JP2001110549A - Ozonator - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an ozonator which can easily adjust the amount of generated ozone and can be miniaturized. SOLUTION: Two and more plate-shaped metal electrodes 11 are disposed facing each other with a clearance 12 in between. On the opposing surfaces are formed dielectric layers. Ozone is generated by causing silent discharge in the clearance 12, while oxygen is blown into the clearance 12. The feature of the ozonator is that the area of the opposing surfaces which constitute the clearance 12 where silent discharge occurs can be changed by relatively sliding the opposing metal electrodes 11.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an ozone generator that generates a small amount of ozone and is particularly suitable for small-scale industrial use and home use.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In general, an ozone generator is of a flat plate type. The basic principle of the flat plate type ozone generator is that a plate-like metal electrode is opposed, a dielectric layer is provided on the opposed surface, and a silent discharge is caused in the gap while flowing oxygen through the gap between the opposed dielectric layers. , Thereby converting oxygen to ozone.

[0003]

By the way, in a flat plate type ozone generator, the amount of ozone generated is adjusted by changing external conditions such as an oxygen supply amount, a cooling air amount, or an applied voltage. . However, it is troublesome to set these conditions each time.

[0004] Further, in order to obtain a certain amount of ozone generation, the flat plate type ozone generator requires a corresponding electrode area, so that there has been a limit to downsizing. In addition, the installation location was limited due to its shape.

An object of the present invention is to provide an ozone generator capable of easily adjusting the amount of generated ozone and achieving downsizing.

[0006]

According to the first aspect of the present invention,
Two or more plate-shaped metal electrodes are arranged so as to face each other with a gap between them, and a dielectric layer is formed on the facing surface. Ozone is generated by causing discharge, and by sliding the opposed metal electrodes relatively, it is possible to change the area of the opposed surface constituting the gap where silent discharge occurs. It is an ozone generator characterized by the following.

According to the first aspect of the present invention, the amount of ozone generated depends on the amount of supplied oxygen, the applied voltage, and the area of the opposing surfaces forming the gap where silent discharge occurs. Dependent. Therefore, if can be changed, the ozone generation amount can be adjusted. According to the first aspect of the present invention, the amount of ozone generated can be easily adjusted by relatively sliding the opposing metal electrodes. Further, since the invention according to claim 1 has a structure in which plate-shaped metal electrodes are overlapped, it is compact in plan.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the first aspect of the present invention, the metal electrodes are semicircular and are arranged so that their peripheral edges are aligned. It is designed to rotate around the center of the circle.

According to the second aspect of the present invention, the relationship between the turning angle of the metal electrode and the area of the facing surface forming the gap where the silent discharge occurs becomes simple. The amount of ozone generation is adjusted accordingly, and from this point too, the amount of generated ozone is easily adjusted.

According to a third aspect of the present invention, two or more plate-like metal electrodes are wound facing each other with a gap therebetween and wound in a spiral manner, and a dielectric layer is provided on both surfaces of the metal electrodes. Is formed, and while flowing oxygen, a silent discharge is caused in these gaps and a gap between metal electrodes formed by winding in a spiral manner so that ozone is generated. An ozone generator characterized in that:

In the third aspect of the present invention, the amount of ozone generated depends on the amount of supplied oxygen, the applied voltage, and the area of the metal electrode forming the gap where silent discharge occurs. Dependent. Therefore, if can be changed, the ozone generation amount can be adjusted. According to the third aspect of the present invention, the ozone generation amount can be easily adjusted by using a metal electrode having a different length dimension or total length dimension L in the circumferential direction. Alternatively, can be easily changed by sliding any of the plate-shaped metal electrodes facing each other. According to the third aspect of the present invention, since the metal electrode is wound in a spiral manner, a gap where silent discharge occurs is formed one more than in a flat-plate ozone generator. Therefore, the generation efficiency of ozone is increased. Further, since the third aspect of the present invention has a structure in which the plate-shaped metal electrode is wound in a spiral manner, it is compact in plan view.

According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, two or more cup-shaped metal electrodes are overlapped with a gap therebetween, and a dielectric layer is formed on the surface of the metal electrode forming the gap. The ozone generator is formed so as to generate ozone by causing silent discharge in the gap while flowing oxygen through the gap.

According to the fourth aspect of the present invention, the amount of ozone generated depends on the amount of supplied oxygen, the applied voltage, and the number of gaps. Depends on the number of cup-shaped metal electrodes used. Therefore, the amount of ozone generation depends on the number of cup-shaped metal electrodes used when and are constant. Therefore, the ozone generation amount is adjusted by changing the number of cup-shaped metal electrodes, and the ozone generation amount is easily adjusted. Further, since the invention according to claim 4 has a structure in which the cup-shaped metal electrodes are overlapped, it is compact in plan.

According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, in the fourth aspect of the invention, three or more cup-shaped metal electrodes are used, and adjacent gaps are communicated with each other by a through hole formed in the metal electrode. Things.

According to the fifth aspect of the present invention, the supplied oxygen passes through all the gaps, so that the residence time of oxygen in the gaps is lengthened, and the ozone generation efficiency is improved.

According to a sixth aspect of the present invention, in the invention of the fifth aspect, one through hole is formed so as to face the most end of the gap, and two through holes that face one gap are 180 degrees. It is located on the opposite side.

According to the sixth aspect of the present invention, the residence time of oxygen in the gap becomes the longest, and the ozone generation efficiency is further improved.

According to a seventh aspect of the present invention, in the fourth aspect of the present invention, the metal electrode has an outward flange on the periphery of the opening, and a gap is provided between the flanges by interposing a spacer between the flanges. Things.

According to the seventh aspect of the present invention, the ozone generator can be easily manufactured because the cup-shaped metal electrode is simply formed by stacking the spacers between the flanges with the spacer interposed therebetween.

[0020]

(Embodiment 1) This embodiment is a so-called variable condenser type ozone generator as shown in FIG. The ozone generator 1 includes four plate-shaped, semi-circular metal electrodes 11 which are spaced from each other so that their peripheral edges are aligned.
2 so as to be opposed to each other.
As shown in FIG. 2, which is a cross-sectional view taken along the line II-II of FIG. 1, the dielectric layer 13 is formed on both surfaces of the metal electrode 11.
That is, the dielectric layer 13 is formed on each of the opposing surfaces 111 of the four metal electrodes 11. A rotating shaft 14 is provided at the center of the circle of the four metal electrodes 11. The rotating shaft 14 is fixed to the second and fourth metal electrodes 11 from the top in FIG. 1, but the first and third metal electrodes 11 are inserted therethrough. Thus, when the rotating shaft 14 is rotated, the second and fourth metal electrodes 11 are rotated as shown in FIG. FIG. 4 is a view taken in the direction of the arrow IV in FIG. The rotation angle α is 0
The angle can be set up to 180 degrees, and in FIG. 4, α is set to 45 degrees. This ozone generator 1 includes a housing 15
The gas is accommodated in the inside, and flows in from an inlet 151 and is discharged from an outlet 152 as shown by an arrow in FIG.

The ozone generator 1 having the above configuration operates as follows. That is, in the state of FIG. 1, oxygen is supplied from the inlet 151, and the first and fourth metal electrodes 1 are provided.
1, and a voltage is applied to the second and third metal electrodes 11 so that three gaps 1 formed by four metal electrodes 11 are formed.
When the silent discharge is caused at 2, the three gaps 12
The oxygen changes into ozone at, and ozone is released from the outlet 152. The amount of ozone generated at this time is the oxygen supply amount,
It depends on the applied voltage and the area of the facing surface 111 that forms the gap 12.

In the ozone generator 1 having the above structure, as shown in FIG. 3, when the rotating shaft 14 is rotated to rotate the second and fourth metal electrodes 11, the gap where the silent discharge occurs is generated. The opposing surface 111 constituting 12 is a portion A indicated by oblique lines in FIG. The area of this part A is α = 4
In the case of 5 degrees, it is 75% of the case of FIG. The amount of ozone generated depends on the area of the facing surface 111 forming the gap 12 when the oxygen supply amount and the applied voltage are constant,
The ozone generation amount in the case of FIG. 3 is 75% of the case of FIG. For example, in the case of FIG. 1, if the amount of ozone generated in one gap 12 is 1 g, the total amount is 3 g. In the case of FIG. 3, however, the amount of ozone generated in one gap 12 Is 0.75 g, and the total is 2.25 g.
Incidentally, the area of the portion A is shown in FIG. 1 when α = 90 degrees.
Is 50% in the case of, and 25% in the case of α = 135 degrees.

As described above, in the ozone generator 1 having the above-described configuration, the amount of ozone generated is adjusted by rotating the second and fourth metal electrodes 11.
Therefore, the amount of ozone generated is easily adjusted.

Further, the ozone generator 1 having the above-described structure has a structure in which the plate-like metal electrodes 11 are overlapped.
It is not large on a plane but compact on a plane. Therefore, it does not require a large flat space for installation, and is suitable for installation in a narrow space.

Further, since the shape of the metal electrode 11 is semicircular, the correspondence between the rotation angle α and the area of the facing surface 111 forming the gap 12 where silent discharge occurs is simple. Therefore, the ozone generation amount is adjusted according to the rotation angle α, and from this point, it is easily adjusted.

The following modified structure may be employed. (1) The number of metal electrodes to be used is not limited to four as long as it is two or more, and can be appropriately set according to the required ozone generation amount. (2) A semicircle means a sector with a central angle of 180 degrees,
The shape of the metal electrode may be a sector shape having a central angle other than 180 degrees. (3) The shape of the metal electrode is not limited to a semicircular shape, and may be other shapes such as a rectangle as long as the amount of generated ozone changes with rotation. (4) The dielectric layer formed on the surface other than the opposing surface of the metal electrode may be omitted. For example, in the ozone generator 1 of the present embodiment, the dielectric layer 1 on the upper surface of the first-stage metal electrode 11 is used.
The dielectric layer 13 on the lower surface of the third and fourth stage metal electrodes 11 may be omitted.

(Embodiment 2) This embodiment is a so-called mainspring type ozone generator as shown in FIG. The ozone generator 2 has two plate-shaped metal electrodes 21.
Are opposed to each other with a gap 221 therebetween and wound in a spiral manner. Here, the number of turns is 2.5. In the ozone generator 2, since the two plate-shaped metal electrodes 21 are wound in a spiral manner, a gap 222 is also formed. FIG. 6 is an enlarged sectional view of a portion B in FIG. Dielectric layers 23 are formed on both surfaces of the metal electrode 21. The gas flows in from one end surface 241 and is discharged from the other end surface 242 as shown by an arrow in FIG.

The ozone generator 2 having the above structure operates as follows. That is, as shown by the arrow in FIG.
When oxygen is supplied from 1 and a voltage is applied to the two metal electrodes 21 to cause a silent discharge in the gap 221, a silent discharge also occurs in the gap 222,
Oxygen changes into ozone in the gaps 221 and 222,
Ozone is released from the other end surface 242. The amount of ozone generated at this time is the amount of oxygen supplied, the applied voltage,
It depends on the area of the metal electrode 21 constituting 222. The area depends on the circumferential length and the total length L of the metal electrode 21. The area can also be changed by sliding one of the metal electrodes 21 in the direction of the dimension L in FIG.

In the ozone generator 2 having the above configuration, 2
The gap that causes silent discharge is 2
Since it is formed individually, the ozone generation efficiency is higher than that of a flat plate type ozone generator having only one gap.

The amount of ozone generated depends on the area of the metal electrode 21 forming the gaps 221 and 222 when the amount of supplied oxygen and the applied voltage are constant. Since the ozone generator 2 having the above-described configuration can easily adjust the amount of ozone generated, it can be easily changed by using different lengths or different lengths L in the direction.

In addition, the ozone generator 2 having the above-mentioned structure is
Since it has a structure in which the metal electrodes 21 are wound in a spiral manner, the metal electrodes 21 are not large in plan view but are compact in plan view. Therefore, it does not require a large flat space for installation, and is suitable for installation in a narrow space, particularly a cylindrical space.

The number of metal electrodes used is not limited to two. For example, when four metal electrodes are used, four gaps where silent discharge occurs are configured.

(Embodiment 3) This embodiment is an ozone generator of a so-called cup lamination type as shown in FIG. The ozone generator 3 is configured by overlapping four cup-shaped metal electrodes 31 with a gap 32 therebetween. Here, the metal electrodes 31 are all the same. The metal electrode 31 has a circular cross section as shown in FIG.
One. The four metal electrodes 31
The gap 32 is separated from each other by interposing a disk-shaped spacer 34 shown in FIG. FIG. 9 is an enlarged sectional view of a portion C in FIG. Dielectric layers 33 are formed on both surfaces of the metal electrode 31. Also, the metal electrode 31
Is formed with one through-hole 312. Through hole 31
2 is formed so as to face the extreme end of the gap 32. The four metal electrodes 31 are overlapped so that the two through-holes 312 facing one gap 32 are located on the opposite side by 180 degrees when they are overlapped. The uppermost metal electrode 31 is closed by a plate 35. A through hole 351 is formed at the center of the plate.

The ozone generator 3 having the above-described structure operates as follows. That is, in FIG. 7, as indicated by arrows, oxygen is supplied from the through holes 312 of the lowermost metal electrode 31, and oxygen is supplied to the lowermost and uppermost metal electrodes 31, and the second and third stages from the bottom. Voltage is applied to the metal electrode 31 of
When silent discharge is caused in the three gaps 32 formed by the four metal electrodes 31, the supplied oxygen is supplied to the first gap 32 from the bottom, the through hole 312 of the second-stage metal electrode 31,
Second gap 32, through hole 31 of third-level metal electrode 31
While passing through the second and third gaps 32, it is converted into ozone, passes through the through-hole 312 of the uppermost metal electrode 31, and is emitted through the through-hole 351 of the plate 35.

At this time, the three gaps 32 are formed in the through holes 312.
, The supplied oxygen passes through the three gaps 32, and therefore, the residence time of oxygen is increased, and thus the ozone generation efficiency is improved. In particular, the through hole 312 is formed so as to face the most end of the gap 32, and the two through holes 312 facing one gap 32 are 180
Because it is located on the opposite side, the residence time of oxygen in the gap 32 is particularly long, and the ozone generation efficiency is particularly improved.

In the ozone generator 3 configured as described above, the amount of ozone generated depends on the amount of supplied oxygen, the applied voltage, and the number of gaps 32. The number of the gaps 32 depends on the metal electrode 31 used.
Depends on the number of Therefore, the amount of ozone generation depends on the number of metal electrodes 31 used when the supply amount of oxygen and the applied voltage are constant. Therefore, by changing the number of the metal electrodes 31, the amount of ozone generated is adjusted, and the amount of ozone generated is easily adjusted.

Further, the ozone generator 3 having the above structure has a structure in which the cup-shaped metal electrodes 31 are overlapped, so that the ozone generator 3 is not large in plan view but is compact in plan view. Therefore, it does not require a large flat space for installation, and is suitable for installation in a narrow space.

Moreover, the ozone generator 3 having the above-described configuration is simply manufactured because the same cup-shaped metal electrode 31 is merely stacked with the spacer 34 interposed between the flanges 311.

The following modified structure may be employed. (1) The cup-shaped metal electrodes to be used are not limited to the same as long as they can be overlapped with a gap therebetween, and may have different dimensions and shapes. (2) The cup-shaped metal electrode used is not limited to a circular cross-sectional shape, but may have another cross-sectional shape such as a rectangular cross-section. (3) If the diameter of the metal electrode or the depth of the bottom is large, the area of the metal electrode constituting the gap where the silent discharge occurs increases, so that the total amount of ozone generated increases. These dimensions may be appropriately set according to the required ozone generation amount. (4) The dielectric layer 33 on the outer surface of the lowermost metal electrode 31 and the dielectric layer 33 on the inner surface of the uppermost metal electrode 31 may be omitted. (5) The through hole 312 may be formed at a position other than the end of the gap 32.

[0040]

According to the first aspect of the present invention, the amount of ozone generated can be adjusted simply by relatively sliding the opposing metal electrodes. In addition, since the plate-like metal electrodes are configured to overlap, a planar compactness can be achieved.

According to the second aspect of the present invention, the amount of ozone generated can be made to correspond to the rotation angle of the metal electrode.
The amount of ozone generated can be adjusted more easily.

According to the third aspect of the present invention, by using metal electrodes having different lengths or total lengths in the circumferential direction, the area of the metal electrode forming the gap where silent discharge occurs can be easily reduced. Since it can be changed, the amount of generated ozone can be easily adjusted. In addition, since the metal electrode is wound in a spiral manner, one more gap in which silent discharge occurs can be configured as compared with the flat plate type ozone generator, and therefore, the ozone generation efficiency can be improved. Further, since the plate-like metal electrode is wound in a spiral shape, it is possible to achieve a planar compactness.

According to the fourth aspect of the present invention, the number of gaps where silent discharge occurs can be changed by changing the number of cup-shaped metal electrodes, so that the amount of ozone generated can be easily adjusted. In addition, since the cup-shaped metal electrodes are overlapped with each other, planar compactness can be achieved.

According to the fifth aspect of the present invention, since the residence time of oxygen in the gap can be lengthened, the ozone generation efficiency can be improved.

According to the sixth aspect of the invention, the residence time of oxygen in the gap can be maximized, so that the ozone generation efficiency can be further improved.

According to the seventh aspect of the present invention, the ozone generator can be constructed simply by stacking the cup-shaped metal electrodes with the spacers interposed between the flanges, so that the ozone generator can be easily manufactured.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an ozone generator according to a first embodiment.

FIG. 2 is a sectional view taken along line II-II of FIG.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing one operation state of the ozone generator of the first embodiment.

FIG. 4 is a view taken in the direction of the arrow IV in FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of an ozone generator according to a second embodiment.

FIG. 6 is a partially enlarged sectional view of FIG. 5;

FIG. 7 is a longitudinal sectional view of an ozone generator of a third embodiment.

FIG. 8 is a perspective view showing a cup-shaped metal electrode and a spacer constituting the ozone generator of FIG. 7;

FIG. 9 is a partially enlarged view of FIG. 7;

[Explanation of symbols]

 1,2,3 Ozone generator 11,21,31 Metal electrode 111 Opposite surface 311 Flange 312 Through hole 12,221,222,32 Gap 13,23,33 Dielectric layer 34 Spacer

 ────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continuing on the front page (72) Inventor Yuji Yamada 3-9-39 Mikunihoncho, Yodogawa-ku, Osaka-shi, Osaka Japan Aluminum Co., Ltd.

Claims (7)

[Claims] 1. A structure in which two or more plate-shaped metal electrodes are arranged so as to face each other with a gap therebetween, a dielectric layer is formed on the facing surface, and oxygen flows through the gap. Ozone is generated by generating a silent discharge in the gap, while the relative surface of the gap that generates the silent discharge can be changed by sliding the opposing metal electrodes relatively. An ozone generator characterized in that: 2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the metal electrodes have a semicircular shape and are arranged so that their peripheral edges are aligned, and one of the two opposing metal electrodes is rotated about the center of the circle. Item 10. An ozone generator according to item 1. 3. A metal spring is formed by winding two or more plate-like metal electrodes facing each other with a gap therebetween and in a spiral shape, and a dielectric layer is formed on both surfaces of the metal electrodes.
Oxygen is generated by causing a silent discharge in these gaps while causing oxygen to flow through the gaps and the gaps between the metal electrodes formed by winding in a spiral manner. Ozone generator. 4. A structure in which two or more cup-shaped metal electrodes are overlapped with a gap therebetween, and a dielectric layer is formed on a surface of the metal electrode forming the gap. An ozone generator characterized in that ozone is generated by causing silent discharge in a gap while flowing oxygen through the gap. 5. Use of three or more cup-shaped metal electrodes,
5. The ozone generator according to claim 4, wherein adjacent gaps communicate with each other by a through hole formed in the metal electrode. 6. One through hole is formed so as to face the extreme end of the gap, and two through holes that face one gap are 180.
The ozone generator according to claim 5, which is located on the opposite side. 7. The ozone generator according to claim 4, wherein the metal electrode has an outward flange on the periphery of the opening, and a gap is provided between the flanges by interposing a spacer between the flanges.