UV Lamp Array Output Modulation via Sensor Feedback
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional UV disinfection systems face inefficiencies due to inconsistent UV lamp degradation, leading to overdriving lamps, increased electricity costs, and premature failures, as they assume uniform degradation across all lamps and fail to account for variable losses in power distribution.
Innovation Solution
Implementing a system where UV lamps can measure their own irradiance and transmittance values, sharing this data with other lamps to adjust their output and maintain a consistent fluence rate, independent of lamp age or connection losses, thereby compensating for underperforming or overperforming lamps.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conventional UV disinfection systems assume uniform degradation across all lamps and overdrive lamps to compensate, then disinfection effectiveness is maintained, but electricity costs increase and lamp lifespan decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The system implements feedback by having each lamp measure its own irradiance and transmittance values, share this data with other lamps, and dynamically adjust output based on real-time performance data. This eliminates the need for overdriving lamps to compensate for degradation, as each lamp's actual performance is monitored and used to maintain disinfection effectiveness while optimizing energy consumption.
Solution Approach 2:
Each UV lamp performs self-diagnosis by measuring its own irradiance and transmittance values. The lamp autonomously determines its performance status and communicates this information to the system, enabling self-regulation without requiring external monitoring or manual intervention to maintain disinfection effectiveness.
2Device complexity
If conventional UV disinfection systems assume uniform degradation across all lamps, then system control is simplified, but variable losses in power distribution are not accounted for leading to inefficiencies
Solution Approach 1:
The system replaces simplified uniform degradation assumptions with real-time feedback from individual lamp measurements. Each lamp measures its own irradiance and transmittance, and the system uses this specific data to control each lamp's output independently, accounting for variable power distribution losses while maintaining manageable system complexity through automated control.
3Device complexity
If UV lamps operate without real-time performance monitoring, then system operation is simpler, but lamp failures are not detected early leading to increased downtime
Solution Approach 1:
The system implements continuous feedback monitoring where each lamp measures its own irradiance and transmittance values in real-time. This early detection capability allows the system to identify underperforming lamps before complete failure occurs, enabling timely maintenance intervention and reducing overall lamp downtime despite the added monitoring complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
Each UV lamp autonomously monitors its own performance by measuring irradiance and transmittance values. The lamp self-diagnoses its status and communicates this information to the system, enabling early failure detection without requiring complex external monitoring equipment or manual inspection procedures.
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
This approach ensures effective disinfection while reducing wasted power, extending lamp lifespan, and minimizing downtime by dynamically adjusting UV output based on real-time performance data.
Implementation Method 1
receiving sensor data corresponding to one of a plurality of lamps within the array, wherein the sensor data comprises an irradiance value from at least one of: within a lamp sleeve and an irradiance value from outside a lamp sleeve
Implementation Method 2
The UV treatment may damage nucleic acids of the pathogens. The disruption of the genetic material may render the pathogens incapable of performing vital cellular functions
Implementation Method 3
UV may also be used to treat contaminants in water, such as trace amounts of pesticides, solvents, or other organic molecules. In this case, the UV wavelengths are used to directly affect chemical bonds of the contaminant, a process called photolysis
Implementation Method 4
by acting on water itself to create radical species
Implementation Method 5
by converting an added chemical such as hydrogen peroxide or ozone to a radical species, such as OH radicals
Data Source
AI summary
An embodiment provides method for controlling lamp output within an array of lamps, including: receiving sensor data corresponding to one of a plurality of lamps within the array, wherein the sensor data comprises an irradiance value from at least one of: within a lamp sleeve and an irradiance value from outside a lamp sleeve; identifying, based the sensor data, a change in an output of the one of the plurality of lamps; sharing the sensor data with other of the plurality of lamps within the array; and adjusting, in response to the sharing, an output of at least one of the other of the plurality of lamps within the array, thereby compensating for the change in the output of one of the plurality of lamps. Other aspects are described and claimed.