CAmPUS UV-C – Competence‑Center for the Assessment of Products with Ultraviolet Sterilization

UV-C radiation is becoming increasingly established as an effective sterilization technology and is being used to an ever greater extent in everyday situations. The “Competence Center for the Assessment of Products with Ultraviolet Sterilization – CAmPUS UV‑C” has gathered and broadened the UV-C expertise of three Fraunhofer institutes, the IGB, IBP and IPA, in a service platform offering specialized development, testing and consulting for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).

Optimization and testing of UV-C disinfection technologies for small and medium-sized enterprises

UV radiation from specially developed excimer plasma lamps can inactivate bacteria and even spores.
© Fraunhofer IGB
UV radiation from specially developed excimer plasma lamps can inactivate bacteria and even spores.

Objective

The unique selling point of the “KMU akut” cluster is the comprehensive support offered to SMEs, from the first product or application idea to the design stage, and all the way through to the execution and testing of new systems. The cluster’s combined expertise in UV-C radiation, microbiology and material characterization means that it can provide access to specialist knowledge that is not yet available on the market.

 

Investigations of Fraunhofer IGB

At Fraunhofer IGB, the innovation fields "Functional Surfaces and Materials" (topics: material characterization and radiation measurements) and "Water Technologies and Resource Recovery" (topic: microbiology) worked together closely to investigate different UV-C technologies in terms of their physical properties as well as their sterilization performance.

Project results

Schematic test setup for UV LEDs with calibrated UV-C measurement technology (sensor).
© Fraunhofer IGB
Schematic test setup for UV LEDs with calibrated UV-C measurement technology (sensor).
Radiation profile of a UV LED emitter measured using surface measurement technology. Irradiation time: 20 s.
© Fraunhofer IGB
Radiation profile of a UV LED emitter measured using surface measurement technology. Irradiation time: 20 s.

The project included market analyses and preliminary studies in separate phases in order to identify and address the specific needs of SMEs.

Crystallization phase: Initiation of the first projects

In the crystallization phase, the specific fields of application and the range of services of the Fraunhofer Institutes were defined and communicated. Through the cluster, more than 20 SME contacts were established and independent crystallization projects were set up with five SMEs. On this basis, feasibility studies and validation projects were conducted with the partners in order to realize methods and tools for simulation and evaluation with practical relevance.

Validation phase: Implementation of the projects

In the last phase of the project, individual applications were selected on the basis of validated decision-making criteria and ultimately validated and scientifically monitored in the supermarket use case. In this phase, functional prototypes of test benches for material testing were set up and characterized at Fraunhofer IGB, and procedures were established to assess radiation effectiveness while also taking into account material degradation. Various hygiene consultations were also offered and the biological effectiveness of UV sterilization was demonstrated using microbiological methods. The results were used as a basis for recommendations and optimizations of the respective technologies for the SMEs in order to increase customer safety, performance and the effectiveness of sterilization.

Outlook

Campus UV-C has led to the publication of a total of 15 fact sheets (brief reports) on the individual topics and competences, which provide SMEs with important insights into relevant results of the research. Overall, in addition to the project itself, strategically important contacts with SMEs have been established in order to pursue the product development, optimization and validation of UV technologies.

Funding

We would like to thank the Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft for funding the project within the "KMU akut" program.