The Ozmotics Insider

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.

The ambient atmospheric air is composed of approximately 78% nitrogen, 21% oxygen, 0.9% argon and the rest being the trace amounts of elements such as hydrogen, helium, etc. By removing the nitrogen from the air and feeding the pure oxygen (typically about 95% purity), the ozone generator is capable of producing more ozone using the same gas feed throughput compared  to ambient air fed generators.

Ambient Air Fed Ozone Generators:

The advantage of the ambient air fed ozone generators is that they are smaller, less complex and more portable. Because they do not need the oxygen concentrator as a major component, they are also cheaper to manufacture. But there are also several shortfalls of the ambient air fed ozone generator in addition to the efficiency. These include maintenance considerations and humidity.

Maintenance Considerations:

Since ambient air fed ozone generators intake air that is composed of 78% nitrogen, there is no way to stop the formation of the nitrogen oxide byproduct that will deposit on the surfaces inside the generators (corona plates, etc.). Therefore ambient fed ozone generators require much higher degrees of maintenance which in most cases involve fairly complex procedures such as tearing down your ozone generator to clean the corona plates.

While some people are OK with this shortfall, others prefer a more maintenance-free approach. Depending on how you feel about tearing down your ozone generator and re-assembling it, you may or may not want to look at purchasing the ambient air fed ozone generator.

There may also be some health hazards associated with the cleaning process of the nitrous oxides inside the ozone generators since the nitrous oxides are known to react with the water forming the highly corrosive nitric acid. Therefore the appropriate protective wear is highly recommended when servicing or cleaning the nitrogen oxide deposits inside your ozone generator.

Humidity:

Ambient air fed ozone generators must be fed with relatively dry air. The nitrous oxide dissolves in water to form nitric acid. Nitric acid (HNO3), also known as aqua fortis and spirit of nitre, is a highly corrosive and toxic strong acid that can cause severe burns (source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nitric_acid ). Therefore the humidity must be eliminated from the feed air before it enters the ozone generator.

The air dryer is usually incorporated into the oxygen concentrator design so in most cases you do not need to worry about having it if you are using the oxygen fed ozone generator.

Conclusion:

While air fed ozone generators are typically less expensive they require a lot more maintenance than the oxygen fed ozone generators. However because of the extra added oxygen concentrator unit, the oxygen fed ozone generators are typically larger, bulkier and more expensive to initially purchase.

Selecting the proper model and proper technology would require understanding the application where the ozone generator will be installed, inherent health risks associated with the technology as well as maintenance preferences of the end-user and operator that will be using the technology.

A proper research and planning is usually recommended before deciding which unit and what technology to select and purchase.