Ozone Generator Metal Compound Layer for High-Concentration Output
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing ozone generators face challenges in generating high concentration ozone due to ozone decomposition and contamination issues, with previous methods failing to clearly define conditions for generating high concentration ozone and often resulting in air pollution from NOx gases.
Innovation Solution
An ozone generating method using an ozone generator with first and second electrodes and a dielectric, incorporating a metal compound layer on the electrode or dielectric surface, which is non-conductive, has a specific band gap, and promotes photocatalytic oxygen atom generation, suppressing ozone decomposition, and using high-purity oxygen gas with controlled discharge parameters.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Quantity of substance
If high purity oxygen gas is used as raw material gas in conventional ozone generators, then ozone purity is improved, but ozone concentration is limited to not more than several tens g/m³ due to decomposition
Solution Approach 1:
The invention changes the physical and chemical parameters of the discharge surface by applying a metal compound layer with specific properties (band gap 2.0-4.0 eV, hole potential >1.25 eV). This parameter change enables the surface to catalytically generate oxygen atoms from oxygen molecules, fundamentally altering the ozone generation mechanism to achieve high concentration (≥200 g/m³) while maintaining stability through the photocatalytic process.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention uses composite material structure consisting of a dielectric layer combined with a metal compound layer. The dielectric provides electrical insulation and discharge characteristics, while the metal compound layer provides photocatalytic activity. This composite structure enables both high voltage discharge and photocatalytic oxygen atom generation, resolving the contradiction between ozone concentration and stability.
2Quantity of substance
If catalyst production method using nitrogen oxide gas is used, then high concentration ozone can be generated, but contamination with nitric acid vapor and metal occurs
Solution Approach 1:
The invention applies local quality by using high purity oxygen gas (≥99.99%) as the raw material gas, ensuring that the gas feed is free from nitrogen and other contaminants. This local quality control at the input stage prevents the formation of nitric acid vapor and metal contamination, while the metal compound layer is specifically designed to be non-conductive and photocatalytically active without generating harmful byproducts.
3Quantity of substance
If photocatalyst production method using material of discharge surface is used, then high concentration ozone can be generated, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The metal compound layer serves multiple functions simultaneously: (1) acts as a photocatalyst for oxygen atom generation, (2) provides electrical insulation as a non-conductive material, (3) serves as a discharge surface for plasma generation, and (4) enables UV light absorption for photocatalytic activation. This multi-functionality reduces device complexity by eliminating the need for separate components for each function.
4Productivity
If ozone generator operates without metal compound layer, then device simplicity is maintained, but ozone generation efficiency is insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The metal compound layer acts as an intermediary substance that mediates the conversion of oxygen molecules to oxygen atoms. Instead of directly using high energy discharge to break oxygen bonds (which is inefficient), the metal compound layer absorbs UV light, generates excited states with hole potential >1.25 eV, and catalytically facilitates oxygen atom generation. This intermediary mechanism dramatically improves ozone generation efficiency to ≥0.01 mg/J.
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 method achieves ozone generation efficiency of not less than 0.01 mg/J, enabling the production of high concentration ozone while minimizing decomposition, thus overcoming contamination and pollution issues.
Implementation Method 1
bringing the metal compound layer into a photocatalytic state by the discharge light to generate oxygen atoms from the raw material gas supplied in the step (a)
Implementation Method 2
generate oxygen atoms from the raw material gas supplied in the step (a)
Implementation Method 3
giving external energy, generating dielectric barrier discharge in the discharge space
Implementation Method 4
When the ozone concentration of approximately 2 to 8 ppm of the ozone layer is represented by the number of ozone, it is 4 × 10 12, which corresponds to 1 molecule in 250,000. From around the 1940's, researches on discharge ozone generators have been actively conducted, and ozone concentrations exceeding the ozone concentration of the ozone layer have come to be obtained.
Implementation Method 5
the metal compound layer is not a material promoting ozone decomposition
Data Source
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AI summary
The present invention aims to provide an ozone generating method capable of generating higher concentration ozone. As a metal compound layer (1d) provided between a dielectric (1c) and a ground electrode (1b) of an ozone generator (1) used in the present invention, there is used a metal compound satisfying the condition (1) "the metal compound is not a substance promoting ozone decomposition", the condition (2) "the metal compound is not a conductor", the condition (3) "the band gap of the metal compound layer (1d) is in the range of 2.0 to 4.0 (eV)", and the condition (4) "the hole potential of a valence band portion formed in the excited state of the metal compound layer (1d) is larger than the binding potential (1.25 (eV)) of an oxygen molecule". In addition, steps (a) to (c) as ozone generation processing are executed under an environment in which various ozone decomposition suppression requirements for suppressing a decomposition amount of ozone are imposed on the ozone generator 1.