Ultraviolet photoreactor for the purification of fluids

摘要

In order to disinfect and to detoxify a fluid, a photoreactor contains at least two light sources. One light source activates the catalytic function of a semiconductor material in the fluid to reduce the concentration of contaminants in the fluid, such as by breaking down organic contaminants into non-toxic compounds. A second light source acts directly on living biological entities to sterilize or kill them and thereby disinfect the fluid, and can also serve to activate a semiconductor photocatalyst that in turn causes further damage to biological contaminants. The semiconductor photocatalyst is desirably attached to an optically transmitting fiber substrate in the fluid. The second light source in one embodiment is external to the fluid and illuminates the photocatalyst through transmitting surfaces in a fluid containment vessel. The light sources can comprise respective sets of plural LEDs.

主权项

1. An apparatus for treating fluid comprising:
a housing comprising an inlet for receiving fluid to be treated and an outlet for delivering treated fluid, the housing defining a fluid flow path between the inlet and the outlet; a light transmitting fiber substrate in the fluid flow path; a semiconductor photocatalyst adhered to the substrate, the photocatalyst comprising at least a first photocatalyst with a first band gap wavelength; at least one first light source operable to deliver light to fluid in the housing to be treated, said at least one first light source emitting at least one first band of light having a center wavelength in the range from 250 nanometers to 285 nanometers so as to provide disinfection treatment of the fluid; and at least one second light source operable to deliver light to the photocatalyst in the fluid in the housing to be treated, said at least one second light source emitting at least one second band of light having a center wavelength at or below the first band gap wavelength so as to provide a photocatalytic reduction of contaminant concentrations in the fluid.