Hydrodynamic Mixer UV Photo-oxidation Reactor
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing UV photo-oxidation systems for contaminated liquids face inefficiencies due to dead spaces and shadowing effects caused by baffles, which reduce oxidation efficiency and increase pumping power requirements, despite using high concentrations of oxidation agents and UV doses.
Innovation Solution
A UV photo-oxidation system with hydrodynamic mixer elements that generate turbulent flow along low-pressure UV light sources, eliminating the need for baffles and allowing optimal exposure of UV-activatable oxidation agents to contaminants, reducing the required pumping power and oxidation agent concentrations.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If baffles are used to increase radial mixing in the reaction chamber, then mixing of the oxidation agent is improved, but dead spaces are created that reduce the total effective volume of the reactor
Solution Approach 1:
The invention removes the baffles from the reaction chamber entirely, extracting the problematic mixing enhancement device that was creating dead spaces. Instead, a different mixing approach is implemented that does not compromise the effective reactor volume.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention uses a hydrodynamic mixer that utilizes fluid flow and pressure differentials to achieve mixing without mechanical baffles. The mixer employs hydraulic principles to create turbulent flow patterns that enhance mixing while maintaining full reactor volume utilization.
2Ease of operation
If baffles are used to increase radial mixing, then mixing of the oxidation agent is improved, but shadowing effects are caused that reduce the UV exposure of the liquid
Solution Approach 1:
The invention removes the baffles that were causing shadowing effects, extracting the physical obstruction that blocked UV light. This eliminates the shadowing problem while still achieving the desired mixing through the hydrodynamic mixer.
Solution Approach 2:
The hydrodynamic mixer uses fluid dynamics to achieve mixing without solid structures that would block UV light. The mixer creates turbulent flow through pressure-driven fluid motion, allowing UV radiation to penetrate the entire liquid volume without shadowing.
3Productivity
If baffles are used to enhance mixing, then oxidation efficiency is improved, but substantial flow impedance is created that requires substantially more pumping power
Solution Approach 1:
The invention removes the baffles that were creating flow impedance, extracting the source of excessive pumping power requirements. The system achieves oxidation efficiency through the hydrodynamic mixer without the energy penalty of overcoming baffle resistance.
Solution Approach 2:
The hydrodynamic mixer is designed to work with the natural flow direction and pressure gradient in the system, using hydraulic principles to enhance mixing without creating additional flow resistance. This maintains low pumping power requirements while achieving efficient oxidation.
4Quantity of substance
If high concentrations of hydrogen peroxide and high doses of UV light are used, then radical generation is increased, but operational costs increase
Solution Approach 1:
The hydrodynamic mixer uses pressure-driven fluid flow to create intense turbulent mixing, bringing reactants into close contact without requiring high concentrations of hydrogen peroxide or excessive UV dosing. This hydraulic mixing approach achieves efficient radical generation at lower operational costs.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention changes the mixing parameters from static baffle-based flow patterns to dynamic hydrodynamic mixing conditions. This parameter change enables effective oxidation at lower hydrogen peroxide concentrations and UV doses, reducing operational costs while maintaining radical generation efficiency.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The system achieves efficient oxidation of contaminants with reduced operational costs by ensuring optimal UV exposure and minimizing the deposition of contaminants on UV light sources, while maintaining high oxidation rates with lower UV light source power and oxidation agent concentrations.
Implementation Method 1
one or more low pressure UV light sources mounted in said housing for generating OH radicals so that contaminants in the reaction chamber are oxidized
Implementation Method 2
one or more hydrodynamic mixer elements for turbulent mixing of a UV-activatable oxidation agent with the contaminants in the fluid during exposure of the mixture to said UV light
Implementation Method 3
the contaminants are organic and/or inorganic micro-impurities and the removal of these impurities from the water is based on an oxidation reaction wherein an oxidation agent, e.g. Hydrogen peroxide is homolytically cleaved into OH-radicals and these are used to oxidize impurities in the stream
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2A~2B
Figure 3
AI summary
A UV photo-oxidation system for a contaminated fluid is described comprising: a cylindrical housing (102), for receiving a flow of a contaminated fluid, said housing (102) comprising a fluid inlet (106) and a fluid outlet (104); one or more tubular UV light sources (108) mounted in said housing (102); and, one or more hydrodynamic mixer elements (110) for turbulent mixing of a UV-activatable oxidation agent with the contaminants in the fluid during exposure of the mixture to said UV light.