Low-pressure mercury lamps are commonly used for germicidal
applications. The germicidal effect is due to the emission of light at 254 nm,
which leads to the destruction of the most waterborne bacteria and viruses.
The microwave plasma ultraviolet (UV) lamp (MPUVL) is a new technology for
generating a high-intensity UV light and that can be also controlled to
operate at 185 nm; irradiation is in air at this wavelength produces ozone.
The microwave power is injected into a resonant cavity and the
surface wave excitation takes place within the cavity through that part of the
discharge tube (fused silica) protruding inside it. The MPUVL has many
advantages over conventional lamps, which are limited to an output power in
the region of 30 W m-1, while MPUVL can deliver any amount of power per
unit length and the tube can be of any shape, length or diameter. This paper
describes the design of the MPUVL and compares its efficiency with that of
conventional lamps through spectral analysis. Other results, which include the
effects of temperature and different power inputs, are also discussed.