Ozone generator

Abstract

The objective is to reduce the size of the ozone generating unit in the ozone generator. [Solution] The ozone generator 100 is equipped with a tubular dielectric 5, a gap 9 formed inside or outside the dielectric 5 through which the raw material gas passes, a voltage application electrode 1 and a ground electrode 11 positioned opposite each other with the dielectric 5 and the gap 9 in between, and a low-voltage fuse 40 having a cylindrical fuse body 44 and connected to the voltage application electrode 1, with a rated voltage of 125V to 1000V. Furthermore, the ozone generator 100 is equipped with a power supply unit 16 positioned outside the container 50 that applies a voltage Vf between the voltage application electrode 1 and the ground electrode 11, and a power supply line 14 that connects the power supply unit 16 and the voltage application electrode 1 via the low-voltage fuse 40.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to an ozone generator.

Background Art

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses a high-voltage current-limiting fuse, that is, a high-voltage fuse, used in an ozone generator (ozonizer). The high-voltage fuse of Patent Document 1 includes a hollow insulating cylinder, mounting brackets closing both ends of the insulating cylinder, a fuse element (fusing conductor), and an arc extinguishing agent filled in the insulating cylinder.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] The high-voltage fuse of Patent Document 1 needs to be designed specifically for the ozone generator on which it is mounted. In an ozone generator on which a high-voltage fuse is mounted, there are often thousands of voltage application electrodes for generating ozone. In an ozone generator, the voltage application electrodes for applying a voltage (applied voltage) between the ground electrode and the high-voltage fuses connected to the voltage application electrodes form an ozone generation part for generating ozone. The rated voltage of the high-voltage fuse is usually set to be not less than the maximum value of the applied voltage of the ozone generator. Generally, as the rated voltage increases, the diameter of the cylindrical fuse body and the length in the extending direction increase. Since the high-voltage fuse is large in size, the ozone generation part provided with the high-voltage fuse also becomes large, resulting in the problem that the ozone generator becomes large. If a fuse with a lower rated voltage than before can be mounted on the ozone generator, the ozone generation part can be made smaller.

[0005] An object of the present disclosure is to reduce the size of the ozone generation part of an ozone generator. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The ozone generator according to this disclosure comprises a container through which a raw material gas flows in and an ozonated gas flows out, and generates an ozonated gas containing ozone from the raw material gas. The ozone generator comprises a tubular dielectric, a void formed inside or outside the dielectric through which the raw material gas passes, a voltage application electrode and a ground electrode positioned opposite each other with the dielectric and the void in between, and a low-voltage fuse having a cylindrical fuse body and connected to the voltage application electrode, with a rated voltage of 125V to 1000V, all located inside the container. Furthermore, the ozone generator comprises a power supply unit located outside the container that applies a voltage between the voltage application electrode and the ground electrode, and a power supply line connecting the power supply unit and the voltage application electrode via the low-voltage fuse. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] In the ozone generator of this disclosure, a low-voltage fuse, which is a fuse with a rated voltage of 125V to 1000V, is connected to the voltage application electrode, so the ozone generation unit having the voltage application electrode and the low-voltage fuse can be made smaller. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0008] [Figure 1] This figure shows the schematic configuration of an ozone generator according to Embodiment 1. [Figure 2] This figure shows the voltage application electrode and the ground electrode. [Figure 3] This figure shows the dielectric tube and voltage application electrode. [Figure 4] This figure shows an example of the connection between the end plate and the ground electrode in Figure 1. [Figure 5] This is a diagram showing the ozone generating unit according to Embodiment 1. [Figure 6] Figure 5 shows a low-voltage fuse. [Figure 7] This is a diagram showing a low-voltage fuse according to Embodiment 2. [Figure 8] This is a diagram showing the ozone generating unit according to Embodiment 2. [Figure 9] This is a diagram showing the first ozone generating unit according to Embodiment 3. [Figure 10] This diagram illustrates the effect of the first ozone generating unit according to Embodiment 3. [Figure 11] This diagram illustrates the challenges in the ozone generation section of the comparative example. [Figure 12] This is a diagram showing the second ozone generating unit according to Embodiment 3. [Figure 13] This diagram illustrates the effect of the second ozone generating unit according to Embodiment 3. [Figure 14] This is a diagram showing an ozone generating unit according to Embodiment 4. [Figure 15] This figure shows an example of the electrode configuration in an ozone generator according to Embodiment 5. [Figure 16] This is a cross-sectional view along the dashed line shown in Figure 15 AA. [Figure 17] This figure shows an example of a hardware configuration in which the functions of the control unit in a power supply are realized by digital calculations. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0009] Embodiment 1. Figure 1 is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of an ozone generator according to Embodiment 1, and Figure 2 is a diagram showing the voltage application electrode and ground electrode of Figure 1. Figure 3 is a diagram showing the dielectric tube and voltage application electrode of Figure 1, and Figure 4 is a diagram showing an example of connection between the end plate and the ground electrode of Figure 1. Figure 5 is a diagram showing the ozone generation unit according to Embodiment 1, and Figure 6 is a diagram showing the low-voltage fuse of Figure 5. The ozone generator 100 of Embodiment 1 includes a container 50 into which raw material gas flows and ozonated gas flows out, a tubular dielectric 5 made of glass, ceramic, etc., a voltage application electrode 1 and a ground electrode 11, and a low-voltage fuse 40. The voltage application electrode 1 and the ground electrode 11 are formed on the outside of the dielectric 5 and are arranged opposite each other with a gap 9 through which the raw material gas passes and the dielectric 5 in between. That is, the voltage application electrode 1 and the ground electrode 11 are arranged opposite each other with the tubular dielectric 5 and the gap 9 in between. The tubular dielectric 5 is, for example, a dielectric tube 3. More specifically, the voltage application electrode 1 is formed on the inner surface of the dielectric tube 3, and the ground electrode 11 is positioned opposite the voltage application electrode 1 via an air gap 9 on the outside of the dielectric tube 3 through which the raw material gas passes. The ozone generator 100 of Embodiment 1 further includes a power supply device 16 that applies a voltage Vf between the voltage application electrode 1 and the ground electrode 11, and a power supply line 14 that connects the power supply device 16 and the voltage application electrode 1 via a low-voltage fuse 40. The low-voltage fuse 40 is a fuse with a cylindrical fuse body 44 and a rated voltage of 125V to 1000V, which is connected to the voltage application electrode 1. The low-voltage fuse 40 is a fuse with a rated voltage lower than that of a high-voltage fuse. The dielectric tube 3, the voltage application electrode 1, the ground electrode 11, and the low-voltage fuse 40 are arranged inside a container 50. In Figure 1, the container 50, the ground electrode 11, and the end plate 25 are shown in cross-section. However, to avoid complicating the diagram, the lines at the ends of the pipe-shaped ground electrode 11 (see Figure 2) have been omitted. Although five dielectric tubes 3 are shown in Figure 1, more than 1000 dielectric tubes 3 are installed inside the large-capacity ozone generator 100. In Figure 1, to indicate that the dielectric tube 3 is an example of a tubular dielectric 5, one of the reference numerals 3 is denoted with reference numeral 5 along with a dashed box. Other examples of tubular dielectrics 5 will be described in Embodiment 5.

[0010] The ozone generator 100 of Embodiment 1 generates a silent discharge between the voltage application electrode 1 and the ground electrode 11, similar to a conventional ozone generator equipped with a high-voltage fuse. This silent discharge is generated by applying an alternating voltage Vf of usually 3 kVp or more. 3 kVp indicates that the voltage from the reference potential of the alternating voltage to one peak is 3 kV. In FIG. 2, the discharge gap is the gap portion 9 formed between the dielectric tube 3 and the ground electrode 11, and Lg is the length of the discharge gap, that is, the discharge gap length.

[0011] The container 50 has an outer shape like a horizontally placed cylinder. At the upper left of the container 50, a power supply line inlet 53 is provided to introduce the power supply line 14 from the power supply device 16 into the container 50. A bushing 15 is provided at the power supply line inlet 53 to sufficiently insulate between the grounded container 50 and the power supply line 14 and prevent gas leakage. A raw material gas inlet 17 is provided at the lower left of the container 50, and an ozonized gas outlet 18 is provided at the lower right of the container 50. The raw material gas flowing in from the raw material gas inlet 17 in the direction of arrow 28a passes through the discharge space of the ozone generation unit 10 where silent discharge occurs, that is, the gap portion 9, and becomes an ozonized gas containing ozone generated by the discharge. The ozonized gas flows out from the ozonized gas outlet 18 in the direction of arrow 28b. The raw material gas is a gas mainly composed of air or oxygen.

[0012] The cooling water 24 flowing in from the cooling water inlet 19 provided on the lower side of the container 50 in the direction of arrow 29a is supplied to the inside of the room separated from the raw material gas and the ozonized gas by the ground electrode 11 composed of two end plates 25 and a pipe such as stainless steel. The cooling water 24 flows out from the cooling water outlet 20 provided on the upper side of the container 50 in the direction of arrow 29b. The pipe-shaped ground electrode 11 made of stainless steel is joined to the end plates 25 on both sides by welding or the like, and the end plates 25 are joined to the container 50 by welding or the like. The end plates 25 divide the container 50 into three rooms. The left and right in FIG. 1 are gas rooms filled with gas, and the middle is a cooling water room filled with the cooling water 24. The dielectric tube 3 is inserted into the cavity 27 inside the pipe-shaped ground electrode 11.

[0013] The dielectric tube 3 and the ground electrode 11 are concentrically arranged via a spacer 59 (see FIGS. 15 and 16) not shown, and a gap 9 is formed between the dielectric tube 3 and the ground electrode 11. One end (the right side in FIGS. 1 and 3) of the dielectric tube 3 is sealed, and the other end (the left side in FIGS. 1 and 3) is open. A voltage application electrode 1 is arranged inside the dielectric tube 3. The voltage application electrode 1 is constituted by, for example, a conductive film such as a metal film formed by vapor deposition or the like on the inner surface of the dielectric tube 3. The voltage application electrode 1 is connected to an output end which is one end of a voltage generation unit 31 in the power supply device 16 via a connection member 49, a low-voltage fuse 40, and a power supply line 14. The other end of the voltage generation unit 31 is grounded, and the container 50 is also grounded. In FIG. 3, an example in which the voltage application electrode 1 is formed only on the cylindrical portion 2 having a cylindrical shape, that is, the voltage application electrode 1 consisting only of the cylindrical portion 2 having a cylindrical shape is shown. However, the voltage application electrode 1 is not limited to this, and the voltage application electrode 1 may be formed on the inner surface of the sealed side of the dielectric tube 3. That is, a structure in which the voltage application electrode 1 includes the cylindrical portion 2 having a cylindrical shape and a tip portion such as a conductive film formed on the inner surface of the sealed side of the dielectric tube 3 may be adopted. In any configuration, the inner diameter of the cylindrical portion 2 in the voltage application electrode 1 is the applied electrode inner diameter Df, and the length in the extending direction of the cylindrical portion 2 in the voltage application electrode 1 is the applied electrode length Lf.

[0014] The power supply unit 16 receives power from an external power source 61 and outputs an applied voltage Vf to the voltage application electrode 1 via the power supply line 14 as a voltage relative to ground. The power supply unit 16 includes a voltage generation unit 31 that outputs the applied voltage Vf, a control unit 32 that controls the voltage generation unit 31, a short-circuit detection unit 34 that detects the current or voltage of the power supply line 14 and outputs a short-circuit determination signal SS, and a sensor 35 that detects the current or voltage of the power supply line 14. When the control unit 32 receives a short-circuit determination signal SS indicating that a short circuit has occurred between the voltage application electrode 1 and the ground electrode 11, it controls the voltage generation unit 31 to stop the applied voltage Vf. Furthermore, after controlling the voltage generation unit 31 to stop the applied voltage Vf based on the short-circuit determination signal SS, the control unit 32 includes a restart control unit 33 that controls the voltage generation unit 31 to output the applied voltage Vf after a preset time has elapsed. Figure 1 shows an example in which the sensor 35 outputs a detection signal S1, which is the current difference value that occurs when a short circuit occurs in the power supply line 14, and the short-circuit detection unit 34 determines, based on the detection signal S1, that the current difference value of the detection signal S1 is greater than or equal to a threshold, and outputs a short-circuit determination signal SS indicating that a short circuit has occurred between the voltage application electrode 1 and the ground electrode 11. Alternatively, the sensor 35 may output a detection signal S1 that detects the voltage of the power supply line 14, and the short-circuit detection unit 34 determines, based on the detection signal S1, that the voltage value of the detection signal S1 is less than or equal to a threshold, and outputs a short-circuit determination signal SS indicating that a short circuit has occurred between the voltage application electrode 1 and the ground electrode 11.

[0015] The AC applied voltage Vf generated by the voltage generation unit 31 is an AC voltage that causes a discharge in the gap 9 formed between the dielectric tube 3, on which the voltage application electrode 1 is formed on the inner surface, and the ground electrode 11. The frequency of this AC voltage is a frequency that can cause a discharge through the dielectric tube 3, that is, a frequency that can generate a silent discharge. Since ozonated gas containing ozone is generated in the gap 9 formed between the ground electrode 11 and the dielectric tube 3, the ground electrode 11, the voltage application electrode 1 formed on the inner surface of the dielectric tube 3 and facing the ground electrode 11, the low-voltage fuse 40 connecting the power supply line 14 to which the applied voltage Vf is supplied and the voltage application electrode 1, and the discharge gap 9 between the ground electrode 11 and the dielectric tube 3 are referred to as the ozone generation unit 10. Note that when the ozone generation unit 10 is shown in the figure, the ground electrode 11 and the discharge gap are omitted. In Figure 5, a portion of the power supply line 14 to which the low-voltage fuse 40 is connected, and the dielectric tube 3 are also shown within the dashed frame indicating the ozone generation unit 10. Figures 8, 9, 12, and 14 are described in the same way as in Figure 5. In Embodiment 1, the ozone generator 100 is operated by applying an applied voltage Vf of 2kVp to 11kVp from the power supply unit 16 to each ozone generating unit 10, with an operating pressure Pw of 0.1MPa to 0.5MPa, and using a low-voltage fuse 40 with an electrode distance Le of 5mm to 50mm. An applied voltage Vf of 11kVp or less is applied to the low-voltage fuse 40 with a rated voltage of 125V to 1000V. However, in normal operating conditions, a high voltage is not applied to the low-voltage fuse 40 which has a fuse electrode 43 and a molten conductor 42 that are low-resistance conductors, so there is no problem even if an applied voltage Vf of 11kVp or less is applied to the low-voltage fuse 40 with a rated voltage of 125V to 1000V. Therefore, the low-voltage fuse 40 can be replaced with a general-purpose fuse with a rated voltage of 125V to 1000V.

[0016] As shown in Figure 6, the low-voltage fuse 40 comprises a fusible conductor 42 that melts when an overcurrent flows through it, a protective tube 41 that covers and protects the fusible conductor 42, a fuse electrode 43 that seals the end of the protective tube 41 and is connected to the fusible conductor 42, and a lead 45 connected to the fuse electrode 43. The protective tube 41 encloses the fusible conductor 42. The fuse electrode 43 is fixed to the end of the protective tube 41. Except for the two leads 45, the fuse body 44 is formed. The diameter of the fuse body 44 is the fuse diameter Dh, the length between the outer ends of the two fuse electrodes 43 is the fuse length Lh, and the distance between the inner ends of the two fuse electrodes 43 is the electrode distance Le. The material of the protective tube 41 of the low-voltage fuse 40 is glass, ceramic, an insulator, etc. The material of the protective tube 41 is an insulator such as glass or ceramic, and in these cases, the low-voltage fuse 40 is called a glass tube fuse or a ceramic tube fuse, respectively. Low-voltage fuses 40 using glass tube fuses or ceramic tube fuses are less expensive than the high-voltage fuses mentioned above. Figure 5 shows an example in which the leads 45 of the low-voltage fuse 40 and the voltage application electrode 1 are connected with a connecting member 49 such as solder, but a metal brush or the like may be used as the connecting member 49.

[0017] This section explains the required minimum value and the lower limit of the inter-electrode distance Le in a low-voltage fuse 40 to which an applied voltage Vf of 2kVp to 11kVp is applied. The required minimum value of the inter-electrode distance Le is a theoretically calculated value, and the lower limit of the inter-electrode distance Le is larger than the required value including a margin. The inter-electrode distance Le corresponds to the spatial insulation distance when the molten conductor 42 of the low-voltage fuse 40 is completely extinguished from the fuse electrode 43 due to melting. Therefore, the required minimum value of the inter-electrode distance Le corresponds to the required minimum value of the spatial insulation distance when the molten conductor 42 of the low-voltage fuse 40 is completely extinguished from the fuse electrode 43 due to melting. When the applied voltage Vf is 11kVp, the required minimum value of the spatial insulation distance when the operating pressure Pw, which is the pressure of the raw material gas in the container 50, is atmospheric pressure is 17.1 mm, and when the operating pressure Pw is 0.1 MPa, the required minimum value of the spatial insulation distance is 8.6 mm. Here, the required lower limit of the spatial insulation distance is a design value set based on the content of JIS C 60664-1. The required lower limit of the electrode distance Le is determined by the upper limit of the control range of the applied voltage Vf when the control range of the applied voltage Vf is 2 to 11 kVp. The required lower limit of the electrode distance Le is determined by the design that results in the lowest possible upper limit of the control range of the applied voltage Vf, which is 4 kVp. In this case, the control range of the applied voltage Vf is, for example, 2 kVp to 4 kVp. The lower limit of 2 kVp in the control range of the applied voltage Vf does not affect the required lower limit of the electrode distance Le.

[0018] When the applied voltage Vf is small at the reference operating pressure Pw, the required lower limit of the electrode distance Le decreases. The first lower limit α1, which is the required lower limit of the electrode distance Le when the applied voltage is 6kVp or less, is expressed by equation (1), and the second lower limit α2, which is the required lower limit of the electrode distance Le when the applied voltage exceeds 6kVp, is expressed by equation (2). Here, in equations (1) and (2), Vf is the applied voltage in kVp units. The units of the first lower limit α1 and the second lower limit α2 are mm. α1 = 0.155 × Vf 2 +0.427 × Vf -0.28 ···(1) α² = 1.88 × Vf - 3.6 ···(2)

[0019] The third lower limit α3 is determined by selecting either the first lower limit α1 or the second lower limit α2 based on the applied voltage Vf. When the operating pressure Pw is low, the required lower limit of the electrode distance Le increases. The required lower limit α of the electrode distance Le corresponding to the operating pressure Pw is expressed by equation (3). Here, in equation (3), Pw is the operating pressure in MPa and Pat is the atmospheric pressure in MPa. The unit of the required lower limit α is mm. α=α3×(Pat÷(Pw+Pat)) ···(3)

[0020] The required lower limit α for the inter-electrode distance Le is the lower limit at which the inter-electrode distance Le between the two fuse electrodes 43 of the low-voltage fuse 40 must not decrease, i.e., the required lower limit, and corresponds to the required lower limit of the spatial insulation distance when the fused conductor 42 of the low-voltage fuse 40 disappears, as mentioned above.

[0021] Generally, when the operating pressure Pw is high, the applied voltage Vf needs to be increased. Therefore, the applied voltage Vf of 4kVp and the upper limit operating pressure Pw of 0.5MPa are incompatible when determining the required lower limit of the electrode distance Le. For example, the required lower limit α of the electrode distance Le is calculated using equation (3) with the first lower limit α1 calculated in equation (1) as the third lower limit α3 when the upper limit of the operating pressure Pw is approximately 0.1MPa, given that the applied voltage Vf is 4kVp. In this case, the third lower limit α3 is 3.9. The required lower limit α is 3.9 × (0.101 ÷ (0.1 + 0.101)) = 2.0 mm. When the operating pressure Pw is 0.5MPa, the required lower limit α of the electrode distance Le is calculated using equation (3) with the second lower limit α2 calculated in equation (2) as the third lower limit α3. In this case, the third lower limit α3 is 17.1. The required lower limit α is 17.1 × (0.101 ÷ (0.5 + 0.101)) = 2.9 mm. The lower limit of the inter-electrode distance Le can be set to 5 mm, for example, to allow for a margin.

[0022] Therefore, the ozone generator 100 of Embodiment 1 is equipped with a low-voltage fuse 40 which is a fuse with a rated voltage of 125V to 1000V, and the operating pressure Pw and electrode distance Le are set within a predetermined setting range, and the applied voltage Vf is controlled within a voltage range where the upper limit is the value of Vf calculated by equations (1) to (3) corresponding to the set value of the operating pressure Pw and the set value of the electrode distance Le, and the lower limit is 2kVp. The pressure setting range, which is the setting range of the operating pressure Pw, is 0.1MPa to 0.5MPa. The distance setting range, which is the setting range of the electrode distance Le, has a lower limit of 5mm or more which is greater than the required lower limit, and an upper limit of 50mm or less, and is within the range between the lower limit and the upper limit. In the ozone generator 100 of Embodiment 1, when an applied voltage Vf of 2kVp to 11kVp is applied between the voltage application electrode 1 and the ground electrode 11, the operating pressure Pw is set within a pressure setting range of 0.1MPa to 0.5MPa, the lower limit of the distance Le between electrodes is 5mm or more (larger than the required lower limit), and the upper limit of the distance Le between electrodes is 50mm or less (within the distance setting range). If these conditions are met, the required lower limit of the spatial insulation distance within the pressure setting range of the operating pressure Pw can be ensured. For this reason, the ozone generator 100 of Embodiment 1 can be equipped with a low-voltage fuse 40, which has a rated voltage of 125V to 1000V. In conventional ozone generators, the operating pressure Pw is usually around 0.1 to 0.18MPa.

[0023] In conventional ozone generators, low-voltage fuses were not used because the energy generated when a short circuit occurs is large, potentially damaging the protective tube 41 of the low-voltage fuse. However, when a short circuit occurs, the control unit 32 of the power supply unit 16 controls the voltage generation unit 31 to stop the output of the applied voltage Vf based on the short-circuit determination signal SS output from the short-circuit detection unit 34, which indicates that a short circuit has occurred between the voltage application electrode 1 and the ground electrode 11. This reduces the energy generated when a short circuit occurs, allowing a low-voltage fuse 40 with an appropriately set electrode distance Le to interrupt the short circuit and be used without damaging the protective tube 41. An arc may occur when a short circuit occurs, but the arc can be extinguished by the power supply unit 16 stopping the output of the applied voltage Vf. After a short circuit, the control unit 32 of the power supply unit 16 controls the voltage generation unit 31 to extinguish the arc, and the restart control unit 33 restarts the voltage generation unit 31, enabling the ozone generator 100 to be restarted with only the voltage application electrode 1 that experienced the short circuit disconnected. When a short circuit occurs at the voltage application electrode 1, the fused conductor 42 of the low-voltage fuse 40 connected to the voltage application electrode 1 melts and disappears, and sufficient spatial insulation distance is ensured, so the electrode is disconnected from the power supply line 14.

[0024] The ozone generator 100 of Embodiment 1 is equipped with a low-voltage fuse with a lower rated voltage than conventional fuses, allowing the ozone generating unit 10 to be made smaller. Conventional high-voltage fuses are large in size and have higher resistance than low-voltage fuses, resulting in greater heat generation. Since ozone self-decomposition is accelerated when the temperature rises, conventional ozone generators equipped with high-voltage fuses had reduced ozone generation efficiency. However, the ozone generator 100 of Embodiment 1 is equipped with a low-voltage fuse with lower resistance than a high-voltage fuse, resulting in less heat generation in the fuse than with a high-voltage fuse, thus improving ozone generation efficiency compared to conventional models. Conventional high-voltage fuses had the problem of being expensive due to their custom design and requiring a long manufacturing time. In addition, since a high-voltage fuse is required for each voltage application electrode mounted on the ozone generator, the cost of the ozone generator increased along with the cost of the high-voltage fuses, and the manufacturing time also increased along with the long manufacturing time of the high-voltage fuses. Furthermore, if there was no stock of high-voltage fuses, it could take time to obtain a replacement when the ozone generator malfunctioned, making immediate recovery difficult. Unlike conventional ozone generators equipped with high-voltage fuses, the ozone generator 100 of Embodiment 1 can reduce the cost of the ozone generator compared to those using high-voltage fuses. Specifically, by using a general-purpose low-voltage fuse, material costs are reduced, thus lowering the cost of the ozone generator 100. By using a general-purpose low-voltage fuse, the ozone generator 100 of Embodiment 1 can shorten the lead time in the event of a malfunction compared to conventional models, enabling shorter downtime and reduced operating costs.

[0025] Furthermore, the control unit 32, which is a functional block of the power supply unit 16, may be implemented by the processor 98 and memory 99 shown in Figure 17. Figure 17 is a diagram showing an example of a hardware configuration in which the functions of the control unit in the power supply unit are implemented by digital calculations. In this case, the control unit 32 is implemented by the processor 98 executing a program stored in the memory 99. Alternatively, multiple processors 98 and multiple memory 99 may work together to execute each function.

[0026] As described above, the ozone generator 100 of Embodiment 1 includes a container 50 through which raw material gas flows in and ozonated gas flows out, and generates ozonated gas containing ozone from the raw material gas. The ozone generator 100 includes a tubular dielectric 5 arranged inside the container 50, a gap 9 formed on the outside of the dielectric 5 through which the raw material gas passes, a voltage application electrode 1 and a ground electrode 11 arranged opposite each other with the dielectric 5 and the gap 9 in between, and a low-voltage fuse 40 which has a cylindrical fuse body 44 and is connected to the voltage application electrode 1 and has a rated voltage of 125V to 1000V. Furthermore, the ozone generator 100 includes a power supply unit 16 arranged outside the container 50 that applies an applied voltage Vf between the voltage application electrode 1 and the ground electrode 11, and a power supply line 14 that connects the power supply unit 16 and the voltage application electrode 1 via the low-voltage fuse 40. In the ozone generator 100 of Embodiment 1, this configuration allows the ozone generating unit 10, which has the voltage applying electrode and the voltage applying electrode 1 and the low-voltage fuse 40, to be made smaller, as the low-voltage fuse 40 is connected to the voltage applying electrode 40.

[0027] Embodiment 2. Figure 7 shows a low-voltage fuse according to Embodiment 2, and Figure 8 shows an ozone generating unit according to Embodiment 2. Embodiment 1 described a low-voltage fuse 40 with a rated voltage of 125V to 1000V and an ozone generating device 100 equipped with this low-voltage fuse 40. The size of the low-voltage fuse 40, i.e., the fuse length Lh and fuse diameter Dh, differs depending on the magnitude of the rated voltage, and the smaller the rated voltage, the smaller the size of the low-voltage fuse 40. A low-voltage fuse 40 with a rated voltage of about 1000V is smaller in size than a high-voltage fuse, but a low-voltage fuse 40 with a rated voltage of about 1000V is larger in size than a low-voltage fuse 40 with a rated voltage of 250V or less. If the larger low-voltage fuse 40 is placed between the power supply line 14 and the voltage application electrode 1, the effect of making the ozone generating unit 10 smaller than conventional units is reduced compared to when a low-voltage fuse 40 with a rated voltage of 250V or less is placed. In Embodiment 2, by mounting a low-voltage fuse 40 with a rated voltage of 125V to 250V in the ozone generator 100, a smaller ozone generating unit 10 can be formed than that of Embodiment 1. The differences from Embodiment 1 will be mainly described.

[0028] The low-voltage fuse 40 of Embodiment 2 shown in Figure 7 is an example in which the distance between electrodes Le is 50 mm or less and the fuse diameter Dh is 30 mm or less. Using the electrode thickness We, which is the thickness of the molten conductor 42 in the stretching direction at the fuse electrode 43, the fuse length Lh of the low-voltage fuse 40 is 2We + 50 mm or less. The distance between electrodes Le is 5 mm or more and 50 mm or less, as in Embodiment 1. The fuse length Lh is preferably 20 mm or more and 50 mm or less, and more preferably 20 mm or more and 25 mm or less. The fuse diameter Dh of the low-voltage fuse 40 is 5 mm or more and 30 mm or less. The fuse diameter Dh is preferably 5 mm or more and 10 mm or less.

[0029] The voltage application electrode 1 of Embodiment 2 shown in Figure 8 is an example in which the inner diameter Df of the application electrode is 50 mm or less and the length Lf of the application electrode is 2000 mm or less. The inner diameter Df of the application electrode of the voltage application electrode 1 is 10 mm or more and 50 mm or less, preferably 10 mm or more and 20 mm or less. The length Lf of the application electrode of the voltage application electrode 1 is 500 mm or more and 2000 mm or less, preferably 500 mm or more and 1500 mm or less. As described above, the dielectric tube 3 and the ground electrode 11 are arranged concentrically via a spacer 59 (see Figures 15 and 16), and the dielectric tube 3 and the ground electrode 11 can be arranged if the length of the gap between the dielectric tube 3 and the ground electrode 11 is, for example, 0.1 mm to 1 mm. By mounting a low-voltage fuse 40 with a rated voltage of 125V to 250V on the ozone generator 100 in this manner, the ozone generator 100 of Embodiment 2 can increase the installation density of the voltage application electrodes 1, and by using a small low-voltage fuse 40, the ozone generating unit 10 can be made smaller than the ozone generating unit 10 of Embodiment 1. Since the ozone generator 100 of Embodiment 2 can be configured with a smaller ozone generating unit 10 than that of Embodiment 1, it can be made smaller than the ozone generator 100 of Embodiment 1.

[0030] Embodiment 3. Figure 9 shows a first ozone generating unit according to Embodiment 3, and Figure 10 is a diagram illustrating the effect of the first ozone generating unit according to Embodiment 3. Figure 11 is a diagram illustrating the problems in the ozone generating unit of the comparative example. Figure 12 shows a second ozone generating unit according to Embodiment 3, and Figure 13 is a diagram illustrating the effect of the second ozone generating unit according to Embodiment 3. In the ozone generator 100 of Embodiments 1 and 2, an example was described in which the low-voltage fuse 40 is located outside the dielectric tube 3, but in Embodiment 3, an example is described in which at least one fuse electrode 43 of the low-voltage fuse 40 is located inside the dielectric tube 3. At least one fuse electrode 43 of the low-voltage fuse 40 is a fuse electrode 43 connected to the voltage application electrode 1 in the fuse body 44. The parts that differ from Embodiments 1 and 2 will be mainly described.

[0031] In the first ozone generating unit 10 of Embodiment 3 shown in Figure 9 and the second ozone generating unit 10 of Embodiment 3 shown in Figure 12, the end of the fuse body 44, including the fuse electrode 43 of the low-voltage fuse 40 connected to the voltage application electrode 1, is positioned to be inserted into the dielectric tube 3. The first ozone generating unit 10 of Embodiment 3 shown in Figure 9 is an example in which the voltage application electrode 1 is positioned to the open end of the dielectric tube 3, i.e., the open end, while the second ozone generating unit 10 of Embodiment 3 shown in Figure 12 is an example in which the voltage application electrode 1 is not positioned to the open end of the dielectric tube 3. L1 is the electrode retreat length, which is the distance from the open end of the dielectric tube 3 to the inside of the dielectric tube 3. The electrode retreat length L1 is the distance between the open end of the dielectric tube 3 and the end of the voltage application electrode 1 on the open end side of the dielectric tube 3. More specifically, the end of the fuse body 44, including the fuse electrode 43 of the low-voltage fuse 40 connected to the voltage application electrode 1, is positioned inside the cylindrical portion 2 of the voltage application electrode 1 formed in the dielectric tube 3. In this way, the first and second ozone generating units 10 in Embodiment 3 can have a smaller size in the longitudinal direction, i.e., the extension direction, of the dielectric tube 3 than the ozone generating units 10 in Embodiments 1 and 2. That is, the first and second ozone generating units 10 in Embodiment 3 can have a smaller size in the longitudinal direction, i.e., the extension direction, of the dielectric tube 3 than the ozone generating units 10 in Embodiments 1 and 2, by the length that the low-voltage fuse 40 is inside the cylindrical portion 2 of the voltage application electrode 1. Therefore, the ozone generator 100 of Embodiment 3 equipped with the first or second ozone generating unit 10 of Embodiment 3 can have a smaller ozone generating unit 10 than those in Embodiments 1 and 2, and thus can be made smaller than the ozone generators 100 of Embodiments 1 and 2.

[0032] The fuse diameter Dh of the low-voltage fuse 40 should be smaller than the inner diameter Df of the cylindrical portion 2 of the voltage application electrode 1, and should be large enough to connect the lead 45 (see Figure 6) of the low-voltage fuse 40 to the voltage application electrode 1. Figure 9 shows an example where the lead 45 of the low-voltage fuse 40 and the voltage application electrode 1 are connected with a connecting member 49 such as solder. However, if a connecting member 49 such as a socket that clamps the lead 45 from the outside is used, the difference between the inner diameter Df of the application electrode and the fuse diameter Dh can be made smaller than when connected with a connecting member 49 such as solder. For example, the fuse diameter Dh should be between 5 mm and 10 mm. In this case, the inner diameter Df of the voltage application electrode 1 should be between 15 mm and 50 mm.

[0033] Figure 11 shows comparative examples of low-voltage fuses 70 and 70x, in which the fuse electrode 43 does not fit inside the cylindrical portion 2 of the voltage application electrode 1. Low-voltage fuses 70 and 70x are adjacent to each other. Low-voltage fuse 70 is a normal low-voltage fuse in which the fused conductor 42 has not disappeared. Low-voltage fuse 70x is a low-voltage fuse in which the fused conductor 42 has disappeared due to a short circuit occurring at the short-circuit location 54. When the ozone generator 100 is operating normally, a high voltage is applied between the low-voltage fuse 40 and the voltage application electrode 1 and the ground electrode 11. Consider the case in which a short circuit occurs at the short-circuit location 54 between the voltage application electrode 1 and the ground electrode 11. In the ozone generating unit 10 where a short circuit has occurred, a normal low-voltage fuse 70 changes into a low-voltage fuse 70x in which the molten conductor 42 has disappeared. As a result, the absolute value of the potential of the fuse electrode 43 on the voltage application electrode 1 side of the low-voltage fuse 70x decreases from the absolute value of the normal first potential Va to the absolute value of the second potential Vb, which is lower than the absolute value of the first potential Va and close to the ground potential. As shown in Figure 11, when the low-voltage fuses 70 and 70x are outside the dielectric tube 3, the fuse electrode 43 of the adjacent normal low-voltage fuse 70 has the applied voltage Vf applied to the ground electrode 11, and the absolute value of the first potential Va is higher than the ground potential of the ground electrode 11. Since the second potential Vb of the fuse electrode 43 of the low-voltage fuse 70x in which the molten conductor 42 has disappeared is close to the ground potential, the potential difference Vab, which is the difference between the first potential Va and the second potential Vb, is close to the absolute value of the applied voltage Vf. Therefore, there is a possibility of a short circuit between the fuse electrode 43 of the low-voltage fuse 70, which is at the first potential Va, and the fuse electrode 43 of the low-voltage fuse 70x, which is adjacent to the low-voltage fuse 70 and is at the second potential Vb, which is close to the ground potential. The distance between the fuse electrode 43 of the low-voltage fuse 70 and the fuse electrode 43 of the low-voltage fuse 70x is Ltab. In the comparative example, the distance Ltab is smaller than the distance Lt between adjacent applied electrodes.

[0034] Unlike the comparative example in Figure 11, the ozone generator 100 of Embodiment 3 includes a low-voltage fuse 40 in the ozone generating unit 10, as shown in Figures 10 and 13, in which at least one fuse electrode 43 is positioned inside the dielectric tube 3. Therefore, in the first ozone generating unit 10 of Embodiment 3, the distance Lt between adjacent applied electrodes is shorter than the distance Ltab between the fuse electrode 43 of a normal low-voltage fuse 40 and the fuse electrode 43 of a low-voltage fuse 40x whose molten conductor 42 has disappeared and is at a potential close to the ground potential. A potential difference Vab, which is the difference between the first potential Va and the second potential Vb, is also generated between adjacent applied electrodes. Therefore, in the case of Figure 10, the most likely location for a short circuit is between adjacent applied electrodes, where the distance is the distance Lt between adjacent applied electrodes. Note that distance Ltab is the distance between the fuse electrode 43 inside the dielectric tube 3 in low-voltage fuse 40 and at the first potential Va, and the fuse electrode 43 inside the dielectric tube 3 in low-voltage fuse 40x and at the second potential Vb. However, in Figure 10, distance Ltab is shown between the fuse electrodes 43 outside the dielectric tube 3 to avoid complicating the diagram. Here, the distance Lt between adjacent applied electrodes, which is the distance to the most short-circuit-prone location in Figure 10, is larger than the distance Ltab between adjacent fuse electrodes in Figure 11. Therefore, in the case of Figure 10, short circuits are relatively less likely to occur than in the case of Figure 11.

[0035] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 10, when the first ozone generating unit 10 of Embodiment 3 is arranged adjacent to each other, if the spacing between the multiple dielectric tubes 3 becomes small, the distance Lt between adjacent applied electrodes will decrease, and it is conceivable that the distance between the voltage application electrode 1 located in the dielectric tube 3 where the short-circuit location 54 is located and the voltage application electrode 1 located in the dielectric tube 3 adjacent to this dielectric tube 3 may become shorter than the insulation distance required to maintain insulation. When the spacing between the multiple dielectric tubes 3 is reduced, the second ozone generating unit 10 of Embodiment 3 can be applied, and as shown in Figure 13, the distance Lt between adjacent applied electrodes can be made longer than the distance Lt between adjacent applied electrodes excluding the electrode recess length L1 by including the electrode recess length L1. In this way, the ozone generating device 100 of Embodiment 3 can prevent short circuits between adjacent voltage application electrodes 1 when a short circuit occurs. In the ozone generator 100 of Embodiment 3, which includes the second ozone generating unit 10 of Embodiment 3, the voltage application electrode 1 is positioned such that the end of the voltage application electrode 1 on the low-voltage fuse 40 side is retracted inward from the end of the dielectric tube 3 on the side in which the low-voltage fuse 40 is inserted. As the voltage application electrode 1 becomes shorter than the dielectric tube 3, the electrode retraction length L1 becomes longer, and consequently the distance Lt between adjacent applied electrodes becomes longer, thereby increasing the insulation distance. Therefore, in the ozone generator 100 of Embodiment 3, which includes the second ozone generating unit 10 of Embodiment 3, as the voltage application electrode 1 becomes shorter than the dielectric tube 3, short circuits between adjacent voltage application electrodes 1 can be prevented in the event of a short circuit. In the ozone generator 100 of Embodiment 3, whether it includes the first ozone generating unit 10 or the second ozone generating unit 10 of Embodiment 3, the distance Lt between adjacent applied electrodes is set to be greater than the required insulation distance.

[0036] Embodiment 4. Figure 14 shows an ozone generating unit according to Embodiment 4. Embodiments 1 to 3 described an example in which one low-voltage fuse 40 is connected to the voltage application electrode 1 of each ozone generating unit 10. Embodiment 4 describes an example in which multiple low-voltage fuses 40 are connected in series to the voltage application electrode 1 of each ozone generating unit 10. The differences from Embodiments 1 to 3 will be mainly described.

[0037] Figure 14 shows an example in which two low-voltage fuses 40 are connected in series to the voltage application electrode 1 of each ozone generating unit 10. The first low-voltage fuse connected to the voltage application electrode 1 is shown as low-voltage fuse 40a, and the second low-voltage fuse connected to the power supply line 14 is shown as low-voltage fuse 40b. The symbol 40 is used collectively for low-voltage fuses, and 40a and 40b are used to distinguish them. The low-voltage fuses 40a and 40b are connected in series, and the low-voltage fuses 40a and 40b connected in series are inserted between the power supply line 14 connected to the power supply unit 16 and the voltage application electrode 1. One end of the low-voltage fuse 40a is connected to the voltage application electrode 1, the other end of the low-voltage fuse 40a on the power supply unit 16 side is connected to one end of the low-voltage fuse 40b, and the other end of the low-voltage fuse 40b is connected to the power supply line 14 on the power supply unit 16 side. Therefore, the low-voltage fuse 40b, which is connected in series with the low-voltage fuse 40a, is inserted between the power supply unit 16 side of the low-voltage fuse 40a and the power supply line 14.

[0038] Figure 14 shows the cumulative inter-electrode distance Lac for two low-voltage fuses 40a and 40b connected in series. If a short circuit occurs between the ozone generator 10, which has two low-voltage fuses 40a and 40b connected in series, and the ground electrode 11, it is unlikely that only the fused conductor 42 of one low-voltage fuse 40a or 40b will be destroyed; rather, it is considered that the fused conductors 42 of both low-voltage fuses 40a and 40b, i.e., all low-voltage fuses 40, will be destroyed. The distance on the far side between the opposing fuse electrodes 43 of adjacent low-voltage fuses 40a and 40b is defined as the adjacent distance Lad. The adjacent distance Lad can also be defined as the distance between the inner end of the fuse electrode 43 that determines the inter-electrode distance Le in one low-voltage fuse 40 and the inner end of the fuse electrode 43 that determines the inter-electrode distance Le in the other low-voltage fuse 40. The cumulative inter-electrode distance Lac for two low-voltage fuses 40a and 40b connected in series can be calculated as 2Le + Lad. Therefore, the cumulative inter-electrode distance Lac in n low-voltage fuses 40 connected in series can be calculated as nLe + (n-1)Lad.

[0039] In the ozone generator 100 of Embodiment 4, multiple low-voltage fuses 40 are connected to the voltage application electrodes 1 of each ozone generating unit 10. Therefore, in an ozone generating unit 10 where a short circuit occurs, the cumulative inter-electrode distance Lac across the multiple low-voltage fuses 40 becomes the spatial insulation distance. For this reason, when only one small low-voltage fuse 40 is used, the inter-electrode distance Le may become shorter than the required spatial insulation distance, which is the lower limit of the spatial insulation distance at which insulation can be ensured at the operating pressure Pw inside the container 50 filled with raw material gas. In such cases, by connecting multiple low-voltage fuses 40 in series, a spatial insulation distance greater than or equal to the required spatial insulation distance can be achieved across the multiple low-voltage fuses 40 connected in series.

[0040] In the ozone generator 100 of Embodiment 4, even if the spatial insulation distance after a short circuit is less than the required spatial insulation distance with a single small low-voltage fuse 40, and a short circuit occurs again when the power supply unit 16 is restarted to output the applied voltage Vf again, the spatial insulation distance can be increased by providing multiple low-voltage fuses 40 connected in series in the ozone generating unit 10.

[0041] Embodiment 5. In Embodiments 1 to 4, the voltage application electrode 1 is positioned to contact the inside of a dielectric tube 3, which is an example of a tubular dielectric 5, and an air gap 9 is formed between the dielectric tube 3 and the ground electrode 11. However, as shown in Figures 15 and 16, the voltage application electrode 1 may be positioned without contacting the inside of the tubular dielectric 5, and an air gap 9 may be formed between the tubular dielectric 5 and the voltage application electrode 1. Figure 15 is a diagram showing an example of the electrode configuration in an ozone generator according to Embodiment 5, and Figure 16 is a cross-sectional view along the dashed line indicated by AA in Figure 15. In the electrode configuration of the ozone generator shown in Figures 15 and 16, the configuration of the ground electrode 11 and the end plate 25 is the same as the configuration shown in Embodiment 1. However, the electrode configuration of the ozone generator 100 shown in Figures 15 and 16 differs in the following three points. The first difference is that the tubular dielectric 5 is not sealed at both ends and penetrates through. The second difference is that the voltage application electrode 1 includes a metal tube 12 and a metal plate 13 that seals the through-hole of the metal tube 12. The third difference is that the voltage application electrode 1 is arranged concentrically with the tubular dielectric 5 via a spacer 59 inside the tubular dielectric 5, and a gap 9 is formed between the tubular dielectric 5 and the voltage application electrode 1. The tubular dielectric 5 is composed of a dielectric layer 4 formed by coating or the like on the inner surface of the ground electrode 11, i.e., the ground electrode tube, which is made of a pipe made of stainless steel or the like. The dielectric layer 4 is another example of the tubular dielectric 5. Note that although the metal plate 13 that seals the through-hole of the metal tube 12 is shown on the left side in Figure 15, i.e., on the left side of the gas chamber in Figure 1, it is not limited to this, and can be placed in a position that can seal the through-hole of the metal tube 12. Also, the filling pattern of the cooling water 24 has been omitted in Figure 15. In Figures 15 and 16, the reference numeral 5 is denoted along with a dashed box around reference numeral 4 to indicate that the dielectric layer 4 is an example of a tubular dielectric 5.

[0042] The electrode configuration of the ozone generator shown in Figures 15 and 16 comprises a ground electrode tube which is a ground electrode 11, a dielectric layer 4 which is an example of a tubular dielectric 5, and a voltage application electrode 1. The dielectric layer 4 is formed on the inner surface of the ground electrode tube, and the voltage application electrode 1 is positioned inside the dielectric layer 4 via a gap 9. The electrode configuration of the ozone generator shown in Figures 15 and 16 can also be expressed as follows: The electrode configuration of the ozone generator shown in Figures 15 and 16 comprises a dielectric layer 4 which is an example of a tubular dielectric 5, a voltage application electrode 1 and a ground electrode 11 which are formed inside the dielectric layer 4 and are positioned opposite each other with a gap 9 through which the raw material gas passes in between.

[0043] The ozone generator 100 of Embodiment 5, which has the electrode configuration of the ozone generator shown in Figures 15 and 16, is equipped with a container 50 through which raw material gas flows in and ozonated gas flows out, similar to the ozone generator 100 of Embodiment 1, and generates ozonated gas containing ozone from the raw material gas. The ozone generator 100 is equipped with a tubular dielectric 5 arranged inside the container 50, a voltage application electrode 1 and a ground electrode 11 formed inside the dielectric 5 and positioned opposite each other with a gap 9 through which the raw material gas passes and the dielectric 5 in between, and a low-voltage fuse 40 which has a cylindrical fuse body 44 and is connected to the voltage application electrode 1, and has a rated voltage of 125V to 1000V. The ozone generator 100 of Embodiment 5, which has the electrode configuration of the ozone generator shown in Figures 15 and 16, has the same effect as the ozone generator 100 of Embodiment 1 because the low-voltage fuse 40, which has a rated voltage of 125V to 1000V, is connected to the voltage application electrode. The ozone generator 100 of Embodiment 5, which has the electrode configuration of the ozone generator shown in Figures 15 and 16, can be fitted with the ozone generating units 10 shown in Embodiments 2 to 4, and will produce the respective effects of the ozone generating unit 10 of the fitted embodiment. When the second ozone generating unit 10 shown in Embodiment 3 is fitted, the end of the metal tube 12, which is the voltage application electrode 1, on the low-voltage fuse 40 side is positioned to recede into the interior side of the dielectric layer 4, which is an example of the dielectric 5, from the end of the dielectric layer 4, which is an example of the dielectric 5, on the side in which the low-voltage fuse 40 is inserted.

[0044] While this disclosure describes various exemplary embodiments and examples, the various features, aspects, and functions described in one or more embodiments are not limited to the application of a particular embodiment, but are applicable individually or in various combinations to the embodiments. Accordingly, countless variations not illustrated are conceivable within the scope of the art disclosed in this specification. For example, these include modifying, adding, or omitting at least one component, or extracting at least one component and combining it with a component from another embodiment.

[0045] Although preferred embodiments have been described in detail above, the invention is not limited to the embodiments described above, and various modifications and substitutions can be made to the embodiments described above without departing from the scope of the claims.

[0046] The various aspects of this disclosure are summarized below as an appendix.

[0047] (Note 1) An ozone generator comprising a container into which a raw material gas flows and into which an ozonated gas flows out, and which generates the ozonated gas containing ozone from the raw material gas, Placed inside the container, Tubular dielectric, A void formed on the inside or outside of the dielectric and through which the raw material gas passes, A voltage application electrode and a ground electrode are arranged opposite each other with the dielectric and the air gap in between, and A low-voltage fuse having a cylindrical fuse body and connected to the voltage application electrode, with a rated voltage of 125V to 1000V, A power supply device is placed outside the container and applies a voltage between the voltage application electrode and the ground electrode, The system includes a power supply line connecting the power supply unit and the voltage application electrode via the low-voltage fuse. Ozone generator. (Note 2) The power supply unit comprises a voltage generation unit that outputs the applied voltage, a control unit that controls the voltage generation unit, and a short-circuit detection unit that detects the current or voltage of the power supply line and outputs a short-circuit determination signal. The ozone generator according to Appendix 1, wherein the control unit controls the voltage generation unit to stop the applied voltage when it receives the short-circuit determination signal indicating that a short circuit has occurred between the voltage application electrode and the ground electrode. (Note 3) The control unit, The system includes a restart control unit that controls the voltage generation unit to stop the applied voltage based on the short-circuit detection signal, and then controls the voltage generation unit to output the applied voltage after a preset time has elapsed. The ozone generator described in Appendix 2. (Note 4) The aforementioned low-voltage fuse is The rated voltage is between 125V and 250V. An ozone generator as described in any one of the notes 1 to 3. (Note 5) The fuse body of the low-voltage fuse is It comprises a fuse conductor that melts when an overcurrent flows through it, a protective tube enclosing the fuse conductor, and two fuse electrodes that are connected to the fuse conductor and have both ends of the protective tube sealed. The fuse length, which is the distance between the outer ends of the two fuse electrodes, is 20 mm or more and 25 mm or less. An ozone generator as described in any one of the appendices 1 to 4. (Note 6) The fuse body of the low-voltage fuse is It comprises a fuse conductor that melts when an overcurrent flows through it, a protective tube enclosing the fuse conductor, and two fuse electrodes that are connected to the fuse conductor and have both ends of the protective tube sealed. Let the applied voltage be Vf in kVp units, the operating pressure, which is the pressure of the raw material gas inside the container when the ozone generator is operating, be Pw in MPa units, and the atmospheric pressure be Pat in MPa units. Let α in millimeters be the minimum required value that must not decrease, which is the distance between the inner ends of the two fuse electrodes. When the applied voltage is 6kVp or less, the first lower limit value α1 is defined as follows: When the applied voltage exceeds 6 kVp, the value of α is set to the second lower limit α2. The third lower limit α3 is set to either the first lower limit α1 or the second lower limit α2 selected according to the applied voltage conditions. Let α1 = 0.155 × Vf2 + 0.427 × Vf - 0.28 be the first equation. Let α² = 1.88 × Vf - 3.6 be the second equation. Let α = α³ × (Pat ÷ (Pw + Pat)) be the third equation. The aforementioned operating pressure is set within a pressure setting range of 0.1 MPa to 0.5 MPa. The distance between the electrodes is set within a distance setting range where the lower limit is 5 mm or more, which is greater than the required lower limit, and the upper limit is 50 mm or less. The applied voltage is controlled within a voltage range where the upper limit of Vf, calculated by the first to third equations corresponding to the set operating pressure and the set electrode distance, is 2kVp, and the lower limit is 2kVp. An ozone generator as described in any one of the appendices 1 to 4. (Note 7) The applied voltage has an upper limit of 11kVp within the voltage range. The ozone generator described in Appendix 6. (Note 8) The voltage application electrode is It has a cylindrical part, The inner diameter of the cylindrical portion is 10 mm or more and 50 mm or less. The length of the cylindrical portion is 500 mm or more and 1500 mm or less. An ozone generator as described in any one of the notes 1 through 7. (Note 9) The low-voltage fuse has a fuse body diameter of 5 mm or more and 10 mm or less. An ozone generator as described in any one of the notes 1 through 8. (Note 10) The low-voltage fuse is arranged such that the end of the fuse body connected to the voltage application electrode is inserted into the dielectric. An ozone generator as described in any one of the notes 1 through 9. (Note 11) The voltage application electrode is The end of the voltage application electrode on the low-voltage fuse side is positioned so as to be recessed inward from the end of the dielectric on which the low-voltage fuse is inserted. The ozone generator described in Appendix 10. (Note 12) The low-voltage fuse connected to the voltage application electrode is designated as the first low-voltage fuse. Another low-voltage fuse is inserted between the power supply side of the first low-voltage fuse and the power supply line, connected in series with the first low-voltage fuse. An ozone generator as described in any one of the notes 1 through 11. [Explanation of symbols]

[0048] 1...Voltage application electrode, 2...Cylindrical part, 3...Dielectric tube, 4...Dielectric layer, 5...Dielectric, 9...Gap, 11...Ground electrode, 14...Power supply line, 16...Power supply unit, 31...Voltage generation unit, 32...Control unit, 33...Restart control unit, 34...Short circuit detection unit, 40...Low-voltage fuse, 40a...Low-voltage fuse (first low-voltage fuse), 40b...Low-voltage fuse (other low-voltage fuses), 40x...Low-voltage fuse, 41...Protective tube, 42...Fusing conductor, 43...Fuse electrode, 44...Fuse body, 50...Container, 100...Ozone generator, α...Required lower limit, α1...First lower limit, α2...Second lower limit, α3...Third lower limit, Dh...Fuse diameter, Df...Inner diameter of application electrode, Le...Distance between electrodes, Lf...Application electrode length, Lh...Fuse length, Pat...Atmospheric pressure, Pw...Operating pressure, SS...Short circuit detection signal, Vf...Applied voltage

Claims

1. An ozone generator comprising a container into which a raw material gas flows and into which an ozonated gas flows out, and which generates the ozonated gas containing ozone from the raw material gas, Placed inside the container, Tubular dielectric, A void formed on the inside or outside of the dielectric and through which the raw material gas passes, A voltage application electrode and a ground electrode are arranged opposite each other with the dielectric and the gap between them, and A low-voltage fuse having a cylindrical fuse body and connected to the voltage application electrode, with a rated voltage of 125V to 1000V, A power supply device is placed outside the container and applies a voltage between the voltage application electrode and the ground electrode, The system includes a power supply line connecting the power supply unit and the voltage application electrode via the low-voltage fuse. Ozone generator.

2. The power supply unit comprises a voltage generation unit that outputs the applied voltage, a control unit that controls the voltage generation unit, and a short-circuit detection unit that detects the current or voltage of the power supply line and outputs a short-circuit determination signal. The ozone generator according to claim 1, wherein the control unit controls the voltage generation unit to stop the applied voltage when it receives the short-circuit determination signal indicating that a short circuit has occurred between the voltage application electrode and the ground electrode.

3. The control unit, The system includes a restart control unit that controls the voltage generation unit to stop the applied voltage based on the short-circuit detection signal, and then controls the voltage generation unit to output the applied voltage after a preset time has elapsed. The ozone generator according to claim 2.

4. The aforementioned low-voltage fuse is The rated voltage is between 125V and 250V. An ozone generator according to any one of claims 1 to 3.

5. The fuse body of the low-voltage fuse is It comprises a fuse conductor that melts when an overcurrent flows through it, a protective tube enclosing the fuse conductor, and two fuse electrodes that are connected to the fuse conductor and have both ends of the protective tube sealed. The fuse length, which is the distance between the outer ends of the two fuse electrodes, is 20 mm or more and 25 mm or less. An ozone generator according to any one of claims 1 to 3.

6. The fuse body of the low-voltage fuse is It comprises a fuse conductor that melts when an overcurrent flows through it, a protective tube enclosing the fuse conductor, and two fuse electrodes that are connected to the fuse conductor and have both ends of the protective tube sealed. Let the applied voltage be Vf in kVp units, the operating pressure, which is the pressure of the raw material gas inside the container when the ozone generator is operating, be Pw in MPa units, and the atmospheric pressure be Pat in MPa units. Let α in millimeters be the minimum required value that must not decrease, which is the distance between the inner ends of the two fuse electrodes. When the applied voltage is 6 kVp or less, the first lower limit value α1 is defined as follows: When the applied voltage exceeds 6 kVp, the value of α is set to the second lower limit α2. The third lower limit α3 is set to either the first lower limit α1 or the second lower limit α2 selected according to the applied voltage conditions. α1=0.155×Vf 2 Let +0.427 × Vf - 0.28 be the first equation. Let α² = 1.88 × Vf - 3.6 be the second equation. Let α = α³ × (Pat ÷ (Pw + Pat)) be the third equation. The aforementioned operating pressure is set within a pressure setting range of 0.1 MPa to 0.5 MPa. The distance between the electrodes is set within a distance setting range where the lower limit is 5 mm or more, which is greater than the required lower limit, and the upper limit is 50 mm or less. The applied voltage is controlled within a voltage range where the upper limit of Vf, calculated by the first to third equations corresponding to the set operating pressure and the set electrode distance, is 2 kVp, and the lower limit is 2 kVp. An ozone generator according to any one of claims 1 to 3.

7. The applied voltage has an upper limit of 11 kVp within the voltage range. The ozone generator according to claim 6.

8. The voltage application electrode is It has a cylindrical part, The inner diameter of the cylindrical portion is 10 mm or more and 50 mm or less. The length of the cylindrical portion is 500 mm or more and 1500 mm or less. An ozone generator according to any one of claims 1 to 3.

9. The low-voltage fuse has a fuse body diameter of 5 mm or more and 10 mm or less. An ozone generator according to any one of claims 1 to 3.

10. The low-voltage fuse is arranged such that the end of the fuse body connected to the voltage application electrode is inserted into the dielectric. An ozone generator according to any one of claims 1 to 3.

11. The voltage application electrode is The end of the voltage application electrode on the low-voltage fuse side is positioned so as to be recessed inward from the end of the dielectric on which the low-voltage fuse is inserted. The ozone generator according to claim 10.

12. The low-voltage fuse connected to the voltage application electrode is designated as the first low-voltage fuse. Another low-voltage fuse is inserted between the power supply side of the first low-voltage fuse and the power supply line, connected in series with the first low-voltage fuse. An ozone generator according to any one of claims 1 to 3.

Images