Date of Award

Summer 8-3-2020

Degree Type

Thesis

Degree Name

MS Physics

Department

Physics

Advisor

Jose Lopez, Ph.D.

Committee Member

Alfred Freilich, Ph.D.

Committee Member

Erie H. Morales, Ph.D.

Keywords

Plasma, Dielectric-barrier discharge (DBD), Characterization of a Novel Double Cooled Electrode DBD, Ozone generator, experimental, Non-Thermal Plasma

Abstract

The Dielectric Barrier Discharge (DBD) is used to generate atmospheric or higher-pressure non-thermal plasmas and has found various commercial applications such as in industrial large-scale ozone generation. Ozone (O3 ) is a powerful chemical reactant that is used to kill bacteria, to deodorize and to perform water purification. The effectiveness of the DBD reactors depends on the electrode arrangements, gap lengths, dielectric materials, operating gases and feed gas quality to name a few. However, the production of O3 is heat sensitive. In order to prevent O3 destruction thermal cooling of the DBD is needed. The industry approach to lower the temperature in the DBD ozone generators is by water convection. This is accomplished by having water in contact with the ground electrode. The result of lowering the temperature by convection increases O3 yield. This research shows the results of O3 production in a DBD with a novel double cooling electrode configuration. We found a linear relationship between ozone production and the gas flow rate as the latter increases, the ozone yield decreases. We observed when cooling the inner electrode (high voltage) and the outer electrode (ground) at the same time an increase of 7 % in the ozone yield. This research shows a linear dependency between ozone production and temperature but also manifests a more complex relation between temperature and voltage.

Download

Share

COinS