WATER DISINFECTION (DISINF)

In the facilities there are also several geometry CPC, anodised aluminium reactors and non-solar experimental plants in order to carry out water solar disinfection. The solar experimental plants are detailed bellow:

  • 25 L-CPC prototype (Figure 1a): it consists of two CPC type independent plants set-up on a 37º inclined platform. Each prototype has 5 borosilicate glass tubes connected in series (50 mm external diameter), with a 1 m2 illuminated surface, 25 L total volume (11.25 L illuminated volume).
  • 25L SODIS-CPC prototype (Figure 1b): two CPC type plants without water recirculation, 0.58 m2 illuminated surface and 25 L total and illuminated volume, designed for solar disinfection and low cost.
  • FITOSOL-CPC prototype (Figure 1c): two experimental plants that consist of a 4.5 m2 gathering area CPC type solar reactor (37º inclined) (60 L total volume, 45 L illuminated volume) and a post-treatment through sedimentation in conical base tank plant (100 L). Both plants are equipped with pH and dissolved oxygen sounding lines (DO, Multi CRI-SON 44) connected to a data memory automatic system. It also has a Tª control system (heat and refrigeration) and several air flow points and DO measurements.
  • CPC versus U prototype (Figure 1d): experimental plant consistent of two tanks, 192 L and 92.5 L respectively, connected to two independent photo-reactors of 2 m2 with dif-ferent mirror geometries (CPC and type U) that study solar disinfection efficiency and low-cost reactors design. 35 L total and irradiated volume in CPC unit and 52 L in U type unit. The plant is completely automatic and consists of several Tª sensors and UVA radiation sensor. It also has several systems in order to analyse the thermal effect by means of a solar thermal panel that allows raising the water Tª before going through the photo-reactors, a water recirculation system in each photo reactor and air flow.

a) b) c) d)
Figure 1. CPC photo-reactors at PSA DISINF facilities: a) 25L-CPC, b) 25L SODIS-CPC, c) FITOSOL-CPC and d) CPC versus U prototype.

Beside these experimental plants scale facilities there are two UVC treatment experimental plants (Figure 2). The first one (Figure 2a) has three UVC lamps (maximum flow: 25 m3/h, length of highest wave: 254 nm, maximum power: 400 J/m2) connected in series. The plant’s set-up is flexible, it can be worked with 1, 2 or 3 lamps at the same time in an intermittent or continuous way. It also has a dosing pump in order to automatically control pH and reactive addition. The second (Figure 2b) is a UV/filtration disinfection plant that has a UCV lamp and a 25-micron filter that removes the microbiological contamination from tap water before carrying out the so-lar treatment of water diisinfection experiment.

Figure 2. UVC pilot plants.

The experimental greenhouse is designed as a 30 m2 growth chamber with 4 independent and equal rooms, in order to grow crops in controlled conditions and study in-vivo the viability of reusing treated wastewater for irrigation. It has a 10 mm polycarbonate deck to avoid ultraviolet radiation. The chamber has four 3 x 2.5 m2 individual areas. Each area is equipped with inde-pendents systems that control temperature, humidity, irrigation and aeration (Figure 3).

Figure 3. Cultivation chamber for wastewater crops irrigation reuse.