APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR IRRADIATION
An apparatus and method for irradiating a fluid containing a material to be irradiated, comprising at least one irradiation chamber having at least one inlet port, one or more UV radiation sources inside the irradiation chamber(s) optically coupled to the fluid in the irradiation chamber(s) via at least one UV-transparent window in contact with the fluid; one or more seals or gaskets disposed adjacent to the radiation sources to protect them from the fluid; and at least one heat exchange mechanism inside the irradiation chamber(s) thermally coupled to the radiation sources and to the fluid. The UV radiation sources and the at least one heat exchange mechanism are at least partially submerged in the fluid in the irradiation chamber.
1 . An irradiation apparatus comprising:
at least one irradiation chamber for a fluid containing a material to be irradiated, said chamber having at least one inlet port for fluid flow into the chamber;
one or more UV radiation sources inside the at least one irradiation chamber optically coupled to the fluid in the at least one irradiation chamber via at least one UV-transparent window in contact with the fluid in the irradiation chamber;
one or more seals or gaskets disposed adjacent to the one or more radiation sources to protect the one or more radiation sources from the fluid in the irradiation chamber; and
at least one heat exchange mechanism inside the at least one irradiation chamber thermally coupled to the one or more radiation sources and to the fluid in the at least one irradiation chamber;
wherein the one or more UV radiation sources and the at least one heat exchange mechanism are at least partially submerged in the fluid in the irradiation chamber.
2 . The irradiation apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the heat exchange mechanism comprises one or more of a printed circuit board, a metal core printed circuit board, a thermoelectric cooling device, a vapor chamber, a heatsink, a heat dissipation structure, a thermal transfer material, a material thermally coupled to a fluid.
3 . The irradiation apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the heat exchange mechanism is a heatsink or a thermal transfer material, or combinations thereof.
4 . The irradiation apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising one or more sensors which is used to dynamically control the power to the one or more UV radiation sources based on one or more sensor readings.
5 . The irradiation apparatus of claim 1 further comprising circuitry which monitors the status of the one or more UV radiation sources and provides feedback to monitoring circuitry.
6 . The irradiation apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the one or more UV radiation sources comprise one or more UV-C radiation sources, or a combination thereof.
7 . The irradiation apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the one or more UV radiation sources comprise a plurality of radiation sources arranged in an array.
8 . The irradiation apparatus of claim 1 , wherein one or more wavelengths of the one or more UV radiation sources are dynamically adjustable.
9 . The irradiation apparatus of claim 1 , wherein one or more wavelengths of the one or more UV radiation sources are selected based on an identification of a contaminant in the material to be irradiated.
10 . The irradiation apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the one or more UV radiation sources deliver one or more wavelengths to the material to be irradiated that induce fluorescence in the material to be irradiated thereby allowing for the identification of the contaminant in the material to be irradiated.
11 . The irradiation apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the one or more UV radiation sources deliver a combination of wavelengths to the material to be irradiated.
12 . The irradiation apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the one or more UV radiation sources comprise a micro plasma lamp.
13 . The irradiation apparatus of claim 1 , comprising a plurality of UV radiation sources and a plurality of irradiation chambers, each with at least one inlet and one outlet port, and all of the UV radiation sources are thermally coupled to the irradiation chambers.
14 . The irradiation apparatus of claim 1 , wherein a portion of the radiation from the one or more radiation sources is transmitted to surfaces of one or more irradiation chambers to inhibit biofilm formation on the surfaces.
15 . A method for irradiating a fluid containing a material to be irradiated disposed in an irradiation chamber, the irradiation method comprising:
(1) providing an irradiation apparatus comprising:
at least one irradiation chamber for a fluid containing a material to be irradiated, said chamber having at least one inlet port for fluid flow into the chamber;
one or more UV radiation sources inside the at least one irradiation chamber optically coupled to the fluid in the at least one irradiation chamber via at least one UV-transparent window in contact with the fluid in the irradiation chamber;
one or more seals or gaskets disposed adjacent to the one or more radiation sources to protect the one or more radiation sources from the fluid in the irradiation chamber; and
at least one heat exchange mechanism inside the at least one irradiation chamber thermally coupled to the one or more radiation sources and to the fluid in the at least one irradiation chamber;
wherein the one or more UV radiation sources and the at least one heat exchange mechanism are at least partially submerged in the fluid in the at least one irradiation chamber; and
(2) irradiating a fluid containing a material to be irradiated using said irradiating apparatus.
16 . The irradiation method of claim 15 , wherein the heat exchange mechanism comprises one or more of a printed circuit board, a metal core printed circuit board, a thermoelectric cooling device, a vapor chamber, a heatsink, a heat dissipation structure, a thermal transfer material, a material thermally coupled to a fluid.
17 . The irradiation method of claim 15 , wherein the heat exchange mechanism is coated with a water, medical or food safe material.
18 . The irradiation method of claim 15 , further comprising one or more sensors which is used to dynamically control the power to the one or more UV radiation sources based on one or more sensor readings.
19 . The irradiation method of claim 15 , further comprising circuitry which monitors the status of the one or more UV radiation sources and provides feedback to monitoring circuitry
20 . The irradiation method of claim 15 , wherein the one or more UV radiation sources comprise one or more UV-C radiation sources, or a combination thereof.
21 . The irradiation method of claim 15 , wherein the one or more UV radiation sources comprise a plurality of radiation sources arranged in an array.
22 . The irradiation method of claim 15 , wherein one or more wavelengths of the one or more UV radiation sources are dynamically adjustable.
23 . The irradiation method of claim 15 , wherein one or more wavelengths of the one or more UV radiation sources are selected based on an identification of a contaminant in the material to be irradiated.
24 . The irradiation method of claim 15 , wherein the one or more UV radiation sources deliver one or more wavelengths to the material to be irradiated that induce fluorescence in the material to be irradiated thereby allowing for the identification of the contaminant in the material to be irradiated.
25 . The irradiation method of claim 15 , wherein the one or more UV radiation sources deliver a combination of wavelengths to the material to be irradiated.
26 . The irradiation method of claim 15 , wherein the one or more UV radiation sources comprise a micro plasma lamp.
27 . The irradiation method of claim 15 , comprising a plurality of UV radiation sources and a plurality of irradiation chambers, each with at least one inlet and one outlet port, and all of the UV radiation sources are thermally coupled to the irradiation chambers.
28 . The irradiation method of claim 15 , wherein a portion of the radiation from the one or more radiation sources is transmitted to surfaces of one or more irradiation chambers to inhibit biofilm formation on the surfaces.
29 . An irradiation apparatus comprising:
at least one irradiation chamber for a fluid containing a material to be irradiated, said chamber having at least one inlet port for fluid flow into the chamber;
one or more UV radiation sources inside the at least one irradiation chamber optically coupled to the fluid in the at least one irradiation chamber via at least one UV-transparent window in contact with the fluid in the irradiation chamber;
one or more seals or gaskets disposed adjacent to the one or more radiation sources to protect the one or more radiation sources from the fluid in the irradiation chamber; and
at least one heat exchange mechanism inside the at least one irradiation chamber thermally coupled to the one or more radiation sources and to the fluid in the at least one irradiation chamber;
wherein the one or more UV radiation sources and the at least one heat exchange mechanism are at least partially submerged in the fluid in the irradiation chamber, and the UV lamp module assembly is constructed in such a way as to preferentially create convection currents in order to mix a stagnant tank volume.