Concentric tube ozonator

Claim 1

An ozonator designed to produce ozone efficiently with minimum electrical power consumption, comprising a plurality of concentric tube assemblies forming the ozonator in which a feed gas containing oxygen is converted into ozone in inner and outer concentric annular electrical field discharge gaps formed therein, with each concentric tube assembly being designed to provide for replacement of the components thereof and also for precise positioning of the components thereof for efficient operation of the ozonator, wherein each concentric tube assembly comprises an outer tubular metal electrode, an inner tubular metal electrode positioned concentrically within the outer tube electrode, and a glass dielectric tube positioned concentrically and centrally between said outer tubular electrode and said inner tubular electrode to provide an inner concentric annular electrical field discharge gap between said glass dielectric tube and said inner tubular electrode and an outer concentric annular electric discharge gap between said glass dielectric tube and said outer tubular electrode, in which feed gas is converted into ozone, each inner and outer annular discharge gap being in the range o 0.45 mm to 0.55 mm to provide a minimum gap to convert oxygen to ozone to minimize the voltage required to produce ozone, said glass dielectric tube having a thickness of less than 1.1 mm to minimize the voltage required to produce ozone, a common feeder gas inlet at a first axial end of the concentric tube assemblies, and a common ozone gas outlet at the second, opposite axial end of the concentric tube assemblies, a periodic power supply for applying a periodic electrical power supply between the inner and outer concentric tubular electrodes during operation of the ozonator, and a cooling system for the ozonator defining a cooling housing encompassing the concentric tube assemblies such that a coolant can circulate in said cooling housing and around the outsides of the outer tubular electrodes for cooling thereof during operation of the ozonator.