Modular Electrolytic Cell Array for Ozone Generation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional chemical disinfectants pose environmental and health risks due to their carbon footprint, persistence in the environment, and toxic by-products, while ozone-based disinfection systems face challenges in scalability and reliability for industrial disinfection needs.
Innovation Solution
An apparatus comprising a fluid manifold with independently switchable electrolytic cells, allowing for tunable ozone generation by activating or deactivating cells to manage degradation and prevent overwork, ensuring continuous operation and accurate ozone concentration monitoring.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If a single large electrolytic cell is used to generate sufficient ozone, then the ozone generation capacity is improved, but the cell degradation rate increases and reliability decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The system divides a single large electrolytic cell into multiple smaller electrolytic cells that operate in parallel. Each cell operates at a lower stress level, reducing degradation rates while collectively providing the required ozone generation capacity. The modular structure allows individual cells to be replaced or maintained without shutting down the entire system, thereby improving reliability.
2Productivity
If the current and voltage delivered to a single electrolytic cell are fine-tuned to control ozone generation, then the ozone concentration control is improved, but the cell operates in multiple modes increasing degradation
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of varying the operating modes of a single cell, the system uses multiple cells that can each operate in a fixed, optimized mode. The desired ozone concentration is achieved by adjusting the number of active cells or their individual on/off timing, rather than subjecting each cell to variable stress conditions that accelerate degradation.
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements periodic operation of electrolytic cells, where cells are cycled on and off in a rotating manner. This allows each cell to undergo rest periods between active periods, reducing cumulative degradation while maintaining the required average ozone generation rate through coordinated periodic operation of multiple cells.
3Reliability
If conventional chemical disinfectants are used for disinfection, then the disinfection effectiveness is improved, but environmental harm and health risks increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system uses ozone, a strong oxidant, as the disinfectant instead of conventional chemical disinfectants. Ozone provides effective disinfection through its powerful oxidizing properties while decomposing into oxygen, avoiding the persistent environmental contamination and toxic by-products associated with chlorine-based and other conventional disinfectants.
Solution Approach 2:
The system converts electrical energy, a clean and controllable resource, into ozone in situ through electrolysis. This eliminates the need for chemical disinfectant production, packaging, transport, and disposal, transforming a potentially harmful chemical supply chain into a benign electrochemical process that generates the disinfectant only where and when needed.
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 achieves efficient and reliable ozone production, addressing scalability and reliability issues while minimizing environmental impact by using ozone, a short-lived disinfectant, and reducing cell degradation through selective cell operation.
Implementation Method 1
it is also known to use electrochemistry as a means of generating ozone in situ
Data Source
AI summary
The invention relates to an apparatus for generating ozonated water. In particular, the apparatus is able to efficiently produce ozonated fluids in either continuous or batch operation modes, in a fashion that minimises electrolytic cells degradation, and/or that enhances the accuracy of ozone detection.