Sensor Electronic to develop water purification technology for US Navy

Sensor Electronic Technology, makers of ultraviolet light-emitting diodes (UV LED) has secured a contract from the US Office of Naval Research (ONR) to develop a self-contained portable water purification system.

The water purification system will be built incorporating UV LED technology for water quality monitoring and disinfection.

The objective of the programme will be to develop a portable unit to provide a small team of war fighters with a self-sustainable source of potable water from any freshwater source, reported semiconductor today.

Office of Naval Research programme manager Cody Reese said that while war fighters face many a risk on the battlefield, drinking contaminated water shouldn’t be one of them.

"UV LEDs have the potential to revolutionise water disinfection at all scales, with a marked improvement to safety, durability, and energy consumption – from the mouthpiece of an individual drink tube, all the way to commercial-scale water treatment plants," added Resse.

The system to be developed will also use Sensor Electronics’ UV LEDs to monitor the water quality, optimising the system’s efficiency and effectiveness.

Sensor Electronic will partner with Cascade Designs to ensure its standalone water disinfection unit is in compliance with the needs of the war fighters.

Cascade Designs will focus on designing a novel filtration technique that to complements Sensor Electronics’ UV LED disinfection reactor, reports semiconductor-today.com.

Cascade Designs president Joe McSwiney said, "UV LEDs will become a compelling disinfection technology component in the creation of safe drinking water both for our troops and the general public."