UV-LED Reactor with Collimating Lens for Water Purification
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current UV reactors using mercury lamps are inefficient due to radiation loss to reactor walls and lack of precise control over fluid and optical environments, limiting their performance in applications like water purification.
Innovation Solution
A UV-LED reactor design featuring a conduit with a UV-LED and a radiation-focusing element, such as a collimating lens, to provide uniform and controlled UV exposure to fluid flows, allowing for precise control of UV fluence and hydrodynamics, and the use of photocatalysts for enhanced reactions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of energy
If mercury lamps are used as UV radiation sources, then the reactor can provide sufficient UV intensity, but radiation is lost to reactor walls and control over fluid and optical environments is poor
Solution Approach 1:
The invention divides the UV radiation source into multiple small UV-LEDs arranged in an array along the flow channel, replacing a single large mercury lamp. This segmentation allows each LED to be positioned optimally close to the fluid, minimizing radiation loss to walls while maintaining sufficient total UV intensity. The modular LED array design also simplifies the optical environment control.
2Productivity
If UV-LEDs are used instead of mercury lamps, then the reactor achieves compact design and precise control, but the radiation intensity must be optimized to match mercury lamp performance
Solution Approach 1:
The invention combines multiple UV-LEDs into an integrated array system that works together to deliver the required UV fluence. By merging the output of multiple smaller LEDs positioned along the flow channel, the system achieves the cumulative radiation intensity needed to match or exceed mercury lamp performance while maintaining the efficiency advantages of LED technology.
Solution Approach 2:
The UV-LEDs are positioned upstream and along the flow channel before the fluid exits, ensuring that the fluid receives the required UV dose during its transit through the reactor. This preliminary application of UV radiation maximizes the effectiveness of each LED's output and ensures complete treatment before the fluid leaves the irradiation zone.
3Measurement precision
If UV-LEDs are positioned with high degree of freedom, then precise control of optical environment is achieved, but the arrangement complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The invention applies different positioning strategies to different LEDs in the array based on their specific functions. LEDs positioned at the upstream end are optimized for initial irradiation, while LEDs positioned along the channel are optimized for continuous treatment. Each LED's position, orientation, and intensity are locally optimized to achieve uniform UV fluence distribution throughout the fluid flow, rather than using a uniform arrangement for all LEDs.
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 UV-LED reactor achieves high efficiency by minimizing radiation loss and ensuring uniform UV exposure, effectively inactivating microorganisms and degrading contaminants in water, making it suitable for various photoreactions and photocatalytic applications.
Implementation Method 1
an ultraviolet light emitting diode (UV-LED)... UV-LED radiation that is emitted into the fluid flow
Implementation Method 2
The focusing element of the reactor may be a focusing lens disposed proximate to the UV LED. The focusing lens may be a collimating lens
Implementation Method 3
UV reactors-reactors that contains UV radiation—are applied to many photoreactions, photocatalytic reactions, and photo-initiated reactions
Implementation Method 4
The reactor may contain a photocatalyst supported on a structure in the reactor
Data Source
AI summary
A reactor that operates with ultraviolet light emitting diodes (UV-LEDs) to attain UV photoreactions or UV photo-initiated reaction in a fluid flow for various applications, including water purification. The UV-LED reactor is comprised of a conduit means for passing fluid flow, an ultraviolet light emitting diode (UV-LED), and a radiation-focusing element to focus the UV-LED radiation to the fluid in the longitudinal direction of the conduit. The UV-LED reactor may include photocatalysts or chemical oxidants, which are activated by UV emitted by UV-LEDs for photocatalytic and photo-initiated reactions.