Method and device for disinfecting and purifying liquids and gasses

Abstract

The present invention relates to a method for disinfecting and purifying liquids and gasses comprising; a) passing said liquids or gasses through a reactor or a combination of reactors, having a truncated compounded concentrator geometry; and b) simultaneously delivering and concentrating diversified electromagnetic and acoustic energies into a specific predetermined inner space of said compounded concentrator reactor, forming a high energy density zone in said reactor or reactors over a predetermined period of time. The reactor according to the present invention is preferably a compounded parabolic concentrator or a compounded ellipsoidal concentrator. The electromagnetic energy delivered and concentrated into and inside the reactor can be of any range of the electromagnetic spectrum, such as ultra-violet, visible, infra-red, microwave etc., or combination thereof. The acoustic energy is of any suitable frequency. The radiation source delivering the electromagnetic radiation can be enclosed within the reactor or can be external to the reactor.

1. A method of disinfecting and purifying a liquid or a gas, said method comprising the steps of:
 passing said liquid or gas through at least one reactor having a truncated compounded concentrator geometry; and 
 simultaneously delivering and concentrating diversified electromagnetic and acoustic ultrasonic energies into a predetermined inner space of said reactor to form a high energy density zone in said reactor over a predetermined period of time, 
 wherein the electromagnetic energy is ultra-violet (UV) radiation having a wavelength of from about 200 nm to about 400 nm. 
 
     
     
       2. A method according to  claim 1 , wherein the reactor is a compounded parabolic concentrator. 
     
     
       3. A method according to  claim 2 , wherein the liquid or gas is passed through an array of at least two said compounded parabolic concentrators connected serially. 
     
     
       4. A method according to  claim 2 , wherein the liquid or gas is passed through an array of at least two said compounded parabolic concentrators connected in parallel. 
     
     
       5. A method according to  claim 1 , wherein the reactor is a compounded ellipsoidal concentrator. 
     
     
       6. A method according to  claim 1 , wherein the electromagnetic energy is in any range of the electromagnetic spectrum. 
     
     
       7. A method according to  claim 1 , wherein the acoustic ultrasonic energy is of any suitable frequency. 
     
     
       8. A method according to  claim 1 , further comprising the step of positioning at least one source of the electromagnetic energy within the reactor. 
     
     
       9. A method according to  claim 1 , further comprising the step of positioning at least one source of the electromagnetic energy outside the reactor. 
     
     
       10. A method according to  claim 1 , further comprising the step of providing at least one source of the electromagnetic energy, which source is a laser. 
     
     
       11. A method according to  claim 10 , wherein the laser is a pulsed laser. 
     
     
       12. A method according to  claim 1 , further comprising the step of providing a radiation unit as a source of said electromagnetic energy, wherein the radiation unit, having a high intensity source of light, is a flash lamp having a high repetition rate of from about 1 Hz to about 50 kHz and a high peak power of from about 1 mJ to about 50 J. 
     
     
       13. A method according to  claim 1 , wherein an inner surface of the reactor is coated by a thin layer of photocatalyst. 
     
     
       14. A method according to  claim 13 , wherein the photocatalyst is TiO 2 . 
     
     
       15. A method according to  claim 1 , wherein the electromagnetic energy is ultra-violet (UV) radiation having a wavelength of from about 200 nm to about 400 nm. 
     
     
       16. A method according to claim  15  1, wherein the UV radiation is pulsed. 
     
     
       17. A compounded concentrator reactor device for use in a method of disinfecting and purifying a liquid or a gas, wherein:
 said reactor device is a hollow truncated concentrator having a passage for the liquid or gas, said passage having a wider inlet and a narrower outlet; and 
 said concentrator has a predetermined optical concentrating geometry capable of concentrating light to form a high density energy zone therein. 
 
     
     
       18. A device according  claim 17 , wherein the concentrator has an inner shape that has a compound parabolic or ellipsoidal concentrator geometry. 
     
     
       19. A device according to  claim 17 , wherein an inner wall of the concentrator has a coating comprising a photocatalyst layer. 
     
     
       20. A device according to  claim 19 , wherein the photocatalyst layer is made of TiO 2  (Titanium oxide dioxide). 
     
     
       21. A device according to  claim 20 , wherein the TiO 2  photocatalyst layer is plasma spattering coated to have a thickness of from about 0.8 micron to about 1000 micron. 
     
     
       22. A device according to  claim 20 , wherein said coating further comprises a substrate layer made of SiO 2  and having a thickness of from about 0.8 micron to about 1500 micron, said TiO 2  photocatalyst layer being coated on said substrate SiO 2  layer. 
     
     
       23. A device according to  claim 19 , wherein a refractive index of the coating is lower then a refractive index of the liquid or gas to flow in and be disinfected and purified by the reactor device. 
     
     
       24. A device according to  claim 17 , wherein
 an inner wall of the concentrator has a coating that has a plurality of grooves; 
 said grooves are arranged in parallel or in a grid configuration; and 
 a distance between two successive said grooves is less then a wavelength of light incident upon said grooves. 
 
     
     
       25. A device according to  claim 17 , wherein the reactor device is part of a reverse osmosis system or a filtration system. 
     
     
       26. A device according to  claim 17 , wherein an inner wall of the concentrator has a coating that is holographically grooved. 
     
     
       27. A device according to  claim 17 , further comprising a light source for generating light of a predetermined wavelength, said light source being optically coupled to said concentrator, wherein:
 an inner wall of the concentrator has a coating that has a plurality of grooves; 
 said grooves are arranged in parallel or in a grid configuration; and 
 a distance between two successive said grooves is less then said predetermined wavelength. 
 
     
     
       28. A method for disinfecting liquid comprising:
 passing liquid through a dielectric hollow waveguide in a direction of a longitudinal axis of said hollow waveguide; and   delivering ultraviolet radiation from an external radiation unit into said dielectric hollow waveguide to disinfect said liquid such that the ultraviolet radiation propagates in the direction of flow of said liquid substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis of said hollow waveguide.    
     
     
       29. The method of claim 28 comprising:
 delivering ultrasonic energy into said dielectric hollow waveguide.    
     
     
       30. A disinfection apparatus comprising:
 a dielectric hollow waveguide having a passage for liquid to be disinfected along its longitudinal axis, said passage having an inlet and an outlet; and   an external radiation unit positioned outside said hollow waveguide to deliver ultraviolet radiation into the waveguide to disinfect said liquid such that said radiation propagates in a direction of flow of said liquid substantially parallel to said longitudinal axis.    
     
     
       31. The disinfection apparatus of claim 30, wherein an inner wall of the waveguide device has a coating comprising a photocatalyst layer.  
     
     
       32. The disinfection apparatus of claim 31, wherein the photocatalyst layer comprises titanium dioxide.  
     
     
       33. The disinfection apparatus of claim 31, wherein said coating comprises a substrate layer of SiO 2  and said photocatalyst layer is on said substrate layer of SiO 2 .