Diffusively Reflective Flow Cell for Uniform UV Disinfection
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Solution Overview
Problem
UV disinfection systems using LEDs often result in non-homogeneous UV intensity distribution, leading to inefficient disinfection due to excess power requirements and uneven irradiance, especially when one LED fails in a multiple-LED system.
Innovation Solution
A flow cell design with highly diffusively reflective surfaces ensures uniform UV radiation distribution across the treatment volume, utilizing diffusive reflection to distribute light from point sources like LEDs or lasers, minimizing energy waste and allowing for efficient disinfection with fewer sources and reduced power consumption.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If UV LEDs with Gaussian intensity distribution are used for disinfection, then the disinfection system can be compact and use solid-state lighting, but the UV intensity distribution becomes non-homogeneous leading to inefficient disinfection
Solution Approach 1:
A diffuser element is introduced as an intermediary component between the UV LED and the fluid to be disinfected. This diffuser scatters the Gaussian-distributed UV light into a more uniform intensity distribution across the treatment area, eliminating the need for complex multi-LED arrangements while maintaining energy efficiency
Solution Approach 2:
The intensity distribution parameter of the UV radiation is transformed from a Gaussian profile to a uniform profile through the use of a diffuser. This parameter change ensures homogeneous disinfection across the entire fluid cross-section without requiring excess power to compensate for non-uniform distribution
2Reliability
If multiple UV LEDs are used to achieve sufficient disinfection coverage, then the desired fluence can be achieved across the fluid, but system complexity increases and reliability decreases due to potential LED failures
Solution Approach 1:
The diffuser acts as a mediator that allows a single UV LED to provide uniform illumination across the entire fluid cross-section, eliminating the need for multiple LEDs and their associated control circuits, thereby simplifying the system while maintaining reliable disinfection coverage
Solution Approach 2:
The diffuser element serves multiple functions simultaneously: it redistributes UV intensity uniformly, expands the effective treatment area, and enables a single LED to replace what would otherwise require multiple LEDs, thus achieving system simplification without compromising disinfection reliability
3Manufacturing precision
If excess UV power is applied to ensure uniform disinfection across the entire cross-section, then homogeneous germicidal effect is achieved, but energy consumption increases significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The spatial intensity distribution parameter of the UV radiation is changed from Gaussian to uniform through the diffuser, allowing the system to achieve homogeneous disinfection at the minimum required power level without the energy waste associated with over-irradiating certain areas
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 solution achieves uniform germicidal effects across the entire treatment volume with minimized energy consumption, maintaining effective disinfection even in the event of LED failure, as the diffusively reflective surfaces ensure all liquid is treated uniformly without overexposure or underexposure.
Implementation Method 1
the substantially uniform intensity distribution of UV radiation is enabled via the use of one or more highly diffusively reflective surfaces that effectively distribute UV light from only a few (or even just one) sources of UV light
Data Source
AI summary
In various embodiments, a fluid is treated by flowing the fluid through a flow cell having (i) a fluid entry, (ii) a fluid exit, (iii) a treatment region disposed between the fluid entry and exit, and (iv) an interior surface reflective to ultraviolet (UV) light, and diffusively reflecting UV light emitted from one or more UV light sources to illuminate the treatment region substantially uniformly, thereby treating the fluid.