System for producing ozone water and control method thereof

• US 6,808,637 B2
• Filed: 06/28/2002
• Issued: 10/26/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 03/29/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Dong Woo Kiyoun Inc.
• Original Assignee: Dong Woo Kiyoun Inc.
• Inventors: Cho, Soo Hawn
• Primary Examiner(s): LAWRENCE JR, FRANK M
• Application Number:
  US10/183,535
• Publication Number:
  US 20030183585A1
• Time in Patent Office: 851 Days
• Field of Search: 210/744, 210/760, 210/109, 210/110, 210/136, 210/188, 210/198.1, 210/205, 210/218, 961/46, 261/DIG.42, 261/DIG.75, 422/186.03, 422/186.2
• US Class Current: 210/744
• CPC Class Codes: C01B 13/10 Preparation of ozone
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 1/78 with ozone C02F1/4672 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 2201/782 Ozone generators
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 2201/784 Diffusers or nozzles for ozonation
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 261/42 Ozonizers
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 261/75 Flowing liquid aspirates gas

Abstract

An ozone water producing system and control method, which is flexibly used indoor or outdoor irrespective condition of a flow channel, is provided for reconstituting polluted water as environmentally friendly. The ozone water generating system is maintained in an optimum state for improving entire performance of the system as well as predicting and preventing the backflow of ozone water, which is occurred due to outlet blocking in a discharging process. The controlling method of the present ozone water producing enables to prevent the deteriorating the performance and ensure the operation stability. The ozone water-producing system comprises an influent air controller, an injector, a gas-liquid separator, and an ozone water-backflow, preventing device. The present system and controller is designed to prevent water backflow, being frequently occurred in the conventional system, for improving the performance, stability and extending operating lifetime. Therefore, it is possible to manufacture a highly reliable ozone water-producing apparatus.

Claims

1. An ozone water-producing system including an ozone generator having an ozone generating unit for receiving air and changing oxygen contained in the received air into ozone to generate the ozone, a mixer adapted to mix the ozone supplied from the ozone generator with water supplied from a water source, a solenoid valve installed in a water supply line to control a flow of water supplied to the mixer from the water source and a gas-liquid separator adapted to separate gas and liquid, the ozone water producing system comprises:

an influent air control means adapted to purify and dehumidify intake air passing through an air solenoid valve installed the flow path of ambient air introduced into an ozone generator;

an injector connected to a water supply line and an ozone gas supply line so as to form an ozone gas from air purified and dried through the influent air control means and mix the ozone gas with water, the injector adapted to open a check valve installed at a position where the ozone gas supply line and the water supply line meet by means of water injection through a flow rate of water to allow the ozone gas to be dissolved into water;

a gas-liquid separator having a certain space enabling a separation of gas and liquid and adapted to perform a repeated ozone dissolving process in such a manner that it receives first ozone water obtained by mixing and dissolving the ozone gas into the water via the injector, allowing ozone to subsequently be dissolved into water to produce second ozone water in the gas-liquid separator and discharges ozone water in a liquid state consisting of ozone dissolved in water through a drainpipe while allowing ozone in a gaseous state which is not dissolved in water to re-enter the gas-liquid separator through a return line to allow ozone to thirdly be dissolved into water to produce ozone water in the gas-liquid separator; and

an ozone water-backflow preventing means installed along the interior space of the gas-liquid separator and adapted to detect a limit water level of the ozone water accumulated in the gas-liquid separator and control a flow of water through the water supply line according to the flow state of the ozone water to prevent a backflow of the ozone water.

2. The ozone water-producing system according to claim 1, wherein the influent air control unit comprises a heater on a jacket having an air intake port and an empty interior space, a filter installed at the air intake port of the jacket and adapted to filter air sucked into the filter, a dehumidifying layer disposed in the empty interior space of the jacket and adapted to remove moisture contained in air passing through the filter.

3. The ozone water-producing system according to claim 1, wherein the injector is connected at one end to the water supply line and connected at the other end to the gas-liquid separator, and has a check valve installed at an external side of the region where a flow channel narrows to be opened or closed under a certain pressure and an injector hole for allowing the passage of ozone gas into the flow channel of the injector through the check valve, as induced via the Venturi effect due to the high speed flow of water supplied to the injector through the water supply line.

4. The ozone water-producing system according to claim 1, wherein the ozone water-backflow preventing unit includes a guide fitted into the opening formed on the upper portion of the gas-liquid separator, a rod sensor extended vertically below the upper portion of the gas-liquid separator along the guide within the gas-liquid separator for detecting a water level within the gas-liquid separator by defining a certain point where the water level within the gas-liquid separator reaches as a full water level, and a water solenoid valve installed at a supply side of the water supply line for controlling the water supply line in response to information detected from the rod sensor.

5. A method of controlling an ozone water-producing system for producing ozone, comprising the steps of:

supplying water to the interior of the system by opening a water solenoid valve serving to open and close a water supply line in a driving circuit board, and mixing ozone into the water by increasing a flow rate of the water through an injector and sucking the ozone into the injector;

separating ozone from water through a gas-liquid separator to dissolve ozone into water containing dissolved ozone while restricting a discharge of ozone which is not dissolved into the water so as to re-circulate and re-dissolve ozone into the water;

continuously supplying water to the gas-liquid separator in the gas-liquid separating process and in response to a blocking of an outlet provided on the lower portion of the gas-liquid separator and detecting a state where a discharge of water is stopped as an abnormal water level in the gas-liquid separator;

blocking the water solenoid valve and opening the outlet on the lower portion of the gas-liquid separator to discharge water in the gas-liquid separator through the outlet if water level detecting information from the gas-liquid separator indicates a full water level; and

identifying a discharge state of water through a detecting sensor after all the water in the gas-liquid separator is discharged and actuating the water solenoid valve to re-supply water to the gas-liquid separator through the water supply line after an optional delay time elapses.