Peracetic Acid Biocide Radical Generation via UV Pre-Activation
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods for sterilizing large volumes of water using peracetic acid and UV irradiation are impractical due to the need for extensive UV irradiation chambers, making it uneconomical and infeasible for treating high water flows, such as those exceeding 5,000 m3/h.
Innovation Solution
Direct UV irradiation of peracetic acid at concentrations higher than typically used (1% or more) before water treatment generates oxygen-centred free radicals that remain stable for longer, allowing effective use of the biocide without subsequent water irradiation, enabling treatment of larger water volumes with reduced costs.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If peracetic acid and UV irradiation are applied sequentially to sterilize water, then sterilization efficacy is improved, but the complexity and cost of the system increases due to the need for extensive UV irradiation chambers
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines peracetic acid and UV irradiation into a single simultaneous treatment step, where both agents act together on the water flow without requiring separate sequential chambers. This merging reduces system complexity while maintaining the synergistic sterilization effect of both agents working together.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies UV irradiation to the peracetic acid solution before it contacts the water to be treated, pre-activating the peracetic acid to generate free radicals. This preliminary action enhances the biocidal effectiveness of the peracetic acid, allowing for reduced contact time and simpler system design while maintaining high sterilization efficacy.
2Reliability
If peracetic acid and UV irradiation are applied sequentially to sterilize water, then sterilization efficacy is improved, but treatment cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
By merging the peracetic acid and UV treatment into a single integrated step rather than sequential processing, the system reduces the total volume of water that requires UV treatment. Only the peracetic acid solution needs UV irradiation, not the entire water flow, significantly reducing energy consumption and treatment costs.
Solution Approach 2:
The preliminary UV irradiation of peracetic acid activates it to generate free radicals that remain stable long enough to effectively treat the water. This pre-activation increases the biocidal efficiency, allowing for shorter treatment times and reduced energy input while maintaining high sterilization efficacy.
3Reliability
If peracetic acid is used at typical concentrations for water treatment, then the biocide is effective, but the radicals are unstable and short-lived
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies UV irradiation to peracetic acid at concentrations of 1% or more before water treatment, pre-generating oxygen-centred free radicals. These pre-formed radicals are incorporated into the biocide solution, providing both the effectiveness of radical action and extended stability, as the radicals are generated in advance and remain active during the treatment process.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the concentration parameter of peracetic acid from typical low levels to 1% or more, and applies UV irradiation to generate and stabilize free radicals at these higher concentrations. This parameter change allows the radicals to be both effective and sufficiently stable for practical water treatment applications.
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 method provides a biocide enriched in oxygen-centred free radicals, achieving sterilization efficacy comparable to traditional methods but applicable to larger water volumes, with significantly reduced treatment costs and increased effectiveness compared to non-pre-irradiated peracetic acid.
Implementation Method 1
a method for preparing a biocide enriched in oxygen-centred free radicals through UV radiation
Implementation Method 2
the UV irradiation of the waters containing peracetic acid causes an increase in the oxidizing capabilities of such acid due to the increased formation of oxygen-centred free radicals
Data Source
Figure 1~2
Figure 3~4
Figure 5~6
AI summary
The present description relates to a method for preparing a biocide enriched in oxygen-centred free radicals through UV radiation, a biocide enriched in oxygen- centred free radicals thus obtained, a method for sterilizing waters, a method for controlling the colonisation of micro-organisms in treated waters, as well as a method for controlling and/or for controlling and preventing the colonisation on the surfaces of submerged structures by aquatic filtering organisms that use said biocide enriched in oxygen-centred free radicals and plants suitable for implementing said methods.