Photoreactor

Another electrode configured as a cathode. The electrode in the outlet chamber 20 is diagrammatically shown at 18, and the flow distributor 16 may define the electrode in the inlet chamber 12. Claims (14) What is claimed is: 1. A photoreactor comprising radiation-permeable tubes through which a reaction medium is flowable and which are irradiated with light from outside, wherein the tubes extend from an inlet chamber provided with a fluid inlet,said inlet chamber including a flow distributor that distributes the reaction fluid from said fluid inlet to inlet ends of said tubes, and wherein the flow distributor is a bulkhead provided with holes that are arranged in an offset manner relative to said inlet ends of the tubes. 2. The photoreactor according to claim 1, wherein the tubes are capillary tubes having a wall thickness amounting to at least 10% of the inner diameter. 3. The photoreactor according to claim 1, wherein the tubes have a wall thickness amounts to at least 10% of the inner diameter. 4. The photoreactor according to claim 1, wherein the tubes define an elongate tube bundle extending between the inlet chamber and an outlet chamber, the dimension of said tube bundle being equal to or larger than a value of twice the outer diameter of one of the tubes as seen in the direction of light radiation. 5. The photoreactor according to claim 4, wherein the tubes are arranged in planar layers. 6. The photoreactor according to claim 4, wherein there is provided a mirror surface extending parallel to the tube bundle. 7. The photoreactor according to claim 4, wherein ends of the tubes are embedded in a wall of the inlet chamber and/or the outlet chamber. 8. The photoreactor according to claim 4, wherein inside or outside the tube bundle a radiation source is arranged which supplies the radiation required for the photoreaction. 9. The photoreactor according to claim 4, wherein the tube bundle as well as the inlet chamber and the outlet chamber are combined to form a self-supporting structure defining a module for use a larger solar treatment plant. 10. The photoreactor according to claim 1, wherein the inner surfaces of the tubes are provided with a coating. 11. The photoreactor according to claim 1, wherein the inlet chamber and/or an outlet chamber comprise an electrode configured as an oxygen-reducing cathode, and another electrode configured as an anode. 12. The

Photoreactor according to claim 1, wherein the inlet chamber and/or an outlet chamber comprise an electrode configured as a chloride-oxidizing anode, and another electrode configured as a cathode. 13. The photoreactor according to claim 11, wherein the flow distributor defines one of the electrodes. 14. The photoreactor according to claim 1, wherein the flow distributor is configured as a static mixer. US11/816,687 2005-02-19 2006-02-16 Photoreactor Active 2030-12-10 US8753579B2 (en) Applications Claiming Priority (7) Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title DE200510007771 DE102005007771A1 (en) 2005-02-19 2005-02-19 Photo-reactor for solar detoxification and decontamination systems, e.g. for polluted water, comprises a bundle of transparent capillary tubes of specified inside diameter, irradiated with light and carrying a reaction medium DE102005007771.4 2005-02-19 DE102005007771 2005-02-19 WOPCT/EP2006/050400 2006-01-24 EPPCT/EP2006/050400 2006-01-24 EP2006050400 2006-01-24 PCT/EP2006/060006 WO2006087353A1 (en) 2005-02-19 2006-02-16 Photoreactor Publications (2) Publication Number Publication Date US20080299017A1 US20080299017A1 (en) 2008-12-04 US8753579B2 true US8753579B2 (en) 2014-06-17 Family ID=36390284 Family Applications (1) Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date US11/816,687 Active 2030-12-10 US8753579B2 (en) 2005-02-19 2006-02-16 Photoreactor Country Status (4) Country Link US (1) US8753579B2 (en) EP (1) EP1848528B1 (en) AT (1) ATE513614T1 (en) WO (1) WO2006087353A1 (en) Cited By (2) * Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title US11779898B2 (en) 2017-06-27 2023-10-10 Syzygy Plasmonics Inc. Photocatalytic reactor system US11883810B2 (en) 2017-06-27 2024-01-30 Syzygy Plasmonics Inc. Photocatalytic reactor cell Families Citing this family (12) * Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title EP2017249A1 (en) * 2007-07-19 2009-01-21 Total Petrochemicals Research Feluy Process for the selective oxidation of methane DE102007057869B3 (en) * 2007-11-29 2009-04-02 W.C. Heraeus Gmbh Quartz glass microphotoreactor and synthesis of 10-hydroxycamptothecin and 7-alkyl-10-hydroxycamptothecin DE102008022406A1 (en) * 2008-05-06 2009-11-12 Hengst Gmbh & Co.Kg Method and device for separating water from fuel JP5656872B2 (en) * 2009-01-21 2015-01-21 ビーエーエスエフ ソシエタス・ヨーロピアＢａｓｆ Ｓｅ Tube bundle reactor for non-catalytic or homogeneous catalysis reactions CN102557182A (en) * 2012-02-13 2012-07-11 甘肃省科学院自然能源研究所 Multifunctional solar photocatalytic waste water treatment apparatus used for pilot tests GB2529042A (en) * 2014-08-06 2016-02-10 Greenthread Ltd Apparatus and methods for water treatment US20190161367A1 (en) * 2016-04-14 2019-05-30 Portland State University Rotationally symmetric photoanalytic reactor for water purification CN106673123B8 (en) * 2016-09-30 2019-07-26 河海大学 Reactor and its operation process are repaired in integrated oil sewage photocatalysis WO2018211820A1 (en) * 2017-05-18 2018-11-22 日本電気株式会社 Object, device, and processing method WO2021026339A1 (en) 2019-08-06 2021-02-11 Snapdragon Chemistry, Inc. Continuous flow photoreactor

Titanium dioxide, for example, are used, result in an inefficient utilization of the emitted photons in the prior-art solar reactor configurations. The known solar tube reactors are further disadvantageous in that they are operated at a high velocity with a turbulent flow for preventing sedimentation of turbid substances and/or suspended photocatalysts. The agitation of the entire fluid flow at a high velocity results in a relatively high energy consumption for driving pumps. It would be of advantage to the economic efficiency and the ecobalance of a solar photoreactor plant if only a smaller portion of the fluid had to be placed in turbulence. A photoreactor described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,456,512 A comprises an inlet chamber provided with a fluid inlet, from which inlet chamber a bundle of capillary tubes extends. The capillary tubes extend through a room in which a plasma is produced. The outer wall of this room is cooled. In the reaction fluid passing through the capillary tubes photochemical reactions take place. A similar photoreactor is described in U.S. Pat. No. 3,554,887. Here, the tubes are connected with an inlet chamber and an outlet chamber. Inside the tube system a light source is arranged which produces the light required for the photoreaction. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention provides a higher-efficiency photoreactor for photochemical or photobiological reactions, such as syntheses, cleaning, disinfecting and treatment operations. More particularly, the present invention provides a photoreactor comprising radiation-permeable tubes through which a reaction medium is adapted to flow and which are irradiated with light from outside. The tubes extend from an inlet chamber provided with a fluid inlet and a flow distributor that distributes the reaction fluid from the fluid inlet to the tubes. The flow distributor is a bulkhead provided with holes arranged in an offset manner relative to the inlet ends of the tubes. Accordingly, the inlet chamber is provided with a flow distributor which distributes the reaction medium from the fluid inlet to the tubes. The flow distributor allows for a smaller volume of the inlet chamber. Thereby the portion of the reaction medium volume, which is not irradiated, is reduced. Due to the small fluid portion which is not irradiated and thus does not react in terms of pure photoreactions, the processes induced by light lead to comparably more rapid material changes in the entire fluid and/or to more rapid concentration changes. Due to the