How does a ozone producer work?

I will like to know more about ozone producers before I get one.
a) The ozone just work for odor elimination?
b) In which other process I can use the ozone?
any information will be great
Saludos
Renato Rios from Mexico

Ozone has been used in all kinds of applications ranging from hot-tubs, mass aquatic holding tanks for livestock, to carwash odor elimination. In carwash applications I've seen two different devices used and expeirienced that one was better than the other. One was an ozone generator in which ozone was produced in a small enclosure via electrical current being passed through fresh air causing it to attach an additional molocule of oxogyne makin O2 it to O3 (Ozone), from there the zone was pumped into the reclaimed water line via an injector/veturi. The second (in which had better results) is produced by a high wattage UV light source in which reclaimed water is passed through a cylinder that has a hollow sealed oriface running it's length where the UV bulb resides and water is reclaim is then pumped through. The second does well in controling odor. However, first I would look at the quality of chemistry in you water Ph, TDS, etc. The ozone generators are not cheap and may require modifying parts of your recailm system. Note: You can't use Ozone in biological reclaim systems.

#1 enemy of bacteria is oxygen. The extra molecule of oxygen quickly attaches to the first molecule it encounters and "oxidizes" it. That's why O3 is effective as an odor neutralizer and disinfectant/clarifier for water. Don't forget to remove the source of the odor. O3 doesn't do that for you.

A word of caution when using ozone to deodorize interiors: too much ozone is not a good thing. A general rule is that if you can smell ozone, it's being used in excess. Ozone is an equal-opportunity oxidizer. It will oxidize ANYTHING (alloys, circuit boards, electrical connectors, etc) including YOU. That is why OSHA has established exposure guidelines. If the air feeding your ozone generator is humid, 1.the production of ozone is limited and 2. the condensation exposed by ozone is corrosive.

Don't allow your employees to breathe ozone (do interior cleaning while the ozone generator is pumping in zone). I was exposed to ozone back in the 80's and developed a blood disorder called "ITP". It was quickly remedied with an IV of cortisone. I wrote an article in American Clean Car magazine sometime in the 90's about it. At the time I was also experimenting with the use of ozone in the touchless wash process.

In summary, ozone is great for water conditioning and for deodorizing interiors. Just be careful not to use too much and respect it as you would the chemistry you buy. Ozone is a chemical.

Thanks guys for your information.
do you have a name for some of this ozone generators?
saludos
Renato

I can offer you a link to Professional Carwashing's Buyers Guide. Hope it helps.

http://carwash.com/buyers_guide.asp

Very good info Mr Bioshine. I call ozone "air borne bleach" because HCLO3 (chlorine, I believe) has the same third atom of oxygen, which tends to be unstable and cause the oxidation. But you're the chemist and I failed chemistry once in college. I guess I've been trying to make up for that blunder ever since.

Thanks Guys for your help!!
regards
Renato Rios Saludos!!!

Chlorine is not the same as Ozone, although both are oxidizers. Bioshine is mostly correct about ozone. Ozone is a natually occuring element that is very unstable. It occurs in nature when atmospheric oxygen is ionized by lightning.... this is what that "clean fresh rain smell" is after a storm. O3 is very unstable, the third molecule is quickly "liberated" back to a stable O2 molecule of oxygen but the result of the liberation ruptures or lysis any biolgical CELL WALL MEMBRANE causing it to die! This is how odors are eliminated.... it's a form of sterilization because the bacteria, mold, spore, algae or living creature will die at high levels of exposure!

Bioshines "ITP" stands for Idiopathic thrombocytopenia, which is an "unexplained" medical condition where as his platlets of his blood stream fell below 100,000 (what we call 100). Idiopatic means "no found cause, or unexplained" but has a relationship usually to getting a recent flu shot. I have not encountered it ever from exposure to OZONE. However rupture of the lining of the lung tissue and severe respiratory coughing and the inability to breath will quickly follow a few breaths along with buring eyes when you are in an enclosed space with OZONE! I think chlorine is as destructive to both the environment, your health and definately your car wash equipment as ozone.

Ionizing Ozonators work by two differing types of metal separated by a ceramic plate in which an electric current is passed on each side of the metal screens. The metal screens create a negative feild and when air is past across the plates the atmostheric gases (which contain mostly Nitrogen 74%, Carbon dixiode 5%, and oxygen 21%) are blown acroos the electricly charge plates which creates an extra ion on the oxygen molecule to make the O3.

I'm not a chemist. Just a nurse.

Doug,
That data you gave is great!!!! Pure, Simple, and now....UNDERSTANDABLE! However, can you now Educate us as to how a second source such as high intensity wattage bulbs (in a sealed environment) cannot do the same or even better when it comes to odor elimination. I’ve been privy to operating/owning my own aquatic livestock store, in which the way we received the live –stock was from an ozone controlled environment…I’m accustomed to U/V sterilization to burn parasites such as ICH, etc….
What can Renato do to help his situation?

HE NEEDS A NURSE!

I was never a chemistry major, only had two semesters going through college and the usually science. UV sterilizers are not the same. I have several Marine fish tanks in my home that use UV but some reef systems also utilize an ozone system to help breakdown the nitrites into ditrious (the fine sandy stuff on the bottom of the fish tank).

UV is not an element on the periodic chart. It kills bacteria by Iradation! UV is at the top of the light spectrum (like purple of a rainbow). There are three type of radiation wave forms Gamma, Beta and Alpha. Light which we can see (humans at least) travel on Alpha. As that wave form gets shorter in frequency it penetrates deeper along the spectrum of light. For example; if you dive in the ocean to 3-4 feet on a reef you will see all colors of fish, coral, your scuba suit color... but as you dive deeper to 20 feet that color fades to reds and blues... as you approach 60-90 feet you only see green or blue as the wave length of light on the spectrum on the alpha side is too week to penetrate the depths but the blues (the ultra violet waves) still travel.

UV light begin the beta wave length and actually cross over into a form of radiation that causes skin damage or cellular mutations like ionizing Radiation exposure (cataracts, cancer). UV exposure in Humans stimulate our skin cells to produce a chemical called MELANIN which make us TAN (why we can visit a tanning bed and get tan instead of sit in the Sun)! Melenin is produced from MELANOCYCETES (black people have more of these per square CM making them darker than white people to protect them from sun exposure and skin cancer). If humans are exposed to TOO MUCH UV light we get cell destruction in the form of melanoma (skin cancer)! This is how UV sterilizers work... the UV light constantly glows on water as it passes by a tube and the bacteria (single cell animals) are exposed to a certain wattage of UV light that overexposes the cell to a toxic level of radiation... that kills the cells (sterilizes) acting like the Sun producing a wave of light that in nature kills bacteria! Your just reproducing nature with wavelengths of light at the end of the visible spectrum. But it is not Ozone. It is often used in conjunction with ozone.

Not sure where some of you obtained your information, but maybe this will help in your understanding.

Ozone is an oxidizer, which is how it eradicates organisms such as bacteria.

O3 is generated in various ways. Nature creates it during a lightning storm and its residue is the clean fresh odor often accompanying a storm.

Ozone is widely used in water treatment to replace chlorine. It kills without leaving the carcinogenic residue in the water that occurs with chlorine.

The O3generation you are all focusing on is for use in a detail activity for killing bacteria and managing malodors.

That methodology has 2 basic ways of generation through 3 generation sources. There are two corona discharge generators and one UV transfer process

Ozone can be created by using a corona transfer system that allows a volatile, unstable oxygen atom to transfer and attach to O2 (oxygen) creating O3. In many ozone generators, a corona wire is attached to steel transfer plates, and oxygen is blown over the plates for the transfer. In time the newly created O3 can actually attack (oxidize) the steel plates, so some units have converted to coated steel to slow the oxidation process. These plates get a film deposit through the process and require periodic cleaning. Otherwise, the film cuts down on the amount of O3 creation.

Another way to create the corona transfer is through a cylindrical tube that produces more O3 because of its inescapable efficiency. In the transfer process that utilizes steel plates, the air flow takes an inefficient path that is only partially over the plates, hence the plates are only partially exposed to O2 for the corona transfer. The cylindrical tube has no wasted transfer, making conversion much more efficient, and the ozone created is more powerful (stronger).

The third way, other than the aforementioned corona wire transfer, is the use of UV light tubes instead of wire transfer plates. Air flows over the fluorescent UV tubes much like the plate concept. This process is safer but much less efficient. The light tube requires frequent cleaning or significant conversion loss occurs. This process produces the least amount of ozone; a weaker (safer) process.

In every conversion, a noticeable odor is emitted. The odor is not chlorine, as someone mentioned. Both chlorine and ozone are toxic oxidants that irritate our lungs and eyes. Both can kill if exposed to our lungs, depending on exposure time and strength.

Hope this helps.

-Steve

If the ozone is used in carwash water treatment, the same principles apply.

Some ozone is distributed through bubbles blown into the water (similar to aeration). Others that use UV light transfer pass water (or air) over a series of UV tubes, thus exposing the ozone as a sanitizer.

-Steve