Ultraviolet Sciences - UV Technology - Water Purification

Ultraviolet Sciences, Inc.
9189 Chesapeake Dr.
San Diego, CA 92123
Ph. 858-571-6590
Fx. 858-571-6596

uvinfo@uvsciences.com

Low Pressure UV Lamp Options:

TOC Lamps:
("ozone producing" or 185 lamps) are essentially the same as Germicidal lamps, except that TOC lamps have an envelope that allows both 253.7 nm and 184.9 nm UV to pass through. These lamps are effective for TOC destruction, as well as microbial reduction and chlorine destruction.

Germicidal Lamps:
("disinfection" or 254 lamps) are built using a quartz envelope that "blocks" UV below 200 nm to avoid the creation of ozone. Therefore, the output wavelength is primarily 253.7 nm and these lamps are used for microbial reduction as well as ozone destruction.

Low pressure UV lamps are offered in three intensities:

Amalgam lamps provide the highest amount of UV energy per equivalent lamp size. UV Sciences Inc. uses Amalgam lamps in all of its products.

ULTRAVIOLET LIGHT - TECHNOLOGY SUMMARY

Ultraviolet light (UV) includes the wavelengths between visible light and X-rays in the electromagnetic spectrum. UV is further divided into the four regions shown below. According to Planck's Constant, UV energy increases as the wavelength decreases.

LP UV lamp output: 184.9 nm concurrently with 253.7 nm

ULTRAVIOLET LAMP Overview:

UV lamps are typically tubular with an outer casing, or "envelope" which is made from quartz. Inside the quartz envelope, electrodes emit electrons which cause an inert gas to ionize. A plasma is created and the inert gas becomes heated. This causes mercury atoms to vaporize and collide with the high energy plasma electrons. The mercury atoms then fluctuate between many excited states and a ground state. During this fluctuation the mercury atoms release energy in the form of UV light.

The most commonly used UV lamps for water purification are Low Pressure (LP) and Medium Pressure (MP). Fundamentally LP lamps require less energy than MP lamps to produce the disinfection UV wavelengths. This makes them substantially more efficient. In addition, LP lamps last longer, generate much less heat, and are less expensive to own and operate than MP lamps.

Low Pressure UV lamps are considered monochromatic with approximately 82% of the ultraviolet light emitted at 253.7 nm and approximately 7% emitted at 184.9 nm. These peak wavelengths are often referred to as 254 nm and 185 nm respectively. And it these particular wavelengths that offer the most benefit for disinfection, TOC reduction, Ozone destruction, de-Chlorination, and AOP applications.

MP lamps produce more UV energy across a very broad range of UV wavelengths. However they are significantly less efficient in producing ultraviolet light than LP lamps. And due to their high operating temperature they have a shortened operating life. This makes them less than ideal choices for continuous duty water disinfection applications.

UV Sciences Inc. UV Reactor:

UV Sciences Inc. has engineered the most efficient UV reactor chamber in the market. This efficiency allows our units to scale down in size, as much as 75% smaller than competing products, while providing superior performance. This efficiency benefits the end user. Less energy is needed to power smaller and fewer UV lamps. Less space is needed to install the unit, and cost of operation is significantly less.