UV-transmitting window 205', the second sealant 203' is positioned between the water-facing thermal coupler 406 and the UV-transmitting window 205'. A UV light source assembly 408 having one or more UV light sources 434 as described herein, A light source side thermal coupler integrated with the UV light source assembly 408, capable of transferring heat from the UV light source to the water-facing side thermal coupler 406', A support cap 209' is positioned and configured to interact with the end cap 202' and hold the UV light source assembly 408, the first and second sealing materials 210', 203', the UV transmission window 205', and the water-facing thermal coupler 406' in place. A reactor body support 211' is implementable to hold the reactor body 201' in order to facilitate the formation of the water treatment chamber 245'. A disposable laminar flow element 216' is placed inside the water treatment chamber 245' to generate a laminar flow of water. A fastener 214' is provided to be implemented to interact with the support cap 209', end cap 202', and reactor body support 211' in order to maintain a watertight seal within the water treatment chamber 245' from the UV reactor inlet 232' to the UV reactor outlet 230'.

[0039] In the illustrated embodiment, the reactor body support 211' and the end cap 202' are joined together in a substantially permanent, leak-free manner. As an example, the reactor body support 211' and the end cap 202' can be spin-welded together to form a sealant 204'. This type of connection between the reactor body support 211' and the end cap 202' can provide a leak-free connection without the use of removable sealants such as sealants 204, 212 provided in association with the reactor body support 211 and end cap 202 of the UV reactor 200.

[0040] Similar to UV reactor 200, UV reactor 200' may be configured to allow water to enter a UV reactor inlet 232', which is at least partially defined by the reactor body support 211'. The UV reactor inlet 232' may include a hose barb connector 233' connected to the reactor support 211' (e.g., by spin welding) to define at least a portion of the UV reactor inlet 232' and to facilitate the entry of water into the UV reactor 200' and through the water treatment chamber 245'. The water may flow through one or more channels provided by the laminar flow element 216' before entering the water treatment chamber 245'. The water may also be discharged from UV reactor 200' via a UV reactor outlet 230', which may include a hose barb connector 235' connected to the end cap 202' (e.g., by spin welding) to define at least a portion of the UV reactor outlet 230'.

[0041] In the illustrated embodiment, the UV reactor inlet 232' and UV reactor outlet 230' are configured to guide water in a direction across the longitudinal axis 240' of the UV reactor 200'. This configuration may allow for a reduced vertical profile of the UV reactor 200'. It should be noted that the directions of such water channels associated with the UV reactor inlet 232' and UV reactor outlet 230' may be different from each other, indicated by an angle θ with respect to the longitudinal axis 240', which may facilitate routing and installation of water supply and water outlet connections to the UV reactor 200' in a water treatment system (e.g., water treatment system 100 described herein). For example, the housing configuration of the water treatment system may allow for a water supply connection to the UV reactor inlet 232' at a first angle, and a water discharge connection to the UV reactor outlet 230' at a second angle, separated from the first and second angles by the angle θ identified in Figure 62.

[0042] The water treatment chamber 245' may be defined in a similar manner to the water treatment chamber 245 of the UV reactor 200, and includes an inner surface 290' of the reactor body 201' that extends generally from a first end 291' to a second end 292' of the water treatment chamber 245', and a longitudinal axis 240' extending between them. The inner surface 290' of the UV reactor 200' may be configured similarly to the inner surface 290, such that the entire inner surface of the water treatment chamber 245' is not defined by the inner surface 290. One or more parts of the end cap 202', the reactor body support 211', and the laminar flow element 216' may define one or more parts of the inner surface of the water treatment chamber 245'.

[0043] The reactor body 201' may include first and second openings adjacent to the first and second ends 291' and 292' of the water treatment chamber 245', respectively. For example, similar to the reactor body 201, the reactor body 201' is provided in the form of a hollow cylinder having first and second ends corresponding to the bottom and top of the reactor body 201, as shown in Figures 64-66. However, the reactor body 201' may be any type of cylindrical shape and is not limited to the cylindrical structure depicted in the illustrated embodiment. For example, the cross-sectional shape of the reactor body 201' can be varied depending on the application. As another example, the reactor body 201' may include two or more longitudinal axes such that the reactor body 201' includes multiple segments having longitudinal axes that are not collinear.

[0044] The reactor body 201' can be made of one or more materials similar to the material structure described in relation to the reactor body 201. For example, the reactor body 201' may be entirely formed of a UV-reflective material such as PTFE or ePTFE. The reflection of UV light within the water treatment chamber 245' by the reactor body 201' facilitates the maintenance of the intensity of UV light within it and can substantially block UV light from leaking outside the water treatment chamber 245'.

[0045] In the illustrated embodiment, the UV light source assembly 408 can be positioned near the second end 292' of the water treatment chamber 245'. The UV light source assembly 408 may include a UV-LED printed circuit board assembly 273' and may be configured to direct UV light into the water treatment chamber 245' through a UV-transmitting window 205' which may be formed from quartz. The UV light source assembly 408 may include a printed circuit board assembly 273 and a UV light source device including a plurality of UV light sources 434 which may be UV-LEDs, as described herein. The UV light source assembly 408 may include a connector 223' configured to allow power to be supplied to the circuit of the UV light source assembly 408.

[0046] During use, the UV reactor 200' is located vertically within the water treatment chamber 245', as shown in Figures 64-66. Water flows upward toward the UV light source 434 of the printed circuit board assembly 273' of the UV light source assembly 408, and then flows out of the water treatment chamber 245' through at least one outlet path, at least partially defined by the end cap 202'. The at least one outlet path may be fluid-coupled to the UV reactor outlet 230' to discharge treated water from the UV reactor 200'. The at least one outlet path may include a plurality of chamber outlets 246', as shown in more detail in the illustrated embodiments in Figures 60-61 and 63-67. The plurality of chamber outlets 246 may be fluid-coupled to a heat exchange region 236' described herein as a trough or cooling chamber, in which case the water conducts thermal energy away from the opposing thermal coupler 406 before exiting through the UV reactor outlet 230'.

[0047] The multiple chamber outlets 246' can be configured similarly to the multiple chamber outlets 246 described in relation to the UV reactor 200. For example, the multiple chamber outlets 246' may be defined at least partially by a plurality of individual openings in the inner surface 290 of the water treatment chamber 245, allowing water to be discharged radially relative to the longitudinal axis 240' of the water treatment chamber 245'. More specifically, the multiple chamber outlets 246' may be defined by individual passages provided within the end caps 202' and a portion of the chamber-facing surface of the UV-transmitting window 205'. The multiple chamber outlets 246' can be configured differently as described in relation to the multiple chamber outlets 246'.

[0048] Similar to UV reactor 200, in the illustrated embodiment of UV reactor 200', a flow path defined by a plurality of chamber outlets 246' can be formed adjacent to the second end 292' of the end cap 202'. The plurality of chamber outlets 246' can lead to a recovery trough or heat exchange region 236' that is in fluid communication with the UV reactor outlet 230' provided by the end cap 202'. The recovery trough or heat exchange region 236' can extend around part or all of the inner circumference of the end cap 202', as shown in the embodiments in Figures 24, 25, 27, and 63.

[0049] In the illustrated embodiments shown in Figures 57 to 68, the UV light source assembly 408 is thermally coupled to a water-facing thermal coupler 406, which may be made of a metal such as steel, aluminum, or copper. The water-facing thermal coupler 406 can act as a heat sink, drawing thermal energy from the UV light source assembly 408 and facilitating the transfer of that energy to one or more media, such as water, crossing the UV reactor outlet 230. The UV light source assembly 408 may include a heat conduction element or a light source-side thermal coupler 407 that is directly coupled to or in contact with the water-facing thermal coupler 406. The light source-side thermal coupler 407 is possible by thermally coupling to one or more UV light sources of the UV light source assembly 408.

[0050] The UV light source assembly 408 may include an integrated light source-side thermal coupler 407, which may be thermally coupled to the water-facing thermal coupler 406, as described herein. For example, the light source-side thermal coupler 407 and the water-facing thermal coupler 406 can be brought into contact with each other so that water flowing through the heat exchange region 236' can absorb heat from the UV light source assembly 408. This allows the water flowing through the recovery trough or heat exchange region 236' to cool the water facing the thermal coupler 406, thereby cooling the light source-side thermal coupler 407 and one or more UV light sources of the UV light source assembly 408.

[0051] In the illustrated embodiment, the UV reactor 200' may include a laminar flow element 216' positioned to form a first end of the water treatment chamber 245'. In one embodiment, the laminar flow element 216' may be a baffle to facilitate the formation of laminar flow from the first end 290' to the second end 292'. The laminar flow element 216' may include multiple fluid paths that connect the fluid received by the UV reactor inlet 232' to the water treatment chamber 245'. The UV reactor 200' may optionally include a flow director or deflector 266 integrated with the laminar flow element 216' to facilitate the generation of turbulent water flow near the multiple fluid paths of the laminar flow element 216' on the opposite side of the water treatment chamber 245'. Regardless of the installation location of the laminar flow element 216', the flow direction regulator or deflector 266' may be substantially duplicated on each side of the laminar flow element 216' so that the deflector 266' is positioned close to multiple fluid paths of the laminar flow element 216' opposite the water treatment chamber 245' to facilitate the generation of turbulent water flow. A double deflector 266' on the side corresponding to the water treatment chamber 245' may not function substantially with respect to the generation of turbulent water upstream of the laminar flow element 216'.

[0052] In the illustrated embodiment, the UV light source assembly 408 is spaced apart from the UV transmission window 205'. As described herein, the first sealant 210' may be configured as a spacer that can operate to fill at least a portion or substantial amount of the space between the UV light source assembly 408 and the UV transmission window 205'. Otherwise, by filling this space, which may contain air or other gases, the first sealant 210' can reduce the amount of air or other gases in the space. Reducing the amount of air in the space can substantially prevent the occurrence of condensation in the space. Condensation can cause premature failure of the UV light source, or reduce (or cause loss of UV transmission), or any combination thereof. As a result, condensation can adversely affect or reduce disinfection performance. By reducing the amount of air in the space and substantially preventing the occurrence of condensation in the space, the possibility of premature failure, degradation of UV transmission, or reduced disinfection performance, or any combination thereof, can be avoided or reduced.

[0053] As described herein, the first sealant 210' may include a plurality of openings 213' corresponding to each of the plurality of UV light sources (e.g., UV LEDs) of the UV light source assembly 408, allowing light from the UV light sources to enter the water treatment chamber 245' through the UV transmission windows 205'. The first sealant 210' may also include alignment features 217' that are operable to angularly align the first sealant 210' with respect to the UV light source assembly 408 and the UV light sources positioned on the UV light source assembly 408, allowing light to be directed from the UV light source assembly 408 to the UV transmission windows 205' and to the water treatment chamber 245'.

[0054] In the illustrated embodiment, the first sealant 210' is made of a silicone-based material. However, it should be understood that the disclosure is not limited in this way. The first sealant 210' can be made from any type of material or combination of materials. For example, the first sealant 210' may be formed from a first raw material and a second raw material that are different from the first raw material.

[0055] (II. Water Treatment Chamber Materials) The water treatment chamber 245 in the embodiments shown in Figures 6-9 can be constructed in various ways using various materials. The material forming the water treatment chamber 245 can provide a UV-reflective surface. The entire inner surface of the water treatment chamber 245 may be reflective to UV light, or only a portion of the inner surface may be reflective to UV light.

[0056] UV reflective surfaces can be positioned to reflect UV radiation back towards the water being purified, to increase the level of UV radiation in the water sample, or to more efficiently utilize the UV radiation generated by a UV radiation source. Compositions that provide a target level of UV reflectance for use in water treatment systems can be utilized. In the illustrated embodiment, a composition suitable for direct contact with the water being purified can be provided.

[0057] For example, as shown in the illustrated embodiment of Figure 6, the water treatment chamber 245 may include a reactor body 201 and a laminar flow element 216 made of a diffuse reflective material such as PTFE that provides at least 80% to 90% reflectance. The diffuse reflective material can facilitate the reflection of light or other waves or particles from the surface so that light rays incident on the surface are scattered at many angles (rather than just one angle as in specular reflection).

[0058] As another example, as shown in the illustrated embodiment of Figure 7, the water treatment chamber 245 may include a reactor body 201 and laminar flow elements 216 made of a specular reflective material such as stainless steel. For example, the reactor body 201 may be manufactured from a stainless steel tube that has been cut to a predetermined length and deburred. The reactor body 201 can be polished for a greater reflectivity than if it were not polished. In one embodiment, the reactor body 201 may be a tube formed from a rolled sheet. In one embodiment, the laminar flow elements may be manufactured from a stainless steel sheet stock that has been punched and / or die-cut to provide a specific shape and structure according to one embodiment.

[0059] Specular reflective materials may be constructed to provide mirror-like reflected waves, such as UV light, from their surface. Each incident ray of light may be reflected at the same angle to the surface normal as the incident ray, or it may be reflected on the opposite side of the surface normal in the plane formed by the incident and reflected light. A common result is that the image reflected by the surface is reproduced specularly.

[0060] In the illustrated embodiment shown in Figure 8, the water treatment chamber 245 may consist of quartz tubes, potentially pure quartz, and parts of stainless steel. For example, the reactor body 201 can be made of quartz tubes, and the laminar flow element 216 can be made of stainless steel. The use of quartz tubes in the illustrated embodiment can achieve substantially total internal reflection with respect to UV light provided by the UV light source assembly 208 and UV light source 234.

[0061] In alternative embodiments, one or both of the components defining the inner surface of the water treatment chamber 245 can be coated to enhance the reflection of UV light within the water treatment chamber 245. For example, in the embodiment shown in Figure 9, the reactor body 201 may be metal-coated quartz (e.g., aluminum oxide-coated quartz). Coatings on one or more components can be arranged to define the inner surface of the water treatment chamber 245. Furthermore, or alternatively, coatings on one or more components may be arranged on the surface of a component opposite to the surface of a component defining a portion of the inner surface of the water treatment chamber 245. For example, the metal-coated quartz used for the reactor body 201 in the illustrated embodiment may have its outer surface coated so that the inner surface of the quartz tube is in direct contact with the water supplied into the water treatment chamber 245. Coatings applied to components defining at least a portion of the inner surface of the water treatment chamber 245 may be inside the components, such as when the components are formed from two or more laminated materials, and one or more of these may be coated on one or both sides.

[0062] In the embodiment shown in Figure 9, the laminar flow element 216 may be made of stainless steel, as in the embodiments described in relation to Figures 7 and 8. It should be understood that the reactor body 201 and the laminar flow element 216 do not necessarily have to be made of the same material. One of the reactor body 201 and the laminar flow element 216 may be made of a different material or a combination of materials.

[0063] In the illustrated embodiment of Figure 39, the laminar flow element 216 is depicted either as being placed on a substrate element of the laminar flow element, or as being covered with a reflective material 271. For example, the substrate of the laminar flow element 216 can be a non-reflective polymer, and the reflective material 271 can be a reflective material such as stretched PTFE (e.g., a stretched PTFE film) or PTFE bonded to the substrate material. The reflective material may be diffusive or specular. As described herein, the laminar flow element 216 can be composed entirely of a reflective material rather than being formed from a reflective material 271 bonded to a substrate material.

[0064] In one embodiment, a UV-transmitting window 205, which forms at least a portion of the inner surface of the water treatment chamber 245, allows UV light to enter the water treatment chamber 245, but can be configured to reflect the light inward within the water treatment chamber 245. The UV-transmitting window 205 may be configured to allow UV light to pass substantially in one direction, for example, allowing UV light to enter the water treatment chamber 245 from the UV light source assembly 208 through the UV-transmitting window 205, but also allowing UV light directed from within the water treatment chamber 245 towards the UV-transmitting window 205 to be reflected back within the water treatment chamber 245. In one embodiment, the UV-transmitting window 205, as shown in Figure 38, includes an anti-reflective coating 270 positioned on the side adjacent to the space 233 (e.g., the air side of the UV-transmitting window). The anti-reflective coating 270 can increase UV light throughput, enable efficient use of UV light, and reduce ghost reflections. In one embodiment, when the peak UV wavelength is λ, the thickness of the anti-reflective coating 270 (or AR layer) can be an odd multiple of λ / 4 (for example, when UV is 265 nm, the thickness of the AR layer can be an odd multiple of 66.25 nm). For material selection, in one embodiment, the anti-reflective coating 270 may have a material refractive index following n_AR=V(n_air·n_quartz), for example, n_AR=1.18-1.25 (for example, F:Al2O3 fluoride-doped aluminum oxide).

[0065] By providing reflective components in the assembly of the water treatment chamber 245, the UV light intensity inside the water treatment chamber 245 can be efficiently maintained at a significant level (for example, an efficiency improvement of >5% compared to the absence of the AR coating).

[0066] The water treatment chamber 245' of the UV reactor 200' in the illustrated embodiments of Figures 57-61 may be configured similarly to the water treatment chamber 245 of the UV reactor 200. For example, the UV reactor 200' may include a water treatment chamber 245' having an inner surface that is reflective to UV light in order to reflect the UV radiation received from the UV light source assembly 408. Such reflection of UV radiation can increase the level of UV radiation in the water present in the water treatment chamber 245, facilitating more efficient use of the UV radiation generated by the UV light source. It should be noted that although UV radiation is described herein as UV light, UV radiation or light is substantially invisible to human vision.

[0067] The reflectivity of the water treatment chamber 245' can be provided in various ways. As an example, as described herein, the material defining the inner surface of the water treatment chamber 245' may be reflective to UV light. Examples of such materials include PTFE and stainless steel, as described herein. In addition to or instead of this, the water treatment chamber 245' may include quartz tubes to facilitate the reflection of UV light within the water treatment chamber 245'. Furthermore, or alternatively, the surface of the water treatment chamber 245' may be coated to facilitate the reflection of UV light within it.

[0068] The laminar flow element 216' of the UV reactor 200' can be constructed in a manner similar to the configuration described in relation to the laminar flow element 216. For example, the laminar flow element 216' may be made of stainless steel. As another example, the laminar flow element 216' may be made of two or more materials, including a substrate material and a reflective material such as PTFE bonded to the substrate material.

[0069] The UV-transmitting window 205' of the UV reactor 200' may also be constructed in a manner similar to the corresponding component of the UV reactor 200 described herein, and may include, for example, a quartz structure having an anti-reflective coating.

[0070] (III. UV reactor structure) As described herein, the UV reactor 200 may be constructed in various ways depending on the target use case, such as flow targets and dosage targets for specific use cases.

[0071] In one embodiment, the UV reactor 200 is configured to withstand a target pressure, such as a target pressure that is considered to be an extreme hydrostatic endurance threshold (e.g., 2.068 MPa (300 psi)). In one embodiment, the UV reactor 200 can be configured to withstand the target pressure in one or more ways, including providing a reactor body support 211 having tapered walls and / or curved ends to substantially avoid failure points at pressures below the target pressure.

[0072] In the illustrated embodiment of Figure 10, the side wall 293 of the reactor body support 211 is tapered along the longitudinal axis 240 from the second end 292 to the first end 291 of the water treatment chamber 245 (or with respect to the direction of water flow between the UV reactor inlet 232 and the UV reactor outlet 230). As shown in the illustrated embodiment, the taper is provided on the inner surface of the side wall 293 of the reactor body support 211 which is substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis 240 of the UV reactor 200, and the outer surface of the side wall 293 is farther from the longitudinal axis and farther from the first end 291. For example, the inner surface of the side wall 293 may be positioned at a radius R_inner along the length from the first end 291 to the second end 292. The outer surface of the side wall may be positioned at a radius R_outer proximal to the first end 291 and at a radius R_outer + taper amount proximal to the second end 292. The taper amount and the difference between the R_outer and R_inner values ​​may vary depending on the target pressure.

[0073] In the illustrated embodiment, the reactor body support 211 may include a curved wall 294 between the first end 291 of the water treatment chamber 245 and the UV reactor inlet 232. The curvature of the curved wall 294 can avoid significant stress on the reactor body support 211 at pressures below the target pressure.

[0074] Furthermore, or alternatively, one or more embodiments of the UV reactor 200 may be modified to take target design constraints into consideration. For example, the diameter, length, and diameter-to-length ratio of the reactor can be varied according to one or more target design constraints, such as disinfection performance and target flow rate.

[0075] In one embodiment, the following equation represents the geometric shape of the water treatment chamber 245.

number

number

number

[0076] The total UV dose and germicidal efficacy can be determined by the total UV fluence.

number

number

[0077] In one embodiment of the present disclosure, the following overall relationships are observed to substantially maximize UV ​​administration (fluence):

number

[0078] With a fixed flow rate of approximately 0–3.4 liters (0.9 gallons) / minute and a reactor length of approximately 150 mm, the optimized reactor diameter is considered to be >50 mm, and the 50 mm diameter is determined to maintain a small physical footprint for the reactor system, potentially to minimize the physical footprint for the identified flow rate and UV dose constraints. As shown in the graph in Figure 47, this results in a small footprint without significantly sacrificing UV dose.

[0079] When the reactor diameter was fixed at 50 mm, it was determined that the reactor length affected performance, as shown in the graph in Figure 48.

[0080] It should be noted that if there is no reflective material on the baffle or laminar flow element 216 (e.g., PTFE), disinfection performance will be significantly reduced if the total length is less than 75 mm. In one embodiment, the length of the UV reactor is set to 100 mm to avoid additional loss of disinfection efficiency while maintaining the smallest possible installation area.

[0081] The ratio between the reactor diameter and the reactor length was determined to produce a relationship with the disinfection performance (logarithmic reduction value) shown in the graph in Figure 49.

[0082] If we set the upper limit of the reactor diameter / length ratio to approximately 4, we can apply the following two sigmoid functions. In the case of a reactor without a reflective baffle,

number

number

[0083] For comparable sizes, a single larger reactor is considered to yield better performance than a combination of individual smaller reactors; a single 50 × 100 mm cylindrical reactor performs better than five 10 × 100 mm cylindrical reactor cells in series or parallel. However, such a single large reactor may not be an acceptable configuration for some applications, and therefore, multiple individual reactors can be used in series, parallel, or a combination thereof. Examples of series and parallel configurations can be seen in the illustrated embodiments in Figure 53. Note that multiple UV reactors 200 can be arranged in series and parallel, and series and parallel configurations, or combinations thereof, can be provided based on flow rate and dosage specifications for the application. A series configuration can provide additional UV dosing (e.g., total system dosing = single reactor dosing × number of single reactors), while a parallel configuration can result in increased flow.

[0084] (IV. Water flow paths and UV light paths) As described herein, the UV reactors 200, 200' can be configured to utilize the water flowing through the UV reactors 200, 200' as a medium for cooling the UV light source that substantially disinfects the water. In the embodiments shown in Figures 11 and 64-66, water channels 238, 238' from the UV reactor inlets 232, 232' to the UV reactor outlets 230, 230' are shown together with the UV light paths 239, 239' within the water treatment chambers 245, 245'.

[0085] The laminar flow elements 216, 216' are provided within the water flow channels in the UV reactors 200, 200', forming a substantially laminar flow of water downstream of the laminar flow elements 216, 216' and within the water treatment chambers 245, 245'. This laminar flow of water within the water treatment chambers 245, 245' is substantially aligned with the UV light paths 239, 239' for efficient administration of water flowing through the water treatment chambers 245, 245'. The UV intensity relative to the UV light paths 239, 239' is shown in more detail in the illustrated embodiment of Figure 19, where the UV intensity is shown in a unitless form determined after logarithmic calculation. The UV intensity shown in Figure 19 can be converted to mJ / cm2 by applying an intensity expressed as an exponent of 10 (e.g., 10A, where A is the UV intensity value shown in Figure 19). It should be noted that, in one embodiment, the laminar flow elements 216, 216' can supply water to the water treatment chambers 245, 245' such that one or more fluid outlets of the laminar flow elements 216, 216' can form fluid inlets for the water treatment chambers 245, 245'.

[0086] The UV light paths 239, 239' and their intensity can be a function of the number and arrangement of UV light sources 234 relative to the UV transmission windows 205, 205' and UV light source assemblies 208, 408, as shown in the illustrated embodiment of Figure 19.

[0087] For example, the UV light source 234 can be positioned near the center of the radius of the reactor bodies 201, 201' (or within 20% of the center). In other words, the UV light source can be positioned at a radius of half the radius of the reactor bodies 201, 201'. This radius at half the radius of the reactor bodies 201, 201' is indicated by 276 in the illustrated embodiment of Figure 45.

[0088] In one embodiment, the UV light sources 234 can be uniformly arranged around a radius 276 (for example, in an equally spaced pattern). This configuration can, in one embodiment, provide an optimized disinfection configuration. In one embodiment, changing the position of the UV light sources 234 relative to the radius 276 can affect performance, as shown in the graph of Figure 46. The percentage shown on the X axis is relative to the radius 276, which, as described above, is defined in one embodiment as half the radius of the reactor bodies 201, 201'. As seen in the graph of Figure 46, positioning the UV light sources directly at the center of the UV light source assembly 208 may not improve disinfection performance as much as positioning them at half a radius relative to the reactor bodies 201, 201'.

[0089] In one embodiment, the UV light source assembly 208 may include one or more reflectors 274, 275 arranged to reflect light from the UV light source configuration 272 toward the water treatment chambers 245, 245'. For example, in the embodiment shown in Figure 41, the reflectors 274 are in the form of sheets placed on the side facing the water treatment chambers of the printed circuit board assembly 273, each having an opening corresponding to one of the UV light sources 234, in order to avoid the reflectors 274 blocking the UV light sources 234 and to allow the UV light sources 234 to direct the UV light toward the water treatment chambers 245, 245'. The reflectors 274 can be formed from a reflective material, such as PTFE or polished aluminum, similar to those described in relation to the reactor bodies 201, 201'.

[0090] In addition to, or alternatively to, the reflectors 274, the UV light source assemblies 208, 208', 208'' may include reflectors 275 positioned to direct light from the UV light sources 234 into the water treatment chambers 245, 245'. The reflectors 275 may be conical or parabolic and may surround one or more UV light sources 234. For example, the reflectors 275' in the illustrated embodiment of Figure 43 are positioned around all of the UV light sources 234 of the UV light source configuration 272, and alternatively, as shown in the illustrated embodiments of Figures 44 and 42, there may be multiple reflectors 275, 275'' (joined together or separated from each other) each associated with each of the UV light sources 234 of the UV light source configuration 272.

[0091] In one embodiment, the reflector may be either a flat reflective sheet or a cone / parabola recoverer per UV light source 234, or a single, larger cone / recoverer for the UV light source configuration 272 (e.g., an LED array), with notches for the UV light source 234.

[0092] In the illustrated embodiment, the UV reactors 200, 200' include deflectors 266 located in the upstream channels 238, 238' of the water treatment chambers 245, 245' to generate turbulence in the turbulent regions 296, 296' before flowing through the laminar flow elements 216, 216'. In one embodiment described herein, the deflectors 266, 266A', 266B' may include protrusions 263, 263' that are operably positioned directly within the water flow path passing through the UV chamber inlets 232, 232' to facilitate a change in the direction of flow in a turbulent manner, and one or more vents positioned around the protrusions 263, 263' to facilitate the guidance of water into the turbulent regions 296, 296' in a turbulent manner. The turbulent regions 296, 296' may be partially defined by curved walls 294, 294' to further enhance the turbulence within the turbulent regions 296, 296'.

[0093] By providing turbulence for water within the turbulent regions 296, 296' directly upstream of the laminar flow elements 216, 216', the water is more evenly distributed across the flow paths of the laminar flow elements 216, 216'. As a result, the flow rate of water flowing through the water treatment chambers 245, 245' becomes more uniform. In other words, the flow rate of water flowing through the water treatment chambers 245, 245' through a plane perpendicular to the longitudinal axis 240, 240' of the UV reactors 200, 200' is greater than in the absence of the deflectors 266, 266A', 266B' and the turbulent regions 296, 296'. The water velocity (m / s) and flow path through the UV reactor 200 are shown in the illustrated embodiment of Figure 20, and the water flow path and velocity in the water treatment chamber 245 are laminar and substantially uniform, respectively. The water velocity and flow path through the UV reactor 200' may be similar.

[0094] In one embodiment, laminar flow elements 216, 216' can prevent high-velocity regions within the water treatment chambers 245, 245', particularly near the UV-transmitting windows 205, 205'. Such high-velocity regions can reduce the exposure time for any microorganisms present in the water flowing through them. In other words, laminar flow elements 216, 216' can reduce the flow velocity through the water treatment chambers 245, 245' as the flow approaches the UV-transmitting windows 205, 205' compared to the case where laminar flow elements 216, 216' are absent. Near or proximal to the UV-transmitting windows 205, 205', the UV energy intensity within the water treatment chambers 245, 245' may be greater than the UV energy intensity in other areas of the water treatment chambers 245, 245', as shown in Figure 19, and the intensity values ​​shown in the figure can be converted to mJ / cm2 as described herein. Compared to the absence of laminar flow elements 216, 216', the presence of laminar flow elements 216, 216', and 205' reduces the flow velocity through the water treatment chambers 245, 245', thereby transporting water flowing near the UV-transmitting windows 205, 205' into the water flowing through the water treatment chambers 245, 245', allowing for longer and potentially maximal UV exposure to microorganisms near the UV-transmitting window 205, and potentially greater exposure to UV energy. In this sense, laminar flow elements 216, 216' can be considered flow limiters for reducing the flow velocity of water through the water treatment chambers 245, 245'. In the embodiment shown in Figure 20, laminar flow elements 216, 216' can reduce the inlet velocity in the water treatment chambers 245, 245' from 1.2–1.6 m / s to 0.6–1.0 m / s. In one embodiment, the laminar flow elements 216, 216' may be configured as flow limiters without providing any important functionality related to facilitating laminar flow through the water treatment chambers 245, 245'. In one embodiment, the laminar flow elements 216, 216' may be implemented to improve disinfection performance by providing a substantially uniform flow through the water treatment chambers 245, 245' and by restricting the flow through the water treatment chambers 245, 245'.

[0095] The laminar flow element 216 is further described according to one embodiment of the embodiment shown in Figures 30-34 and 37. The laminar flow element 216 includes a deflector 266 integrated therein, as described herein. In alternative embodiments, the deflector 266 may be separate from the laminar flow element 216. In the illustrated embodiment, the deflector 266 includes a protrusion 263 positioned within the water channel flowing through the UV reactor inlet 232. In this way, the protrusion 263 can be implemented to deflect the water radially with respect to the longitudinal axis 240 of the UV reactor 200. The deflector 266 may also include a plurality of deflector channels 298 defined by an elongation direction 264 extending from the surface of the laminar flow element toward the UV reactor inlet 232. The plurality of deflector channels 298 may be arranged in an annular configuration around the protrusion 263 so that the water is guided radially and turbulently with respect to the longitudinal axis 240. The length of the extension direction 264 and the spacing between them, as well as the size and angle of the protrusions 263, can affect the degree of turbulence generated in the turbulent region 296 and the flow rate through the deflector 266.

[0096] In the illustrated embodiment of Figure 34, the laminar flow element 216 includes a flange 267 that is operable to seat on the legs of the reactor body support 211 and is held in place by the reactor body 201. In other words, the flange 267 may be sandwiched between the legs of the reactor body support 211 and the reactor body 201.

[0097] The laminar flow element 216 may include a laminar flow path 260 defined by a plurality of openings 261 passing through the laminar flow element 216. The laminar flow element 216 may also include a laminar keep-out region 265 defined according to one or more embodiments described herein, where the laminar flow path 260 is absent. In the illustrated embodiment, the laminar keep-out region 265 can prevent water from flowing directly through the laminar keep-out region 265 into the water treatment chamber 245. In the illustrated embodiment, the laminar keep-out region 265 intersects the longitudinal axis 240 of the UV reactor 200 and is generally aligned with the central region of the water treatment chamber 245. Since water flowing through the water treatment chamber 245 near the longitudinal axis 240 (including near the laminar keep-out region 265) has less resistance than water flowing closer to the inner sides of the water treatment chamber 245, the flow rate of water through the water treatment chamber 245 can be distributed more uniformly by preventing direct flow of water through the laminar keep-out region 265, as shown in the illustrated embodiment of Figure 20. The laminar keep-out region 265 may have a larger diameter than the UV reactor inlet 232 in order to substantially prevent direct flow of water from the UV reactor inlet 232 into the water treatment chamber 245.

[0098] In the illustrated embodiments shown in Figures 37A to D, various configurations of the laminar flow channel 260 are shown together with the laminar keep-out region 265. The laminar flow channel 260 may include a plurality of openings 261. In the embodiment shown in Figure 37A, first and second concentric paths 268, 269 are provided around the laminar keep-out region 265. The openings 261 may be distributed evenly or symmetrically along the first concentric path 268 and the second concentric path 269 to form the laminar flow channel 260. An opening 261 on the second concentric path 269, which is located further from the center of the laminar element 216 or the laminar keep-out region 265, may be larger than an opening 261 on the first concentric path 268, which is closer to the center of the laminar element 216 or the laminar keep-out region 265. Similarly, each additional concentric path that is further from the center of the laminar element 216 or the laminar keep-out region 265 than another concentric path may include a larger opening 261. This progression of a larger opening 261 relative to the distance from the center of the laminar flow element 216 or the laminar flow keep-out region 265 can facilitate the provision of a more uniform flow velocity through the laminar flow element 216 and a more uniform flow velocity through the water treatment chamber 245 (in addition to providing laminar flow). It should be understood that the opening 261 may be of different identical sizes as described herein, or the same identical size in alternative embodiments.

[0099] The spacing, size, and number of openings 261 within the laminar flow element 216 may vary depending on the application, depending on factors such as the target flow rate and non-uniformity of the target flow rate within the water treatment chamber 245. Examples of different spacings between concentric paths for laminar flow channels 260', 260”, and 260'''' are shown in the illustrated embodiments in Figures 37B–D relative to Figure 37A. For the purposes of disclosure, concentric paths are not shown in Figures 37B–D. However, it should be understood that concentric paths may be defined as shown in Figure 37A.

[0100] In one embodiment, a two-zone reactor can be provided by incorporating a laminar flow element 216 (e.g., a baffle) in association with a UV reactor inlet 232 and a deflector 266, which are arranged correspondingly so that the flow is perpendicular to the baffle surface, with a water treatment chamber 245 and a turbulent flow region 296 corresponding to the two zones. The turbulent flow region 296 or zone facilitates the deceleration of high-speed "jet," and the water treatment chamber 245 may provide a pseudo-laminar flow zone for uniform UV light exposure and disinfection.

[0101] To reduce the overall system pressure drop across the laminar flow element 216, the sum of the baffle opening areas of the openings 261 may be greater than the cross-sectional area of ​​the UV reactor inlet 232.

number

[0102] In the illustrated embodiment, the pattern of openings 261 in the laminar flow channel 260 may be concentric around the center of the laminar flow element 216, gradually increasing in size as it moves away from the center. Alternatively, the openings 261 may be of uniform size. In one embodiment, the pattern of openings 261 may be uniformly distributed around the center of the laminar flow element, or may be located at the center. No openings shall be located above the position of vertical flow from the deflector 266 (e.g., inlet baffle) within the laminar flow keep-out region 265. This keep-out zone may be larger than the diameter of the UV reactor inlet 232.

[0103] As described herein, the laminar flow element 216' may be configured substantially similarly to one or more embodiments described in relation to the laminar flow element 216, with the addition of deflectors 266A, B positioned on the opposite side of the laminar flow element 216. The deflectors 266A, B may each be similar to the deflector 266 described in relation to the laminar flow element 216. It should also be noted that the laminar flow element 216' may include features similar to those of the laminar flow element 216, for example, various configurations of the opening 261 and flange 267. The pair of deflectors 266A', 266B' in the illustrated embodiments of Figures 64-66 may allow the laminar flow element 216' to be installed regardless of which side faces the upstream water flow. In this way, incorrect installation with respect to the orientation of the laminar flow element 216' can be avoided.

[0104] Referring to the illustrated embodiments in Figures 12 and 63-66, the water channels 238, 238' contain water that flows through a plurality of chamber outlets 246, 246' (located in the chamber outlet configuration 235, 235') into the heat exchange region 236, 236' and then into the UV water outlets 230, 230'. The heat exchange region 236, 236' may be annular and may surround the second ends 292, 292' of the water treatment chambers 245, 245' as described herein.

[0105] The heat exchange regions 236, 236' can be provided by directly contacting the water channels 238, 238' with the water-facing thermal couplers 206, 406, which are thermally coupled to the light source-side thermal couplers 207, 407. The light source-side thermal couplers 207, 407 are configured as described herein to facilitate the flow of heat from the UV light source 234 to the water facing the thermal couplers 206, 406, and ultimately to the water flowing through the heat exchange regions 236, 236'. This heat channel is indicated as 241 in the illustrated embodiment of Figure 12 and is indicated by an arrow leading from the UV light source 234 to the heat exchange region 236. Optionally, as described herein, the light source-side thermal couplers 207, 407 may be arranged to thermally communicate with the ambient air via a heat path 221 so that heat from the UV light source 234 can be dissipated into the ambient air via convection.

[0106] In one embodiment, the heat channel 241 proceeds as follows: the back surfaces of multiple UV light sources 234, the thermal elements of the UV light source assembly 208 (e.g., metal cladding), thermal paste (or pads or adhesives), light source side thermal coupler 207 (e.g., back surface support of a printed circuit board assembly (e.g., aluminum or copper or thermoplastic)), a water-facing side thermal coupler 206 (which may be stainless steel or "lead-free" brass for direct contact with water without toxic substances substantially leaching into the water), and a heat exchange region 236 (also described as a water outlet recovery trough).

[0107] Optionally, heat may be dissipated from the multiple UV light sources 234 via a convective cooling path indicated by 242 in the illustrated embodiment. According to one embodiment, the convective cooling path 242 for heating proceeds as follows: the back of each of the multiple UV light sources 234, the thermal element of the UV light source assembly 208 (e.g., metal cladding), the heating paste (or pad or adhesive), the light source side thermal coupler 207, and the air or environment through the heat path 221.

[0108] A temperature profile of the UV reactor 200, configured according to one embodiment, with a water channel 238, a heat channel 241, and a convective cooling path, is shown in the illustrated embodiment in Figure 12.

[0109] In one or more alternative embodiments shown in Figures 14-18, the UV light source assembly 408 is shown in more detail, and the light source-side thermal coupler 207 is configured to be integrated as a light source-side thermal coupler 407 provided within the UV light source assembly 408. The light source-side thermal coupler 407 in the illustrated embodiment includes a copper layer 457 which may be a heat-conducting layer capable of conducting heat from the plurality of UV light sources 434 to the water-facing thermal coupler 406. It should be understood that the copper layer 457 may be formed of any type or a combination of materials capable of acting to provide a heat-conducting layer that facilitates the conduction of heat from the plurality of UV light sources 434 to the water-facing thermal coupler 406.

[0110] In the illustrated embodiment, the water channel 238', UV-transmitting window 405, and water-facing thermal coupler 406 are provided in many respects similar to the water channel 238, UV-transmitting window 205, and water-facing thermal coupler 206.

[0111] In the embodiments shown in Figures 14 to 17, the UV light source assembly 408 includes a plurality of layers, including a solder mask 460, a copper layer 457, a dielectric layer 458, and a metal layer 459. The UV light source assembly 408 may also include a plurality of UV light sources 434 similar to the UV light source 234. The copper layer 457 may include traces for supplying power to the UV light sources 434, provide a thermally conductive aspect, and may form at least a portion of the light source-side thermal coupler 407 of the UV light source assembly 408. The copper layer 457 may provide a substrate on which one or more UV light sources 434 are soldered or mounted.

[0112] In the illustrated embodiment, the water-facing thermal coupler 406 may be thermally coupled to the copper layer 457 of the UV light source assembly 408. For example, in the case of a ring-shaped water-facing thermal coupler 406, the copper layer 457 may be unmasked in the region corresponding to the ring of the water-facing thermal coupler 406 in order to form a sufficient thermal interface between them for heat transfer. In other words, the solder mask 460 may not be present in the region of the copper layer 457 corresponding to the ring of the water-facing thermal coupler 406.

[0113] Multiple UV light sources 434 may be thermally coupled to the copper layer 457 via a thermal pad 454 provided as part of the copper layer 457, as depicted in the illustrated embodiment of Figure 17. Anode pads 455 and cathode pads 456 for supplying power to the UV light sources 434 may also form part of the copper layer 457, and one or both of the anode pads 455 and cathode pads 456 may be electrically isolated from the thermal pad 454. The thermal pad 454 may be electrically and thermally connected to a region of the copper layer 457 that interacts with the water-facing thermal coupler 406. In this way, heat generated by the UV light sources 434 can be transferred to the water-facing thermal coupler 406 via the copper layer 457.

[0114] The heat and water pathways according to the embodiments in Figures 14-17 are shown in more detail in the illustrated embodiment in Figure 18, where the solder mask 460 is obscured for disclosure purposes. The thermal pad 454 is provided in thermal communication with the UV light source 434 and conducts thermal energy to the water-facing thermal coupler 406 via the copper layer 457 through a thermal path shown by a solid line. Alternatively, the thermal energy through the thermal pad 454 may be transferred to the metal layer 459 and ultimately to the water-facing thermal coupler 406 via a thermal path shown by a dashed line. Optionally, in one embodiment, the thermal energy may be dissipated into the ambient air through the metal layer 459 via convection, shown as a thermal path with lines in relation to a wavy line.

[0115] In one embodiment of the present disclosure, cooling can be achieved using the front side of the UV light source assembly 408 instead of using an additional aluminum backing heatsink such as the light source side thermal coupler 207 in the illustrated embodiments of Figures 1 to 5. In one embodiment, front-side cooling can be achieved by using a copper layer 457 or an uppermost copper trace having at least 113 grams (4 ounces) of copper. A solder mask 460 or solder resist can be strategically placed on the printed circuit board assembly so as not to be located between the uppermost copper trace and the cooling ring or water-facing side thermal coupler 406.

[0116] In one embodiment, a thermal paste can be placed between the copper trace and the water-facing thermal coupler 406 to ensure efficient thermal communication between them. In another embodiment, to enhance thermal conductivity and heat dissipation, a graphene material can be inserted between the water-facing thermal coupler 406 and the UV light source assembly 408, and can also be coated on the water-contact side of the water-facing thermal coupler 406.

[0117] In the illustrated embodiment, cooling can be achieved through three paths. UV light source 434 → Heat pad 454 → Copper layer → Water-facing thermal coupler 406 → Water channel 238', UV light source 434 → thermal pad 454 → dielectric layer 458 → metal layer 459, metal core → water-facing thermal coupler 406 → water channel 238', and UV light source 434 → thermal pad 454 → dielectric layer 458 → metal layer 459 or metal core → air / environment (optional).

[0118] In the embodiments illustrated in Figures 1 to 5, the UV-transmitting window 205 is shown through a continuous surface of the water-facing thermal coupler 206, but it should be noted that the disclosure is not limited thereto. For example, in the embodiment illustrated in Figure 14, the UV-transmitting window 405 is recessed within the water-facing thermal coupler 406 and interacts with the recessed surface 451 and adjacent steps.

[0119] (V. Chamber outlet and heat exchange region) A UV reactor 200, 200' according to one embodiment includes a plurality of chamber outlets 246, 246' arranged according to a chamber outlet configuration 235, 235' which may vary depending on the application. The chamber outlets 246, 246' may be defined at least partially by openings on the inner sides of the water treatment chambers 245, 245'. In one embodiment, the openings may be located directly adjacent to the second ends 292, 292' of the water treatment chambers 245, 245', with no portion of the inner side between the openings and the second ends 292, 292', corresponding to the water-facing side of the UV-transmitting windows 205, 205' in the embodiments shown in Figures 1 to 5. In this way, water channels 238, 238' are provided so that water moves through the openings to the chamber outlets 246, 246' in a radial path perpendicular to the longitudinal axes 240, 240' of the UV reactors 200, 200'. This flow path can be seen in the embodiments shown in Figures 21 and 64-66, where water flows through water treatment chambers 245, 245', through one of several chamber outlets 246, 246' to the heat exchange region 236, 236', and through UV reactor outlets 230, 230'.

[0120] The number and configuration of the chamber outlets 246, 246' may vary depending on the application. For example, in the embodiments shown in Figures 21, 22, 63, and 64-66, the chamber outlets 246, 246' are located adjacent to the periphery of the second ends 292, 292' of the water treatment chambers 245, 245' and may be evenly spaced around them according to the chamber outlet configuration 235, 235'. In one embodiment, a plurality of chamber outlets 246, 246' can be uniformly distributed radially around the longitudinal axis 240, 240'. However, the disclosure is not limited thereto. The plurality of chamber outlets 246, 246' can be arranged in any manner, including patterns of uneven spacing and cutoff areas, as described herein.

[0121] In one embodiment, the total cross-sectional area of ​​the multiple chamber outlets 246, 246' may be made larger than the cross-sectional area of ​​the UV reactor inlets 232, 232' to avoid a significant pressure drop and minimize the pressure drop.

[0122] The total cross-sectional area can be defined as follows:

number

[0123] In one embodiment shown in Figures 24 and 63, keep-out regions 249, 249' for chamber outlets 246, 246' are provided proximal to UV reactor outlets 230, 230' and may be defined by an angle β with respect to lines 247, 247' that intersect the longitudinal axis 240, 240' and the UV reactor outlets 230, 230'. In the illustrated embodiment, the keep-out regions 249, 249' may be symmetrical with respect to lines 247, 247', but the disclosure is not limited in this way, and it should be understood that the keep-out regions 249, 249' may be defined asymmetrically with respect to lines 247, 247'. In one embodiment, the keep-out regions 249, 249' can facilitate the control of water flow through heat exchange regions 236, 236', thereby affecting the heat conduction performance of the UV reactors 200, 200'.

[0124] In one embodiment shown in Figures 25 and 63, keep-out regions 248, 248' for the chamber outlet are located distal to the UV reactor outlets 230, 230' and may be defined by an angle α with respect to lines 247, 247'. The keep-out regions 248, 248' may be symmetrical or asymmetrical with respect to lines 247, 247'. Similar to the keep-out regions 249, 249', the keep-out regions 248, 248' can facilitate the control of water flow through the heat exchange regions 236, 236', thereby affecting the heat conduction performance of the UV reactors 200, 200'. In one embodiment shown in Figures 27 and 63, angle β may be substantially the same as angle α, and as a result the keep-out regions 248, 248', 249, 249' are normal with respect to line 247, 247' and symmetric with respect to a line (not shown) that intersects the longitudinal axes 240, 240' of the UV reactors 200, 200'.

[0125] It should be noted that the keep-out regions 248, 248' opposite the UV reactor outlets 230, 230' may be applied to one or more chamber outlets 246, 246' and heat exchange regions 236, 236'. For example, in the case of a keep-out region 248, 248' having an α of 30°, this keep-out region 248, 248' has no chamber outlet, nor are there any available channels within the heat exchange regions 236, 236' for the keep-out region 248, 248'. In other words, as shown in the embodiments in Figures 24 and 25, the recovery trough or heat exchange region 236, 236' does not need to surround the water treatment chambers 245, 245'. The keep-out regions 248, 248' can be used to close off the heat exchange regions 236, 236' to improve performance. 1) The total area of ​​the chamber outlets 246, 246' can be greater than or equal to the cross-sectional area of ​​the UV reactor inlets 232, 232' to avoid restricting flow and avoiding pressure loss; 2) The trough or heat exchange area 236, 236' can provide a sufficient surface area to contact the water-facing thermal couplers 206, 206' for sufficient cooling effect; 3) The trough portion block area or keep-out area 249, 249' can be increased and potentially maximized for better disinfection purposes.

[0126] In one embodiment, it has been determined that up to five passages can be blocked without significantly affecting disinfection performance or the cooling of the UV light source assemblies 208 and 408. In this configuration, α is 30°. As shown in the graph in Figure 26, disinfection efficiency is improved by approximately 8%. In the embodiment shown in Figure 63, the keep-out region 248' is approximately 60°, and the keep-out region 249' is approximately 30°. Above 180°. In one embodiment, for the keep-out regions 248 and 248', it has been determined that the total area of ​​the chamber outlets 246 and 246' becomes a significant flow limiter, and performance begins to deteriorate significantly.

[0127] It should be noted that instead of keep-out regions 248, 248' relative to heat exchange regions 236, 236', a partial keep-out region may be defined in which the flow path of heat exchange regions 236, 236' is restricted to the portion of heat exchange regions 236, 236' outside the partial keep-out region. In one embodiment, the depth of heat exchange regions 236, 236' within the partial keep-out region may be less than the depth of heat exchange regions 236, 236' outside the partial keep-out region. The depth can correspond to the distance between the water-facing thermal couplers 206, 206' and the underside of heat exchange regions 236, 236' (e.g., the underside of the trough). As an example, the depth of the partial keep-out region may be smaller so that the heat exchange regions 236, 236' do not enclose the water treatment chambers 245, 245', but still provide a flow path that potentially crosses a complete circle or closed loop within the heat exchange regions 236, 236'.

[0128] In the embodiments shown in Figures 22-27 and 63-66, the multiple chamber outlets 246, 246' are at least partially formed by openings on the inner sides of the water treatment chambers 245, 245', as described herein. The openings may be defined by passages within end caps 202, 202' and the surfaces of UV-transmitting windows 205, 205'. The passages within the end caps 202 are depicted in the illustrated embodiments of Figures 22-27 and 63-66. Alternatively, one or more of the multiple chamber outlets 246, 246' may be at least partially defined by openings located at the first ends 292, 292' of the water treatment chambers 245, 245'.

[0129] As shown in the illustrated embodiments of Figures 5 and 64, the heat exchange regions 236, 236' are defined by end caps 202, 202', UV-transmitting windows 205, 205', and troughs within the water-facing thermal couplers 206, 206'. The heat exchange regions 236, 236' can themselves be considered as recovery troughs where water exiting multiple chamber outlets 246, 246' is recovered and flows toward the UV reactor outlets 230, 203'. The heat exchange regions 236, 236' can be configured to place water in the heat-contact regions 237, 237' so as to be in direct contact with the water-facing thermal couplers 206, 206' for the transfer of thermal energy. This thermal energy can be released with the water as it exits the UV reactors 200, 200' through the UV reactor outlets 230, 230'.

[0130] In one embodiment, the multiple chamber outlets 246, 246' can be arranged such that there is no additional space between the chamber outlets 246, 246' and the second ends 292, 292' of the water treatment chambers 245, 245' (e.g., the water contact surfaces of the UV-transmitting windows 205, 205'). This facilitates the discharge of any gases accumulating in the water treatment chambers 245, 245' through the multiple chamber outlets 246, 246', or reduces the recovery of bubbles in other parts of the water treatment chambers 245, 245' and / or the UV reactors 200, 200' (e.g., the water outlets 230, 230' and the recovery trough). A gas flow path 250 according to one embodiment is shown in Figure 28. As shown, gases accumulating on the second ends 292, or one of the water contact surfaces of the UV-transmitting window 205, can flow through the multiple chamber outlets 246 into the heat exchange area 236 (e.g., the recovery trough) and eventually through the UV reactor outlet 230. The gas channel provided by the UV reactor 200' may be the same as the gas channel 250 described in relation to the UV reactor 200.

[0131] In one embodiment, multiple chamber outlets 246, 246' around the entire UV-transmitting window 205, 205' guide the fluid to a heat exchange region 236, 236' (e.g., a recovery trough) and distribute the fluid uniformly for uniform UV light exposure. The water-contacting surfaces of the UV-transmitting windows 205, 205' may function as walls for each chamber outlet 246, 246', such that the chamber outlets 246, 246' are defined by the end caps 202, 202' and the passages within the UV-transmitting windows 205, 205'. Additionally or alternatively, water-facing thermal couplers 206, 206' can define at least a portion (e.g., walls) of the chamber outlets 246, 246'.

[0132] In the illustrated embodiment, the water-facing thermal couplers 206, 206' (e.g., stainless steel cooling rings) function as walls of the heat exchange regions 236, 236' of the UV reactors 200, 200' (e.g., the outlet troughs of the reactors).

[0133] In the illustrated embodiment of Figure 67, a water channel 238 for water entering the chamber outlet 246' and into the heat exchange region 236' is shown in further detail. In the illustrated embodiment, the chamber outlet 246' includes a lower surface 252' defining a plane that does not intersect with the heat exchange region 236', but it should be understood that the chamber outlet 246' may be configured differently. In the illustrated embodiment, the heat exchange region 236' includes a lower surface 251' defining a plane that is coplanar with the lower surface 252' of the chamber outlet 246' and is positioned above the lower surface 252' in the direction of the water channel 238. In the illustrated embodiment, the end cap 202' defines the wall of the chamber outlet 246' and includes a plurality of steps having an upper surface 253' with a recessed area that can operate to receive a UV-transmitting window 205'. The steps associated with the upper surface 253' may help maintain the position of the UV-transmitting window 205'.

[0134] The UV-transmitting windows 205, 205' may include a smooth surface finish (either inherently or by finishing effort), allowing bubbles in water to cross their surface and easily escape through the chamber outlets 246, 246'. This gas release may be partly attributable to the walls of the chamber outlets 246, 246' corresponding to the surface of the UV-transmitting windows 205, 205'. It should be noted that bubbles can escape from the UV reactor due to pressure and natural buoyancy, regardless of whether the UV reactors 200, 200' are in a vertical or horizontal position. A gas channel 250 in a vertical configuration is shown in the illustrated embodiment of Figure 28, and a gas channel 250 in a horizontal configuration is shown in the illustrated embodiment of Figure 29.

[0135] In the illustrated embodiment of Figure 28, the relative heights of the second end 292 (e.g., the water contact surface of the UV-transmitting window 205), the upper surface of the UV reactor outlet 230, and the water contact surface of the thermal coupler 206 facing the water (e.g., the upper surface of the recovery trough) are shown. Due to the cascade relationship, hjxough >= h_outlet > h_quartz, the release of gas through the gas channel is facilitated, particularly by the cascade height and the natural buoyancy of gas in the water. In one embodiment, the presence of gas at this location may have little or no effect on cooling performance, or may potentially minimize it, so the accumulation of gas bubbles near the steel ring or the water-facing thermal coupler may be considered acceptable. The accumulation of gas bubbles near the water contact surface of the UV-transmitting window may interfere with the UV radiation emitted by the UV LED. This may include blocking or redirecting UV energy, creating a location in the UV water chamber where the UV intensity is minimal, and thus reducing the overall disinfection performance. Furthermore, it should be noted that the high flow rate and temperature rise caused by the water-facing thermal coupler (e.g., a cooling ring or stainless steel ring) lead to instability in the gas pocket volume, resulting in a low likelihood of gas accumulation.

[0136] In the embodiment shown in Figure 29, with the UV reactor 200 in a horizontal position, the relative height of the reactor body 201, the heat exchange region 236, and the internal side of the UV reactor outlet 230 is indicated by h_outlet>=hjxough>h_reactor_body. Due to the natural buoyancy of the gas in the water, the gas can be easily discharged from the water treatment chamber 245, thus avoiding gas accumulation.

[0137] (VI. Drive and Health Monitoring Circuit) A UV light source circuit according to one embodiment is shown in Figure 50 and is generally denoted by 280. The UV light source circuit may include a power supply 285, which may be powered by an external power supply or may be outside the water treatment system itself. The power supply 285 may be a DC power supply capable of supplying power to the light source control circuit 281 of the UV light source circuit 280.

[0138] The light source control circuit 281 may vary depending on the application and may include a constant current or constant voltage drive unit for multiple UV light sources 234. In one embodiment, the UV light sources 234 may be LEDs connected in series as a UV light source configuration 272 (e.g., an array). While the UV light source control circuit is described in relation to supplying power to the UV light sources 234, it should be understood that the UV light source circuit 280 may be provided in relation to supplying power to any UV light sources described herein, including the UV light source 434 of the UV reactor 200'.

[0139] The light source control circuit 281 may control the power supply to the UV light source configuration 272 according to one or more embodiments described herein. Examples are provided in the illustrated embodiments of Figure 51 and designated as 1 and 2. In the first example (1), the power delivered to the UV light source configuration 272 is generally constant (through either a constant voltage power supply or a constant current power supply). For example, in this example, the light source control circuit 281 in one embodiment can drive the UV light source configuration with a constant current of 100% of its rated current.

[0140] In the second example (2), the power supply may be pulse-width modulated between low and high power supplies. The duration t2 of the high power state and the duration t1 of the low power state may be different and may change dynamically based on sensor feedback or may be predetermined based on design constraints. The low power state may be lower than the rated current of the UV-LED (e.g., 90% of the rated current) as a baseline, and the high power state may cause the UV-LED to be overpowered with respect to the rated current (e.g., 110% of the rated current). In one embodiment, the low power state can be considered as a constant DC bias current. Note that a higher pulse repetition frequency (PRF) can be targeted to extend the lifespan of the UV-LED. As an example, the PRF can be determined as follows:

number

[0141] In one embodiment, the light source control circuit 280 may be operable to determine the health of the UV light source configuration 272, including information regarding the state of the UV light source 234. The light source control circuit 280 may include a sensor circuit 282 that can detect one or more characteristics of power (e.g., current and / or voltage) relating to the circuit operation. One or more characteristics may be related to the health of the UV light source 234. In one embodiment, the light source control circuit 280 may include first and second polarity control circuits 283, 284 that can be operable to control the polarity of the voltage applied to the UV light source 234. In the illustrated embodiment, the UV light source 234 is a diode and therefore does not generally conduct in the reverse bias direction, but at least some leakage current under reverse bias conditions can be detected by the sensor circuit 282. This leakage current can indicate the health of the UV light source 234, either alone or in conjunction with other measurements such as previous leakage current measurements, recent measurements of current and / or voltage under forward bias conditions, or one or more previous measurements of current and / or voltage under forward bias conditions, or any combination thereof.

[0142] A method for powering the UV light source 234, including detecting the health of the UV light source configuration 272, is shown in an illustrated embodiment of Figure 52, and is shown overall at 1000. This method may include determining whether the flow meter indicates water flow or whether the timer has expired, as described herein. Step 1002. In either case, the light source control circuit 280 may remain idle.

[0143] Step 1008. If the flow meter indicates water flow, the light source control circuit 280 may take the step of supplying power to the UV light source 234 for disinfection purposes. For example, the light source control circuit 280 may supply power to the UV light source 234 according to one of the power supply methodologies described in relation to Figure 51, for example, a constant current. The light source control circuit 280 may monitor the sensor output from the flow meter to determine whether water is flowing through the system in order to determine whether the UV light source 234 should remain powered. Step 1018. If the flow meter indicates no water flow, the light source control circuit 280 may stop supplying power to the UV light source 234 and return to waiting for the flow sensor or return to the timer indicating operation. Step 1002.

[0144] Step 1004. If there is no water flow through the system and the timer has been deactivated (for example, a health check timer set for routine inspection), the light source control circuit 280 can set the polarity control circuit for a forward bias leak test. The light source control circuit 280 can drive the UV light source 234 with a positive constant voltage (for example, less than 30 V for a series of 6 LEDs [about 5 V per LED]) for the forward leak test. Step 1010. The sensor circuit 282 can sample the current through the UV light source 234 during the forward leak test. Step 1020.

[0145] In one embodiment, the light source control circuit 280 can direct a polarity control circuit for a reverse bias leakage test, and the UV light source 234 can be driven with a negative constant voltage (e.g., approximately -30V or less for a series configuration of 6 LEDs [approximately -5V each]). Steps 1006 and 1012. During this test, the sensor circuit 282 can sample the current through the UV light source 234 during the reverse leakage test. Step 1022. The light source control circuit 280 determines whether the forward and reverse currents are within limits (e.g., within a range, above or below a threshold, or a combination thereof), and if so, continues to wait for the next timer to elapse or for water to flow through the system. Steps 1024, 1002. Otherwise, the light source control circuit 280 can easily notify the user that the system health is not within the target operating parameters and that maintenance is desirable. Step 1014.

[0146] In one embodiment, a UV-LED is driven using a constant current during the disinfection process. Both forward and reverse voltages may be applied and recorded to detect degradation of the UV-LED. When the UV-LED is driven with a reverse voltage, the leakage current level reading can be used to detect degradation of the UV-LED. The threshold can be set below (or above, or outside the range of) the threshold, and the system can warn the user that the system disinfection effect is impaired and the system requires maintenance.

[0147] (VII. Overview of the Water Treatment System) A water treatment system 100 according to one embodiment of the present disclosure is shown in Figures 54-56 and is generally denoted as 100. The water treatment system 100 in the illustrated embodiment includes a treatment assembly 130 and a base assembly 110. The water treatment system 100 may include a removable cover 120 configured to interface with the base assembly 110 to conceal one or more or all aspects of the treatment assembly 130. In one embodiment, the removable cover 120 can conceal the treatment assembly 130 and provide aesthetics to the water treatment system 100 for placement on a countertop or for visibility during daily use.

[0148] The removable cover 120 can provide a separable aesthetic shell structure that allows for updating or changing the shape, material, and color of the water treatment system 100. For example, a removable cover 120 in one application may be replaced with another removable cover 120 having one or more different embodiments relating to shape, material, or color, or a combination thereof.

[0149] In one embodiment, the water treatment system 100 may include UV disinfection capabilities. The water treatment system 100 may include UV disinfection assemblies or UV reactors 200, 200' described herein that provide such UV disinfection capabilities. In one embodiment, the UV reactors 200, 200' may include long-life / permanent LED reactor assemblies that require substantially no routine maintenance or replacement of consumable lamps and are housed in a permanently installed position within the base assembly 110.

[0150] In the embodiments illustrated in Figures 54-56, the processing assembly 130 may be detachable from the base assembly 110 to facilitate storage or placement of the water treatment system 100 for operation in a space that restricts access to one or more sides or parts of the water treatment system 100, such as the top 102, rear 103, side 104, or base 105, or a combination thereof. For example, the space between the top 102 and another object, such as a side cabinet, may be sufficiently small so that access to the top 102 is restricted or the vertical displacement of one or more components of the water treatment system 100 (e.g., the processing assembly 130) is restricted. In one embodiment, the water treatment system 100 can be considered to incorporate a “flat” aspect ratio that maintains usable workspace in a counter installation and substantially minimizes the intrusion of storage space under the counter installation.

[0151] In the illustrated embodiment, as will be described in further detail herein, the processing assembly 130 may swivel or tilt relative to the lower part of the base assembly 110 or the base 105 such that the upper part of the processing assembly 130 is separated from the base assembly 110, while the lower part of the processing assembly 130 maintains contact with the base assembly 110. In other words, the accessible filtration tank or processing assembly 130 can be disengaged from the base assembly 110, which may be permanently installed above or below a countertop or sink. Under countertop installation, the processing assembly 130 is detached from the base assembly 110, facilitating the extraction of consumable filters from the processing assembly 130 without disturbing the piping connecting the base assembly 110 to the water source and treated water outlet, and is in fluid communication with the faucet outlet at the point of use. In one embodiment, the processing assembly 130 or tank assembly may be disengaged from its locked position (the position in which the processing assembly 130 is located within the base assembly 110 or frame assembly) so that the processing assembly 130 pivots relative to the base assembly 110. In the swivel position, the processing assembly 130 is configured to reliably come to rest in a cut-off position, described as a safe “rest” position, to facilitate the management of hand placement and to satisfy the lift parameters for lifting and carrying the processing assembly 130 to the sink for opening and filter replacement activities. In other words, the processing assembly 130 can swivel from the engagement position with the base assembly 110 to the swivel position in which the processing assembly remains substantially stable. The processing assembly 130 may be prevented from swiveling further in the swivel position to prevent the processing assembly 130 from simply falling off or loosely disengaging from the base assembly 110. Examples of this configuration are described in U.S. Patent Application No. 62 / 839,145, entitled “Water Treatment System,” filed by Lautzenheiser et al. on 26 April 2019, and U.S. Patent Application No. 16 / 857,253, entitled “Water Treatment System,” filed by Lautzenheiser et al. on 24 April 2020, the entire disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference.

[0152] This disclosure is not limited to an inclined configuration for removing the processing assembly 130 from the base assembly 110, and it should be understood that the processing assembly 130 and the base assembly 110 may be configured differently for removing the processing assembly 130 from the base assembly 110.

[0153] In one embodiment, the removable cover 120 can engage with and disengage from the base assembly 110 in a direction substantially parallel to the surface on which the base assembly 110 is positioned. In this way, the removable cover 120 can facilitate access to the treatment assembly 130 while the water treatment system 100 is positioned in a spatially constrained location as described herein, which can restrict access to the water treatment system 100 along one or more sides or portions thereof.

[0154] The water treatment system 100 may be capable of receiving untreated water from a source, such as a chilled water supply line configured to supply water under pressure, via a water inlet pipe 112. Alternatively, the water treatment system 100 may be capable of treating the untreated water received from the water source and sending the treated water to a water outlet pipe 114, the water outlet pipe being connected to a faucet to deliver the treated water to a point of use. In one embodiment, the water connections for the inlet and outlet piping or tubes are housed or provided in a space beneath the unit accessible to the installer. Connectors may provide a rotating function for aligning system components during installation.

[0155] In one embodiment, the processing assembly 130 may include a closure assembly 132 or lift-off tank cover that allows tool-free access to the processing vessel 134 (also known as a pressure vessel or removable tank) and exposes the surface of the processing vessel 134 for cleaning (for example, allowing access for a simple cleaning method).

[0156] The treatment assembly 130 may include a water inlet that can be implemented to receive water from the water inlet pipe 112 via the base assembly inlet passage. The water inlet of the treatment assembly 130 may include a one-way valve or check valve connected to it (such as one positioned in line with the water inlet of the treatment container 134) to substantially prevent leakage of stagnant water within the treatment assembly 130 during transport to a maintenance location (e.g., often a water recovery container or more commonly a kitchen sink).

[0157] The closing assembly 132 of the processing assembly 130 may include a handle assembly 136 that can be implemented to secure the processing assembly 130 within a pocket provided by the base assembly 110. The movement of the handle assembly 136 from the disengaged position to the engaged position may form a watertight connection between the base assembly 110 and the processing assembly 130, so that they resist the tendency to become watertight. For example, the processing assembly 130 and the base assembly 110 may engage in response to the movement of the handle assembly 136, and engage in a position that prevents both the upper and lower surfaces of the processing assembly 130 from expanding under pressure as a structural system, and prevents leakage of the inlet and outlet.

[0158] In one embodiment, the handle assembly 136 may be implemented to move to an engagement position 262 in which the handle assembly 136 is flattened and rotated or folded relative to the upper surface of the processing assembly 130. The processing assembly 130 and the base assembly 110 may be configured so that the handle assembly 136 is positioned in the engagement position (e.g., flat) only when it is oriented correctly, and a watertight connection can be made between the processing assembly 130 and the base assembly 110.

[0159] The processing assembly 130 in the illustrated embodiment includes a closure assembly 132 that can be implemented to seal the opening 138 of the container 134. The container 134 may have walls sized and molded to accommodate a pre-filter 150 (also described as a pre-filter) and a filter assembly 170. The container 134 may include an opening 138 large enough to allow replacement of the pre-filter (e.g., pre-filter 150) or the filter assembly 170, or both, as described above. The opening 138 may also be large enough to allow cleaning of the internal space of the container 134 by conventional cleaning methods.

[0160] In the illustrated embodiment, a pre-filter of the processing assembly 130, also described as a pre-filter, can filter out particulate matter present in the untreated water received through the processing assembly inlet. The water flowing through the pre-filter can be transferred to a downstream filter, such as a filter assembly, which can operate to further process the water that has passed through the pre-filter. In one embodiment, the pre-filter may be configured to filter out particulate matter that, if not removed upstream of the filter assembly, could significantly reduce the usable life of the filter assembly. For example, the filter assembly may be configured to filter out particles that are considered fine or small for a target flow rate, while the pre-filter may be configured to filter out particles that are considered larger (e.g., 30-500 microns) for a target flow rate. Without the pre-filter, such larger particles could clog or reduce the effective filtration and effective life of the filter assembly.

[0161] The filter assembly's filtration medium includes a manufacturable carbon block filter designed to adsorb or filter (or both) particulate matter and contaminants contained in the water, and the water discharged from the filtration medium can be filtered and prepared for downstream sterilization by the UV reactor 200.

[0162] A base assembly 110 according to one embodiment includes an upper section 102, a rear section 103, a side section 104, and a base section 105, as described herein. The base assembly 110 can be implemented to be removably connected to the processing assembly 130 by facilitating the formation of a watertight seal between the water supply connector and the processing assembly coupling, and between the processing assembly outlet of the base assembly 110 and the processing assembly connector. In one embodiment, the base assembly 110 may include a body that provides a removable structure for holding and connecting the processing assembly 130.

[0163] In the illustrated embodiment, the base assembly 110 includes a cover 310 that can be detached from the frame assembly 313 to expose internal components 312 of the base assembly 110, such as a sensor unit 316 (e.g., a flow sensor) and a control system 318. The frame assembly 313 may provide the structural core of the water treatment system 100, may be modular, and may provide a platform for positioning the assembly configuration, which may facilitate one or more modes of treating water for consumption. This configuration can allow for the continuous development of the water treatment system 100 (e.g., changes in components of the water treatment system such as a display device or control unit) while maintaining substantially the same form factor. Thus, the water treatment system 100 can be updated to remain up-to-date in the future.

[0164] The base assembly 110 may include a display unit 314 having a display device 315, which can provide users with visual feedback regarding the operation of the water treatment system 100. In the illustrated embodiment, a cover 310 conceals the display device 315 and the display unit 314. Alternatively, the display device 315 and the cover 310 may be configured to be partially or completely concealed by either the display device 315 or the cover 310.

[0165] The lens 311 may be optically coupled between the display device 315 and the external area of ​​the water treatment system 100, enabling optical communication between the display device 315 and the external area. For example, the lens 311 or optical component may be optically translucent or transparent to facilitate the provision of visual signals or information from the display device 315 to the user. The cover 310 in the illustrated embodiment can provide an aesthetic appearance to the water treatment system, which can vary depending on the application. The position and shape of the optical component can be varied depending on the application.

[0166] The base assembly 110 may include a platform or base 105 that can be operated to stabilize the base assembly 110 on a horizontal surface such as a countertop or inside a cabinet. The base 105 may be configured to have a peripheral edge that contacts the horizontal surface while supporting the frame assembly 313 in a spaced position relative to the horizontal surface, so that the frame assembly 313 may remain spaced above water or other elements to the extent that water or other elements are present on the horizontal surface. The base 105 may include one or more operable access points to receive a water inlet pipe 112 and a water outlet pipe 114 for connection to a water inlet and treated water outlet, respectively.

[0167] In the illustrated embodiment, the control system 318 may include a circuit configured to direct the operation of the water treatment system 100, which includes the steps of orienting a display unit 314 to provide visual feedback to a user and receiving sensor information obtained from a sensor unit 316. As described herein, the control system 318 may be configured to direct the operation of the UV reactor 200 to disinfect the water discharged from the treatment assembly 130 and discharge the treated water to the treated water outlet 364. The water discharged from the UV reactors 200, 200' can flow through the sensor unit 316 to the treated water outlet 364, which is in fluid communication with the water outlet pipe 114.

[0168] In the illustrated embodiment, the internal components of the base assembly 110, such as wet and electrical unit assemblies, mounted on the frame assembly 313, may be covered by a rear cover assembly (e.g., cover 310) that provides an aesthetic appearance and feel, potentially protects the internal components, and can accommodate a photoconductive structure that provides a system health indicator as an extension of the display unit 314.

[0169] The base portion 105 (for example, the base base portion) may be fixed to the unit body assembly to provide an aesthetic, piping management, and stabilizing, structural, or protective housing to assist the desired positioning means.

[0170] The internal components of the base assembly 110 may include a display unit 314, a control system 318, a sensor unit 316, and UV reactors 200, 200', as discussed herein. In the illustrated embodiment, the UV reactors 200, 200' include water inlets 232, 232' provided in fluid communication with a UV reactor fluid passage 360 ​​to receive water discharged from the processing assembly 130. The UV reactors 200, 200' may be implemented to supply UV light energy to the water received through the water inlets 232, 232' for disinfecting the water. The disinfected water may be discharged through UV reactor outlets 230, 230', which are in fluid communication with a water inlet 385 of the sensor unit 316.

[0171] In the illustrated embodiment, the components include an RFID communicator or wireless communication circuit 390, which can wirelessly communicate with one or more components outside the base assembly 110. For example, the wireless communication circuit 390 can communicate with an RFID component (e.g., an RFID tag) provided inside the filter assembly.

[0172] In one embodiment, the internal components of the water treatment system 100 may include electrical and control systems arranged around the water channel system of the frame assembly 313. The electrical and control systems may include a display unit 314, which is fixed to the frame assembly 313 in close proximity to the front side of the water treatment system 100, so that the information features of the display unit 314 are visible to the user in the installed configuration of the water treatment system 100. In the illustrated embodiment, the display unit may be connected to the control system 318 by a detachable tether.

[0173] In one embodiment, the wireless communication circuit 390 may be attached to the frame assembly 313 in close proximity to the processing assembly 130 at the installation location and may include an RFID antenna connected to the control system 318 (or main electronic equipment) by a detachable rope.

[0174] It should be understood that the electrical and control systems are not limited to those described in relation to the illustrated embodiment of the water treatment system 100, and that the electrical control system may be updated, replaced, or substituted for other determined technical systems independently of other system components.

[0175] The waterway components of the base assembly 110 (e.g., the sensor unit 316 and the UV reactors 200, 200') may be placed on and fixed to the frame assembly 313.

[0176] In the illustrated embodiment, the water path is attached to the frame assembly 313 and positioned to align and structurally support mechanical forces, and is received from the processing assembly 130 by upper components (e.g., processing assembly connectors) that connect and seal the path under fluid and high-pressure conditions. The processing assembly connector 362 is fluidically connected to the UV reactor fluid passage 360 ​​and can supply water to the UV reactor 200 via a UV reactor inlet 232 located near the top of the UV reactor 200, which fluidly transports water to the bottom of the UV reactor 200. The UV reactor 200 may be implemented to receive power and control from the control system 318 to operate the disinfection process. The UV reactor 200 can discharge disinfectant water to the sensor unit 316 via a UV reactor outlet 230 for delivery to the point of use.

[0177] In the illustrated embodiment, the sensor unit 316 can be configured to receive water discharged from the UV reactors 200, 200' via the water inlet 385 and discharge the water to an outlet that serves as the outlet for the water treatment system 100. In other words, in the illustrated embodiment, the sensor unit 316 is integrated with the outlet connection of the water treatment system 100 and forms the end of the water path. Alternatively, the sensor unit 316 may discharge the water to another fluid path component so that the water is eventually discharged from the water treatment system to an outlet that fluidly communicates with the point of use.

[0178] The sensor unit 316 can monitor and measure the water flow. In addition, or alternatively, the sensor unit 316 may measure the water temperature.

[0179] In one embodiment, the control system 318 may be directly plugged into or connected to the UV reactors 200, 200' after connections to the control system 318 have been established between the wireless communication circuit 390, the display unit 314, and any sensors (e.g., sensor unit 316). The connections to the UV reactors 200, 200' can be formed via a connection panel on the underside of the control system 318. The connection panel may also provide connectors for the wireless communication circuit 390, the display unit 314, and any sensors. The connection panel located on the underside of the control system 318 may improve the overall aesthetics of the assembly and facilitate the temporary concealment of connections to substantially shield electronic connections from any accidental splashes of water.

[0180] The control system 318 may be configured to receive power from a separate power supply connection via a connection through the shell or cover 310, and the separate power supply connection may also be configured to adjust and distribute power to other systems of the water treatment system 100, in accordance with design constraints.

[0181] In the illustrated embodiment, the control system 318 may be configured to accept sensor and system operation inputs and generate data (e.g., data streams) for use by the user and / or other components of the system. The control system 318 may also be implementable to communicate wirelessly with an external device such as a smartphone. The data generated by the control system 318 may be made available for user monitoring, service diagnostics, a digital smartphone application, or various programmed responses of system operating components, or any combination thereof.

[0182] In one embodiment, wireless communication capability between a remote interest or device may be provided by the circuitry or control board of the control system 318.

[0183] Directional terms such as “vertical,” “horizontal,” “top,” “bottom,” “upper side,” “lower side,” “internal,” “inside,” “external,” and “outside” are used to help describe the invention based on the orientation of the illustrated embodiments. The use of directional terms should not be construed as limiting the invention to any particular orientation.

[0184] The above description describes current embodiments of the present invention. Various substitutions and modifications can be made to the invention without departing from the technical idea and broader aspects of the invention as defined in the claims. These will be interpreted in accordance with the principles of patent law, including the doctrine of equivalents. This disclosure is presented for illustrative purposes and should not be interpreted as an exhaustive description of all embodiments of the invention, nor should the claims be interpreted as limiting the scope to specific elements illustrated or described in relation to these embodiments. For example, any individual element of the described invention may be replaced by an alternative element that provides substantially similar functionality or appropriate operation. This includes, for example, currently known alternative elements, such as those now known to those skilled in the art, and alternative elements that may be developed in the future, such as those that a person skilled in the art might recognize as alternatives at the time of development. Furthermore, the disclosed embodiments include several features that are described in conjunction and can work together to provide a set of benefits. The present invention is not limited to embodiments that include all of these features or provide all of the benefits described, except to the extent expressly described in the issued claims. For example, any criterion for a singular claim element using the articles “a,” “an,” “the,” or “said” should not be interpreted as limiting the element to the singular form. Any criterion for a claim element as “at least one of X, Y, and Z” means including any one of X, Y, or Z, as well as any combination of X, Y, and Z, e.g., X, Y, Z; X, Y; X, Z; and Y, Z. The following are reference embodiments of the present invention. [Configuration 1] A water treatment system, A processing assembly having a processing assembly inlet and a processing assembly outlet, which can be implemented to guide water received through the processing assembly to a filter assembly capable of removing particulate matter from the water, and which can be implemented to discharge water flowing out of the filter assembly to the processing assembly outlet, A UV reactor configured to sterilize water by applying UV energy to water flowing through the UV reactor, A water inlet is provided which is enforceably connected to the outlet of the treatment assembly in order to receive treated water from the treatment assembly, A water outlet for discharging water from the UV reactor, A water treatment chamber having a first end and a second end, with a longitudinal axis extending between them, having a chamber inlet that is in fluid communication with the water inlet for receiving water to be purified, and the water treatment chamber having a plurality of chamber outlets that can be implemented to guide water that is not substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis of the water treatment chamber, A UV source configured to supply UV energy to the water treatment chamber, wherein the UV energy is directed substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis, A cooling chamber that is in fluid communication with the plurality of chamber outlets of the water treatment chamber, and which is thermally in communication with the UV source to facilitate the transfer of thermal energy from the UV source to the water in fluid communication with the water outlet, and which is implementable for guiding the water to the water outlet, A UV reactor having, A water treatment system equipped with the following features. [Configuration 2] A reactor body having a reactor body inlet opening and a reactor body outlet opening, and an end cap positioned at the reactor body outlet opening and having the cooling chamber and the UV source, A UV-transmitting window is provided to facilitate the formation of a watertight seal between the UV source and the water treatment chamber, and the UV-transmitting window has a water chamber side and a UV source side, and the UV-transmitting window is provided to facilitate the transmission of UV light from the UV source to the water treatment chamber. An internal support surface that can be implemented to appropriately support the water chamber side of the UV-transmitting window with respect to the UV source, An end cap having a plurality of outlet passages, each of which forms at least a portion of the chamber outlet at the plurality of chamber outlets, The water treatment system according to configuration 1, wherein the cooling chamber is arranged to be in direct fluid communication with each of the plurality of chamber outlets, and the cooling chamber is defined by at least an outlet recovery trough, a UV-transmitting window, and a heat-conducting element. [Configuration 3] The water treatment system according to configuration 2, wherein the cooling chamber at least partially surrounds the outlet opening of the reactor body. [Structure 4] The water treatment system according to configuration 2, wherein the water chamber side of the UV-transmitting window provides at least a portion of each of the plurality of chamber outlets, and the UV-transmitting window, in conjunction with the plurality of outlet passages, defines the plurality of chamber outlets. [Composition 5] The water treatment system according to configuration 2, wherein the heat conduction element is sandwiched between the UV source side of the UV-transmitting window and a heat sink that is in heat conduction communication with the UV source. [Composition 6] The water treatment system according to configuration 5, wherein the UV source is attached to the substrate and the heat conductive element is integrated with the substrate. [Composition 7] The water treatment system according to configuration 5, wherein the UV source is attached to a substrate, the substrate is positioned at a distance from the UV source side of the UV-transmitting window, and a space is defined between them. [Structure 8] The water treatment system according to configuration 7, wherein a spacer is provided between the substrate and the UV-transmitting window to reduce the amount of gas present in the space. [Composition 9] The water treatment system according to configuration 8, wherein the spacer is part of a sealing material that can be implemented to provide a sealing interface between the heat conduction element and the UV-transmitting window. [Configuration 10] The water treatment system according to configuration 1, wherein the plurality of chamber outlets are distributed radially with respect to the longitudinal axis. [Composition 11] A water treatment system according to configuration 1, wherein a line is provided that is perpendicular to the longitudinal axis and intersects the water outlet and the longitudinal axis, and the line and the longitudinal axis define a plane for the plurality of chamber outlets, thereby distributing the plurality of chamber outlets radially with respect to the longitudinal axis. [Composition 12] The water treatment system according to configuration 11, wherein the plurality of chamber outlets are distributed symmetrically with respect to the plane, except for a first keep-out region defined by an angle α with respect to the line, the side of the UV reactor facing the water outlet, a second keep-out region defined by an angle β with respect to the line, and the same side of the UV reactor as the water outlet, and the cooling chamber is isolated within the first keep-out region. [Composition 13] The water treatment system according to configuration 12, wherein the second keep-out region does not exist such that the angle β is 0°. [Composition 14] A UV reactor for treating water, A water inlet that is functionally connected to the water supply section, A water outlet for draining water from the UV reactor, A water treatment chamber having a first end and a second end, with a longitudinal axis extending between them, having a chamber inlet that is in fluid communication with the water inlet to receive water to be purified, and the water treatment chamber having a plurality of chamber outlets that can be implemented to guide water that is not substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis of the water treatment chamber, A UV source configured to supply UV energy to the water treatment chamber, wherein the UV source is oriented substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis, A cooling chamber that is in fluid communication with the plurality of chamber outlets of the water treatment chamber, and is configured to be in thermal communication with the UV source and guide the water to the water outlet in order to facilitate the transfer of thermal energy from the UV source to the water in fluid communication with the water outlet, A UV reactor equipped with [the necessary components]. [Composition 15] A reactor body having a reactor body inlet opening and a reactor body outlet opening, An end cap positioned at the outlet opening of the reactor body, including the cooling chamber and the UV source, A UV-transmitting window, arranged to facilitate the formation of a watertight seal between the UV source and the water treatment chamber, having a water chamber side and a UV light source side, and arranged to facilitate the transmission of UV light from the UV source to the water treatment chamber, An internal support surface that can be implemented to appropriately support the water chamber side of the UV-transmitting window with respect to the UV source, An end cap having a plurality of outlet passages, each of which forms at least a portion of the chamber outlet at the plurality of chamber outlets, The UV reactor according to configuration 14, wherein the cooling chamber is arranged to be in direct fluid communication with each of the plurality of chamber outlets, and the cooling chamber is defined by at least an outlet recovery trough, the UV-transmitting window, and a heat-conducting element. [Composition 16] The UV reactor according to configuration 15, wherein the cooling chamber at least partially surrounds the outlet opening of the reactor body. [Composition 17] The UV reactor according to configuration 15, wherein the water chamber side of the UV-transmitting window provides at least a portion of each of the plurality of chamber outlets, and the UV-transmitting window, in conjunction with the plurality of outlet passages, defines the plurality of chamber outlets. [Composition 18] The UV reactor according to configuration 15, wherein the heat conduction element is sandwiched between the UV light source side of the UV transmission window and the heat sink that conducts heat to the UV source. [Composition 19] The UV reactor according to configuration 18, wherein the UV source is attached to the substrate and the heat conductive element is integrated with the substrate. [Configuration 20] The UV reactor according to configuration 18, wherein the UV source is attached to a substrate, and the substrate is positioned at a distance from the UV light source side of the UV transmission window, defining a space between them. [Composition 21] A UV reactor according to configuration 20, wherein a spacer is provided between the substrate and the UV-transmitting window to reduce the amount of gas present in the space. [Composition 22] The UV reactor according to configuration 21, wherein the spacer is part of a sealing material that can be implemented to provide a sealing interface between the heat conduction element and the UV transmission window. [Composition 23] The UV reactor according to configuration 14, wherein the plurality of chamber outlets are distributed radially with respect to the longitudinal axis. [Composition 24] A UV reactor according to configuration 14, wherein a line is provided that is perpendicular to the longitudinal axis and intersects the water outlet and the longitudinal axis, and the line and the longitudinal axis define a plane for the plurality of chamber outlets, thereby distributing the plurality of chamber outlets radially with respect to the longitudinal axis. [Composition 25] The UV reactor according to configuration 24, wherein the plurality of chamber outlets are distributed symmetrically with respect to the plane, except for a first keep-out region defined by an angle α with respect to the line, the side of the UV reactor facing the water outlet, a second keep-out region defined by an angle β with respect to the line, and the same side of the UV reactor as the water outlet, and the cooling chamber is blocked within the first keep-out region. [Composition 26] The UV reactor according to configuration 25, wherein the second keep-out region does not exist such that the angle β is 0°. [Composition 27] A UV reactor for treating water, A water inlet that operates to receive water, A water outlet for discharging water from the UV reactor, A water treatment chamber having an internal side defined between a first end face and a second end face, having a longitudinal axis extending from the first end face to the second end face, having a chamber inlet that is in fluid communication with the water inlet to receive water to be purified, and having a plurality of chamber outlets that can be implemented to guide water that is substantially not parallel to the longitudinal axis of the water treatment chamber, the plurality of chamber outlets being provided by the internal side adjacent to the second end face, and substantially preventing gas from accumulating near the second end face during use, A UV light source configured to supply UV light to the water treatment chamber, wherein the UV light is directed substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis, A UV reactor equipped with [the necessary components]. [Composition 28] The water treatment chamber includes a cooling chamber that is in fluid communication with the plurality of chamber outlets of the water treatment chamber, The UV reactor according to configuration 27, wherein the cooling chamber is in thermal communication with the UV light source to facilitate the transfer of thermal energy from the UV light source to water in fluid communication with the water outlet, and the cooling chamber is configured to guide the water to the water outlet. [Composition 29] The UV reactor according to configuration 27, wherein the plurality of chamber outlets correspond to a plurality of openings in the inner side surface adjacent to the second end face, and the plurality of openings are arranged such that a portion of the inner side surface does not exist between the second end face and each of the plurality of openings. [Composition 30] A UV-transmitting window is provided to facilitate the formation of a watertight seal between the UV light source and the water treatment chamber, and has a water chamber side and a UV light source side, and is provided to facilitate the transmission of UV light from the UV light source to the water treatment chamber. At least a portion of the water chamber side corresponds to the second end face, The UV reactor according to configuration 27, wherein the portion of the UV-transmitting window on the water chamber side is substantially smooth to substantially prevent the recovery of gas over the portion. [Configuration 31] A UV reactor for treating water, comprising: a water inlet operable to receive water; a water outlet for discharging water from the UV reactor; a water treatment chamber having an inner side surface defined between a first end surface and a second end surface, the water treatment chamber having a longitudinal axis extending from the first end surface to the second end surface, having a chamber inlet in fluid communication with the water inlet for receiving water to be purified, and having a chamber outlet in fluid communication with the water outlet; a laminar flow element disposed within the water treatment chamber to define the first end surface, the laminar flow element being operable to adjust water downstream of the laminar flow element to flow in a substantially laminar manner; wherein the laminar flow element comprises a plurality of flow paths, a first flow path of the plurality of flow paths being larger than a second flow path of the plurality of flow paths and being closer to the inner side surface of the water treatment chamber than the second flow path. [Configuration 32] The UV reactor according to Configuration 31, wherein the laminar flow element is a plate arranged with a periphery of the plate adjacent to the inner side surface of the water treatment chamber, the plate intersects the longitudinal axis of the water treatment chamber, the first flow path is farther from the longitudinal axis than the second flow path, and the plate intersects the longitudinal axis and comprises a keep-out region where the plurality of flow paths are absent. [Configuration 33] The UV reactor according to Configuration 32, further comprising a flow director in fluid communication with the chamber inlet and located upstream of the plate, wherein the longitudinal axis intersects the flow director, and the flow director is arranged to divert water away from the keep-out region. [Configuration 34] The UV reactor according to Configuration 33, wherein the flow director is operable to direct water radially relative to the longitudinal axis. [Configuration 35] The UV reactor according to configuration 32, wherein the plurality of channels are arranged in first and second concentric paths, the first concentric path includes a first plurality of channels, the second concentric path includes a second plurality of channels, the first plurality of channels are evenly spaced along the first concentric path around the longitudinal axis, and the second plurality of channels are evenly spaced along the second concentric path around the longitudinal axis. [Composition 36] The UV reactor according to configuration 31, wherein the plurality of flow paths define the chamber inlet, and the laminar flow element can be implemented as a flow limiter for reducing the flow rate of water passing through the water treatment chamber. [Composition 37] A UV reactor for treating water, A water inlet that operates to receive water, A water outlet for discharging water from the UV reactor, A water treatment chamber having an internal side surface defined between a first end face and a second end face, having a longitudinal axis extending from the first end face to the second end face, having a chamber inlet that is in fluid communication with the water inlet for receiving water to be purified, and having a chamber outlet that is in fluid communication with the water outlet, A UV source configured to supply UV energy to the water treatment chamber, A UV-transmitting window is provided, which is positioned to form at least a portion of a partition between the UV source and the water treatment chamber, and which has a water chamber side and a UV source side, and is positioned to facilitate the transfer of UV energy from the UV source to the water treatment chamber. A UV reactor, wherein the UV source side of the UV-transmitting window includes a coating that facilitates the substantially unidirectional passage of UV energy from the UV source through the UV-transmitting window. [Composition 38] The UV reactor according to configuration 37, wherein UV light entering the water treatment chamber and reflected back toward the UV transmission window is substantially prevented from completely passing through the UV transmission window. [Composition 39] The UV reactor according to configuration 37, wherein the coating is an anti-reflective coating formed of fluoride-doped aluminum oxide. [Composition 40] A drive circuit for a UV reactor, A power supply that operates to provide power to a UV source, A sensor that is implementably coupled to the UV source and configured to sense the characteristics of the power supplied to the UV source, The system includes a control unit that operates to guide power flow to the UV source to forward bias the UV source and to reverse bias the UV source, The control unit is configured to determine health information relating to the UV source based on a sensor output obtained for at least one of forward bias conditions and reverse bias conditions, and is configured as a drive circuit. [Composition 41] The drive circuit according to configuration 40, wherein the sensor can be configured to sense the characteristics of the power on the ground side of the UV source. [Composition 42] The UV-reactive device is A water inlet that can be implemented to receive water, A water outlet for discharging water from the UV reactor, A water treatment chamber having a first end and a second end, with a longitudinal axis extending between them, having a chamber inlet that is in fluid communication with the water inlet to receive water to be purified, and having a plurality of chamber outlets that are operable to guide water that is not substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis of the water treatment chamber, A UV source configured to supply UV energy to the water treatment chamber, wherein the UV energy is directed substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis, A cooling chamber that is in fluid communication with the plurality of chamber outlets of the water treatment chamber, wherein the cooling chamber is in thermal communication with the UV source to facilitate the transfer of thermal energy from the UV source to the water in fluid communication with the water outlet, and the cooling chamber is configured to guide the water to the water outlet, A drive circuit according to configuration 40 having the following features.

Claims

1. A UV reactor for treating water, The UV reactor is, A water inlet capable of receiving water, A water outlet for discharging water from the UV reactor, A water treatment chamber having an internal side defined between a first end face and a second end face, wherein the water treatment chamber has a longitudinal axis extending from the first end face to the second end face, the water treatment chamber has a chamber inlet that is in fluid communication with the water inlet to receive water to be purified, the water treatment chamber has a chamber outlet that is in fluid communication with the water outlet, and the water received through the water inlet is guided into the water treatment chamber in a direction aligned with the longitudinal axis of the water treatment chamber, A laminar flow element disposed within the water treatment chamber to define the first end face, wherein the water flows laminarly downstream of the laminar flow element, the laminar flow element includes a plurality of openings, the first opening of the plurality of openings being larger than the second opening of the plurality of openings, and the first opening being located at a distance from the center of the laminar flow element greater than the second opening, A UV reactor comprising: a deflector that is in fluid communication with the water inlet and is located upstream of the plurality of openings of the laminar flow element, the deflector being located downstream of the water inlet, arranged in alignment with the longitudinal axis to receive water flowing along the longitudinal axis, and configured to guide the water radially to deflect the water flow with respect to the longitudinal axis of the water treatment chamber.

2. The laminar flow element is a plate, and the plate is positioned around the plate in close proximity to the inner side surface of the water treatment chamber. The plate intersects the longitudinal axis of the water treatment chamber, The first opening is located further radially from the longitudinal axis than the second opening. The UV reactor according to claim 1, wherein the plate includes a keep-out region that intersects the longitudinal axis and where the plurality of openings are absent.

3. The deflector is located upstream of the plate. The aforementioned longitudinal axis intersects the deflector, The UV reactor according to claim 2, wherein the deflector is configured to guide water radially from the keep-out region.

4. The UV reactor according to claim 3, wherein the deflector is configured to guide water radially with respect to the longitudinal axis.

5. The plurality of openings are arranged in a first concentric path and a second concentric path, The first concentric path includes a plurality of first openings, The second concentric path includes a plurality of second openings, The plurality of first openings are evenly spaced along the first concentric path around the longitudinal axis, The UV reactor according to claim 2, wherein the plurality of second openings are evenly spaced along the second concentric path around the longitudinal axis.

6. The UV reactor according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of openings define the chamber inlet, and the laminar flow element is configured as a flow limiter that reduces the flow rate of water passing through the water treatment chamber.

7. The UV reactor according to claim 3, wherein the deflector is configured to change the direction of the water flow and generate turbulence in the water.

8. The UV reactor according to claim 7, wherein the deflector includes a plurality of channels arranged in an annular manner with respect to the longitudinal axis.

9. A flow limiter for a water-processing UV reactor, The UV reactor is A water treatment chamber having a longitudinal axis extending from a first end face to a second end face, having a chamber inlet that is in fluid communication with a water inlet, and a chamber outlet that is in fluid communication with a water outlet, wherein water received through the water inlet is guided into the water treatment chamber in a direction aligned with the longitudinal axis of the water treatment chamber, The flow limiter is, A plate having a periphery and a central axis, including a downstream side and an upstream side with respect to the direction of water flow, wherein the plate has a plurality of openings, the plurality of openings defining a plurality of water channels through the plate, the first opening of the plurality of openings being further from the central axis than the second opening of the plurality of openings, and the first opening being larger than the second opening, A flow limiter comprising a deflector provided in the water channel received by the water inlet, the deflector being located downstream of the water inlet, arranged in alignment with the longitudinal axis to receive water flowing along the longitudinal axis, and configured to guide the water radially with respect to the central axis of the plate.

10. The flow limiter according to claim 9, wherein the plate is configured to allow water downstream of the plate to flow in a laminar flow.

11. The flow limiter according to claim 9, wherein the deflector is located upstream of the plurality of openings in the plate.

12. The flow limiter according to claim 9, wherein the deflector is positioned to intersect the central axis of the plate, and the central axis of the plate is aligned with the longitudinal axis of the water treatment chamber.

13. The flow limiter according to claim 12, wherein the deflector is configured to guide water radially with respect to the central axis of the plate.

14. The plurality of openings are arranged in a first concentric path and a second concentric path. The first concentric path includes a plurality of first openings, The second concentric path includes a plurality of second openings, The plurality of first openings are evenly spaced along the first concentric path around the central axis, The flow limiter according to claim 9, wherein the plurality of second openings are evenly spaced along the second concentric path around the central axis.

15. The flow limiter according to claim 9, wherein the plurality of openings define the chamber inlet of the water treatment chamber.

16. The flow limiter according to claim 9, wherein the plate is configured to reduce the flow velocity of water passing through the flow limiter.

17. The flow limiter according to claim 9, wherein the periphery of the plate has a flange that defines the edge of the plate.

18. The flow limiter according to claim 9, wherein the plurality of openings are not located in a keep-out region spaced apart from the plate, and the keep-out region is arranged intersecting the central axis of the plate.

19. The flow limiter according to claim 18, wherein the deflector is configured to guide water radially away from the keep-out region.

20. The flow limiter according to claim 9, wherein the deflector is configured to change the direction of water flow and generate turbulence in the water.

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