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We enjoyed the opportunity to share our invention with the Australian public through the ABC's New Inventors Show. Some questions and answers about our invention... 1. How does the self-cleaning device work? The self-cleaning mechanism is a single moving part that uses the intermittent flow of the water to operate and as such has no moving mechanical parts (hence less likelihood of breakdown and minimal maintenance). It is similar in shape to a turbine and operates in a vortex (spinning) motion cleaning upwards when the tap is turned on and downwards in the opposite direction when the tap is turned off. It is automatic only using the flow of water for its operation. The inner wall of the turbine contains felt which gently and effectively maintains the clarity of the quartz sleeve. Due to its consistent operation throughout any given time period the likelihood of scale etc build-up is extremely low. Basically opportunity for build-up is significantly reduced by the device's automatic process. As such the clarity of the sleeve is protected and the integrity of the germicidal action of the UV lamp is assured. 2. How does it differ from other UV cleaning mechanisms? These units differ from what is currently available on the market as they overcome a recognised a disadvantage of using UV for water and wastewater treatment. Maintaining the clarity of the quartz sleeve (that holds the UV lamp) is of utmost importance to ensure the adequacy of water treatment. Should the thimble become fouled, optimal UV intensity may not be achieved and thus effectiveness of water purification may be jeopardised. Nature Flow®’s self-cleaning device ensures the clarity of the sleeve without the need for consumer intervention or increased maintenance costs. Alternative UV products on the market claim to have cleaning mechanisms in place however these generally take the form of a mechanical device (eg an wiping arm or lever) that require consumer intervention and increases the risk of mechanical failure and maintenance requirements. The self-cleaning device has design, patent and trademark protection and is truly an innovative solution to a problem that has been plaguing the UV industry for years. The design and manufacture of these units are exceptional. UV reactors are manufactured from high quality materials with an excellent standard of workmanship. POE units are pre-assembled prior to despatch with ball valves provided at the inlet and outlet for ease of isolation and maintenance. Basically the advantages of a Nature Flow® System are in the UV reactor design and the patented self-cleaning technology. The reactor design allows for easy, "non-skilled" servicing of the system and the self-cleaning technology greatly reduces the maintenance required for a UV system. 3. Can it be retrofitted? Unfortunately no. While the self-cleaning device is one of our new inventions, the design of the UV cylinder has also been improved. These improvements have design protection. The unique thimble seat and sealing nut combination allows for ease of maintenance and ensures correct placement of the thimble in the cylinder. The inlet and outlet have been slightly offset to increase the vortex motion of liquid resulting in a more even exposure to the UV lamp. The outlet has been placed at a slightly greater interval from the top cap to allow the self-cleaning device to move into the position above the water flow and thus ensure flow is not obstructed. The quality of cylinder manufacturing is obviously also a significant factor. The free movement of the self-cleaning device inside the cylinder is integral to its operation. It is for this reason that all our cylinders are manufactured locally to exacting standards using high quality 316 marine grade stainless steel. 4. What can this technology be used for? Applications are extensive and extend across diverse industries. With the increasing awareness of water scarcity and the trend towards water re-use and conservation, this technology will provide significant advantages. Our past projects (see below) indicate the broad use of this technology at this early stage of expansion. The potential has not yet been fully explored and new applications are regularly being discovered. On a local level we have commenced development and trialling of a new greywater treatment system. We envisage that this system would supply a guaranteed volume of recycled greywater for householder's outdoor use. We believe that this type of product should be endorsed by local councils as it will provide a guaranteed water source that does not rely on rainfall (unlike the current rainwater tank rebates scheme). Be assured that we still fully support the installation of rainwater tanks as a simple additional method of increasing water storage however increasing intervals of drought and our growing population indicate that we need to be widening our view of potential water sources. 5. Where is this technology being used at the moment? Apart from numerous domestic installations we have also completed a broad range of commercial treatment systems. Take a look at some of our past projects... 6. Can grit, sand or other foreign objects become caught between the self-cleaning device and the quartz sleeve and cause damage? It is highly unlikely that a foreign object of any nature would become caught between the cleaning device and the thimble. Basically any UV treatment system requires a minimum quality of source water to ensure germicidal effectiveness. Pre-filtration is highly likely in the majority of cases. The primary purpose of the cleaning device is to prevent the formation of slime or scale build-up rather than to remove large matter from the source water. If, in the unlikely possibility that foreign matter did become lodged between the device and the thimble it would simply be a case of servicing the system and replacing the thimble. (The unique thimble seat and sealing nut combination mentioned above comes in handy here as it provides a quick and easy way to accomplish this.) 7. How much does this technology cost? System costs vary between applications. The three greatest factors affecting cost are required flow rate, source water quality and targeted waterborne pathogen. These factors influence the size (wattage, single , manifolded unit etc) of the UV treatment system and the requirement for (and type) of pre-filtration necessary to achieve minimum source water quality prior to the UV system. As a guide: A standard Nature Flow whole-of-house UV water treatment system complete with pre-filtration and pre-assembled in a poly cabinet normally costs around $2500. A "bare" system consisting of UV cylinder with self-cleaning device, advanced control box and glassware costs approx $1900. Commercial units vary greatly from project to project. We are happy to provide indications of cost for past projects...take a look around our website and feel free to contact us for more information. 8. What are the maintenance requirements? The maintenance requirements of a Nature Flow UV treatment system are minimal. The self-cleaning device ensures sleeve clarity and optimal germicidal effectiveness. This is the greatest advantage of our technology as it significantly reduces the largest single maintenance requirement - that of cleaning the quartz sleeve. Other systems on the market rely either on manual cleaning (removing the thimble and wiping clean with methylated spirits) or mechanical intervention by the operator (mechanical wiping arms/levers etc). In domestic applications, the self-cleaning device has effectively reduced servicing from quarterly to annual...a saving of 75% on maintenance costs! Servicing involves an overall check of system operation and alarms and replacement of the UV lamp and cleaning felts. While we recommend servicing by a qualified professional, the system design is conducive to "unskilled" servicing. Any other questions? Please feel free to email us and we will do our best to answer them... |
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