Optimization of novel UV-LED flow-through reactor

Current UV technology used to disinfect drinking water and wastewater is energy intensive, hazardous, and bulky; and the advent of light emitting diodes (LEDs) that emit in the ultraviolet (UV) range provides a unique opportunity to rethink how we design and implement disinfection technology. The overall objective of this project is to investigate the how the arrangement of UV LEDs and the hydraulic conditions in a novel bench-scale flow through UV-LED reactor affect disinfection performance. The project will be carried out in two phases. Phase I will include modeling the reactor with computational fluid dynamics software and determining the optimal experimental operating conditions. Phase II will include confirming the model from Phase I by conducting a bench-scaled disinfection study using a model challenge organism. The expected outcomes include the student learning how to operate and model the novel flow-through reactor, determining the theoretical optimal operating conditions, and developing a deeper understanding of UV reactor design.

Faculty Supervisor:

Graham Gagnon

Student:

Kyle Rauch

Partner:

Discipline:

Engineering - civil

Sector:

University:

Dalhousie University

Program:

Globalink Research Award