One of the main strengths of a good UV disinfection system is the design. Thanks to small alterations in the shape, our systems are more efficient than others. We'll give you a peek into our design process.
An UV reactor is seemingly simple: A metal tube with two openings and some wiring. Fundamentally, it is really that simple. Water enters on one side and exits on the other. There are UV lamps inside the tube, which is also known as the chamber, that disinfect the water as it passes through. But along this apparently simple design one can gain several major benefits.
When you’re disinfecting liquids, only one thing matters: security. Every ray of UV-C light needs to be deadly to the micro organism. Not too little, not too much, just the right amount. As we like to say: half dead is not dead and ten times dead still only counts as dead once.
So you are looking for the ideal spread of UV-C light, without unnecessary and expensive energy use. In the most ideal case, every part of the liquid stream gets the same dosage of UV-C Light whether it is further away or close to the lamp. In practice, however, this is not the case.
Liquids have a preference for certain flow directions, that are hydrodynamically the most favourable . That is how some reactors get two streams. One stream follows the fastest path, passes quickly through the reactor and absorbs too little UV-C light. The other stream is slower and stays in the reactor for longer and absorbs an unnecessarily high dosage of UV-C light. That is why Van Remmen UV Technology came up with innovative and crucial improvements.
In our design we combine an axial (perpendicular) inflow with a built-in flow plate. The result is a better spread of the UV dosage. In places where the water passes a bit faster, a shorter stronger energy burst is emitted. In places where the flow is slower, the reactor emits less energy but for a longer amount of time. Added up in time and energy, the disinfection dosage is about the same in both case.
What does this mean? That there is hardly a difference between the part that gets the highest dosage and the part that gets the lowest dosage. The system has stable performance, unlike many other systems. In the graph below you can see the results.
The conventional reactor (red bars) have a wide spread of effectivity. Micro organisms escape in the low dosage areas. The axial inflow (blue bars) already shows an improvement. The axial inflow with flow plate (see the purple bars) has the most optimal dosage and the least amount of spread. This is what you want. Not a single drop is missed. The disinfection is very reliably and is reached with the highest energy efficiency.
Applying UV disinfection has to be attractive from a business perspective. That is why an ideal combination of effectivity and minimal energy use is important. Selecting the right lamp is essential. We only use low pressure lamps. These emit light that is maximally absorbed in the micro organisms’ DNA. This is necessary, as the UV light breaks the DNA down from the inside out, which destroys the bacteria’s ability to reproduce and kills it. Additionally, these lamps are very energy efficient because the low pressure lamps produce 3 times as much useable UV light than middle pressure lamps.
Finally, low pressure lamps are less sensitive to get polluted thanks to their low temperature, they have a basic lifespan twice as long as middle pressure lamps, and they start up quicker.
During times of operation of a UV system certain factors can impact its operations. The quartz tube and UV sensor can get polluted and the lamp may emit less UV-C light or completely stop. No one wants that. At the same time, no one wants to be doing constant maintenance. That is why we have done our best to make our systems as maintenance-free as possible.
Each system has sustainable lamps, which can last between 8,000 and 16,000 burning hours. Some systems have an automatic wiping mechanism to keep the lamps and sensor clean. Additionally, all of our systems are made of sturdy materials. You only have to do maintenance once or twice a year to keep the system running at its best.
The system thinks together with you. A reactor with a UV sensor monitors the light emission by itself. A drop in the signal can indicate pollution and a need for cleaning. It can also mean that the incoming water is “dirtier” and less transparent.
All of our adjustments to the standard design ensure that the lamp’s energy is used as efficiently as possible. Nothing is wasted in our designs. That’s why our systems are cleaner and more financially beneficial than any other system in the long term.
Replacement costs are minimal thanks to the lamps’ long lifespans. Cleaning and maintenance are simple and take up little time.
Additionally, we can demonstrate that this is the case for all of our systems. We have validated the operations of all our reactors according to NEN 14987, practically confirmed with micro biological measurements. So you can fully rely on it and you will not need to pay extra costs for upgrades or extra performance tests.
We have a passion for our line of work. This contributed to the development of a strong team with extensive knowledge and years of experience. Thanks to our own R&D, we are able to develop practical solutions in line withour clients thoughts and ideas. That is how we can find the most efficient solutions for purification and hygiene in liquids and surfaces.