.................................................................................................
How Do Ozone Generators
Work?
By Alex Burke
Characteristics of Ozone?
Ozone is
oxygen but in a different form. It contains three oxygen molecules and not two.
The third
molecule can detach and apply itself to other chemicals or substances. This
ability to attach to other substances means the ozone is able to alter these
substances. This is why ozone is generated and used for certain purposes.
Using Ozone
Ozone is
found in layers of the earth's atmosphere where it filters out harmful
ultra-violet rays.
When
ozone is found at the ground level, it is harmful to the respiratory system.
Used as
an industrial gas, ozone cannot be created and then transported because it
decays quickly. Instead, it must be created on site.
Because
it oxidizes metal, the choices for its containment are limited.
Titanium,
stainless steel, glass, aluminum and polymers polytetrafluorethylene and
polyvinylidene fluoride are used to contain ozone.
Generating Ozone
Ozone can
be generated in two ways -- silent corona discharge and ultra-violet radiation.
The
ultra-violet generation is like the process of ozone creation in the upper
atmosphere and the corona discharge is similar to the way ozone is generated in
lightning.
Ultra-violet
generation involves the use of mercury and creates issues around proper
disposal.
The
silent corona method produces more ozone than the other method and is a much
more efficient process.
Silent Corona Discharge
The
silent corona discharge method consists of a unit with these parts--dust
filters, gas dryers, a source of oxygen, a generator, a contact unit and torch
destructor. Dryers and filters clean the oxygen.
The ozone
is generated from the cleaned oxygen by electrical discharge just like
lightning.
By
splitting the oxygen and creating single molecules, the single molecules can
attach to oxygen (O2) and create O3. The O3 is then discharged into the room.
Using An Ozone Generator
Ozone
generators are controversial.
While
useful in industrial (purifying water, bleaching wood pulp, detoxifying cyanide
waste) and medical applications (killing bacteria, viruses, odors) where strict
standards are followed for manufacturing and using the generators, the use of
ozone in smaller home or personal devices could be harmful.
Those
used in industrial and medical settings are used in unoccupied situations.
Ozone can
cause respiratory irritation so when a device is used in a confined space the
device should follow Food and Drug Administration guidelines.
Public
health standards have been set that indicate the maximum amount of ozone that
is safe for humans to interact with.
For an
ozone generator to produce enough ozone to kill bacteria and viruses, it must
exceed the public health standards.
About
the Author
Alex
Burke holds a degree in environmental design and a Master of Arts in
information management. She's worked as a licensed interior designer, artist,
database administrator and nightclub manager. A perpetual student, Burke writes
Web content on a variety of topics, including art, interior design, database
design, culture, health and business.
No comments:
Post a Comment