Flowing fluid disinfection method and disinfector

Abstract

A method for disinfecting a fluid includes emitting UV light into a flowing fluid pillar along its axial direction. The flowing fluid pillar is surrounded by and in contact with a fluid medium having a refractive index lower than that of the fluid to be disinfected so that total internal reflection occurs when the UV light travels within the flowing fluid pillar. Also provided is a UV disinfector for disinfecting a flowing fluid.

1 - 11 . (canceled) 
     
     
         12 . A UV disinfector comprising
 a UV light source; and   a laminar flow injector comprising a housing for accommodating a fluid to be disinfected, the housing having a nozzle for generating therethrough a flowing fluid pillar of the fluid to be disinfected;   wherein the housing of the laminar flow injector has an outlet chamber connected with the nozzle, an inlet chamber connected with an inlet of the housing, and a laminar flow enforcer located between the inlet chamber and the outlet chamber, the laminar flow enforcer helps to generate a laminar flow in the flowing fluid pillar;   wherein the UV light source and the laminar flow injector are so configured that, when in use, UV light is emitted from the UV light source into the flowing fluid pillar and travels within the flowing fluid pillar along an axial direction of the flowing fluid pillar.   
     
     
         13 . The UV disinfector of  claim 12 , wherein the UV light source is mounted in the housing of the laminar flow injector, an emitting surface of the UV light source is exposed to the outlet chamber and aligned with the nozzle. 
     
     
         14 . The UV disinfector of  claim 12 , further comprising a germicidal housing having a germicidal chamber for receiving the flowing fluid pillar, wherein, when in use, there is a gap between an inner sidewall of the germicidal housing and a sidewall of the flowing fluid pillar. 
     
     
         15 . The UV disinfector of  claim 14 , wherein the UV light source is mounted to the germicidal housing and, when in use, an emitting surface of the UV light source is exposed to and in contact with a distal end of the flowing fluid pillar. 
     
     
         16 . The UV disinfector of  claim 14 , wherein an UV mirror is mounted to the germicidal housing for reflecting UV light traveling through the flowing fluid pillar and, when in use, the UV mirror is exposed to and in contact with a distal end of the flowing fluid pillar. 
     
     
         17 . The UV disinfector of  claim 12 , wherein the UV light source is a UVB or UVC LED light source.