Patent ID: 8269190

Claim:
A method for enhancing the ultraviolet output of a water disinfection apparatus, the method comprising: maintaining one or more ultraviolet (UV) light sources at a stable operating temperature; and adjusting for an impedance mismatch between a microwave generator assembly and the UV light source to which the microwave generator assembly feeds microwave energy, wherein the UV light source comprises: a UV lamp module at least partially submerged in water to be disinfected, the UV lamp module comprising a plurality of UV lamps, each lamp further comprising one or more UV bulbs; the microwave generator assembly further comprising one or more microwave generators for converting electrical power into the microwave energy, the microwave energy transitioning from the microwave generators into one or more rectangular waveguides; one or more optically transparent circular waveguides for guiding the microwave energy to the one or more UV bulbs, the circular waveguide enclosing the one or more UV bulbs, the circular waveguide further comprising a mesh having intersecting filaments, the circular waveguide essentially transparent to UV radiation and substantially opaque to microwaves, wherein the microwave energy further transitioning from the rectangular waveguide to the circular waveguide; and an outer quartz tube enclosing the circular waveguide and the UV bulbs, the maintaining the one or more UV light sources at a stable operating temperature further comprises: providing a temperature control system, the temperature control system comprising a sealed air cooling system impervious to ambient air, the temperature control system further comprising: an upper air supply plenum; a recirculating fan positioned on the upper air supply plenum; a heat exchange unit at least partially immersed in the water to be disinfected, the heat exchange unit further comprising one or more heat exchange tubes, each heat exchange tube having an air inlet for receiving the air from the air supply plenum; a lower air collector plenum for receiving the air from the heat exchange tubes and supplying the air to the outer quartz tube, the lamps disposed between the upper air supply plenum and the lower air collector plenum; a hot air collector plenum for receiving the air from the quartz tube, the hot air collector plenum transporting the air back to the recirculating fan; and a programmable control unit for maintaining a desired air temperature measurement, the desired air temperature measurement corresponding to the stable operating temperature of the UV light source, and facilitating heat dissipation in the heat exchange unit, wherein heat is transferred from the air in the heat exchange tube into the water until a thermal equilibrium is approached.