A New Ozone Concentration Regulator

TELKOMNIKA Indonesian Journal of Electrical Engineering
Vol. 13, No. 2, February 2015, pp. 329 ~ 336
DOI: 10.11591/telkomnika.v13i2.6952  329
Received November 2, 2014; Revised December 28, 2014; Accepted January 10, 2015
A New Ozone Concentration Regulator
Michael David, Tay Ching En Marcus, Maslina Yaacob, Mohd Rashidi Salim,
Nabihah Hussin, Mohd Haniff Ibrahim*, Sevia Mahdaliza Idrus, Nor Hafizah Ngajikin,
Asrul Izam Azmi
Lightwave Communication Research Group, Infocomm Research Alliance,
Faculty of Electrical Engineering, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia, 81310 Skudai, Johor, Malaysia
*Corresponding author, e-mail: ahanif@fke.utm.my, bsevia@fke.utm.my, amdavid2@live.utm.my
hanif@fke.utm.my, mdavid2@live.utm.my
Abstract
Laboratory design of an ozone concentration regulator which is build on the theory of continuity
equation for gas flow in parallel pipes in conjunction with the ozone elimination potentials of an ozone
destructor is presented. At an initial oxygen flow rate of 33.33 cm3
s
-1
, ozone concentration was generated
and varied between 429.30 parts per million (ppm) to 3826.60 ppm. Similarly at an initial oxygen flow rate
of 25 cm
3
s
-1
, ozone concentration was generated and varied between 387.30 ppm to 4435.20 ppm. Effect
of flow meter when the ozone concentration was set to approximate 1000 ppm were investigated and
reported. Fine tuning of the regulator is necessary to ensure concentration stability for long duration
experimental work.
Keywords: flow rate, continuity, variable concentration, regulator, internal radius
Copyright © 2015 Institute of Advanced Engineering and Science. All rights reserved.
1. Introduction
Ozone application is diverse [1-8] and the requirement for each application differs from
the other in terms of the required quantity. Ozone generators whose outputs are proportional to
the oxygen or air flow rate input, generates very high amount of ozone at a low flow rates [9,
10]. The higher the oxygen or air flow rate the lower the amount of ozone generated and vice
versa [9]. Thus, it is difficult or almost impossible to obtained lower concentrations at lower flow
rates of air or oxygen. Investigation of sensing parameters such as response time which is more
pronounced at lower flow rates becomes difficult at lower concentrations [11-14]. In this work we
have designed and developed a laboratory based ozone concentration variable regulator which
transforms a fixed ozone output generator into a variable concentration generator with available
laboratory equipments and thus expanding the capability and applications of an ozone
generator such that when ozone is generated at a low flow rate, varying concentrations can be
obtained by means of the variable output regulator.
2. Theoretical Backgrounnd and Regulator Design
When a gas flow in a parallel network of pipes as depicted in Figure 1, by continuity [15]
the volume rate of discharge Q (cm3
/s) is express as:
Figure 1. Flow in a parallel network of pipes
(1)

 ISSN: 2302-4046
TELKOMNIKA Vol. 13, No. 2, February 2015 : 329 – 336
330
Where:
(2)
(3)
(4)
Q = Volume rate of discharge (cm3
/s)
Q1 = Volume rate of discharge in section 1 (cm3
/s)
Q2 = Volume rate of discharge in section 2 (cm3
/s)
V = Volume of gas with volume rate of discharge of Q (cm3
)
V1 = Volume of gas in section 1(cm3
)
V2 = Volume of gas in section 2 (cm3
)
r = radius of pipe section with volume rate of discharge of Q (cm)
r1 = radius of pipe section 1(cm)
r2 = radius of pipe section 2; for our design r2 = 0.3cm
L = length of pipe section with volume rate of discharge of Q (cm)
L1 = length of pipe section 1; for our design L1 = 45.5 cm
L2 = length of pipe section 2; for our design L2 = 97.5 cm
t = time (s)
t1 = time of flow in section 1 (s)
t2 = time of flow in section 2 (s)
From equation (1) to (4) above:

.
(5)
Figure 2. Block diagram of ozone concentration regulator
Q1 or Q2 depends on the level of freedom or resistance to gas flow which is
proportional to the length and internal radius of the respective pipes [16]. In equation 5, when
Q, r1, L1, L2 and t2 are kept constant; variation of the radius r2 (between 0 and 0.3 cm) will
produce a corresponding variation in the amount of flow both through sections 1 and 2 of
Figure 1 and thereby varying the value of Q1 and thus controlling the concentration in the
different sections of the system [15]. The implementation of the said control for ozone gas is
described in the block diagram of Figure 2. At lower concentrations requirements, excess ozone
produced is eliminated by flowing it through an ozone destructor.
3. Experimental Set-up and Procedure
Figure 3 shows the experimental setup of our ozone regulator incorporated to an ozone
photometer. The items in Figure 3 are described as follows: (1) Ozone destructor made in the

TELKOMNIKA ISSN: 2302-4046 
A New Ozone Concentration Regulator (Michael David)
331
US by Longevity Resources Inc; (2) A silicon tube connecting a control valve to the ozone
destructor; (3) A control valve that varies the flow of ozone gas to the destructor; (4) A silicone
tube connecting the control valve and a T-connector; (5) Ozone compatible T-connector; (6) - A
silicone tube connecting the T-connector to a flow meter; (7) A silicone tube connecting a ozone
generator output into the T-connector; (8) EXT50 Ozone generator made in the US by
Longevity Resources Inc; (9) Vinyl tube for connecting the flow of oxygen from the oxygen tank
to the ozone generator; (10) 220V electricity supply to the ozone generator; (11) 0 to 10 LPM (0
to 166.67 cm3
s-1
) ozone compatible flow meter; (12) A silicone tube connecting the flow meter
to ozone monitor; (13) 2B technologies 106-M model ozone monitor which can measure
accurate ozone concentrations between 0 to 1000 ppm; (14) USB cable connecting the monitor
to a laptop computer and (15) A DC source to power the ozone monitor.
Oxygen gas with a purity of 99.999% was delivered at a flow rate of 33.33 cm3
s-1
[2
liters per minute (LPM)] through a vinyl tubing to the EXT50 Ozone generator. Ozone was
generated and fed into the ozone monitor at a flow rate of 33.33 cm3
s-1
. The control valve was
completely locked so that there was no flow of ozone gas to the ozone destructor.
Figure 3. Experimental setup of an ozone concentration regulator
The ozone concentration in ppm were extracted from the monitor through the USB
connection to the laptop. With the ozone gas flowing at a rate of 33.33 cm3
s-1
, the control valve
was completely opened and ozone flowed into the destructor and the corresponding effect on
the flow rate and the concentration were noted and recorded. With the aid of the control valve,
the ozone concentration was adjusted to approximately 1000 ppm which corresponds to a flow
rate of approximately 30.00 cm3
s-1
(1.8 LPM). The effect of the flow meter on this adjusted
concentration of 1000 ppm was then investigated for a flow rate between 16.67cm3
s-1
(1LPM)
and 166.67cm3
s-1
(10 LPM) at a step of 16.67cm3
s-1
or 1LPM. The entire process was repeated
for an initial oxygen flow rate of 25 cm3
s-1
( 1.5 LPM) and the results were obtained and
analised.
4. Results and Discussion
Figure 4 shows the maximum and minimum ozone concentrations in ppm obtained at
an initial oxygen flow rate of 33.33 cm3
s-1
( Initial oxygen flow rate is the flow rate of oxygen in
the system before the ozone generator was energised electrically). The section 'A' is when
oxygen was fed into the ozone generator while the ozone generator was off.
B indicates the maximum ozone concentrations 3826.60 ppm at an initial oxygen flow
rate of 33.33 cm3
s-1
with the control valve completely locked to short out ozone from the
destructor. C is the lowest ozone concentration obtained 429.30 ppm, when the control valve
was completely opened thus allowing maximum flow of ozone to the destructor. Thus, the
percentage regulation at a flow rate of 33.33cm3
s-1
is in the range of 11.22% to 100%.

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332
Figure 4. Maximum and minimum ozone
concentrations at an oxygen flow rate of
33.33cm3
s-1
(2 LPM)
Figure 5. Effect of flow meter between 30cm3
s-
1
to 66.67 cm3
s-1
to 16.67cm3
s-1
(1.8 to 4 to 1
LPM) of ozone concentrations
Figure 6. Effect of flow meter between 16.67
cm3
s-1
and 116.67 cm3
s-1
(1 and 7 LPM) of
ozone concentrations
cm3
s-1
and 166.67 cm3
s-1
( 7 and 10 LPM ) of
In Figure 5, 6, 7 and 8 the effect of the flow meter when the ozone was set to 1000 ppm
approximately is shown. The concentrations in ppm obtained for ozone flow rate of 16.67cm3
s-1
to 166.67cm3
s-1
(1 to 10 LPM) respectively are 1163.60, 1039.20, 942.50, 776.10, 716.70,
664.30, 615.20, 590.60 and 584.50 ppm. Thus the higher the flow rate the lower the
concentrations, this is depicted clearly in Figure 9. Figure 10 is the fluctuations in pressure at
higher flow rates, which shows that the regulator is effective between 16.67cm3
s-1
to
116.67cm3
s-1
(1 to 7 LPM) since the pressure is not longer able to sustain a steady flow as from
8 LPM upwards. This can also viewed in Figure 7. At D in Figure 8, the ozone generator is
switched off and ozone concentration becomes reduced to approximately zero. The results thus
obtained are in agreement with the theory of gas flow in parrallel pipes as earlie shown in
section 2 of this article.

333
cm3
s-1
and 0 cm3
s-1
(10 and 0 LPM) of ozone
concentrations
Figure 9. Effect of flow rate on ozone
concentrations
Similarly, Figure 11 shows the maximum and minimum ozone concentrations in ppm
obtained at an initial oxygen flow rate of 25.00 cm3
s-1
(1 LPM). The section E is when oxygen
was fed into the ozone generator while the ozone generator was off. F is the maximum ozone
concentrations 4435.20 ppm at an oxygen flow rate of 25 cm3
s-1
with the control valve
completely locked to short out ozone from the destructor. G is the lowest ozone concentration
obtained 387.30 ppm, when the control valve was completely opened thus allowing maximum
flow of ozone to the destructor. Similarly, the percentage regulation at a flow rate of 25 cm3
s-1
is
in the range of 8.37% to 100%.
Figure 10. Effect of flow rate on the pressure
of ozone gas in the gas cell
Figure 11. Maximun and Minimum ozone
concentrations at an oxygen flow rate of 25.00
cm3
s-1
(1.5 LPM)
The ozone concentration was adjusted to approximately 1000 ppm at an ozone flow
rate of approximately 21.67 cm3
s-1
(1.3 LPM). In Figure 12, 13, 14, and 15 the effect of the flow
meter when the ozone was set to 1000 ppm approximately is shown. The concentrations
obtained for 16.67cm3
s-1
to 166.67cm3
s-1
(1 to 10 LPM) are 1253.30, 1105.50, 976.25, 879.50,
783.50, 728.00, 663.80, 628.60, 589.00 and 563.50 ppm respectively. Similarly, the higher the
flow rate the lower the concentrations, as shown in Figure 16. Figure 17 is the shows the

 ISSN: 2302-4046
334
fluctuations in pressure at higher flow rates, at in innitial oxygen flow rate of 25 cm3
s-1
as
compared 33.33cm3
s-1
the fluctuation is minimal and the gas pressure in the regulator was able
to sustain a steady flow between 16.67cm3
s-1
to 150.00cm3
s-1
(1 to 9 LPM), this is shown in
Figure 10, fluctuations sets in at 166.67cm3
s-1
(10 LPM). At H in Figure 15, the ozone generator
is switched off and ozone concentration to reduce to approximately zero. The results are also in
agreement with gas flow theory in parallel pipes.
Figure 12. Effect of flow meter between
21.67cm3
s-1
to 83.33 cm3
s-1
to 16.67cm3
s-1
(1.3
to 5 to 1 LPM) of ozone concentrations
cm3
s-1
to 116.67cm3
s-1
(1 and 7 LPM ) of
116.67 cm3
s-1
and166.67cm3
s-1
(7 and 10
166.67 cm3
s-1
and 16.67cm3
s-1
(10 and 0

335
Figure 16. Effect of flow rate on ozone
concentrations
Figure 17. Effect of flow rate on the pressure
of ozone gas in the gas cell
5. Conclusion
A new ozone regulator has been designed and build on the theory of continuity for gas
flow in parallel pipes. The ozone regulator makes it possible to generate varying concentrations
of ozone at different flow rates and thus providing for maximum flexibility in terms of
concentration and flow rates. For a given flow rate varying concentrations can be obtained: at
initial oxygen flow rate of 25.00 cm3
s-1
and 33.33cm3
s-1
yields an ozone flow of 50.00 cm3
s-1
(3
LPM) whose contration were 976.25 ppm and 942.50 LPM respectively. Similarly a specific
concentration can also be generated at different flow rates taking the advantage of the
regulator: approximately 1000 ppm of ozone was generated at 21.67 cm3
s-1
(1.3 LPM) and
30.00 cm3
s-1
(1.8 LPM) corresponding to initial oxygen flow rate of 25.00 cm3
s-1
and 33.33cm3
s-
1
respectively. Effects of the regulator and the flow meter has also been tested and has been
found to be satisfactory. The regulator has a capability of varying concentrations of ozones
between 8.73% to 100%.
Acknowledgements
The authors would like to thank Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM) for sponsoring this
publication under Research University Grant (RUG) Scheme, grant no: 05J60 and 04H35; and
Fundamental Research Grant Scheme (FRGS) grant no: 4F317 and 4F565. The Ministry of
education (MOE) Malaysia is also acknowledge and the Nigerian Education Trust Fund (ETF)
for the financial support giving inform of Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TET-Fund).
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