Use of Ozone in Animal Feed Operations (AFO)

Animal Feed Operations (AFO) are areas where large clusters of livestock inhabit small confined areas.

Unlike traditional livestock management operations where livestock is scattered over larger areas (i.e. grazing pastures, fields, or on rangeland), AFO operations typically require food to be brought in to a small land area where the majority of animals are confined and raised.

While bringing many benefits (i.e. smaller land areas can support larger livestock operations) Animal Feed Operations (AFO) introduce some new and unique challenges that are not typically present in the traditional grazing or scattered livestock management model.

Ozone Sizing Guide – How Much Ozone Should You Use

Properly sizing an ozonation skid is a very important task when planning to use ozone for a particular application. Not adding enough ozone can undermine the effectiveness of the process while adding too much ozone can add unnecessary costs in terms of additional equipment needed to destroy ozone not consumed by the process.

Ozone Production Capacity Considerations:

Generally speaking there are four factors that determine how much ozone is required for a particular application:

Application: Different applications will require different concentrations of ozone. Even the same application will sometimes require a different concentration of ozone (i.e. wastewater treatment applications vary in their requirement for ozone depending on biological and chemical make-up of the effluent).

Ozone in the Food Industry

There have recently been multiple published incidents where contaminated food products have found their way into the market place and ultimately onto the consumer’s table. When this happens, typically the remedial action is to do a mass recall of any products that are even remotely suspected of being contaminated.

But the damage that happens when a product is recalled is far greater and significant than the direct financial loss the business suffers from mass- recalling and destroying large quantities of their product that is already on the store shelves and ready to be sold.

Ozone in the Wine Industry

The importance of maintaining a sterile and clean environment in the wine industry is immense. Cross contamination between batches of wine is a major concern and so is the management of the active yeast.

The yeast is a major ingredient in the fermentation process and without it the fermentation process would not occur. However, the Brettanomyces (a non-spore forming genus of yeast in the family Saccharomycetaceae) can contaminate the finished wine product and give it an undesired off-flavor.

While the Brettanomyces is a desired ingredient to some wines and according to some wine makers that rely on Brettanomyces to give their distinctive character (i.e. Château Musar), most wine producers see the Brettanomyces as a wine spoiler (source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brettanomyces)

What is Ozone?

Ozone is a very active form of oxygen. It is formed when the oxygen ( O2 ) molecules are broken down to oxygen atoms ( O). Oxygen atoms ( O ) in turn react with other oxygen molecules ( O2 ) to form ozone molecules (O3).

The simplified formula for the process is:

O2 + energy = 2 O1

2 O1 + 2 O2 + energy = 2 O3

Is ozone found in nature?

Oxygen Fed Ozone Generators versus Ambient Air Fed Generators – Which technology is right for you?

Corona discharge ozone generators typically fall into the two categories ( based on the feed gas used to generate the ozone). While some require purified oxygen, others claim to be able to operate using an ambient air feed. What are the main differences between the two and which one is the right choice for you?

Oxygen Fed Ozone Generators:

Oxygen fed ozone generators typically require an additional component called the oxygen concentrator.