System and method for generating ozonated water

• US 6,153,151 A
• Filed: 08/05/1999
• Issued: 11/28/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 05/08/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Nutek International, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Nutek International, Inc.
• Inventors: Moxley, Douglas A., Perry, Stephen C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Mayekar, Kishor
• Application Number:
  US09/368,964
• Time in Patent Office: 481 Days
• Field of Search: 422/186.07, 422/186.12, 204/176, 204/664, 204/660, 204/557, 204/554, 8/137, 8/149.1, 68/13 A
• US Class Current: 422/186.07
• CPC Class Codes: C01B 13/11 by electric discharge
• CPC Class Codes: C01B 2201/90 Control of the process
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 1/78 with ozone C02F1/4672 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 2201/782 Ozone generators

Abstract

A system and method for generating ozone for use in open or closed loop process applications using a fluid, such as water, as a primary process medium, including: a water storage tank, supplied by a water supply line, for temporarily storing water for treatment and subsequent use in a process; an electromagnetic flux unit connected to the water supply line for exposing water supplied to the tank to an electromagnetic field thereby magnetically polarizing contaminants and dissolved solids present in the water; an apparatus for producing highly pure oxygen from ambient air for use as a feed gas in generating ozone; a corona discharge ozone generator for producing high purity ozone from a highly pure oxygen feed gas; an impeller apparatus, including a rapidly rotating shear impeller, for injecting ozone, created by the ozone generator, into water wherein the ozone is absorbed thus yielding a substantially high level of dissolved ozone gas in a given volume of water; an apparatus for measuring the concentration of dissolved ozone present in water; and a microprocessor based controller for controlling the system to reach and maintain suitable ozone concentration levels, depending on the application, whereby the ozonated water is suitable for use in a wide variety of process applications.

Claims

1. A system for generating and introducing ozone into a fluid for use in open or closed loop process applications, said system comprising:

a fluid tank for containing a fluid;

means for producing highly pure oxygen from ambient air for use as a feed gas in generating ozone;

means for producing ozone, fluidly connected to said means for producing highly pure oxygen, for producing ozone from said feed gas, said means for producing ozone producing an output gas substantially consisting of a mixture of ozone and oxygen;

impeller means mounted in said fluid tank, fluidly connected to said means for producing ozone and configured to be submerged within said fluid, for directly supplying ozone into said fluid in said fluid;

means for measuring the concentration of dissolved ozone in said fluid; and

ozone concentration control means for controlling said ozone amount in said fluid to reach and maintain suitable ozone concentration levels in said fluid.

2. A system according to claim 1, wherein said means for producing highly pure oxygen comprises a pressure swing absorption device for removing substantially all of the nitrogen from ambient air and producing a highly pure feed gas comprising approximately 92%-95% pure oxygen from ambient air.

3. A system according to claim 1, wherein said means for producing ozone comprises a high voltage corona discharge device operating above 60 Hz.

4. A system according to claim 3, wherein said high voltage corona discharge device operates at approximately 600 kHz.

5. A system according to claim 3, wherein said corona discharge device includes at least one corona discharge element comprising a sealed glass tube containing an electrode including an inner mesh stainless steel sleeve electrically connected to a high voltage power source, and an outer cylindrical stainless steel sleeve in spaced, surrounding relation with said glass tube.

6. A system according to claim 1, wherein said impeller means comprises a fixed shear member and a rotating member matingly joined with said fixed shear member, said rotating member and said shear member having surfaces defining an internal chamber, said chamber communicating with said means for producing high purity ozone, said rotating member further defining at least one aperture communicating with said chamber and having an outlet communicating with said fluid, such that rotation of said rotating member creates a reduced pressure within said chamber thereby causing said output gas to flow from said means for producing ozone into said chamber and into said fluid via said rotating member aperture for introducing said output gas into said fluid whereby a concentration of ozone is dissolved therein.

7. A system according to claim 6, wherein said shear member includes at least one shear surface substantially adjacent to said rotating member outlet such that output gas is sheared from said outlet by rotation of said rotating member thereby dispersing said output gas into said fluid in fine bubbles.

8. A system according to claim 1, wherein said means for measuring said concentration of dissolved ozone comprises an oxidation reduction potential sensor.

9. A system according to claim 1, wherein said control means comprises a microprocessor based control system electrically connected to said means for producing highly pure oxygen, said means for producing ozone, said impeller means, and said means for measuring the concentration of dissolved ozone in said fluid.

10. A system for generating and introducing ozone into a fluid for use in open or closed loop process applications, said system comprising:

a fluid tank for containing a fluid;

means for producing highly pure oxygen from ambient air for use as a feed gas in generating ozone;

means for producing ozone, fluidly connected to said means for producing highly pure oxygen, for producing ozone from said feed gas, producing an output gas substantially consisting of a mixture of ozone and oxygen;

impeller means mounted in said tank, fluidly connected to said means for producing ozone and configured to be submerged within said fluid, for introducing ozone into said fluid, said impeller means comprising a fixed shear member and a rotating member matingly joined with said fixed shear member, said rotating member and said shear member having surfaces defining an internal chamber, said chamber communicating with said means for producing high purity ozone, said rotating member further defining at least one aperture communicating with said chamber and with said fluid, wherein said rotating member creates a reduced pressure within said chamber thereby causing said output gas to flow from said means for producing ozone into said chamber and into said fluid via said rotating member aperture for introducing said output gas into said fluid;

means for measuring the concentration of dissolved ozone in said fluid; and

concentration control means for controlling the amount of ozone in said fluid in order to reach and maintain suitable ozone concentration levels in said fluid.

11. A method for generating and introducing ozone into a fluid for use in open or closed loop process applications, said method comprising the steps of:

producing highly pure oxygen from ambient air for use as a feed gas in generating ozone;

generating ozone from said feed gas;

directly supplying said ozone into said fluid through a submerged shear impeller to disperse fine bubbles of ozone into said fluid;

measuring the concentration of dissolved ozone in said fluid; and

controlling the rate of ozone generation and introduction into said fluid to obtain a predetermined ozone concentration level in solution.