System and method for sterilization of a liquid

Abstract

Apparatus and method for sterilization of liquid includes a liquid container containing a liquid and having a piezoceramic ring that is connected to a power supply system. Power supply system supplies electric signals to the piezoceramic ring that are transformed into mechanical waves and cause vibrations in the liquid.

1 . An apparatus to substantially sterilize a liquid comprising:
 a ring of vibratable material, said ring being of an arbitrary shape and length, and having an internal passage through which the liquid may flow, said ring further comprising a layer of matching material disposed between the ring and the liquid; and   a power supply system connected to said ring and adapted to supply electric waves to said ring at a frequency estimated to be a resonance frequency of a system formed by said ring and the liquid.   
     
     
         2 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein said vibratable material is comprised of a piezoceramic material. 
     
     
         3 . The apparatus of  claim 2 , wherein said piezoceramic material is coated on at least one surface by a conducting material. 
     
     
         4 . The apparatus of  claim 3 , wherein said electric waves cause said ring to vibrate along its thickness. 
     
     
         5 . The apparatus of  claim 4 , wherein said electric waves cause the ring to vibrate such that standing thickness waves are produced within the liquid. 
     
     
         6 . The apparatus of  claim 3 , wherein said electric waves cause said ring to produce torsion vibrations. 
     
     
         7 . The apparatus of  claim 6 , wherein said electric waves cause said ring to vibrate such that standing torsion waves are produced within the liquid. 
     
     
         8 . The apparatus of  claim 3 , wherein said electric waves cause said ring to vibrate along its length. 
     
     
         9 . The apparatus of  claim 8 , wherein said electric waves cause said ring to produce standing longitudinal waves within the liquid. 
     
     
         10 . The apparatus of  claim 1  wherein said power supply system comprises a pulse power supplier, a MHz power supplier, an amplifier, a controller, and a sensing device. 
     
     
         11 . The apparatus of  claim 10  wherein said electric waves are in the range of 0.1-20 MHz. 
     
     
         12 . The apparatus of  claim 10  wherein said power supply system further comprises a KHz power supplier. 
     
     
         13 . The apparatus of  claim 10 , further comprising a mixer to mix electric waves intended to produce thickness vibrations and electric waves intended to produce vibrations along the ring's length. 
     
     
         14 . The apparatus of  claim 10 , wherein said KHz power supplier is adapted to produce electric waves in the range of 20 to 500 KHz. 
     
     
         15 . The apparatus of  claim 1  wherein the acoustic velocity in the piezo material is gradually reduced to match the acoustic velocity in the liquid to minimize energy loss, when transmitting from the piezo material to the liquid. 
     
     
         16 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein said layer of matching material is made of silicone or plastic. 
     
     
         17 . The apparatus of  claim 1  wherein said layer of matching material has a thickness in the range of 0.1-10 times the thickness of said piezoceramic ring. 
     
     
         18 . The apparatus of  claim 1  wherein said layer of matching material comprises of more then one sub-layers made of different plastic materials. 
     
     
         19 . The apparatus of  claim 1  wherein said layer of matching material has a shape selected from the group consisting of convex, concave, tapered and polygon. 
     
     
         20 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the thickness of the matching layer depends on one or more of the thickness of the ring and on the applied frequency. 
     
     
         21 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein applying a signal of 1 volt and 1 MHz frequency to the ring, causes a pressure in the middle portion of the liquid filling the ring, wherein the pressure is higher than the pressure in the ring material. 
     
     
         22 . The apparatus of  claim 3 , wherein the apparatus is placed at one of the sites consisting of the connection between at two tubes, at the entrance of a liquid reservoir, the exit of a liquid reservoir, the entrance of a liquid pump and the exit of a liquid pump. 
     
     
         23 . The apparatus of  claim 3 , wherein the apparatus may move in horizontal and vertical axis of a liquid reservoir. 
     
     
         24 . The apparatus of  claim 3 , wherein the apparatus is placed on the outer side of a liquid filter and thereby liquid sterilization and filter cleaning may be performed substantially simultaneously and the vibration of the filter may be adapted to prevent biofilm formation in the filtering system. 
     
     
         25 . The apparatus of  claim 1  further comprising at least a second ring of vibratable material, wherein said second ring is connected to said first ring of vibratable material. 
     
     
         26 . The apparatus of  claim 1  comprising: a second piezoceramic ring, wherein the first and the second ring are constructed from the same or different piezo material, wherein the ring dimensions, shape and materials resulting in variable shapes of cavitation area along the ring. 
     
     
         27 . An apparatus to substantially sterilizing a liquid comprising:
 at least one container into which a liquid may enter;   a first ring of vibratable material and having an arbitrary shape and length, said ring at least partially residing inside of said container and having an inner passage through which the liquid may pass;   a second ring of vibratable material; and   a power supply system to supply electric waves to said ring.   
     
     
         28 . The apparatus of  claim 27 , wherein said power supply system supplies electric waves at a frequency estimated to be a resonance frequency of a system formed by said ring and the liquid. 
     
     
         29 . The apparatus of  claim 28 , wherein said power supply system supplies electric waves at a frequency estimated to be a resonance frequency of system formed by said ring and liquid within the inner passage of said ring. 
     
     
         30 . The apparatus of  claim 28 , wherein said power supply system supplies electric waves at a frequency estimated to be a resonance frequency of a system formed by said ring and a volume of liquid between the outside of said ring and an inner wall of said container. 
     
     
         31 . The apparatus of  claim 30 , wherein said power supply system also supplies electric waves at a frequency estimated to be a resonance frequency of a system formed by said ring and liquid within the inner passage of said ring. 
     
     
         32 . The apparatus of  claim 31 , wherein said electric waves cause said ring to vibrate along its thickness. 
     
     
         33 . The apparatus of  claim 31 , wherein said electric waves cause the ring to vibrate such that standing thickness waves are produced within the liquid. 
     
     
         34 . The apparatus of  claim 31 , wherein said electric waves cause said ring to produce torsion vibrations. 
     
     
         35 . The apparatus of  claim 31 , wherein said electric waves cause said ring to vibrate such that standing torsion waves are produced within the liquid. 
     
     
         36 . The apparatus of  claim 29 , wherein said electric waves cause said ring to vibrate along its length. 
     
     
         37 . The apparatus of  claim 31 , wherein said electric waves cause said ring to produce standing longitudinal waves within the liquid. 
     
     
         38 . The apparatus of  claim 31 , wherein the liquid is at least partially sterilized due to vibrations produced by said ring. 
     
     
         39 . The apparatus of  claim 38 , further comprising a filter, wherein filter blockage is avoided due to the at least partial sterilization of the liquid. 
     
     
         40 . The apparatus of  claim 27 , wherein the first ring is located at the entrance to the container and the second ring is located at the exit from the container. 
     
     
         41 . The apparatus of  claim 27 , further comprising a second power supply system connected to said second ring of vibratable material. 
     
     
         42 . The apparatus of  claim 31 , wherein a liquid enters the apparatus through an opening on said container and leaves the apparatus through an opening of the inner passage of said ring. 
     
     
         43 . The apparatus of  claim 31 , wherein a liquid enters the apparatus through an opening of the inner passage of said ring and leaves said apparatus through an opening on said container. 
     
     
         44 . The apparatus of  claim 27 , wherein ring has a disk shape having cavities wherein liquid can flow, the cavities having a shape selected from a group consisting of cylindrical, convex, concave, and tapered. 
     
     
         45 . A device to substantially sterilize a liquid comprising:
 a piezoceramic ring, said ring being of an arbitrary shape and length, and being attached to an inner diameter of a tubular sterilization container, which has an internal passage with non-flowing or flowing liquid; and   a power supply system connected to said ring and adapted to supply electric waves to said ring at a frequency estimated to be a resonance frequency of a system formed by said ring and the liquid; thereby focusing acoustic standing waves, wherein a cavitation column is produced in the middle of the ring,   
     
     
         46 . A device to substantially sterilize a liquid comprising:
 at least one container into which a liquid may enter;   a piezoceramic ring having an arbitrary shape and length, the ring disposed inside the container and having an inner passage through which the liquid may pass;   a power supply system to supply electric waves to the ring, thereby creating a focusing standing waves in the liquid passing through the ring and passing through the container by implying the action of both piezo element sides, wherein a high pressure cavitation column is formed in the middle of the ring, and pressure is created in the liquid passing the inner volume of the ring and the volume between container walls and outer wall of the ring.