Cooling Conditions of Ozone Generators

ABSTRACT

The efficiency of ozone generators is determined by many factors. Operating conditions such as feed gas quality and especially cooling conditions are of utmost importance. Cooling of ozone generators is absolutely necessary, since ozone destruction reactions increase exponentially with temperature. The most common way to cool an ozone generator is water flowing in close contact to the electrodes. The heat removal out of the discharge gap depends on different parameters. Electrical input power, cooling water flow conditions, electrode geometry and material properties are some of them. Simultaneously lowering cooling water temperature, applied power density and gap width, leads to a lower gas temperature in the discharge gap and thus to increased ozone production efficiency. Minimizing the temperature difference between the cooling water inlet and outlet improves the ozone production efficiency as well. This measure, however, results in high cooling water flows and requires additional cooling water chilling, resulting in higher operational costs and capital expenses. Cooling associated costs rise disproportionally with increasing cooling water flow. Simultaneously, energy consumption of ozone generators decreases as the average cooling water temperature goes down. As a result, there exists an optimum between the operational and capital expenses for the combination of ozone generator and cooling water system related expenses, offering significant cost savings for the customer.

KEYWORDS:

• Ozone Generation
• Cooling Water Loops
• Cooling Water Quality
• Cooling Water Temperatures
• Cost-Saving Opportunities
• Forced Convection
• Heat Conduction
• Ozone Generator Cooling
• Thermal Resistance