Photochemical reactor for irradiating optically dense fliuids

Abstract

The invention relates to coil-type photochemical reactors having an internal source of radiation and is intended for use in the field of processing optically dense fluids. The present coil-type photochemical reactor consists of a housing having an inlet opening and an outlet opening and containing a coiled tube and a source of radiation which is disposed inside the cavity formed by the turns of the coiled tube. The housing consists of two flanges with a casing disposed therebetween. Mounted inside the casing, along the surface thereof, are stud bolts, the ends of which are fastened in the flanges. The stud bolts are surrounded by seals. The coiled tube is disposed between the stud bolts. The inlet opening is situated in one of the flanges, and the outlet opening is situated in the other flange. The ends of the coiled tube pass through the openings. The source of radiation is fastened on the outside of the flanges by caps and by seals disposed in bushings. The technical result consists in increasing the efficiency of a coil-type photochemical reactor.

Description

[0001] RECEIVED RO / RU 07 NOV 2024 PCT / RU2024 / 000281

[0002] PHOTOCHEMICAL REACTOR FOR IRRADIATION OF OPTICALLY DENSE LIQUIDS

[0003] 5

[0004] The invention relates to spiral-type photochemical reactors with an internal radiation source and is intended for use in the field of processing optically dense liquids (such as liquid food products, chemical reagents, wastewater, etc.) using radiation.

[0005] 10 A photochemical reactor is designed to carry out chemical reactions under the influence of radiation and is used in industrial installations for the production of various substances and materials. Most designs of known photochemical reactors involve the use of a single specific type of radiation source without the possibility

[0006] 15 replacements, which limits their use for processing other optically dense liquids. Those devices in which the radiation source can be replaced require the removal of the internal coil, which contains the liquid being processed. Such coils are typically made of expensive quartz glass, and removal causes

[0007] 20 risk of damage.

[0008] A photoreactor (Russian Federation Patent for Utility Model No. 94222, published May 20, 2010) is known from the prior art and is used to activate chemical processes in irradiated materials. In the proposed photoreactor, the discharge chamber and pumping system are functionally combined within a single flask volume. The pumping system for the treated medium is designed as a channel with a wall made of a material transparent in the ultraviolet range of the spectrum, and the channel is located directly in the discharge gap. In a specific embodiment, the flow-through photoreactor may differ in that the flask is made of a dielectric, and the outer and inner electrodes are installed

[0009] 30 coaxially with the formation of a pair of dielectric barriers by placing the outer electrode on the outer surface of the flask that is not in contact with the working medium of the gas discharge, and installing the inner electrode on the inner surface of the flask that is not in contact with the working medium of the gas discharge; wherein the channel for pumping the processed medium is made RECEIVED RO / RU 07 NOV 2024 PCT / RU2024 / 000281 in the form of a cylindrical spiral made of a quartz tube coaxial with the electrodes, and the electrodes are made of a material with a high reflectivity in the ultraviolet range of the spectrum. In addition, in such a flow photoreactor, the electrode and the surface of the flask that is not in contact with the working

[0010] 5 gas discharge medium can be separated by a reflective surface. In particular, the photoreactor electrodes are mirror-like aluminum layers deposited by sputtering on the outer surfaces of the dielectric barriers, forming reflective surfaces. The spectral range of the photoreactor's irradiation can be achieved by selecting the gaseous working medium of the discharge. The photoreactor can be equipped with a cooling system in the form of an external metal casing filled with transformer oil. The main disadvantages of this photoreactor design include the following: the barrier discharge is a low-intensity radiation source with a predominantly linear pattern.

[0011] 15 spectrum, which makes it ineffective and selective; for each working substance, it is necessary to optimize the discharge parameters with dosimetry, which is difficult due to the presence of an external coaxial electrode; the implementation of the discharge chamber and the channel for pumping the processed liquid as a single unit is

[0012] 20 technologically challenging, production is further complicated by the need to spray electrodes; there is no way to replace the working substance in the finished product, which limits the claimed versatility of the useful product, as tasks requiring a different radiation composition would require the manufacture of a new device with a chamber filled with a different gas.

[0013] A known ultraviolet photoreactor (patent US8834805 B2, published September 16, 2014) contains at least two radiation sources. One radiation source activates the catalytic function of a semiconductor material in a liquid to reduce the concentration of pollutants in

[0014] 30 liquids, for example, by breaking down organic pollutants into non-toxic compounds. The second radiation source acts directly on living biological objects, sterilizing or killing them and thereby disinfecting the liquid, and can also serve to activate a semiconductor photocatalyst, which in turn causes further damage to biological pollutants. RECEIVED RO / RU 07 NOV 2024 PCT / RU2024 / 000281 The semiconductor photocatalyst is desirably attached to an optically transmissive fiber substrate in the liquid. The second radiation source is external to the liquid and illuminates the photocatalyst through

[0015] 5 transfer surfaces in a liquid-containing vessel. The design drawback of this reactor is that it is non-detachable.

[0016] A continuous flow photoreactor (patent US11998887B2, published June 4, 2024) is known, which includes a flow system, a lighting system, and a temperature control system. The flow system includes a reactor inlet, a reactor outlet, and a reactor tube fluidly connected to the inlet and outlet. The lighting system includes a light-emitting device (e.g., a plurality of LEDs) configured to emit light in a specific wavelength range toward the reactor tube. The control system

[0017] 15 temperature includes an inlet, an outlet, and a temperature control tube fluidly connected to the inlet and outlet. In some embodiments, the temperature control system may be configured to circulate fluid for cooling the lighting system. The design of said photoreactor

[0018] 20 allows the radiation source to be removed, but also requires the removal of the coil, which increases the risk of its breakage and reduces the durability of the device as a whole.

[0019] The objective of this technical solution is to develop a photochemical reactor that provides the ability to replace the internal radiation source without the need to remove the coil of the photochemical reactor and the scalability of the process parameters for various tasks, and is not a structurally complex product.

[0020] The technical result of the claimed invention consists in increasing the efficiency of a spiral-type photochemical reactor, and

[0021] 30 namely, increasing the range of radiation sources used and increasing the variety of liquids being processed.

[0022] The technical result is achieved by a spiral-type photochemical reactor for irradiating optically dense liquids, consisting of a housing containing inlet and outlet openings, inside which a reactor spiral tube is installed, and a radiation source located in the cavity of the coils of the spiral tube. The housing consists of two flanges, between which a casing is placed, inside which, along its surface,

[0023] Five studs are attached to the flanges, with seals placed around the studs. A spiral tube is positioned between the studs. The inlet is located in one flange, and the outlet in the other, through which the ends of the spiral tube pass. The radiation source is secured to the outside of the flanges using caps and seals located in the bushings.

[0024] The claimed invention is illustrated by a figure depicting the structure of the claimed photochemical reactor. The following is indicated by numbers:

[0025] 1 - spiral tube,

[0026] 15 2 - radiation source,

[0027] 3 - flange,

[0028] 4 - studs with pads,

[0029] 5 - sealing of the radiation source,

[0030] 6 - radiation source mounting sleeve,

[0031] 20 7 - cover cap,

[0032] 8 - casing,

[0033] 9 - mounting bracket.

[0034] A photochemical reactor for irradiating optically dense liquids is a structure consisting of a housing containing a spiral tube 1 made of a material transparent to a wide range of wavelengths, in particular quartz glass. A radiation source 2, such as a pulsed xenon lamp, a diode array, or a mercury lamp, is installed within the inner space of the coils. Radiation source 2 is designed to be connected to a power source. The housing

[0035] 30 reactor is a cylindrical casing 8, clamped by means of flanges 3. The material of the casing 8 can be any of those known and RECEIVED RO / RU 07 NOV 2024 PCT / RU2024 / 000281 used for the manufacture of the casing of a photochemical reactor. The internal elements of the reactor are mounted on two flanges 3 using at least three studs 4 installed between them. Inside the flanges 3 there are holes through which the ends of the spiral

[0036] 5 tubes 1: in one of the flanges there is an inlet, in the other - an outlet. To prevent radiation from escaping, the ends of the spiral tube 1 can be sealed using pads installed inside the said openings. Around the studs 4 there are pads made of elastic material (for example, rubber, silicone, etc.), with the help of which the spiral tube 1 is clamped inside

[0037] 10 of the casing 8, which allows for compensation for manufacturing errors. The radiation source 2 is rigidly fixed on both sides in the flanges 3 by means of mounting bushings 6 with seals 5 installed in them (for example, silicone), which are crimped by tightening the caps 7. The mounting seats for the bushings 6 are provided in the flanges 3. Moreover, due to the design of the listed elements, the source 2 can be easily replaced, which allows the device to be used for solving a wide range of technical problems. Seals 5, casing 8, and other additional seals serve to prevent radiation from escaping from the system. The mounting bracket 9 is used for further installation of the photochemical reactor in

[0038] 20 industrial installation.

[0039] The operating principle of the present photochemical reactor is based on passing the optically dense liquid to be processed, for example, food products (milk, juices, beer, wine, etc.), chemical reagents or wastewater through a spiral tube 1. The liquid is pumped using flexible tubes connected to the ends of the spiral tube 1 and a pump. Passing through the spiral tube 1, the substances are exposed to radiation coming from a source 2 located on the axis of the spiral tube 1. During the process of passing an extended path around the radiation source 2, the liquid is spontaneously mixed, which ensures effective

[0040] 30 delivery of radiation throughout the entire volume. This effect is a consequence of the spiral design and is achieved through the formation of secondary transverse flows - Dean vortices, arising under the action of centrifugal force. RECEIVED RO / RU 07 NOV 2024 PCT / RU2024 / 000281

[0041] Removing and replacing the radiation source is performed as follows: disconnect the power supply from radiation source 2, then unscrew the caps 7, remove the seals 5 and radiation source 2, and then remove the bushings 6 from the flanges 3. To replace radiation source 2, these operations are performed in reverse order with parts that match the dimensions of the new radiation source. This does not require disconnecting the flexible duct, removing the flanges 3, or removing the spiral tube 1.

[0042] The design of the proposed photochemical reactor allows for simplified replacement of the radiation source without removing the coil for various processes, eliminates the design's dependence on a specific radiation source, and allows for scalability of parameters for various liquids. Furthermore, the device boasts technological simplicity compared to existing solutions.

Claims

RECEIVED RO / RU 07 NOV 2024 PCT7RU2024 / 000281 CLAUSES OF THE INVENTION A spiral-type photochemical reactor for irradiating optically dense liquids, consisting of a housing containing an inlet and outlet 5 openings, inside which a spiral tube of the reactor is installed and a radiation source located in the cavity of the turns of the spiral tube, characterized in that the housing consists of two flanges, between which a casing is located, inside which studs are installed along its surface, the ends of which are fixed in said flanges, and seals are placed around the studs, and the spiral tube is located between the studs, the inlet opening is located in one of the flanges, and the outlet opening in the second, while the ends of the spiral tube are passed through said openings, and the radiation source is fixed on the outside of the flanges by means of caps and seals located in the bushings.

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