Patent #3,309,300--March 14, 1967
Grosse, Aristid V., et al. Method for the Production of Ozone Using a Plasma Jet.
This patent is an outline of a method of producing ozone using a plasma jet. A coaxial jet-electrode plasma generator with an inert carrier gas input is used to generate an arc discharge and plasma. A power source which has an output of 0 to 80 volts at 0 to 750 amperes is connected across the electrodes of the plasma generator, and an arc is initiated by a high frequency starter in the power source. The carrier gas may be argon or helium and is used to carry the generated plasma past an oxygen feed inlet which introduces oxygen into the area of the arc and into the path of the plasma. Another feed ring introduces liquid oxygen into the apparatus. The liquid oxygen evaporates and partially dissociates due to the heat produced by the arc, and the dissociated atoms either recombine to form oxygen or react with oxygen molecules to form ozone. The excess liquid oxygen carries the produces ozone to a recovery system where the ozone is separated from the liquid oxygen by a process such as absorption by silica gel. The excess liquid oxygen also serves to quench the arc.
Patent #3,326,747--June 20, 1967
Ryan, Joseph, et al. Disinfecting Solution and Method.
This patent is for a process for disinfecting water such as swimming pool water and for disinfecting solutions which may be topically applied for disinfecting body surfaces or may be injected parenterally as medication. The process involves ozonizing aqueous solutions of iodine salts in order to convert the iodide to free elemental iodine and oxides of iodine. This free iodine and its oxides disinfects by destroying bacterial contamination. Ozone is produced in this method by an electrical discharge ozone generator or by an ozone generator which utilizes ultraviolet light.
Patent #4,095,115--June 13, 1978
Orr, Jr., F. D., et al. Ozone Generating Apparatus and Method.
This patent describes a method for producing ozone by exposing oxygen gas at subatmospheric pressure to an electron beam generated by a hollow cathode plasma discharge device (HAD). A chamber containing oxygen at subatmospheric pressure is separated from the HAD by a window of foil made of aluminum, titanium, beryllium, or other suitable metal which transmits electrons. The oxygen gas inside the subatmospheric pressure chamber is moved past the transmissive window at velocities of about 4000 feet per minute, and an electron beam from the HAD converts the oxygen to ozone.
Patent #4,167, 466--September 11, 1979
Orr, Jr., F. D., et al. Ozone Generation Apparatus and Method.
This patent is a continuation of Patent #4,095,115. The ozone generating apparatus is essentially identical to the apparatus described in the previous patent. The method is more defined because a diffuse electron beam is used having a DC level electron energy between 100 and 180 kilovolts. Also, the electron beam generated by the hollow cathode plasma discharge device is generated in pulses.
Patent #4,167,484--September 11, 1979
Morikawa, Masahiro. Ozone Generating Apparatus.
This patent is a method for drying air that is sent to a "conventional ozonizing apparatus." It is claimed that the outlined method for producing the dry air significantly reduces the amount of energy that is generally used in drying the air that is sent to an ozonizer. To this purpose, the ozonizer uses a plurality of adsorbent towers that can be filled with a number of water removing desiccants. Air is pumped through a series of connections to the adsorbent towers and then to the ozone generator. The advantage of the outlined method over other methods that use desiccants to dry air entering into an ozonizer is that the outlined method has a descant recovery step. After air is pumped through the ozonizing chamber, the dry air/ozone mixture is pumped back through the desiccators by using a series of electromagnetic switches to change the direction of gas flow.
Patent #4,434,771--March 6, 1984
Slomnicki, Israel. Ozone Production System.
This patent outlines a process for using ozone in the combustion of hydrocarbon fuels associated with internal combustion engines. The purpose of the design is to increase the efficiency of hydrocarbon combustion by adding ozone as an oxidizing agent in the air stream supplied to the carburetor and to thereby eliminate certain byproducts of hydrocarbon combustion such as carbon monoxide. To eliminate the problem associated with the production
of excess ozone, a UV ozone detection apparatus is attached to the exhaust system to monitor
ozone emissions. At predetermined levels of ozone in the exhaust, signals are sent to a control apparatus which decreases the electricity supplied to the ozonizer.
Patent #4,786,489--November 22, 1988
Grenier, Maurice. Ozone-Producing Process.
This patent outlines a process for producing the large quantities of ozone needed at an industrial level. The process begins with the distillation of air to oxygen. The oxygen is then cycled into an ozonizer to produce a 3% by mass ozone/oxygen mixture. The ozone/oxygen mixture is then cycled into a silica column where ozone is adsorbed. The remaining oxygen is recycled into the ozonizer. A secondary effluent stream desorbs the ozone from the silica. The secondary stream is then carried into a scavenging column that removes most of the carrier gas from the effluent.
Patent #4,863,497--September 5, 1989
Grenier, Maurice, et al. Ozone-Producing Plant.
This patent is for an ozone-producing plant which incorporates several ozonizing loops connected to cylinders filled with silica gel. Each ozonizing loop consists of a compressor, an ozonizer, and a heat exchanger which cools the oxygen-ozone mixture. The produced ozonized air passes through the cylinders filled with silica gel, and the ozone is adsorbed by the silica gel. The remaining oxygen is recycled into the ozonizer, and a substitution gas such as impure nitrogen gas is passed over the column to desorb the ozone from the silica gel.
Patent #5,039,314--August 13, 1991
Lehner, Franz J., et al. Method for Producing Oxygen and/or Ozone.
This patent outlines a method for producing oxygen or ozone for use in pulp bleaching. The method involves using highly purified oxygen gas which is purified by a pressure-swing adsorption system. The pressure-swing adsorption system separates oxygen from other gases to yield high purity oxygen gas. This high purity oxygen gas is then sent through an ozonizer, and the ozone generated is sent to a bleaching facility. The remaining oxygen is recirculated to the pressure-swing adsorber for further purification, and the process is repeated.
Patent #5,366,703--November 22, 1994
Liechti, Pierre A., et al. Methods and Systems for Forming Process Gases Having High Effective Ozone Content utilizing Isothermal Compression.
This patent is for a method of producing ozone that uses an isothermal compression step for the purpose of forming a high pressure process gas. In the method that is outlined in this patent, an oxygen containing gas is cooled to a temperature that is no greater than 50 °C. The gas is then fed into a discharge type ozonator and the ozone containing gas that is produced is isothermally compressed to form an industrial process gas with a high partial pressure of ozone. The patent contains several different designs for ozone producing apparatuses that use the previously described process. Furthermore, the purpose of this process is to prevent the fast decomposition of ozone to oxygen that occurs at temperatures greater than 50 °C.