CN1303002C - Fluid treatment system - Google Patents

Abstract

A fluid treatment system (10) is disclosed that includes a control device (102) for controlling the overall operation of the fluid treatment system (10). The ballast circuit (103) is connected to the electromagnetic radiation emitting means (14). In a preferred fluid treatment system (10), a ballast circuit (103) is inductively coupled to an electromagnetic radiation emitting device (14). The inductively coupled ballast circuit (103) inductively energizes an electromagnetic radiation emitting device (60) located in the electromagnetic radiation emitting arrangement (14) in accordance with a predetermined electrical signal from the control arrangement (102). In addition, the fluid treatment system (10) includes a radio frequency identification system (124) for monitoring the respective functions and operations of the electromagnetic radiation emitting device (14) and the filter device (16) used in the fluid treatment system (10).

Description

fluid handling system

This application claims priority under 35 U.S.C. 119(e) to U.S. Provisional Patent Application Serial No. 60/140,159, filed June 21, 1999, entitled "Water treatment System with an Inductively Coupled Ballast." This application also claims priority under 35 U.S.C. 119(e) to U.S. Provisional Patent Application Serial No. 60/140,090, filed June 21, 1999, entitled "Point-of-Use Water treatment System."

This application hereby includes by reference U.S. Patent Application entitled "Point-of-Use Watertreatment System," filed on the same date as this application.

field of invention

The present invention relates generally to water treatment systems, and more particularly to inductively coupled ballasts for non-contact power transfer to ultraviolet lamps in water treatment systems.

Background of the invention

The present invention addresses several problems associated with previously field-used home or office water treatment systems. The first problem is that conventional water treatment systems utilizing lamp arrangements with UV lamps in them are inefficient in terms of energy usage. Such lamp arrangements are generally operated continuously in order to prevent microbial growth in the water treatment system due to the UV lamp not being switched on. When conventional lamp arrangements are switched on, a long start-up time is required before the gas within the UV lamp is sufficiently excited to output light of a predetermined intensity to ensure sufficient destruction of microorganisms within the water treatment system. Water discharged from a water treatment system before the UV lamps have been sufficiently energized may have unacceptable numbers of viable microorganisms. Continuously running lamp installations use a large amount of energy and are therefore inefficient. Furthermore, where the lamp unit is operated continuously, for example overnight, the water in the water treatment system may become uncomfortably warm.

The second issue has to do with the design of reflector devices within water treatment systems. In an attempt to increase the efficiency of the lamp, reflector devices can be placed around the UV lamp and the water pipes in which the microorganisms are irradiated. Incident light from the UV lamp that does not hit the water pipe is reflected back from the reflector wall and thus has the opportunity to strike the water pipe again. Typically these reflector devices are circular in cross-section. Unfortunately, much of the UV light that is generated never reaches the water pipes. Instead, a significant portion of the light is reabsorbed by the UV lamp arrangement.

A third problem concerns the electrical connection of the lamp unit and the water treatment system. Whenever a light device is installed or removed in a water treatment system, the light device must be connected and disconnected mechanically and electrically with respect to the water treatment system. This often requires complex and expensive installation arrangements. Furthermore, care must be taken to ensure that the electrical connections are not exposed to moisture when delivering electrical power to the water treatment system.

Coaxially aligned light and filter arrangements are sometimes used in order to minimize the size of the water treatment system. A lamp unit and filter unit in a particular water treatment system may or may not be removed from said water treatment system. If these devices are removed at the same time, they are usually very bulky, since they are filled with water and have a great weight by themselves. Furthermore, even if the lamp unit and the filter unit are removed individually from the water treatment system, the problem of spillage from one of these units often occurs during treatment.

Another problem faced by water treatment systems with light devices is the need for complex monitoring systems to monitor the light devices. As the lamp device ages, the intensity of light output from the lamp device gradually decreases. Eventually, the intensity of the light drops below the value needed to achieve the desired rate of microbial kill. The lamp unit should be removed before a critical minimum intensity is reached. Thus, there is a need for a monitoring system to check the light intensity within a water treatment system. These monitoring systems are generally expensive. They usually require expensive UV detectors with quartz windows.

Conventional ballast control circuits use bipolar transistors and saturated transformers to drive lamp units. The ballast control circuit oscillates at a frequency related to the material and magnetic properties of the winding arrangements of these transformers. A circuit with a saturated transformer oscillator producing a square wave type output requires the transistors of the half bridge to be switched under load and requires a separate inductor to limit the current through the discharge lamp.

These and other disadvantages of existing water treatment systems using lamp arrangements and filter arrangements are addressed by the present invention.

Prior art ballast circuit configurations and water treatment systems that do not use inductively coupled ballast circuits are disclosed by US Pat. Prior art devices and systems using radio frequency identification systems are disclosed by US patent 5892458 and EP-A-0825577.

Summary of the invention

The present invention discloses an electronic control system for a water treatment system including an inductively coupled ballast circuit. The water treatment system filters water, inter alia, by directing a flow of water from a water source to a filter device. The filter device removes harmful particles from the water stream. After passing through the filter unit, the water is directed to a replaceable UV lamp unit. The UV lamp unit destroys organic matter in the source water by exposing the water to high intensity ultraviolet light as it passes through the UV lamp unit. The UV lamp unit provides virtually instantaneous high intensity UV light at the start of operation, which is superior to prior art water treatment systems which require a warm-up time. After the water stream exits the UV lamp unit, the water stream is directed out of the water treatment system through the outlet unit.

The overall operation of the water treatment system is controlled by a control unit electrically connected to the ultraviolet lamp unit and the filter unit. In a preferred embodiment, the control device is also connected with the flow detector, the ambient temperature detection circuit, the ambient light detection circuit, the ultraviolet light detection circuit, the power detection circuit, the display device, the sound generation circuit, the storage device, the communication port and the radio frequency identification system. connect. These devices are all monitored or controlled by the control unit and provide many advantages to the water treatment system as described below.

The flow detection circuit is used by the control unit to determine when the water is flowing so that power can be supplied to the UV lamp unit. And keep track of the volume of water treated by the water treatment system. The ambient temperature detection circuit measures the ambient temperature of the atmosphere so that the water treatment system can maintain the temperature above freezing point or a predetermined temperature. The ultraviolet light detecting circuit provides an electric signal corresponding to the intensity of ultraviolet light emitted by the ultraviolet lamp means to the control means. This is important because these measurements enable adjustments to be made by the control device so that the intensity of the UV light sent can be increased or decreased.

A power detection circuit provides an electrical signal to the control device indicating whether power is being supplied to the water treatment system by a conventional external power source, such as a wall outlet. The display device is controlled by the control device and is used for displaying status information of the water treatment system. The sound generating circuit is controlled by the control means to provide an audible sound in the event of a predetermined condition requiring attention in the water treatment system.

The water treatment system also includes storage means connected to the control means. The storage device is used to store various data values related to the water treatment system and its associated elements. In a preferred embodiment of the invention the memory means is an EEPROM or some other equivalent memory means. A communication port is connected to the control unit and provides two-way communication capability between the control unit and a peripheral device such as a personal computer or a hand-held monitoring device.

The RFID system includes a UV light transponder located in each UV light unit. Furthermore, the radio frequency identification system also includes a filter transponder located in the filter device. UV transponders and filter transponders communicate using radio frequency and radio frequency identification systems. Each transponder contains certain information specific to the UV lamp unit and filter unit. Those skilled in the art will understand that a contact type identification system may be used instead of a radio frequency identification system.

A preferred UV lamp unit is powered by an inductively coupled ballast circuit. A preferred inductively coupled ballast circuit is a self-oscillating half-bridge switching configuration operating at high frequencies for practically providing momentary UV lamp illumination. In addition, the self-oscillating oscillation of the inductively coupled ballast circuit using MOSFETs as switching elements is easy to achieve resonance, and it is designed to be suitable for the air-core transformer coupling structure, which simplifies the structure of the ultraviolet lamp device. Because of the air-core transformer coupling structure formed by the inductively coupled ballast circuit, this UV lamp unit is easy to replace.

A preferred inductively coupled ballast circuit includes a control circuit, an oscillator, a driver, a half-bridge switching circuit, a series resonant tank, a secondary coil, a resonant lamp circuit and an ultraviolet lamp. The oscillator is electrically connected to a control device that activates the oscillator by providing an electrical signal to the control circuit that excites the oscillator. During operation, the oscillator provides an electrical signal to the driver, which then energizes the half-bridge switching circuit. The half-bridge switching circuit excites the series resonant circuit, which in turn inductively excites the UV lamps in the UV lamp assembly.

The UV lamp assembly physically houses the UV lamp with the secondary coil, the resonant lamp circuit and the inductively coupled ballast circuit. Once the series resonant circuit is energized, the secondary coil in the UV lamp unit becomes inductively energized to illuminate the UV lamp. In a preferred embodiment, the resonant frequency of the inductively coupled ballast circuit is approximately 100 kHz. Thus, the secondary coil in the UV lamp arrangement also resonates at approximately 100 kHz. As previously mentioned, the resonant frequency of operation can be adjusted up or down by the control means to accommodate conventional component selection. In addition, the resonant frequency is also controlled by the choice of components in the series resonant tank, which will be detailed below.

Thus, a preferred embodiment of the present invention discloses a fluid treatment system comprising a control device; an inductively coupled ballast circuit inductively coupled to an electromagnetic radiation emitting device, wherein the inductively coupled ballast circuit The electric signal inductively excites the electromagnetic radiation emitting device in the electromagnetic radiation emitting device.

Another preferred embodiment of the present invention discloses a method of providing electromagnetic radiation in a fluid treatment system. The method comprises the steps of: generating a predetermined electrical signal with a control means; directing the predetermined electrical signal to an inductively coupled ballast circuit; and inductively actuating the inductively coupled ballast circuit in response to the predetermined electrical signal from the control means Electromagnetic radiation emitting devices in ballast circuits.

In another embodiment of the present invention, a fluid handling system having a radio frequency identification system is disclosed. The fluid treatment system includes a control device; a base station electrically connected to the control device; and at least one radio frequency identification transponder located in an electromagnetic radiation emitting device in radio frequency communication with the base station. In another preferred embodiment of the invention, said electromagnetic radiation emitting means are replaced by filter means.

Another preferred method disclosed herein relates to a method of monitoring information from an electromagnetic radiation emitting device in a fluid treatment system. The method includes the steps of: providing an electromagnetic radiation emitting device for use in the fluid treatment system; generating an electromagnetic radiation emitting device information signal by using an electromagnetic radiation emitting identification transponder located in the electromagnetic radiation emitting device; A base station in the fluid treatment system transmits an electromagnetic radiation emitting device information signal; and sends the electromagnetic radiation emitting device information signal to a control device. In another preferred embodiment, said electromagnetic radiation emitting means may be replaced by filter means.

These and other features and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent from the detailed description of the preferred embodiments of the invention given below when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

Description of drawings

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the main housing of the water treatment system with the top shield removed and the filter unit and UV lamp unit removed from the base unit;

2A-C are disassembled perspective views of the major components of the water treatment system;

Figure 3 is a block diagram of the main circuits and components of the water treatment system;

Fig. 4 is a block diagram of an inductively coupled ballast circuit;

5 is a schematic diagram of a portion of an inductively coupled ballast circuit, a ballast feedback circuit, and an interlock circuit;

Fig. 6 shows the secondary coil, the resonant lamp circuit and the ultraviolet lamp of the ultraviolet lamp device;

Fig. 7 is the schematic diagram of starter circuit;

Fig. 8 is a schematic circuit diagram of a radio frequency identification system used in a water treatment system;

Fig. 9 is the circuit principle diagram of flow detector;

Fig. 10 is a schematic diagram of the ambient light detection circuit;

Figure 11 is a schematic diagram of the ultraviolet light detector circuit'

Fig. 12 is a schematic diagram of the ambient temperature detector circuit;

Figure 13 is a schematic diagram of the sound generating circuit; and

Figure 14 is a schematic circuit diagram of the communication port.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PRESENTLY PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION

Referring to Figure 1, the present invention discloses an electronic control system for a water treatment system 10, typically using carbon-based filters and ultraviolet light, for purifying water. In order to understand the present invention, it is important to have a general understanding of the mechanical aspects of the preferred water treatment system 10 . The preferred water treatment system 10 includes a main housing 12 , a replaceable UV lamp assembly 14 and a filter assembly 16 . The UV lamp assembly 14 and filter assembly 16 are removable and replaceable from the main housing 12 . The main housing 12 includes a bottom shroud 18 a rear shroud 20 , a front shroud 22 , a top shroud 24 and an inner sleeve shroud 26 . The lens 28 accommodates a display device 106 (see FIG. 3 ), whereby information about the status of the water treatment system 10 is displayed via the display device 106 . To assemble the water treatment system 10 , the UV lamp unit 14 is firmly mounted on the main housing 12 , after which the filter unit 16 is installed above the UV lamp unit 14 and fixed on the main housing 12 .

Those skilled in the art will understand that the replaceable UV lamp unit 14 can be made in such a way that the UV lamp unit 14 can be non-replaceable. Furthermore, those skilled in the art will understand that the replaceable UV lamp unit 14 may be interchanged with several different types of electromagnetic radiation emitting units. As such, the present invention should not be limited to covering only water treatment systems using UV lamp arrangements, and those skilled in the art will appreciate that the disclosed UV lamp arrangements represent preferred embodiments of the present invention.

Referring to Figures 2A-C, the major mechanical components of water treatment system 10, which are relevant to the present invention, are shown in perspective views. As shown in FIG. 2A , the inner quill shroud 26 includes a plurality of inner quill covers 30 , an inlet valve arrangement 32 and an outlet cup arrangement 34 having an outlet cup 36 . Also disclosed is a bottom shroud arrangement 38 comprising the bottom shroud 18 and the inlet arrangement 40 and the outlet arrangement 42 . Electronics 44 are securely secured within bottom shield 18, the details of which will be described in greater detail below. These elements are securely mounted on bottom shroud 18 , rear shroud 20 , front shroud 22 , top shroud 24 , inner sleeve shroud 26 and lens 28 when water treatment system 10 is fully assembled. Magnetic retainers 46 and magnets 48 are also located in the top shield 24 of the preferred embodiment.

2B, the UV lamp assembly 14 generally includes a base member 50, a secondary coil 52, a bottom support member 54, a top support member 56, a pair of quartz sleeves 58, a UV lamp 60, an O-ring 62 and a pair of cooperating The package reflector component 64. Generally speaking, the secondary coil 52 , the bottom support 54 and the encapsulated reflector member 64 are connected to the base member 50 . Encapsulated reflector assembly 64 houses a pair of quartz tubes 58 , UV lamp 60 and O-ring 62 . When the UV lamp assembly 14 is fully assembled, the top support assembly 56 is securely fitted over the top of the package reflector member 64 .

As shown in FIG. 2C , the filter assembly 16 generally includes a base assembly 66 , a filter body assembly 68 , a filter housing 70 and an elastomeric filter housing retaining assembly 72 . Generally speaking, the filter body assembly 68 fits over the base assembly 66 which is enclosed within the filter housing 70 . A filter housing gripper 72 fits on top of the filter housing to provide better grip for moving the filter housing 70 . The filter means 66 filters the water flow by directing the water flow through the filter body means 68 before directing the water flow to the UV lamp means 14 .

Referring to Fig. 3, the present invention discloses an electronic control system 100 for a water treatment system 10, the general situation of which has been described above. In a preferred embodiment, water treatment system 10 is controlled by control device 102, which is preferably a microprocessor. As shown in the figure, the control device 102 is electrically connected to the ultraviolet lamp device 14 through an inductively coupled ballast circuit 103 . The control device 102 is also electrically connected to the ultraviolet lamp device 14 through two-way wireless communication, which will be described in detail below. During operation, the control unit 102 is capable of generating a predetermined electrical signal that is sent to the inductively coupled ballast circuit, which momentarily energizes the lamp unit 14, which then provides high intensity ultraviolet light for treating the water flow.

In a preferred embodiment, the control device 102 is also connected with a flow detector circuit 104, a display device 106, an ambient light detector circuit 108, a visible light detector circuit 110, a power supply detection circuit 112, an ambient temperature detector circuit 114, and a sound generation circuit 116. , storage device 118, communication port 120, ballast feedback circuit 122 and radio frequency identification system 124 are electrically connected. As shown in FIG. 3 , the ultraviolet radio frequency identification transponder 126 is connected to the ultraviolet lamp device 14 , and the filter radio frequency identification transponder 128 is connected to the filter device 16 . Ultraviolet RFID transponder 126 and filter RFID transponder 128 communicate with RFID system 124 using two-way wireless communication, as described in more detail below.

Generally speaking, flow detector circuit 104 is used by control device 102 to determine when water or fluid is flowing and to keep track of the volume of water or fluid being treated by water treatment system 10 . The display device 106 is used by the control device 102 to display information about the status of the water treatment system 10 . Several different types of display devices known in the art can be used in the present invention, however, the preferred display device is a vacuum fluorescent display device. The ambient light detector circuit 108 measures the amount of ambient light and then provides an electrical signal to the control device 102 so that it can adjust the intensity of the display device 106 accordingly.

The visible light detector circuit 110 provides an electrical signal to the control device 101 regarding the intensity value of the light emitted by the UV lamp device 14 . This is important because these signals enable the control device 102 to increase or decrease the intensity of the electromagnetic radiation emitted by the UV lamp device 14 . It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that the visible light detector circuit 110 may be replaced with a different electromagnetic radiation detector circuit capable of detecting the intensity of electromagnetic radiation emitted by various electromagnetic radiation emitting devices that may be used in the present invention .

The power detection circuit 112 supplies the control device 102 with an electric signal indicating the presence or absence of power of the water treatment system 10 . Power is provided to water treatment system 10 by an external power source, such as a conventional electrical outlet. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that there are various circuits that monitor the external power supply and provide corresponding electrical signals in response to the power being consumed.

The ambient temperature detector circuit 114 measures the ambient temperature of the atmosphere so that the water treatment system 10 can maintain a temperature above freezing, or maintain a predetermined temperature. The control unit 102 can activate the UV lamp 60 to generate heat when required. Sound generation circuitry 116 is used by control device 102 to generate auditory representations. The described audible representations generally occur while water treatment system 10 is undergoing predetermined system conditions. These predetermined system states are recognized by the control device 102, which then activates the sound generating circuit 116 to generate an audible indication.

As previously mentioned, the storage device 118 is also electrically connected to the control device 102 . Storage device 118 is used to store various data values related to water treatment system 10 and its associated components. In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, storage device 118 is an EEPROM or some other equivalent storage device. Those skilled in the art will understand that various memory devices are available that can be used in the present invention.

Communication port 120 may also be electrically connected to control device 102, which enables two-way communication between water treatment system 10 between control device 102 and a peripheral device such as a personal computer or a handheld monitoring device. In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, communication port 120 communicates with peripheral devices using an RS-232 communication platform. In other preferred embodiments, the communication port 120 can also be connected to the UV lamp unit 14 and the filter unit 16 to monitor and control various operating characteristics of these devices. However, in the presently preferred embodiment of the invention, the radio frequency identification system 124 is used to report information about the UV lamp means 14 and filter means 16 to the control means 102 .

In the preferred embodiment shown in FIG. 3 , RFID system 124 reports various information to control unit 102 using signals from UV RFID transponder 126 and filter RFID transponder 128 . During operation, the UV RFID transponder 126 and the filter RFID transponder 128 communicate with the RFID system 124 using radio. Because the UV lamp unit 14 and filter unit 16 are designed to be replaceable at the end of their useful life, each UV lamp unit 14 and filter unit 16 contains a transponder 126, 128 storing information specific to each unit. Those skilled in the art should understand that the ultraviolet radio frequency transponder can be used in combination with other electromagnetic radiation emitting devices or devices. The radio frequency identification system 124 will be described in detail below.

Referring to FIG. 4 , in the presently preferred embodiment of the present invention, the ultraviolet lamp unit 14 is energized by an inductively coupled ballast circuit 103 electrically connected to the control unit 102 . The inductively coupled ballast circuit 103 is a self-oscillating half-bridge switching structure, which operates at high frequency and practically provides instantaneous UV lamp irradiation. In addition, self-oscillation of the inductively coupled ballast circuit 103 using MOSFETs as switching elements is easy to achieve resonance, and it is designed to be suitable for an air-core transformer coupling structure, which simplifies the structure of the ultraviolet lamp device 14 . Because of the air-core transformer coupling structure formed by the inductively coupled ballast circuit 103, such an ultraviolet lamp device 14 or other electromagnetic radiation emitting device is easily replaceable. Those skilled in the art should understand that the inductively coupled ballast circuit 103 is also suitable as a general ballast circuit.

As shown in FIG. 4, the inductively coupled ballast circuit 103 includes a control circuit 142, an oscillator 144, a driver 146, a half-bridge switching circuit 148, a series resonant circuit 150, a secondary coil 52 (see FIG. 2), and a resonant lamp circuit 152. and UV lamp 60. The oscillator 144 is electrically connected to the control device 102 , the control device energizes the oscillator 144 by providing an electrical signal to the control circuit 142 for activating the oscillator. During operation, oscillator 144 provides an electrical signal to driver 146 , which in turn causes half-bridge switching circuit 148 to be energized. The half-bridge switching circuit 148 excites the series resonant tank 150 which in turn inductively excites the UV lamps 60 in the UV lamp assembly 14 .

As also shown in FIG. 4, the UV lamp assembly 14 houses the secondary coil 52, the resonant lamp circuit 152 and the UV lamp 60, while the electronics 44 (FIG. 2) includes a control circuit 142, an oscillator 144, a driver 146, a half-bridge switch circuit 148 and series resonant tank 150 . As previously mentioned, once the series resonant circuit is energized, the secondary coil 52 in the UV lamp unit 14 becomes inductively energized. In the preferred embodiment, the resonant frequency of the ballast circuit 103 is approximately 100 kHz. Thus, the secondary coil 52 in the UV lamp unit 14 also resonates at approximately 100 kHz. As before, the resonant frequency of operation can be adjusted up or down by the control means 102 to accommodate conventional component selection. In addition, the resonant frequency is also controlled by the selection of components in the series resonant tank 150, which will be described in detail below.

Referring now to FIG. 5 , the control circuit 142 is electrically connected to the control device 102 and the oscillator 144 . The control circuit 142 includes a plurality of resistors 156 , 158 , 160 , 162 , 164 , 166 , a plurality of capacitors 168 , 170 , 172 , a diode 174 , a first operational amplifier 176 , and a second operational amplifier 178 . As shown, resistor 156 is connected to a first direct current ("DC") power source 180, an output of control device 102, and resistor 158. Resistor 158 is also connected to diode 174 , resistor 160 and resistor 168 . The first DC power source 180 is connected to the capacitor 168 which is also connected to the diode 174 . Diode 174 is also connected to ground connection 182, as understood by those skilled in the art. Resistor 160 is connected to the negative input of operational amplifier 176 and the positive input of operational amplifier 178 to complete the current path from control unit 102 to operational amplifiers 176,178.

Referring again to the control circuit 142 shown in FIG. 5 , the resistor 162 is connected to the second DC power source 184 and connected in series with the resistors 164 , 166 . Resistor 166 is connected to ground connection 182 and capacitor 170 , which in turn is connected to DC power source 180 and resistor 164 . The positive input of operational amplifier 176 is electrically connected between resistors 162 and 164 , which provides a DC reference voltage to operational amplifier 176 during operation. The negative input of operational amplifier 178 is electrically connected between resistors 164 and 166, which provides a DC reference voltage to operational amplifier 178 during operation. The outputs of operational amplifiers 176, 178 are connected to oscillator 144, as described in more detail below.

During operation, the control circuit 142 receives an electrical signal from the control device 102, which then acts as a window comparator such that it switches only when the input voltage generated by the control device 102 is within a certain voltage window, the signal from the control device 102 The preferred signal is an AC signal which, together with its duty cycle signal, enables the control device 102 to switch the UV lamp 60 on and off by inductively coupling the remaining components of the ballast circuit 103, as described below. The control circuit 142 also prevents false triggering and enables positive control when the control device 102 fails.

As shown in FIG. 5 , the first DC power source 180 and the second DC power source 184 provide power for the current shown in FIG. 5 . Those skilled in the art of electronic circuits will understand that such DC power supply circuits are well known in the art and are beyond the scope of the present invention. For the purposes of the present invention, it is important to note that such circuits exist and can be designed to produce various DC voltage values from a given AC or DC source. In the preferred embodiment of the invention, signals of +14 VDC and +19 VDC are used, as shown throughout the figures. Those skilled in the art should understand that the circuit disclosed in FIG. 5 can be designed to operate at different DC voltages, and these values should not be taken as limitations of the present invention.

In the preferred embodiment shown in FIG. 5, the output of the control circuit 142 is connected to an interlock circuit 190 to prevent the UV lamp 60 from being energized when the water treatment system 10 is not properly assembled. The interlock circuit 190 includes a magnetic interlock sensor 192 , a plurality of resistors 193 , 194 , 196 , 198 , 200 , 202 , 204 , a transistor 206 and a diode 208 . Referring to FIG. 1, in a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the magnetic interlock sensor 192 is positioned such that the water treatment system 10 will not energize the UV lamps when the top shield 24 is not secured to the inner sleeve shield 26. 60. However, those skilled in the art should understand that the magnetic interlock sensor 192 can also be placed in other suitable locations of the water treatment system 10 .

5, when magnetic interlock sensor 192 detects that water treatment system 10 is not properly assembled, magnetic interlock circuit 190 operates by inputting the output of control circuit 142 through resistor 206 to ground connection 182, as described above. Those skilled in the art will understand that if the water treatment system 10 is not properly assembled, the output of the magnetic interlock sensor 192 will generate a current through the resistors 194, 196 and 198, thereby energizing the gate of the transistor 206, thereby causing the control circuit 142 The output signal is shorted to ground connection 182 . Magnetic interlock sensor 192 is powered by second DC power supply 184 via resistor 193 and is also connected to ground connection 182 . In addition, the magnetic interlock sensor 192 sends a signal to the control device 102 through the combination of the resistors 200 , 202 and 204 , the diode 208 , the first DC power source 180 and the second DC power source 184 . The signal also enables the control device 102 to determine whether the water treatment system 10 is properly assembled. To this end, interlock circuit 190 provides two methods to ensure that UV lamps 60 are not energized when water treatment system 10 is not properly assembled.

Referring again to FIG. 5 , oscillator 144 provides an electrical signal that energizes driver 146 when water treatment system 10 is treating a flow of water. Oscillator 144 starts operating as soon as an electrical signal is sent from control device 102 via control circuit 142, as described above. The preferred oscillator 144 includes an operational amplifier 210 , a linear bias resistor 212 , a buffer circuit 214 , a buffer feedback protection circuit 216 and a positive feedback circuit 218 . During operation, operational amplifier 210 receives input signals from control circuit 142 , linear bias resistor 212 , and positive feedback circuit 218 . The operational amplifier 210 is also connected to a second DC power supply 184 which drives the operational amplifier 210 and to a ground connection 182 .

As shown in FIG. 5 , the preferred buffer circuit 214 includes a first transistor 220 , a second transistor 222 and a pair of resistors 224 , 226 . The output of the operational amplifier 210 is connected to the gates of the transistors 220 , 222 to control the operation of the transistors 220 , 222 . The second DC power source 184 is connected to the resistor 224 , and the resistor 224 is also connected to the collector of the transistor 220 . The emitter of transistor 220 is connected to resistor 226 , the emitter of transistor 222 and the input of driver 146 . The collector of transistor 222 is connected to ground connection 182 . During operation, buffer circuit 214 buffers the output signal from operational amplifier 210 and prevents load changes from pulling the oscillation frequency. In addition, buffer circuit 214 increases the effective gain of inductively coupled ballast circuit 103 , which helps ensure fast start-up of oscillator 144 .

Buffer feedback protection circuit 216 includes a pair of diodes 228 , 230 electrically coupled to the output of buffer circuit 214 via resistor 226 . As shown in FIG. 5 , the second DC power source 184 is connected to the cathode of the diode 228 . The anode of diode 228 and the cathode of diode 220 are connected to resistor 226 and linear bias resistor 212 . Linear bias resistor 212 provides a bias feedback signal to the negative input of operational amplifier 210 . Additionally, the anode of diode 230 is connected to ground connection 182 , which completes buffer feedback protection circuit 216 . During operation of the water treatment system 10 , the snubber feedback circuit 216 protects the snubber circuit 214 from feedback to the gate leakage Miller effect.

As shown in FIG. 5 , the positive feedback circuit 218 includes a first multi-winding transformer 232 , a plurality of resistors 234 , 236 , 238 , a pair of diodes 240 , 242 , and a capacitor 244 . The secondary side of the transformer is connected to the output of the half-bridge switching circuit 148 and the series resonant tank 150 , as shown in FIG. 5 . In addition, one winding from each secondary coil of the multi-winding transformer 232 is connected to the other winding of the opposing secondary coil in the transformer 232 .

The first primary winding of transformer 232 is connected to resistors 234 , 236 , 238 , diodes 240 , 242 , and to the positive input of operational amplifier 210 . The second primary winding of the transformer 232 is connected to the resistor 238 , the cathode of the diode 242 , the anode of the diode 240 and the capacitor 244 . Thus, resistor 238 and diodes 242, 244 are connected in parallel with the first and second secondary windings of transformer 232, as shown in FIG. Capacitor 244 is also electrically connected to the negative input of operational amplifier 210 . Additionally, resistor 234 is connected to second DC power source 184 and resistor 236 is connected to ground connection 182 . Resistors 234 , 236 and 238 protect operational amplifier 210 from overcurrent and diodes 240 , 242 limit the feedback signal sent to the input of operational amplifier 210 .

During operation, oscillator 144 receives a signal from control circuit 142 to charge capacitor 244 , which then sends an electrical signal to the negative input of operational amplifier 210 . The output of operational amplifier 210 is input to driver 146 , which drives half-bridge switching circuit 148 . As shown in FIG. 5 , transformer 232 is connected in this current path and sends electrical signals back through current limiting resistors 234 , 236 , and 238 , and ultimately back to the input of operational amplifier 210 . Transformer 232 enables oscillator 144 to self-oscillate and inductively coupled ballast circuit 103 maintains oscillation until control device 102 shuts down water treatment system 10 or transistor 206 of interlock circuit 190 pulls down the input of oscillator 144 .

Referring again to FIG. 5 , the output of the oscillator 144 is electrically connected to a driver 146 , which in this embodiment includes a first primary winding of a second multi-winding transformer 246 . The second transformer 246 is the preferred driver 146 because the phase arrangement of the transformer 246 ensures that the half-bridge switching circuits 148 are alternately driven, which avoids shoot-through conduction. The dual configuration of capacitors 248, 250 is coupled to the secondary winding of transformer 246 to prevent DC overcurrent in transistor 246. Capacitor 246 is also connected to ground connection 182 and capacitor 250 is also connected to second DC power source 184 .

The two secondary windings of the transformer 246 are electrically connected to the half bridge switching circuit 148 which receives power from the transformer 246 during operation. As shown in FIG. 5 , the half bridge switching circuit 148 is electrically arranged as a MOSFET totem pole half bridge switching circuit 252 driven by the two secondary windings of the transformer 246 . The MOSFET totem pole half-bridge switch circuit 252 includes a first MOSFET transistor 254 and a second MOSFET transistor 256, which is superior to conventional bipolar transistor circuits. Energy is transferred from the driver 146 to the MOSFET transistors 254, 256 through a plurality of resistors 258, 260, 262, 264. The MOSFET transistors 254, 256 are designed to be a soft switch at zero current and have conduction losses only during operation. The output produced by MOSFET transistors 254, 256 is more sinusoidal in form, having fewer harmonics than conventional bipolar transistors. Using MOSFET transistors 254, 256 also has the advantage of reducing radio frequency interference generated by MOSFET transistors 254, 256 when switching during operation.

In the preferred half-bridge switching circuit 148 shown in FIG. 5, the first secondary winding of the transformer 246 is connected to resistors 258,260. The second secondary winding of transformer 246 is connected to resistors 262,264. Resistor 260 is connected to the gate of MOSFET transistor 254 , and resistor 264 is connected to the gate of MOSFET transistor 256 . The first secondary winding of transformer 246 and resistor 258 are connected to the emitter of MOSFET transistor 254 as shown. The secondary winding of transformer 246 and resistor 264 are connected to the gate of MOSFET transistor 256 . The collector of the MOSFET transistor 254 is connected to the second DC power source 184 , and the emitter of the MOSFET transistor 254 is connected to the collector of the MOSFET transistor 256 . The emitter of MOSFET transistor 256 and resistor 262 are connected to ground connection 182 .

Another advantage of the driver 146 is that the multi-winding transformer 246 is a very common device for supplying the MOSFET transistors 254, 256 with gate voltages in excess of the second DC supply 184, which is a necessary condition. The MOSFET transistors 254, 256 provide additional advantages by inherently having diodes in their construction to protect the MOSFET totem pole half-bridge switching circuit 252 from load transients. Furthermore, when the load changes, the excess voltage reflected by the series resonant tank 150 returns to the supply line through the inherent diodes within the MOSFET transistors 254,256.

Referring to Figure 5, the output of the half-bridge switching circuit 148 is connected to the input of a series resonant tank 150 which in turn inductively excites the secondary coil 52 of the UV lamp unit 14. As mentioned above, in the preferred embodiment of the present invention, the positive feedback circuit of the oscillator 144 is connected to the output of the half-bridge switching circuit 148 and the input of the series resonant tank 150 for feeding the operational amplifier 210 of the oscillator 144 during operation. Provide feedback. However, the output of the half-bridge switching circuit 148 is connected to the input of the series resonant tank 150 through the secondary coil of the transformer 232, as shown in FIG. 5 .

Referring to FIG. 5 , the series resonant tank 150 includes an inductive coupler 270 , a parallel combination of a pair of storage capacitors 271 , 272 , a pair of diodes 274 , 276 and a capacitor 278 . The inductive coupler 270 is connected to the secondary coil of the transformer and is connected between the energy storage capacitors 271,272. The energy storage capacitor 271 is also connected to the second DC power source 184 , and the energy storage capacitor 272 is also connected to the ground connection 182 . In addition, the energy storage capacitor 271 is connected to the second DC power source 184 and the anode of the diode 274 . Both the cathode of diode 274 and capacitor 278 are connected to second DC power source 184 . Capacitor 278 is connected to the anode of diode 276 and to ground connection 182 . The storage capacitor 272 is also connected to the cathode of the diode 276 .

It is important to note that the series resonant tank 150 bears all the stray inductance of the combination of components of the inductively coupled ballast circuit 103 . This is important because stray inductance, which is the combined inductance experienced by the series resonant tank 150, will greatly limit power supply transients under any conditions outside the resonance. The inductance of the secondary coil 52 and the resonant lamp circuit 152 is also reflected by the impedance value which helps determine and limit the power supplied to the secondary coil 52 of the UV lamp arrangement. Generally speaking, the forced oscillator/transformer combination has power transfer limitations because of stray and reflected inductance. In other words, the inductance of the transformer and capacitor are in series in the load.

The operating frequency of the series resonant tank 150 is set to approximately 100KHz, which is determined by the inductance of the inductive coupler 270 and the parallel capacitance value of the storage capacitors 271, 272, which in the preferred embodiment are 0,1 uF. The storage capacitors 271, 272 must have a low dissipation factor and be able to handle large current values, which at startup are 14 amps. The resonant frequency can be adjusted up or down and has been chosen so that conventional components can be used.

The inductive coupler 270 includes 10 turns of wire for generating the power required to inductively energize the secondary coil 52 in the UV lamp assembly 14 . An inductive coupler 270 is disposed in the outlet cup 36 (see FIG. 2A ) of the water treatment system 10 and the wires are wrapped around the outlet cup which is approximately 3.5 inches in diameter. In a preferred embodiment, stranded wire is used as the inductive coupler 270 because it is particularly efficient in terms of performance and operating temperature due to fringing effects caused by the high currents generated when operating at 100KHz. As noted above, during operation, the inductive coupler 270 inductively energizes the secondary coil 52 of the UV lamp assembly 14 .

Referring to FIG. 2A , when the water treatment system 10 is assembled, the secondary coil 52 of the UV lamp assembly 14 is disposed within the outlet cup 36 and the inner sleeve shroud 26 . In a preferred embodiment, the secondary coil 52 has 55 turns of small diameter wire wound within the secondary coil 52 having a diameter of approximately 2 inches. It is important to note that the connection between the outlet cup 36 and the base assembly 50 housing the secondary coil 52 is designed with large air gap and misalignment tolerances. In fact, the gap is used to adjust the coupling coefficient, thereby adjusting the operating point of the UV lamp 60 . Furthermore, the present invention provides additional advantages by providing connections that do not require specific contacts of the UV lamp assembly 14 because of the inductively coupled ballast circuit 103 .

It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the above proposed inductively coupled ballast circuit 103 can be easily incorporated into other lighting systems and offers advantages over prior art ballast circuits since it does not require physical Connect to drive lights. This enables the UV lamp unit 14 to be easily replaced once it has reached the end of its operational life. Inductively coupled ballast circuit 103 is capable of instantaneously energizing several different types of lamps or bulbs.

Referring again to FIG. 5 , the ballast feedback circuit 122 is electrically connected to the inductive coupler 270 of the series resonant tank 150 and the control device 102 . The ballast feedback circuit 122 provides feedback to the control device 102 when the inductively coupled ballast circuit 103 drives the UV lamp 60 . This enables the control device 102 to control the power supplied by the inductive coupler 270 to the secondary coil of the UV lamp device 14 . This enables the control unit 102 to determine whether the UV lamp unit 60 is switched on, and, in other embodiments, also determine the amount of current and voltage applied to the UV lamp 60 .

As shown in FIG. 5 , the ballast feedback circuit 122 includes an operational amplifier 280 , a pair of resistors 282 , 284 , a pair of diodes 286 , 288 and a capacitor 290 . The signal from series resonant tank 150 is sent to the anode of diode 286 . The cathode of diode 286 is connected to capacitor 290 and resistor 282 . In addition, resistor 282 is connected to the anode of diode 288 , resistor 284 and the positive input of operational amplifier 280 . Resistor 284 is also connected to the positive input of operational amplifier 280 and DC power supply 180 . The capacitor 290 is also connected to the first DC power source 180 while the cathode of the diode 288 is connected to the second DC power source 184 . The negative input of operational amplifier 280 is directly connected to the output of operational amplifier 280 . The output of the operational amplifier 280 is connected to the control device 102 so that the operational amplifier 280 provides a feedback signal to the control device 102 .

Referring to FIG. 6 , the UV lamp device 14 includes a UV lamp 60 , a resonant lamp circuit 152 and a secondary coil 52 . The ultraviolet lamp 60 includes a pair of bulbs 300,302, and a pair of filaments 304,306. The bulbs 300 , 302 are held together with an upper 308 and a lower 310 connecting bracket. The secondary coil 52 is connected to a resonant lamp circuit 152 which in turn is connected to the filaments 304 , 306 of the UV lamp 60 . The resonant lamp circuit 152 includes a capacitor 312 electrically connected to a starter circuit 314 .

Although a UV lamp assembly 14 is presented in the preferred embodiment of the present invention, as previously described, those skilled in the art will appreciate that other electromagnetic radiation emitting assemblies may be used in the present invention. For example, the ultraviolet lamp device 14 may use a pulsed white light lamp or an insulating barrier discharge lamp for killing microorganisms in the water flow. Those skilled in the art should understand that the inductively coupled ballast circuit 103 can be used to drive different types of electromagnetic radiation emitting devices that can be used in the present invention. Thus, the present invention should not be limited to cover water treatment systems using the UV lamp assembly 14 including the UV lamp 30 .

As shown in FIG. 7, the starter circuit 314 includes a bridge rectifier circuit 320, a silicon controlled rectifier 322, series connected diodes 324, 326, 328, 330, a triac 332, a plurality of transistors 334, 336 , a plurality of resistors 338,340,342,344,346 and a plurality of capacitors 348,350. Those skilled in the art should understand that the triac 332 may be any equivalent device, such as a FET transistor or a silicon controlled rectifier. In addition, those skilled in the art should understand that the bridge rectifier circuit 320 includes a plurality of diodes 352 , 354 , 456 , 358 connected to the filaments 304 , 306 of the ultraviolet lamp 60 .

Referring to FIG. 7 , bridge rectifier circuit 320 is connected to silicon controlled rectifier 322 , resistor 338 and ground connection 182 . SCR 322 is also connected to series connected diodes 324 , 326 , 328 , 330 and triac 332 , which are also connected to ground connection 182 . The resistor 338 is connected to the triac 332 , the resistor 340 and the resistor 342 . The resistor 340 is connected to the collector of the transistor 334 , the gate of the transistor 336 , the capacitor 348 and the resistor 344 . Capacitor 348 and resistor 344 are also connected to ground connection 182 . Resistor 342 is connected to the emitter of transistor 336 and capacitor 350 , which are also connected to ground connection 182 . The triac 332 is connected to the emitter of the transistor 334 , the gate of the transistor 334 is connected to the collector of the transistor 336 and the resistor 346 . Resistor 346 is connected to ground connection 182 to complete starter circuit 314 .

Referring again to FIG. 6 , during operation, capacitor 312 varies and limits the current supplied to UV lamp 60 by changing the reflected impedance of UV lamp 60 through inductive coupler 270 (see FIG. 5 ) of series resonant tank 150 . The starter circuit 314 is designed to short-circuit the filaments 304, 306 during start-up, thereby allowing maximum preheating of the bulbs 300, 302. This enables the UV lamp 60 to discharge the maximum mercury dispersion within the bulbs 300, 302, thereby producing the maximum UV light intensity and providing the highest dose of UV light to the water as it passes through the UV lamp assembly 14. In other words, the starter circuit 314 is designed such that the UV lamp 60 ignites instantly at maximum intensity. The location of the mercury in the bulbs 300, 302 is important for maximum output. As the mercury condenses within the plasma passage, the mercury is more evenly distributed within the bulbs 300,302. Faster dispersion also enables faster peak intensity to be achieved, thereby enabling a faster and stronger UV dose to the water flow at start-up.

Referring to Fig. 2B, an O-ring 62 as a heat sink is deliberately arranged between the passage of water flowing through a pair of quartz tubes 58 and the plasma passage of the UV lamp 60, so that mercury can condense in the plasma passage, so as to improve the transient UV light output. The entire circuit voltage is applied across capacitor 312, filaments 304, 306 and starter circuit 314 when UV lamp 60 is energized. Because of the low impedance values of the filaments 304, 306 and the starter circuit 314 which acts as a short circuit at start-up, the current generated is high to maximize the preheating of the UV lamp 60 . This allows the UV lamps 60 to preheat to disperse some initial mercury at startup. When the starter circuit 314 heats up, the RC time constant of the starter circuit 314 releases the shorting device, which in the preferred embodiment is a triac, so that the full voltage is applied to the filaments 304,306. The starter circuit 314 enables better starting than a thermistor because a thermistor dissipates more energy after opening and cannot open quickly.

Referring to FIG. 8, a preferred radio frequency identification system 124 electrically connected to the control unit 102 is shown. The RFID system 124 communicates using a base station and an ultraviolet RFID transponder 126 and a filter RFID transponder 128 . The radio frequency identification system 124 enables contactless reading and writing of data, which is transferred bidirectionally between the base station 360 and the transponders 126 , 128 . In the preferred embodiment, RFID system 124 is manufactured by TEMIC Semiconductor Corporation, model number TR5551A-PP.

The radio frequency identification system 124 is used by the control unit 102 to keep track of specific information for each UV lamp unit 14 and filter unit 16 . As previously mentioned, both the UV lamp unit 14 and filter unit 16 are designed to be easily replaceable. Because the UV light RFID transponder 126 and the filter RFID transponder 128 are located within the UV lamp unit 14 or filter unit 16, these units are never separated, which enables the control unit 102 to communicate with the transponders 126, 128 via the base station 360 Write and read information.

Referring again to FIG. 8 , the ultraviolet radio frequency identification transponder 126 includes a transponder antenna 362 and a read-write IDIC(R) (e5551 ) chip 364 . The read-write IDIC(R) (e5551) chip also includes an EEPROM device 366 that physically stores information about each UV lamp unit 14 at memory locations. In the currently preferred embodiment, the information includes UV lamp serial number, UV lamp activation limit, UV lamp on time limit, UV lamp installation time limit, UV lamp cycle on time, cycle mode low temperature, minimum UV lamp On time, UV lamp high mode time and UV lamp warm up time. In addition, the EEPROM 366 in the UV RFID transponder 126 enables the control unit 102 to keep track of UV lamp installation time, UV lamp power on time, UV lamp start and overall UV lamp cold start.

The UV lamp serial number is unique to each UV lamp unit 14 and enables the control unit 102 of the water treatment system 10 to keep track of which UV lamp units 14 have been installed in the water treatment system 10 . The UV lamp start limit relates to the maximum allowable number of UV lamp starts, and the UV lamp on time limit relates to the maximum allowable installation time of the UV lamp 60 . The UV lamp installation time limit relates to the maximum allowable installation time of the UV lamp assembly 14, and the UV lamp cycle time relates to the minimum amount of time the UV lamp 60 needs to be energized in low temperature mode. The cycle mode low temperature information relates to the temperature value at which the water treatment system 10 transitions into the low temperature mode, and the minimum UV lamp on time relates to the minimum amount of time the UV lamp 60 must remain energized. The UV lamp high mode time information relates to the amount of time the UV lamp 60 is operating in high mode, and the UV lamp warm up time relates to the amount of time the UV lamp 60 needs to be preheated.

As previously mentioned, the EEPROM in the UV RFID transponder 126 can also keep track of when the UV lamp was installed. This information tracks the number of hours that the current UV lamp 60 has been installed in the water treatment system 10 . In a preferred embodiment, the UV lamp 60 is inserted into the water treatment system 10 for one minute, and the total time is increased by one minute. EEPROM device 336 also keeps track of the UV lamp energization time and the total UV lamp energization time. The UV lamp on time and the total UV lamp on time keep track of the amount of time the UV lamp 60 is on so that the control unit 102 can determine whether a new UV lamp unit 14 needs to be installed. The UV lamp activation storage location stores the number of times the UV lamp 60 has been activated so that the control device 102 can use this information to determine whether the UV lamp 60 has reached the end of its life. The total UV lamp cold start storage location tracks the number of times the UV lamp 60 has been activated when the ambient temperature detector 114 indicates that the temperature is below a predetermined threshold.

Referring again to FIG. 8 , the filter radio frequency identification transponder 128 includes a transponder antenna 368 and a read-write IDIC(R) (e5551 ) chip 370 . The read-write IDIC(R) (e5551) chip also includes an EEPROM device 372 that physically stores information about each filter device 16 at memory locations. In the presently preferred embodiment, the relevant information includes the serial number of the filter unit, the volume limit of the filter unit, the time limit for installation of the filter unit, and the threshold percentage of the filter unit inserted.

The filter unit serial number is used to uniquely identify different filter units 16 so that the control unit 102 can monitor which filter units 16 have been installed in the water treatment system 10 . The filter unit volume limit is related to the volume of water that the filter unit is designed to filter before reaching the end of its life. The filter device installation time limit is used by the control device 102 to calculate the remaining life of the filter device 16 based on the predetermined allowable wet out time. The inserted filter set threshold percentage contains the maximum allowable percent flow reduction before the filter set 16 needs to be replaced. This includes the percentage of filter device 16 degradation before the error of the inserted filter device 16 is detected by the control device 102 .

The RFID system 124 includes a base station 360, a coil 380, a plurality of diodes 382, 384, 386, 388, 390, 392, 394, a plurality of resistors 396, 398, 400, 402, 404, 406, 408, 410, 412, 414 , 416, 418, 420, and a plurality of capacitors 422, 424, 426, 428, 430, 432, 434, 436 connected according to FIG. Those skilled in the art should understand that the connection of the above elements is well known to those skilled in the art. The radio frequency identification system 124 has been installed in the water treatment system 10 using the specifications proposed for TK5551A-PP, which is manufactured by TEMIC Semiconductor Corporation as previously mentioned. In order to implement the present invention, it is important to note that base station 360 uses coil 380 and UV RFID transponder 126 and filter RFID transponder 128 for two-way communication.

The control device 102 is electrically connected to the base station 360 so that the control device 102 can communicate with the base station 360 . In this way, the control device 102 can use the coil 380 to write and read information in the UV RFID transponder 126 and the filter RFID transponder 128 through the base station 360 . The RFID system 124 is connected to a first DC power source 180 and a second DC power source 184 , as shown in FIG. 8 , which power the RFID system 124 during operation.

It should be understood by those skilled in the art that other identification systems such as contact type identification systems can also be used in the present invention. However, the presently preferred embodiment of the present invention uses a radio frequency identification system 124 because of the inherent advantages that such a system can provide.

Referring to FIG. 9 , a flow detector circuit 104 is connected to the control device 102 for providing an electrical signal to the control device 102 indicating that water is flowing through the water treatment system 10 . The flow detector circuit 104 includes a flow detector 440 , a plurality of capacitors 442 , 444 and a resistor 446 . The flow detector is manufactured by Allegro, model 3134. The capacitor 442 is connected to the flow detector 440 , the first DC power source 180 , and the second DC power source 184 . The output of the flow detector 440 and the parallel combination of a resistor 446 and a capacitor 444 are connected prior to connection to the control device 102 . The resistor 446 and the capacitor 444 are also connected to the second DC power source 184 . During operation, flow detector 440 provides an electrical signal to control device 102 indicating that water is flowing in water treatment system 10 , causing control device 102 to immediately power UV lamp 60 . Those skilled in the art will understand that the disclosed flow detector circuit 104 may have many variations, and thus the disclosed flow detector circuit 104 is only an example and does not constitute a limitation of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 10, the ambient light detector circuit 108 includes a photodiode 450, an operational amplifier 452, a plurality of resistors 454, 456, 458, 460, a diode 462, and a capacitor 464 electrically connected as shown. For the implementation of the invention, it is sufficient to note the fact that photodiode 450 supplies an electrical signal to the negative input of operational amplifier 452 , which then conditions said signal for use in controlling device 102 . The ambient light detector circuit 108 is powered by a first DC power supply circuit 180 and a second DC power supply circuit 184 . Those skilled in the art should understand that the structure of the ambient light detector circuit 108 can be changed, and the presently disclosed preferred embodiment should not be taken as a limitation of the present invention.

Referring to Fig. 11, as previously mentioned, the visible light detector circuit 110 is connected to the control device 102 to provide an electrical signal corresponding to the intensity of the ultraviolet lamp 60 to the control device 102 during operation. In the preferred embodiment, visible light detector circuit 110 includes photoresistor 470, operational amplifier 472, diode 474, a plurality of resistors 476, 478, 480, 482, 484, 486 and capacitor 488 electrically connected as shown in FIG. Additionally, the visible light detector circuit 110 is powered by a first DC power source 180 and a second DC power source 184 . Those skilled in the art should understand that the visible light detector circuit 110 takes the electrical signal generated by the photoresistor 470 , amplifies it with the operational amplifier 472 , and then inputs it to the control device 102 . In addition, those skilled in the art should understand that the structure of the visible light detector circuit 110 can be changed, and what is disclosed here is only an example, and should not be regarded as a limitation to the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 12, as previously described, a preferred ambient temperature detector circuit 114 is coupled to the control device 102 for providing an electrical signal to the control device 102 that varies with a corresponding change in ambient temperature. The ambient temperature detector circuit 114 includes a thermistor 490, an operational amplifier 492, a plurality of resistors 494, 496, 498 and a capacitor 500, which are electrically connected as shown in FIG. During operation, the voltage drop across the thermistor 490 changes as the ambient temperature changes, thereby causing the electrical signal sent from the output of the operational amplifier 492 to the control device 102 to increase or decrease. Those skilled in the art will understand that the structure of the ambient temperature detector circuit 114 may vary. The ambient temperature detector circuit 114 shown in FIG. 12 is only an example and should not be construed as a limitation of the present invention.

Referring to Fig. 13, as previously described, preferred sound generation circuitry 116 is coupled to control unit 102 for generating audible indications based on predetermined system conditions. The preferred sound generating circuit 116 includes a piezoelectric element 510, a plurality of transistors 512, 514, 516, a plurality of resistors 518, 520, 522, 524, 526, 528, 530, 532, 534, a plurality of capacitors 536, 538, diodes 540, they are electrically connected as shown in Figure 13. Those skilled in the art can easily see that the control device 102 can excite the piezoelectric element 510 so that the piezoelectric element 510 can generate audible sound through vibration. Those skilled in the art will understand that there are many devices and circuits by which audible sounds are produced. The presently disclosed sound generating circuit 116 is merely an example, and likewise should not be construed as limiting the invention.

Referring to FIG. 14 , as mentioned above, the communication port 120 is connected to the control device 102 . The communication port 120 is used by the control device 102 for two-way communication with a peripheral device (not shown), such as a personal computer or a handheld device. In the preferred embodiment, communication port 120 includes a plurality of Zener diodes 550, 552, 554 and a plurality of resistors 556, 558, 560, 562, 566, 568, 570 electrically connected as shown in FIG. The first DC power source 180 and the second DC power source 184 provide power to the communication port 120 . The communication port 120 is designed to use the RS-232 communication standard, which is well known in the art. A port connector 572 is provided so that peripheral devices can be connected to the communication port 120 . Those skilled in the art will understand that different types of communication ports may be used, which is not within the scope of the present invention. Therefore, the preferred communication port 120 disclosed here is only an example and should not be construed as a limitation of the present invention.

While the invention has been described in terms of its present best mode of operation and embodiment, it is apparent to those skilled in the art that other modes of operation and embodiments of the invention can be devised. Additionally, while the preferred embodiment of the present invention is directed to a water treatment system 10, those skilled in the art will appreciate that the present invention could readily be incorporated into many different types of fluid treatment systems.

Claims (59)

1. A method for providing electromagnetic radiation in a fluid treatment system (10), comprising the steps of: Utilizing the control device (102) to generate a predetermined electrical signal; inputting said predetermined electrical signal into an inductively coupled ballast circuit (103); and The electromagnetic radiation emitting device (60) in the inductively coupled ballast circuit (103) is inductively excited according to the predetermined electrical signal from the control device (102). 2. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the electromagnetic radiation emitting device (60) is an ultraviolet lamp. 3. The method of claim 1, wherein the electromagnetic radiation emitting device (60) is a pulsed white light lamp. 4. The method of claim 1, wherein the electromagnetic radiation emitting device (60) is an insulating barrier discharge lamp. 5. The method of claim 1, wherein said inductively coupled ballast circuit (103) comprises a control circuit (142), an oscillator (144), a driver (146), a half-bridge switching circuit (148), connected in series A resonant tank (150), a secondary coil (52), a resonant lamp circuit (152) and an electromagnetic radiation emitting device (60). 6. The method of claim 5, wherein the series resonant tank (150) and the secondary coil (52) are inductively coupled. 7. The method of claim 5, wherein the oscillator (144) includes a snubber circuit (214) for preventing load variations from pulling the frequency of the oscillator (144). 8. The method of claim 5, wherein the driver (146) comprises a multi-winding transformer (246). 9. The method of claim 5, wherein the half-bridge switching circuit (148) comprises a MOSFET half-bridge switching circuit (252). 10. The method of claim 5, wherein the series resonant tank (150) comprises an inductive coupler (270), a pair of energy storage capacitors (271, 272), a pair of diodes (274, 276), and a capacitor (278). 11. The method of claim 5, wherein the resonant lamp circuit (152) includes a capacitor (312) and a driver circuit (314). 12. The method of claim 1, further comprising electrically connecting a feedback signal to said inductively coupled ballast circuit (103) and said control device (102) by making a ballast feedback circuit (122) The step of inputting to said control means (102). 13. The method according to claim 12, further comprising the step of adjusting the intensity of the electromagnetic radiation emitting device (60) with the control means (102) according to the feedback signal. 14. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of generating said predetermined electrical signal with said control means (102) based on a signal from a flow detector circuit (104). 15. A fluid treatment system (10) comprising: control device (102); an inductively coupled ballast circuit (103) inductively coupled to an electromagnetic radiation emitting device (14); and Wherein the inductively coupled ballast circuit (103) inductively excites the electromagnetic radiation emitting device (60) in the inductively coupled ballast circuit (103) according to a predetermined electrical signal from the control device (102) ). 16. The fluid treatment system (10) defined in Claim 15, wherein the electromagnetic radiation emitting device (14) is replaceable. 17. The fluid treatment system (10) defined in Claim 15, wherein the electromagnetic radiation emitting device (60) is an ultraviolet lamp. 18. The fluid treatment system (10) defined in Claim 15, wherein the electromagnetic radiation emitting device (60) is a pulsed white light lamp. 19. The fluid treatment system (10) defined in Claim 15, wherein the electromagnetic radiation emitting device (60) is an insulating barrier discharge lamp. 20. The fluid treatment system (10) of claim 15, wherein said inductively coupled ballast circuit (103) comprises a control circuit (142), an oscillator (144), a driver (146), a half-bridge switching circuit (148), series resonant circuit (150), secondary coil (52), resonant lamp circuit (152) and said electromagnetic radiation emitting device (60). 21. The fluid treatment system (10) defined in Claim 20, wherein the series resonant circuit (150) and the secondary coil (52) are inductively coupled for exciting the electromagnetic radiation emitting device (60). 22. The fluid treatment system (10) defined in Claim 20, wherein the oscillator (144) includes a snubber circuit (214) for preventing load changes from pulling the frequency of the oscillator (144). 23. The fluid treatment system (10) defined in Claim 20, wherein the driver (146) comprises a multi-winding transformer (246). 24. The fluid treatment system (10) defined in Claim 20, wherein the half-bridge switching circuit (148) comprises a MOSFET half-bridge switching circuit (252). 25. The fluid treatment system (10) of claim 20, wherein said series resonant circuit (150) comprises an inductive coupler (270), a pair of storage capacitors (271, 272), a pair of diodes (274, 276), and capacitor (278). 26. The fluid treatment system (10) defined in Claim 20, wherein the resonant lamp circuit (152) includes a capacitor (312) and a starter circuit (314). 27. The fluid treatment system (10) of claim 15, further comprising a flow detector circuit (104) electrically connected to said control device (102), wherein said flow detector circuit is used to Said control means (102) activates said inductively coupled ballast circuit (103). 28. The fluid treatment system (10) defined in Claim 15, further comprising a display device (106) electrically connected to the control device (102). 29. The fluid treatment system (10) defined in Claim 15, further comprising an electromagnetic radiation detector circuit (110) electrically coupled to the control device (102). 30. The fluid treatment system (10) defined in Claim 29, wherein the electromagnetic radiation detector circuit (110) is a visible light detector. 31. The fluid treatment system (10) defined in Claim 15, further comprising an ambient temperature detector circuit (114) electrically coupled to said control device (102). 32. The fluid treatment system (10) of claim 15, further comprising a ballast feedback circuit (122) electrically connected to said inductively coupled ballast circuit (103) and said control device (102), for providing a feedback signal to said control means (102) during operation. 33. A method for providing electromagnetic radiation in a fluid treatment system (10), comprising the steps of: generating a predetermined signal using a control device (102); inputting said predetermined signal to a ballast circuit (103) comprising an inductive coupler (270) in an outlet cup (36); An electromagnetic radiation emitting device (14) is provided in an inductive coupling device having said outlet cup (36), wherein said electromagnetic radiation emitting device (14) comprises a secondary coil (52) connected to an electromagnetic radiation emitting device (60) );as well as The electromagnetic radiation emitting device (60) is excited according to the predetermined signal from the control device (102), wherein the secondary coil (52) is inductively excited by the inductive coupler (270), whereby The electromagnetic radiation emitting device (60) is activated. 34. A fluid treatment system (10) comprising: control device (102); a ballast circuit (103) connected to said control device (102), wherein said ballast circuit (103) includes an inductive coupler (270) in an outlet cup (36); an electromagnetic radiation emitting device (14) having a secondary coil (52) connected to an electromagnetic radiation emitting device (60); and Wherein the inductive coupler (270) excites the secondary coil (52) according to a predetermined signal from the control device (102), thereby exciting the electromagnetic radiation in the electromagnetic radiation emitting device (14) Emitting device (60). 35. A method for providing electromagnetic radiation in a fluid treatment system comprising the steps of: providing a ballast circuit (103) with an inductive coupler (270) in an outlet cup (36); A replaceable electromagnetic radiation emitting device (14) is placed in a device inductively coupled with the inductive coupler (270) in the outlet cup (36), which includes an electromagnetic radiation emitting device (60) connected to the secondary coil (52); and The inductive coupler (270) is energized to inductively energize the secondary coil (52) to illuminate the electromagnetic radiation emitting device (60). 36. A fluid treatment system comprising: a ballast circuit (103) with an inductive coupler (270) in the outlet cup (36); and A replaceable electromagnetic radiation emitting device (14) having a secondary coil (52) connected to an electromagnetic radiation emitting device (60), wherein during operation said inductive coupler (270) inductively excites said A secondary coil (52), whereby the electromagnetic radiation emitting device (60) is excited. 37. The method of claim 33, wherein configuring the electromagnetic radiation emitting device includes setting an impedance of the electromagnetic radiation emitting device reflected to the inductive coupler to maximize power transfer at a resonant frequency. 38. The method of claim 33, wherein energizing the electromagnetic radiation emitting device includes limiting the current supplied to the electromagnetic radiation emitting device with a capacitor connected in series with the electromagnetic radiation emitting device. 39. The method of claim 33, wherein energizing the electromagnetic radiation emitting device includes self-oscillating the ballast circuit at a resonant frequency. 40. The method of claim 33, wherein energizing the electromagnetic radiation emitting device comprises powering the electromagnetic radiation emitting device at a resonant frequency of the electromagnetic radiation emitting device. 41. The method of claim 33, wherein providing the electromagnetic radiation emitting device in the inductive coupling device comprises adjusting a coupling coefficient by selecting a gap between the inductive coupler and the secondary coil, wherein the The operating point of the electromagnetic radiation emitting device is adjustable as a function of the coupling coefficient. 42. The method of claim 33, wherein energizing the electromagnetic radiation emitting device comprises maintaining the resonant frequency of the ballast circuit as a function of impedance reflected by the electromagnetic radiation emitting device to the ballast circuit . 43. The fluid treatment system defined in claim 34, wherein the secondary coil is disposed adjacent to the inductive coupler so as to form a coupling factor, the operating point of the electromagnetic radiation emitting device being variable as a function of the coupling factor adjusted. 44. The fluid treatment system defined in Claim 34, wherein said ballast circuit further comprises a storage capacitor, a resonant frequency determined as the frequency of said inductive coupler, said storage capacitor, and said electromagnetic radiation emitting device function. 45. The fluid treatment system of claim 34, wherein said electromagnetic radiation emitting device further comprises a starter circuit and a capacitor, said capacitor and said electromagnetic radiation emitting device being electrically connected in series to adjust reflection to said ballast The impedance of the circuit. 46. The fluid treatment system defined in Claim 34, wherein the ballast circuit is operable to maintain a resonant frequency as a function of reflected impedance of the electromagnetic radiation emitting device. 47. The fluid treatment system defined in Claim 34, further comprising a radio frequency identification system operable to communicate with said electromagnetic radiation emitting device via wireless communication and to provide said electromagnetic radiation emitting device to said control device Operational information for the device. 48. The fluid treatment system defined in Claim 47, further comprising filter means, the video recognition system being operable to communicate with the filter means via wireless communication, and to provide the filter means to the control means. information about the operation of the device. 49. The method of claim 35, wherein energizing the inductive coupler includes shorting the electromagnetic radiation emitting device to a ground connection to maximize current in the secondary coil during start-up. 50. The method of claim 49, wherein shorting the electromagnetic radiation emitting device includes maximizing warm-up of the electromagnetic radiation emitting device during startup. 51. The method of claim 49, wherein shorting the electromagnetic radiation emitting device includes removing the short circuit for a predetermined time to reduce the current and provide full voltage to the electromagnetic radiation emitting device. 52. The method of claim 35, wherein placing said replaceable electromagnetic radiation emitting device in an inductively coupled device comprises configuring said ballast circuit and said replaceable electromagnetic radiation emitting device at similar resonant frequencies. device. 53. The method of claim 35, wherein positioning the replaceable electromagnetic radiation emitting device in an inductively coupled device includes positioning the secondary coil within the outlet cup. 54. The method of claim 35, wherein providing a ballast circuit having an inductive coupler in an outlet cup includes winding wire around said outlet cup of a predetermined diameter to form said inductive coupler. 55. The method of claim 35, wherein the secondary coil is formed by winding wire at a predetermined diameter that is a function of the configuration of the inductive coupler. 56. The method of claim 35, further comprising removing the secondary coil from the inductively coupled device having the inductive coupler when replacement of the replaceable electromagnetic radiation emitting device is desired. 57. The fluid treatment system defined in Claim 36, further comprising a gap between said inductive coupler and said secondary coil, the operating point of said electromagnetic radiation emitting device being adjustable as a function of said gap . 58. The fluid treatment system defined in Claim 36, wherein the outlet cup is formed to removably receive the secondary coil within the outlet cup. 59. The fluid treatment system defined in claim 36, wherein the replaceable electromagnetic radiation emitting device includes a starter circuit operable to short the electromagnetic radiation emitting device to a ground connection during startup, in order to maximize the current flowing from the secondary coil.

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