Disposable Corona Discharge Ozone Generator with Venturi Injector
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing ozone-based sanitizing and purification systems for household and small commercial use face challenges such as high maintenance requirements, hazardous high-voltage designs, inefficient ozone injection across varying pressure and flow rates, and lack of effective odor control, making them impractical for widespread adoption.
Innovation Solution
A corona discharge ozone generator with disposable dielectric assemblies and a venturi injector system that allows for easy maintenance, safe operation, and efficient ozone delivery across a range of pressures and flow rates, combined with microbiological barrier filtration to reduce ozone demand and enhance sanitizing efficacy, and an option for gaseous phase odor control.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Power
If a corona discharge ozone generator is used to produce high concentration ozone, then oxidation and purification effectiveness is improved, but nitric acid precipitation occurs inside the ozone generation chamber
Solution Approach 1:
The patent converts the harmful nitric acid precipitation into a beneficial feature by allowing it to form and then using a water trap to collect and remove it. The nitric acid, which would normally foul the dielectric and reduce ozone production, is instead captured in the water trap, preventing damage to the ozone generation chamber while maintaining high ozone production capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a water trap as an intermediary component between the ozone generation chamber and the rest of the system. This water trap serves as a mediator that captures nitric acid precipitation, preventing it from reaching and damaging the dielectric in the ozone generation chamber, thus resolving the conflict between high ozone production and nitric acid damage.
2Power
If air dryers are used to prevent nitric acid precipitation, then ozone production capability is maintained, but system complexity and maintenance requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs a disposable water trap that is simple in design and inexpensive to replace. Rather than using a complex air dryer system that requires maintenance and regeneration, the water trap is designed to be replaced periodically to remove accumulated nitric acid, simplifying the overall system while maintaining ozone production capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent extracts the nitric acid precipitation from the ozone generation chamber by introducing a water trap that captures and removes it. This separation removes the harmful effect from the ozone generation process without requiring complex air drying systems, thus reducing system complexity while maintaining ozone production.
3Productivity
If a venturi injector is used for ozone injection, then ozone delivery efficiency is improved, but proper operation under varying pressure and flow rate conditions becomes difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The patent makes the venturi injector adaptable to varying conditions by allowing adjustment of key parameters including the motive throat diameter, suction throat diameter, and pressure differential. This dynamic adjustability enables the venturi injector to maintain proper operation across different pressure and flow rate conditions while preserving high ozone delivery efficiency.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs parameter changes by allowing modification of the venturi injector's geometric parameters (diameters, angles) and operating parameters (pressure differential, flow rate). This enables the system to adapt to varying conditions while maintaining optimal ozone delivery efficiency through calculated adjustments to these parameters.
4Ease of repair
If disposable dielectric assemblies are used, then maintenance requirements are reduced, but manufacturing cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses disposable dielectric assemblies that are relatively inexpensive to manufacture but significantly reduce maintenance requirements. The simple design of the disposable assembly allows for low manufacturing cost while the ease of replacement eliminates the need for complex repair procedures, achieving a balance between manufacturing cost and maintenance requirements.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The system provides a safe, efficient, and cost-effective means of ozone-based sanitizing and odor control, ensuring microbiological integrity and extending the shelf life of food products while minimizing maintenance, suitable for both household and small commercial applications.
Implementation Method 1
Ozone is created by the passage of dry, ambient air or pure oxygen either past a source of ultraviolet light or through an electrical discharge, commonly called a corona, which is produced by an electric charge between parallel or concentric electrodes separated by a dielectric
Implementation Method 2
a venturi injector system that allows for easy maintenance, safe operation, and efficient ozone delivery across a range of pressures and flow rates
Implementation Method 3
microbiological barrier filtration to reduce ozone demand and enhance sanitizing efficacy
Implementation Method 4
Ozone is a highly reactive oxidizer, the application of which as a sterilizing and preserving agent is well known. It is the most powerful disinfectant commonly available for food sanitizing and for water treatment and is capable of destroying bacteria up to 3,125 times faster than chlorine
Data Source
AI summary
A dielectric assembly for generating ozone includes a positive electrode, a negative electrode in operational proximity to the positive electrode, a dielectric in operational proximity to the positive and negative electrodes for generating the ozone, and a knob adapted to extend outside of a housing into which the dielectric assembly is to be placed. A system is also provided for sanitizing and deodorizing water, food, surfaces and air including a microbiological reduction filter device having an input connected to a water supply, a venturi injector disposed within a housing and connected to an output of the microbiological reduction filter device which generates ozone and mixes the generated ozone with the water, and an electrode assembly comprising a plurality of electrodes, a dielectric for generating the ozone, and a knob extending outside of the housing. The dielectric in a first embodiment and the entire dielectric assembly in a second embodiment can be removed from the housing and replaced in its entirety by the knob.