Passive devices for the prevention of proliferation of microorganisms such as legionellae, especially for use in cooling towers, composed of copper or copper alloy or copper coated
A passive device for the prevention of the proliferation of microorganisms, viruses and bacteria, especially legionellae for application to apparatuses, devices or products placed in 20-55[deg]C temperature conditions, especially a moist or water immersion medium, consisting of elements in copper or copper alloys or covered in copper so placed to alternate between empty and full and allow passage of a flow of water, water vapor or air. The device may have the form of (1) elements positioned in the air flow to form chicanes at the exit of cooling tower as a drop separator; (2) elements with a large apparent exchange surface in copper in the passage of a transversal air flow, positioned at the exit of a cooling tower and upstream of the drop separator to form an exchange body; (3) elements as profiles welded to supports to form a grating. Preferably the grating consists of slabs which when assembled form a pavement; (4) elements constituting a filtering lining in copper and installed in a hydraulic circuit; and (5) full elements constituting the internal surface of a shower head and empty ones constituting the water outlet holes. The elements are preferably profiles produced by continuous electron beam soldering of sheets to threads. Independent claims are included for (1) a device in which the elements are a fine structure integrated to the internal surface of a shoe sole or internal surfaces of a shoe; and (2) a device in which the elements are threads forming a woven or non-woven antibacterial textile.
