Design considerations and solutions in rapid-prototyping an ultraviolet reactor for ice borehole disinfection
Design considerations and solutions in rapid-prototyping an ultraviolet reactor for ice borehole disinfection
Antarctic subglacial lakes are of great interest to the science community. These systems are considered to be in pristine condition, potentially harbouring an environment containing undisturbed sedimentary sequences and ecosystems adapted to cold oligotrophic environments in the absence of sunlight. Gaining access to subglacial lakes presents major technological challenges. To comply with conventions covering the exploration of pristine Antarctic environments, access should be conducted so the lake is not contaminated in any way. Consequently, all equipment to enter the lake must be sterile and the entrance should isolate the lake from the external environment. Currently, clean access to these environments is achieved using a hot-water drilling system. Differences between the hydraulic pressure head of the lake and the glacial surface result in a section of the borehole being air-filled. It is imperative that this section is disinfected prior to introducing any sampling equipment. This paper describes the design process involved in rapid-prototyping an ultraviolet (UV) disinfection reactor for achieving this goal. Considerations such as UV output, physical constraints, temperature management, and deployment procedures are assessed. We present a design that addresses these considerations.
Antarctic glaciology, glaciological instruments and methods, ice biology, subglacial lakes
74-82
Keen, P.
d80c842a-4ba4-46ce-ad59-c70d9bc41b7e
Brito, M.
82e798e7-e032-4841-992e-81c6f13a9e6c
June 2014
Keen, P.
d80c842a-4ba4-46ce-ad59-c70d9bc41b7e
Brito, M.
82e798e7-e032-4841-992e-81c6f13a9e6c
Keen, P. and Brito, M.
(2014)
Design considerations and solutions in rapid-prototyping an ultraviolet reactor for ice borehole disinfection.
Annals of Glaciology, 55 (65), .
Abstract
Antarctic subglacial lakes are of great interest to the science community. These systems are considered to be in pristine condition, potentially harbouring an environment containing undisturbed sedimentary sequences and ecosystems adapted to cold oligotrophic environments in the absence of sunlight. Gaining access to subglacial lakes presents major technological challenges. To comply with conventions covering the exploration of pristine Antarctic environments, access should be conducted so the lake is not contaminated in any way. Consequently, all equipment to enter the lake must be sterile and the entrance should isolate the lake from the external environment. Currently, clean access to these environments is achieved using a hot-water drilling system. Differences between the hydraulic pressure head of the lake and the glacial surface result in a section of the borehole being air-filled. It is imperative that this section is disinfected prior to introducing any sampling equipment. This paper describes the design process involved in rapid-prototyping an ultraviolet (UV) disinfection reactor for achieving this goal. Considerations such as UV output, physical constraints, temperature management, and deployment procedures are assessed. We present a design that addresses these considerations.
Text
Brito_AnnalsGlaciology_preprint_2014.pdf
- Accepted Manuscript
More information
Published date: June 2014
Keywords:
Antarctic glaciology, glaciological instruments and methods, ice biology, subglacial lakes
Organisations:
Ocean Technology and Engineering
Identifiers
Local EPrints ID: 360964
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/360964
ISSN: 0260-3055
PURE UUID: e624e3ee-5e37-495d-9eb4-0c26161d8e45
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Date deposited: 08 Jan 2014 09:25
Last modified: 15 Mar 2024 03:31
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Author:
P. Keen
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