ARKLITE UV lamps offer wider option for water purification & reactor design

Use of Ultraviolet (UV) radiation for water purification, based on its germicidal action, is well known for over 100 years. The band of UV radiation in the wavelength range of 200 to 280 nm is known as UVC and is most effective in the germicidal activity. Low pressure mercury lamps which strongly emit two mercury resonance lines of 185 nm and 253.7 nm are by far the most efficient source of UVC. More specifically, these low pressure mercury lamps offer an efficient source of 253.7 nm UV radiation which is very close to the peak of the germicidal activity (at 265 nm).
These lamps are manufactured using either special UV transmitting soft glass or UV transmitting quartz glass. While the use of soft glass creates a lower price lamps, use of quartz enables one to secure longer lasting, higher intensity UV lamps and superior UV maintenance leading to superior product design options. As a general rule, all low wattage, lower intensity lamps are manufactured based on UV transmitting soft glass and higher wattage and more specifically, higher intensity lamps are manufactured based on UV transmitting quartz. In general, quartz based lamps perform superior to that of soft glass counterpart.
ARKLITE manufacture UV lamps based on quartz technology and thus offer superior quality lamps with wider design options. Quartz lamps also offer additional option to allow 185 nm UV light emission that gets fully absorbed by soft glass lamps. This specific UV wavelength allows generation of ozone, which may be desirable for specific application. Thus, ARKLITE offer lamps with both options, Ozone forming as well as Ozone blocking lamps. Full range of lamps includes 8 watt to 800 Watt lamps of size ranging from 20 cm to 160 cm length.
These lamps are the key component of UV reactor that enable water purification of various flow rates. Overall for a given volume of water purification the actual size of the reactor is determined by the flow rate and the desired level of reduction in microbial activity. In general, higher the intensity of UV lamp, more compact would be the UV reactor for a given flow rate and germicidal activity.
In this regard, ARKLITE manufactures three types of lamps: Standard, High Output (HO) and very high output UV germicidal lamps, known as Amalgam lamps. Standard and HO lamps have UV conversion efficacies up to 33%, meaning that for every watt of electrical energy consumes by the lamp 0.33 watts UVC is produced. Similar efficacy of Amalgam lamps is higher, up to 40%. Standard UV lamps are about 1 watt/inch, HO lamps are about 2 watt/inch and Amalgams could be as high as 10 watt/inch. Needless to say that Amalgam lamps will offer highest efficacy along with most compact reactor design than standard and HO lamps and thus offer significant cost advantage even at higher lamp price.
Amalgam lamp is one of the most advance technology UV lamp that ARKLITE offer for germicidal action. It offer option to reduce reactor size by factor of five!. These lamps also offer added advantage of being more tolerant to temperature fluctuations.
Thus, ARKLITE offer a complete range of UVC lamp product line, for diversified system design needs that could be used to design highly efficient cost effective UVC based water purification systems for global market. This includes UVC based systems for potable water, industrial clean water for food, beverage and pharmaceutical industries, waste water as well as river water cleaning systems. In comparison to the global market, Indian water purification industry is in the infancy stage and is poised for a major growth over the next several years. Looking at the critical need for cleaner water a double digit growth is expected for the next decade.
It is noteworthy to state that ARKLITE manufactures state-of the – art UVC lamps that meets global standards and are supplied not only in India but also for the global market. These lamps are well received in over 12 countries including USA, UK, Switzerland and countries of Asia pacific regions.

Dr. Ravi Kulkarni