UV-C LED Waveguide for Uniform Fluid Disinfection
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Current UV-C water disinfection systems using mercury discharge lamps are bulky and inefficient, with UV-C LEDs offering low output power, leading to inadequate uniformity and intensity of UV radiation across the dispensing area, making them ineffective in preventing microbiological contamination at the point of water dispensing.
Innovation Solution
A compact in-line fluid purification system incorporating a UV transmissive jacket surrounding the fluid passageway with UV-C LEDs, utilizing a scattering or waveguide material to optimize UV radiation distribution and a reflective coating to ensure uniform UV-C radiation coverage, preventing microbial entry into water piping.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Volume of moving object
If UV-C LEDs are used instead of mercury discharge lamps, then the device size is reduced and installation ease is improved, but the UV radiation output power and uniformity deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent transitions from point-source UV-C LED emission to a distributed UV-C field by embedding multiple LEDs within a waveguide structure. The waveguide distributes UV-C radiation along the fluid passageway length, transforming the radiation pattern from concentrated to distributed across three-dimensional space, thereby achieving both compact size and sufficient radiation power.
Solution Approach 2:
The waveguide acts as an intermediary between the UV-C LEDs and the fluid. It receives UV-C radiation from the LEDs and redistributes it uniformly along the fluid passageway, ensuring adequate UV-C exposure throughout the fluid path while maintaining a compact device footprint.
2Device complexity
If UV-C LEDs are used instead of mercury discharge lamps, then the device complexity is reduced, but the UV radiation distribution uniformity deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The waveguide serves as an intermediary that simplifies the overall device structure while simultaneously ensuring uniform UV-C radiation distribution. It passively distributes UV-C energy from simple LED sources along the entire fluid passageway, achieving manufacturing precision without complex control systems or multiple precisely positioned lamps.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces complex mechanical positioning systems (required for traditional mercury lamps to achieve uniform coverage) with an optical waveguide structure. The waveguide uses optical principles to automatically distribute UV-C radiation uniformly along the fluid path, reducing device complexity while maintaining radiation uniformity.
3Area of stationary object
If the UV-C source is positioned upstream under the sink, then the dispensing area coverage is improved, but the piping contamination risk increases
Solution Approach 1:
The UV-C LEDs are nested within the waveguide structure, which is in turn positioned within or adjacent to the fluid passageway. This nested arrangement allows the UV-C source to be integrated at the point of dispensing, providing coverage to the dispensing area while the waveguide contains and directs the UV-C radiation, preventing piping contamination.
Solution Approach 2:
The waveguide acts as an intermediary barrier between the UV-C LEDs and the external environment. It confines UV-C radiation within the fluid passageway area, enabling upstream positioning that covers the dispensing area while preventing UV-C leakage that could cause piping contamination.
4Device complexity
If a single UV-C source is used, then the device complexity is reduced, but the UV radiation coverage uniformity across the dispensing area deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses a single UV-C LED source but transforms its radiation pattern from a single-point source to a distributed linear source by coupling it with the waveguide. The UV-C radiation is distributed along the length of the waveguide, which corresponds to the length of the fluid passageway, achieving uniform coverage without requiring multiple LED sources.
Solution Approach 2:
The waveguide acts as an intermediary that distributes UV-C radiation from a single LED source uniformly along the fluid passageway. It transforms the concentrated radiation from one LED into a distributed radiation field that provides uniform coverage equivalent to multiple sources, thereby reducing device complexity while maintaining coverage uniformity.
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 provides effective disinfection by ensuring uniform UV-C radiation coverage across the dispensing area, reducing microbial contamination and maintaining a sanitized water supply with a smaller, cost-effective design that allows for higher fluid flow rates.
Implementation Method 1
the jacket is an optical element adapted to couple UV radiation from the UV-C LED around the outer periphery of the passageway by optimizing the distribution of the UV radiation emitted by the one or more UV-C LEDs
Implementation Method 2
wherein the jacket comprises a UV scattering material
Implementation Method 3
wherein said system further comprising a UV reflecting coating on the outside periphery of the jacket, to reflect the UV radiation reaching the outside of the jacket back into the jacket
Implementation Method 4
The disinfection of the fluid is achieved by deactivating the DNA of microorganisms. UV-C radiation in the short wavelength range of 100-280 nm acts on thymine, one of the four base nucleotides in DNA. When a UV photon is absorbed by a thymine molecule that is adjacent to another thymine within a DNA strand, a covalent bond or dimer between the molecules may be created
Data Source
Figure 1A~3C
Figure 4~5
AI summary
An in-line fluid purification system uses a jacket (26) surrounding a fluid passageway (28), formed of a UV transmissive material. The jacket (26) may be surrounded by a UV reflective material (30). UV radiation (20) is coupled into the jacket (26), and the jacket (26) disperses and reflects the radiation over the entire cross section of the passageway (28). In this way, UV illumination of the full cross section of a fluid passageway (28) is ensured.