Low power liquid purifier
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Solution Overview
Problem
Beverage machines face challenges in purifying water due to contaminants and elevated temperatures, with traditional systems being bulky and ineffective, necessitating improved purification techniques that minimize maintenance and enhance water quality.
Innovation Solution
A low-power liquid purifier system that uses a thermally conductive body with a tortuous path and integrated energy sources, such as LEDs, to reduce microbial contamination and temperature, featuring a heat sink and optically transparent windows for ultraviolet radiation emission, along with a processor to manage energy use efficiently.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If traditional replaceable filters are used for water purification, then water quality improvement is achieved, but the system becomes bulky and ineffective
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces traditional mechanical filtration systems with a UV-C LED-based purification system. The UV-C LEDs emit radiation that sanitizes water by destroying microbial DNA, eliminating the need for bulky mechanical filters while maintaining effective water purification. This substitution of mechanical filtration with optical/electromagnetic energy achieves the same goal with significantly reduced device complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention changes the fundamental parameter of purification from physical filtration (mechanical removal of particles) to radiative sterilization (UV-C radiation affecting microbial DNA). This parameter change allows for a compact design since UV-C LEDs can be integrated into small form factors compared to traditional filter housings, resolving the contradiction between effectiveness and bulkiness.
2Reliability
If traditional filtration systems are used, then water purification is achieved, but maintenance requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The UV-C LED purification system requires no maintenance because it has no moving parts, no filters to replace, and no mechanical components to fail. The system continuously emits UV-C radiation to sanitize water as it flows through the chamber, providing self-sustaining purification without user intervention for filter changes or system servicing.
Solution Approach 2:
By replacing mechanical filtration components with a solid-state UV-C LED system, the patent eliminates parts that require maintenance. LEDs are solid-state devices with long lifespans and no moving parts, fundamentally changing the maintenance profile from frequent filter replacements to minimal to no maintenance required.
3Reliability
If high power sources are used for purification, then microbial reduction is effective, but energy consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system uses periodic or pulsed UV-C LED activation rather than continuous operation. The controller activates the UV-C LEDs only when water is detected in the chamber, and deactivates them when water flow stops. This periodic action maintains effective microbial reduction while significantly reducing overall energy consumption compared to continuous operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The system incorporates sensors that detect the presence of water and provide feedback to the controller, which then adjusts UV-C LED operation accordingly. This feedback mechanism ensures the purification system operates only when needed, optimizing energy usage while maintaining effective microbial reduction during active purification cycles.
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 effectively reduces microbial counts and temperatures of water, ensuring improved beverage quality with minimal maintenance and energy consumption, allowing for quick and efficient cooling and purification of water for beverage preparation.
Implementation Method 1
The thermally conductive body can be or otherwise include a heat sink, thereby allowing the thermally conductive body to remove at least some heat from the precursor liquid as it progresses along the tortuous path
Implementation Method 2
The energy source can include a light source configured to emit ultraviolet radiation. The ultraviolet radiation can be tuned for propagation through the optical region, and microbial reduction of precursor liquid that is in optical communication with the optically transparent window
Data Source
AI summary
Described herein includes sample liquid purification apparatus, systems, and techniques of use. The purification apparatus generally can operate to reduce a temperature of a precursor liquid within a beverage machine or appliance. For example, a thermally conductive body can define a heat sink having a tortuous path for propagation of the precursor therethough, facilitating temperature reduction. The purification apparatus can further generally operate to sanitize or otherwise reduce a level of contaminants in the precursor liquid. For example, an energy source, such as a light emitting diode, can be arranged or integrated with the thermally conductive body to emit ultraviolet radiation toward the precursor liquid within the thermally conductive body.