Ozone Electrode with Sacrificial Inner Rod
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing ozone generators are heavy due to the materials used and the large number of electrode arrangements, leading to high material and transport costs, and exhibit suboptimal behavior during a breakdown, where a dielectric failure can result in a short circuit and shutdown.
Innovation Solution
The electrode arrangement features a tubular outer electrode, a tubular dielectric, and a central insulator rod, with a wire mesh filling material between the dielectric and the rod, reducing weight and ensuring intrinsically safe electrical behavior during breakdowns, as the lighter inner electrode can evaporate without damaging the outer electrode.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a metallic conductor is used as the inner electrode, then electrical contact and structural support are provided, but the device weight increases and safety during breakdown deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The inner electrode is designed as a sacrificial element made of consumable material (graphite or metal) that can be replaced after breakdown. This allows the lightweight, low-cost inner electrode to be used instead of heavy metallic conductors, with the understanding that it may be consumed during breakdown events but can be easily replaced, thereby improving safety and reducing weight while maintaining reliability
Solution Approach 2:
The function of the metallic conductor is extracted and separated into two distinct components: a lightweight inner electrode (graphite or metal) that provides electrical contact and can be sacrificial, and an outer electrode (aluminum or steel) that provides structural support and cooling. This separation allows the inner electrode to be lightweight and replaceable, solving the weight and safety contradiction
2Productivity
If dielectrics with high relative permittivity are used to increase field strength, then ozone yield increases, but production costs increase due to expensive ceramic materials
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the dielectric parameter from high permittivity ceramic materials to materials with lower permittivity (air, nitrogen, or simple polymer coatings). This parameter change is compensated by optimizing other parameters such as electrode geometry, gap distance, and operating voltage to maintain adequate field strength and ozone yield while dramatically reducing material costs and manufacturing complexity
3Productivity
If the gap between electrodes is reduced to increase field strength, then ozone yield increases, but manufacturing precision requirements increase due to tolerances and warping
Solution Approach 1:
The gap region is segmented and filled with dielectric beads or granular material instead of relying on a uniform thin dielectric layer. This segmentation allows for manufacturing tolerances and thermal warping while maintaining adequate electric field strength throughout the gap, as the granular filler accommodates variations in gap distance and provides consistent electrical properties without requiring high manufacturing precision
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
This design reduces the overall weight of the ozone generator, allows it to remain operational during dielectric breakdowns, and minimizes material costs by using lighter materials while maintaining efficient ozone generation.
Implementation Method 1
the heat produced by the discharge and the exothermic reaction of the atomic oxygen with the molecular oxygen is better dissipated in the gap between the electrode and the dielectric
Implementation Method 2
the gas molecules repeatedly escape to the surface of the reach directly coolable electrodes and thus be able to dissipate the heat better
Implementation Method 3
ozone can be generated by silent electrical discharge in an oxygen-containing gas. In contrast to a spark discharge, silent electrical discharge is understood to mean a stable plasma discharge or corona discharge. In this process, molecular oxygen is dissociated into atomic oxygen. The reactive oxygen atoms then attach themselves to molecular oxygen in an exothermic reaction and form triatomic oxygen molecules, i.e. ozone.
Data Source
Figure 1~2
AI summary
The invention relates to an electrode arrangement for an ozone generator, comprising a tubular outer electrode (1), which surrounds, concentrically and at a distance, a tubular dielectric (2), the dielectric (2) surrounding, concentrically and at a distance, a rod (3), with a filling material (4) being provided in the space between the outer electrode (1) and the dielectric (2), and with a filling material (5) being provided in the space between the dielectric (2) and the rod (3), the rod (3) being an insulator.