UV LEDs (UV light emitting diodes) are already widely used in small devices for point-of-use disinfection. Due to the specific properties of UV LEDs they offer enormous potential for the public water supply. However, this type of application is currently still limited by legal requirements and a lack of technical rules. The development of a corresponding test protocol will enable the use of this innovative technology in the drinking water sector in the future.
Based on previous TZW research projects in the field of UVC-LEDs (GENtLED-UV and ELEDWa), the DINoLED project aims to transfer the results obtained into a test standard for LED-based drinking water disinfection systems.
Together with the industry and research partners, possible monitoring and testing concepts are being evaluated with the aid of LED test reactors. In this context, various sensor concepts, permissible tolerances during operation and the use of Computational Fluid Dynamics Simulation (CFD) will be examined in more detail.
A key point of the investigations is the determination of the spectral sensitivity of Bacillus subtilis (spores) in the range from 240 nm to 300 nm, which will be carried out by the TZW together with the Physikalisch-Technische Bundesanstalt (PTB) in a specially developed experimental set-up with a laser whose wavelength can be varied.
By integrating the project into the WIPANO program, the main objective is to present a draft DIN test standard for the type testing of LED-based disinfection devices at the end of the project duration. This draft standard is being prepared in the DVGW-DIN joint committee NA 119-07-15-02 (PK UV disinfection).
Publications
Schön, K.-H.; Schwarzenberger, T.; Hügler, M.; Eggers, J.: Charakterisierung von LED-basierten UV-Desinfektionsmodulen. Abschlussbericht des TZW im BMBF-Verbundvorhaben „Grundlagenuntersuchungen und Entwicklung eines für den Einsatz im Wasser geeigneten UVC-LED-Desinfektionsmoduls“. Veröffentlichungen aus dem Technologiezentrum Wasser 91, ISSN 1434-5765 (2020)
Schön, K.-H.; Schwarzenberger, T.; Eggers, J.: Bestimmung der Wirksamkeit von UVC-LED Desinfektionsgeräten. Abschlussbericht des TZW im BMBF Verbundvorhaben „Entwicklung UVC-LED basierter Desinfektionstechnologien für die Wasserdesinfektion“ (2021)
Eggers, J.; Schön, K.-H.; Schwarzenberger, T.: UV-LEDs für die Desinfektion in der Wasserversorgung, in DVGW energie | wasser-praxis, 10/2021, 12–16 (2021)
