JP2019037450A - Fluid sterilizer - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a fluid sterilizer having improved monitoring accuracy. A fluid sterilizer 10 is located between a processing flow path 12 through which a fluid to be sterilized flows, a light source 14 that irradiates ultraviolet light toward the fluid in the processing flow path 12, and a light source 14 and the processing flow path 12. A window member 30 having an incident surface 31 on which ultraviolet light from the light source 14 is incident, an emitting surface 32 on which ultraviolet light A is emitted toward the inside of the processing flow path 12, and an emitting surface 32 of the window member 30. A light receiving unit 16 is provided so as to receive ultraviolet light B emitted from a surface different from the above. [Selection diagram] Fig. 1

Description

  The present invention relates to a fluid sterilizer, and more particularly to a technique for sterilizing a fluid by irradiating ultraviolet light.

  It is known that ultraviolet light has a sterilizing ability, and an apparatus for irradiating ultraviolet light is used for sterilization treatment in medical or food processing sites. In addition, an apparatus for continuously sterilizing a fluid by irradiating a fluid such as water with ultraviolet light is also used. As such an apparatus, for example, an ultraviolet irradiation apparatus that includes a straight tubular ultraviolet lamp and a cylindrical lamp sleeve inside the treatment tank and irradiates the water to be treated in the treatment tank with ultraviolet rays. The illuminance of the ultraviolet lamp is measured using an ultraviolet monitor, and a transmission window formed of quartz glass or the like is provided between the ultraviolet monitor and the ultraviolet lamp (for example, see Patent Document 1).

JP 2011-183295 A

  The amount of light measured by the UV monitor is affected by the UV transmittance of the fluid in the processing tank and the decrease in transmittance due to dirt on the transmission window in front of the monitor. It may be difficult to do.

  The present invention has been made in view of these problems, and one of exemplary purposes thereof is to provide a fluid sterilization apparatus with improved light source monitoring accuracy.

  A fluid sterilization apparatus according to an aspect of the present invention is provided between a processing channel in which a fluid to be sterilized flows, a light source that irradiates ultraviolet light toward the fluid in the processing channel, and between the light source and the processing channel. A window member having an incident surface on which ultraviolet light from a light source is incident and an emission surface from which ultraviolet light is emitted toward the processing flow path, and ultraviolet light emitted from a surface different from the emission surface of the window member are received. A light receiving portion arranged in such a manner.

  According to this aspect, since the light receiving unit is disposed so as to receive the ultraviolet light emitted from a surface different from the emission surface of the window member, the ultraviolet light is emitted in a manner that is not easily affected by the state of the fluid in the processing channel. It can be measured. Moreover, it is possible to prevent the light receiving unit from being disposed in the processing channel and to prevent a part of the processing channel from being behind the light receiving unit, and it is possible to prevent the sterilization ability from being lowered due to the provision of the light receiving unit.

  The window member may have a side surface located between the entrance surface and the exit surface. The light receiving unit may be arranged to receive ultraviolet light emitted from the side surface.

  The light receiving unit may be arranged to receive ultraviolet light emitted from the incident surface.

  The light receiving unit may be provided on the same substrate as the light source.

  The light receiving unit may be arranged to receive the ultraviolet light reflected toward the inside of the window member at the emission surface.

  A window member may be located in the outer periphery of an output surface, and may have an inclined surface which inclines with respect to an output surface. The light receiving unit may be arranged to receive ultraviolet light reflected by the inclined surface.

  The window member may further include a reflective layer provided on the inclined surface.

  You may further provide the sealing member arrange | positioned so that an inclined surface may be contact | connected.

  You may further provide another light-receiving part arrange | positioned so that the ultraviolet light which passed in the fluid in a process flow path may be received.

  ADVANTAGE OF THE INVENTION According to this invention, the fluid sterilizer which improved the monitoring precision of the light source can be provided.

It is sectional drawing which shows schematically the structure of the fluid sterilizer which concerns on embodiment. It is sectional drawing which shows schematically the structure of the fluid sterilizer which concerns on a modification. It is sectional drawing which shows schematically the structure of the fluid sterilizer which concerns on another modification.

  Hereinafter, embodiments for carrying out the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. In the description, the same elements are denoted by the same reference numerals, and repeated descriptions are omitted as appropriate.

  FIG. 1 is a diagram schematically showing a configuration of a fluid sterilizer 10 according to an embodiment. The fluid sterilizer 10 includes a processing flow path 12, a light source 14, a first light receiving unit 16, a second light receiving unit 17, a control device 18, and a window member 30. The fluid sterilizer 10 is used to sterilize the fluid flowing through the processing flow path 12 partitioned inside the housing 20 by irradiating ultraviolet light.

  The housing 20 includes a first end 21, a second end 22, a side wall 23, an outflow pipe 26, and an inflow pipe 27. The side wall 23 extends in the axial direction from the first end 21 toward the second end 22. An outflow pipe 26 is provided in the vicinity of the first end 21, and an inflow pipe 27 is provided in the vicinity of the second end 22. The outflow pipe 26 and the inflow pipe 27 extend radially outward from the side wall 23.

  The material of the housing 20 is not particularly limited, but at least the inner surface 25 of the housing 20 is preferably a material having high durability against ultraviolet light and high reflectance. The inner surface 25 of the housing 20 is preferably made of, for example, a fluorine resin such as polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) or a metal material such as aluminum (Al).

  The light source 14 is provided at the first end 21. The light source 14 is mounted on the substrate 15 and arranged to irradiate ultraviolet light in the axial direction of the housing 20. Most of the ultraviolet light from the light source 14 enters the entrance surface 31 of the window member 30, passes through the window member 30, and exits from the exit surface 32. The ultraviolet light A irradiated through the window member 30 travels inside the processing channel 12 in the axial direction of the housing 20 while being reflected by the inner surface 25 of the housing 20.

  The light source 14 is a light emitting element that emits ultraviolet light, and is a so-called UV-LED (Ultra Violet-Light Emitting Diode). It is preferable that the light source 14 emits ultraviolet light having a central wavelength or peak wavelength of light emission in the range of about 200 nm to 350 nm and having a high bactericidal efficiency in the vicinity of 260 nm to 290 nm. As such an ultraviolet light LED, for example, one using aluminum gallium nitride (AlGaN) is known.

  The first light receiving unit 16 and the second light receiving unit 17 receive ultraviolet light from the light source 14. The first light receiving unit 16 and the second light receiving unit 17 include, for example, a light amount sensor such as a photodiode capable of measuring the intensity of ultraviolet light, and transmits information related to the amount of received ultraviolet light to the control device 18.

  The first light receiving unit 16 is arranged to measure a part of the ultraviolet light emitted from a surface different from the emission surface 32 of the window member 30, and can measure the ultraviolet light B from the side surface 33 of the window member 30. Placed in position. The second light receiving unit 17 is arranged to measure a part of the ultraviolet light A that has passed through the fluid flowing through the processing flow path 12 after being emitted from the emission surface 32 of the window member 30. The second light receiving unit 17 is provided at the second end 22 and is disposed at a position where the ultraviolet light reaching the second end 22 of the housing 20 can be measured. The second light receiving unit 17 may be provided on the side wall 23.

The window member 30 is provided between the processing flow path 12 and the light source 14. The window member 30 is fitted into the recess 24 in the vicinity of the first end 21, and the gap with the recess 24 is sealed by the seal member 28. The window member 30 is preferably made of a material having high ultraviolet light transmittance, and is made of quartz (SiO ₂ ), sapphire (Al ₂ O ₃ ), amorphous fluorine-based resin, or the like.

  The window member 30 has an incident surface 31, an exit surface 32, and a side surface 33. The incident surface 31 is a main surface facing the light source 14, and the ultraviolet light A from the light source 14 is incident thereon. The exit surface 32 is a main surface opposite to the entrance surface 31, and the ultraviolet light A that has passed through the window member 30 exits toward the processing channel 12. The side surface 33 is located between the entrance surface 31 and the exit surface 32 and contacts the recess 24 of the housing 20.

  The incident surface 31 of the window member 30 may be provided with an antireflection film (AR coating) for preventing reflection of ultraviolet light from the light source 14. Further, a partial reflection film (HR coat) for reflecting a part of the ultraviolet light transmitted through the window member 30 toward the first light receiving unit 16 is provided on a part of the emission surface 32 of the window member 30. Also good. The partial reflection film is preferably provided so as to avoid the vicinity of the center of the emission surface 32, and is provided in a limited area near the outer periphery of the emission surface 32 and where the ultraviolet light is reflected toward the first light receiving unit 16. Is preferred.

  The control device 18 monitors light amount information from the first light receiving unit 16 and the second light receiving unit 17. For example, when the light amount information from the first light receiving unit 16 is lower than a predetermined threshold, the control device 18 increases the drive current of the light source 14 so that the output intensity of the light source 14 is equal to or higher than the threshold. The control device 18 may adjust the driving current of the light source 14 based on the light amount from the second light receiving unit 17, and the driving current of the light source 14 so that the light amount information of the second light receiving unit 17 is equal to or greater than a predetermined threshold. May be adjusted. The control device 18 may output alert information indicating that a desired sterilizing effect cannot be realized when the driving current of the light source 14 is increased but still falls below a predetermined threshold value.

  According to the above configuration, the fluid sterilizer 10 performs sterilization by irradiating the fluid flowing through the processing flow path 12 with ultraviolet light. Ultraviolet light from the light source 14 is received by the first light receiving unit 16 and the second light receiving unit 17 and monitored by the control device 18. The ultraviolet light received by the first light receiving unit 16 is the ultraviolet light B that propagates through the window member 30 and is emitted from the side surface 33. For example, the interior reflected on the inside of the window member 30 at the emission surface 32. Reflected light. Since the first light receiving unit 16 mainly detects the ultraviolet light that does not pass through the processing channel 12, the first light receiving unit 16 monitors the ultraviolet light in a manner that is not easily affected by the fluid in the processing channel 12. On the other hand, the second light receiving unit 17 monitors the ultraviolet light in a manner that is influenced by the fluid in the processing channel 12 in order to detect the ultraviolet light that has passed through the processing channel 12.

  According to the present embodiment, by providing the first light receiving unit 16 and the second light receiving unit 17, it is possible to detect both ultraviolet light that is not affected by the fluid and ultraviolet light that is affected by the fluid. The monitoring accuracy of the sterilizer 10 can be increased. The detection results of the first light receiving unit 16 are: 1) change in transmittance of the window member 30, 2) change in surface reflectance of the window member 30, 3) decrease in output of the light source 14, and 4) influence of change in light receiving sensitivity of the light receiving element. receive. On the other hand, the detection result of the second light receiving unit 17 includes, in addition to the above 1) to 4), 5) a change in the transmittance of the fluid flowing through the processing channel 12, and 6) a change in the reflectance of the inner surface 25 of the housing 20. Affected by. Therefore, by comparing the detection results of the first light receiving unit 16 and the second light receiving unit 17, the effects of the above 5) and 6) can be separated, and the state of the fluid flowing through the processing flow path 12 and the inner surface 25 The state of dirt can be detected. In addition, since a configuration in which the light receiving unit is not disposed in the middle of the processing flow path 12 can be realized, it is possible to prevent a reduction in irradiation efficiency due to a part of the processing flow path 12 being behind the light receiving unit.

  FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view schematically showing a configuration of the fluid sterilization apparatus 10 according to the modification. In this modification, the first light receiving unit 16 is mounted on the same substrate 15 as the light source 14 and is arranged to receive the ultraviolet light B emitted from the incident surface 31 of the window member 30. It differs from the form. In the present modification, the first light receiving unit 16 is disposed so as to receive the ultraviolet light B emitted from the incident surface 31 after being reflected inside the window member 30 on the emission surface 32. An antireflection film may be provided on the entire surface of the incident surface 31, or a reflective film may be partially provided at a part of the emission surface 32 where ultraviolet light is reflected toward the first light receiving unit 16. Also good.

  The first light receiving unit 16 may receive the ultraviolet light reflected by the incident surface 31. In this case, a partial reflection film may be provided on a part of the incident surface 31 where the ultraviolet light is reflected toward the first light receiving unit 16, and an antireflection film may be provided on the other part of the incident surface 31. In addition, the antireflection film may not be provided on a part of the incident surface 31 where the ultraviolet light directed toward the first light receiving unit 16 is reflected, and the antireflection film may be provided on the other part of the incident surface 31. Also in this modification, the same effect as the above-mentioned embodiment can be produced.

  FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view schematically showing a configuration of a fluid sterilizer 10 according to another modification. The present modification is different from the above-described embodiment in that the window member 30 is provided with an inclined surface 34 and is arranged so that the first light receiving unit 16 receives ultraviolet light reflected by the inclined surface 34.

  The window member 30 has an inclined surface 34. The inclined surface 34 is located on the outer periphery of the emission surface 32, and can be formed by cutting a corner formed by the emission surface 32 and the side surface 33. The inclined surface 34 is inclined with respect to the emission surface 32, and the inclination angle is about 20 to 70 degrees, typically about 30 to 60 degrees. The inclined surface 34 is formed over the entire circumference of the emission surface 32 in the illustrated example, but may be formed only on a part of the outer periphery of the emission surface 32. The side surface 33 is not provided, and only the inclined surface 34 may be formed between the entrance surface 31 and the exit surface 32.

  A reflective layer 36 is provided on the inclined surface 34. The reflection layer 36 is configured to be highly reflective with respect to ultraviolet light, and is formed of, for example, an aluminum thin film or a dielectric multilayer film. By providing the reflective layer 36, the amount of ultraviolet light directed to the first light receiving unit 16 can be increased, and the measurement accuracy can be increased.

  The seal member 28 is disposed so as to contact the inclined surface 34 of the window member 30. As a result, the seal member 28 is arranged so as to be hidden behind the reflective layer 36 of the inclined surface 34 when viewed from the light source 14. By disposing the seal member 28 on the back side of the reflective layer 36, the ultraviolet light traveling from the light source 14 toward the seal member 28 is shielded by the reflective layer 36, and deterioration of the seal member 28 due to the ultraviolet light can be reduced.

  In the above, this invention was demonstrated based on the Example. It is understood by those skilled in the art that the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and various design changes are possible, and various modifications are possible, and such modifications are within the scope of the present invention. It is a place.

  In the above-described embodiment, the first end 21 where the light source 14 is disposed is the outflow side, and the opposite second end 22 is the inflow side. In a further modification, the first end 21 may be the inflow side and the second end 22 may be the outflow side.

  In the above-described embodiment, the first light receiving unit 16 and the second light receiving unit 17 are combined. In a further modification, only the first light receiving unit 16 may be provided without providing the second light receiving unit 17.

  In the above-described modification, the reflective layer 36 is provided on the inclined surface 34 of the window member 30. In a further modification, the reflective layer 36 may not be provided on the inclined surface 34, and the ultraviolet light may be reflected toward the first light receiving unit 16 using the refractive index difference at the interface of the inclined surface 34.

  In the above-mentioned embodiment, it demonstrated as an apparatus for irradiating ultraviolet rays to fluids, such as water, and performing a sterilization treatment. In a modified example, this apparatus may be used for a purification process for decomposing an organic substance contained in a fluid by irradiation with ultraviolet light.

  DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 ... Fluid sterilizer, 12 ... Processing flow path, 14 ... Light source, 15 ... Board | substrate, 16 ... 1st light-receiving part, 17 ... 2nd light-receiving part, 28 ... Seal member, 30 ... Window member, 31 ... Incident surface, 32 ... exiting surface, 33 ... side surface, 34 ... inclined surface, 36 ... reflective layer.

Claims (9)

A treatment flow path through which the fluid to be sterilized flows;
A light source that irradiates ultraviolet light toward the fluid in the processing channel;
A window member provided between the light source and the processing channel, and having an incident surface on which ultraviolet light from the light source is incident, and an exit surface from which ultraviolet light is emitted toward the processing channel;
A fluid sterilizer comprising: a light receiving portion arranged to receive ultraviolet light emitted from a surface different from the emission surface of the window member. The window member has a side surface located between the entrance surface and the exit surface,
The fluid sterilizer according to claim 1, wherein the light receiving unit is arranged to receive ultraviolet light emitted from the side surface.   The fluid sterilizer according to claim 1, wherein the light receiving unit is arranged to receive ultraviolet light emitted from the incident surface.   The fluid sterilizer according to claim 3, wherein the light receiving unit is provided on the same substrate as the light source.   5. The fluid sterilization according to claim 1, wherein the light receiving unit is disposed so as to receive ultraviolet light reflected toward the inside of the window member on the emission surface. apparatus. The window member is located on the outer periphery of the emission surface and has an inclined surface inclined with respect to the emission surface,
The fluid sterilizer according to claim 3, wherein the light receiving unit is arranged to receive ultraviolet light reflected by the inclined surface.   The fluid sterilizer according to claim 6, wherein the window member further includes a reflective layer provided on the inclined surface.   The fluid sterilizer according to claim 7, further comprising a seal member disposed so as to be in contact with the inclined surface.   The fluid sterilizer according to any one of claims 1 to 8, further comprising another light receiving unit arranged to receive ultraviolet light that has passed through the fluid in the processing channel.

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