FLUID FILTRATION APPARATUS

摘要

A fluid filtration apparatus, which includes a plurality of optical fibers each having a length, wherein one or more of the plurality of optical fibers exhibits frustrated total internal reflection, thereby emitting light along the length of one or more of the optical fibers, in combination with a photocatalyst disposed on the plurality of optical fibers and a light source interconnected to the plurality of optical fibers.

主权项

1. A method of removing contaminants from a fluid, the method comprising:
(a) sensing a velocity of fluid flow through a fluid filtration apparatus with a flow sensor, the fluid filtration apparatus including: a plurality of optical fibers; a photocatalyst disposed on one or more of the optical fibers of the plurality of optical fibers; a light source interconnected to the plurality of optical fibers; an amplifier interconnected to the light source; a housing comprising a fluid intake portion and a fluid discharge portion; the flow sensor disposed proximate to at least one of the fluid intake portion or discharge portion of the housing; and a controller interconnected to the amplifier and the flow sensor; (b) transmitting a signal from the flow sensor to the controller; and (c) responding, by the controller, to the signal by adjusting an intensity of the light source through the amplifier, wherein one or more optical fibers of the plurality of optical fibers exhibits frustrated total internal reflection; and wherein one or more of the optical fibers of the plurality of optical fibers includes a functional form of a radial distribution of the refractive index selected from the group consisting of a step-like functional form, a monotonic functional form, and a quadratic functional form.