Ozone generator DIY
- Thread starter Young Frankenstein
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Young Frankenstein
New member
Whats the recommended glass thickness for the corona discharge ?
Our 6lb/day units at the aquarium used cold cathode tubes as the electrode / dielectric and were fed with 95% oxygen rather than just air. The O2 concentrators used a molecular seive (like an RO kinda) to push the O2 through and strip off the nitrogen. This also dried the O2 to -60F dewpoint. The nitrogen in the moist air turns to nitric acid in the presence of strong ozone and will even corrode 316SS. The ionized gas inside the lamp was the electrode (12kV). These were centered into SS water jacketed tubes (ground). That glass was very thin, like a flourescent lamp.
Some of the units at water plants used 10' long 3" diameter silver coated (inside) glass tubes. They were obviously thicker- a few mms at least. Those used large stainless bottle brushes shoved inside. The brush contacted the silver coating so the whole surface area of the glass was utilized as the electrode. Those are old outdated technology though. Now most use the ionized gas method I believe.
A tiny Coralife unit I have actually uses a piece of SS mesh inside a glass jar, like a testors model paint jar. funny
The trash ozonator at work uses 3" glass tubes with perforated aluminum sheet rolled up and inserted inside. The ground is simply SS sheet rolled around the outside.
BTW, ozone creates beautiful patina green colors on brass and copper
Some of the units at water plants used 10' long 3" diameter silver coated (inside) glass tubes. They were obviously thicker- a few mms at least. Those used large stainless bottle brushes shoved inside. The brush contacted the silver coating so the whole surface area of the glass was utilized as the electrode. Those are old outdated technology though. Now most use the ionized gas method I believe.
A tiny Coralife unit I have actually uses a piece of SS mesh inside a glass jar, like a testors model paint jar. funny
The trash ozonator at work uses 3" glass tubes with perforated aluminum sheet rolled up and inserted inside. The ground is simply SS sheet rolled around the outside.
BTW, ozone creates beautiful patina green colors on brass and copper
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stugray
Premium Member
H2ENG
would one of these cold cathode tubes work?
http://cgi.ebay.com/DUAL-12-ULTRA-B...ryZ51064QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem
I have been wanting to buy one as a moonlight anyway. Cant beat the price $2 and $7 shipping.
It says it outputs 680V. If you just put a ground sleeve over that would it generate any ozone?
If so, it sounds like just putting these things inside your computer case would generate some o3. I wonder if the high end computer mods have components inside their cases degrading extra quickly....
Stu
would one of these cold cathode tubes work?
http://cgi.ebay.com/DUAL-12-ULTRA-B...ryZ51064QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem
I have been wanting to buy one as a moonlight anyway. Cant beat the price $2 and $7 shipping.
It says it outputs 680V. If you just put a ground sleeve over that would it generate any ozone?
If so, it sounds like just putting these things inside your computer case would generate some o3. I wonder if the high end computer mods have components inside their cases degrading extra quickly....
Stu
stugray
Premium Member
I just read on wikipedia that ozone reacts with carbon to form CO2.
Soooo....... what if I used an ozone generator to push ozone through a large carbon filter, then into my calcium reactor?
Could this make enough CO2 that I wouldnt need to keep filling my CO2 bottle?
Curious.
Stu
Soooo....... what if I used an ozone generator to push ozone through a large carbon filter, then into my calcium reactor?
Could this make enough CO2 that I wouldnt need to keep filling my CO2 bottle?
Curious.
Stu
Hi Stu,
The tubes were proprietary for our machines (Del ozone) they only had one electrode inside- single ended. They plugged into a 12KV base socket.
Now I have wondered about using a regluar flourescent lamp as an electrode, but not sure how it would stand up to that much juice. Youd also have to cap off the opposite ends pins to keep from shorting out. The high voltage may just jump from the pin to the metal end cap of the lamp.
One important thing I left out in my rambling above is proper air gap between the electrode and ground. You need to have a small gap ~1MM or so for the corona to form, air to pass, and for cooling. The air passing through the corona is what turns to O3.
In the big units, the SS tubing had dimples in it, self centering the cathode tube and creating the required gap. On our trash compactor unit, the perf screen electrodes have pop rivets in some of the holes. The rivet heads keep the screen from seating against the glass, and create the air gap.
I think you need at least 5kV to produce O3 but dont quote me.
I tried with a lamp ballast (600v) and got nothing.
The tubes were proprietary for our machines (Del ozone) they only had one electrode inside- single ended. They plugged into a 12KV base socket.
Now I have wondered about using a regluar flourescent lamp as an electrode, but not sure how it would stand up to that much juice. Youd also have to cap off the opposite ends pins to keep from shorting out. The high voltage may just jump from the pin to the metal end cap of the lamp.
One important thing I left out in my rambling above is proper air gap between the electrode and ground. You need to have a small gap ~1MM or so for the corona to form, air to pass, and for cooling. The air passing through the corona is what turns to O3.
In the big units, the SS tubing had dimples in it, self centering the cathode tube and creating the required gap. On our trash compactor unit, the perf screen electrodes have pop rivets in some of the holes. The rivet heads keep the screen from seating against the glass, and create the air gap.
I think you need at least 5kV to produce O3 but dont quote me.
I tried with a lamp ballast (600v) and got nothing.
Our ozone destruct towers were filled with carbon- 10" pvc pipe about 8ft tall. After 6 yrs of operation, the carbon was only 1/3 gone. Water and air / ozone from the top of the reaction chambers was bubbled into the towers so the carbon stayed moist.
I doubt youd get near enough CO2 but its a great thought!
I doubt youd get near enough CO2 but its a great thought!
jnarowe
New member
No kidding. Thanks for that! This is really getting my brain in a twirl. I would be interested in your comments/advice for building an ozone generator for my system. I have been warned to NOT use my skimmer and to install a separate diffuser so as to not wear on the skimmer. Any thoughts on that?
I have a nice mazzei injector I could use as well. So what are your thoughts on building one? I could use my ORP probe & ACIII Pro to turn it on and off.
I gues the main issue are the type of generator, what kind of oxygen/air source to use, and how to get it to flow and diffuse in my system. Perhaps running a el cheapo skimmer off my return manifold would work, with the effluent going into the sump?
How about using a beckett or mazzei skimmer?
I have a nice mazzei injector I could use as well. So what are your thoughts on building one? I could use my ORP probe & ACIII Pro to turn it on and off.
I gues the main issue are the type of generator, what kind of oxygen/air source to use, and how to get it to flow and diffuse in my system. Perhaps running a el cheapo skimmer off my return manifold would work, with the effluent going into the sump?
How about using a beckett or mazzei skimmer?
Depending on the ozone dosage, the plastics may degrade over time. That said, pvc and acrylic can handle the normal skimmer dosages just fine. Where you will really see the damage is the ozone feed tubing and the fitting where it meets the injector. As soon as the ozone hits the water stream its reacting and the O3 is gone.
You can use ozone 2 ways- as a skimming aid (low dosage- too much shuts skimming down) or as a sterilizer- high dosage.
We ran a side stream loop that was ORPd up to 700 or so, then remixed with the main return. It all went over a huge degassing box (4" bioballs) then back to the tank.
Most people dont need this level of ozonation and simply the addition to the skimmer is enough to really clear up the tank.
Jon, in your case you could add the mazzei to your skimmer with a small pump to get it to draw in the ozone. Or have your air pump go through the ozonator first then to the stones. Problem there is the tubing will get eaten, and possible flow restriction.
Another problem with DIY units is you dont know the output of the device. In the case of the screen on glass units, etc you can make a lot of ozone. You could severely overdose the tank and kill EVERYTHING. Many horror stories of public aqauriums wiping out a whole tank of sharks, etc from ODing.
I dont know of any formulas that would tell you X" of electrode surface area @ X volts = X mg of O3.
You can use ozone 2 ways- as a skimming aid (low dosage- too much shuts skimming down) or as a sterilizer- high dosage.
We ran a side stream loop that was ORPd up to 700 or so, then remixed with the main return. It all went over a huge degassing box (4" bioballs) then back to the tank.
Most people dont need this level of ozonation and simply the addition to the skimmer is enough to really clear up the tank.
Jon, in your case you could add the mazzei to your skimmer with a small pump to get it to draw in the ozone. Or have your air pump go through the ozonator first then to the stones. Problem there is the tubing will get eaten, and possible flow restriction.
Another problem with DIY units is you dont know the output of the device. In the case of the screen on glass units, etc you can make a lot of ozone. You could severely overdose the tank and kill EVERYTHING. Many horror stories of public aqauriums wiping out a whole tank of sharks, etc from ODing.
I dont know of any formulas that would tell you X" of electrode surface area @ X volts = X mg of O3.
jnarowe
New member
OK. Thanks for the response. I also have an oxygen tank I could employ, but I am concerned about tapping into my main skimmer. An O2 tank could provide the pressure through a solenoid/needle valve and be turned on and off by my controller right?
Another thought I had was to use a couple of the large Aquatic-Eco airstones and an air pump. I recently got in 8 x 9" ozone safe (CPVC) fine pore stones to use in my main skimmer, and it seems to me that just using a couple of those in the sump would probably be sufficient.
Another thought I had was to use a couple of the large Aquatic-Eco airstones and an air pump. I recently got in 8 x 9" ozone safe (CPVC) fine pore stones to use in my main skimmer, and it seems to me that just using a couple of those in the sump would probably be sufficient.
You could put it in the sump, but you need a little reaction time. Our big reactors were 2 minute dwell time. Most is used up within a few seconds, but you want it in there rather than in the air.
All you need is a column of water to put it in. You could simply use a piece of 4" pipe. Ozone in the bottom, water in at the top, water out at the bottom (would have to standpipe or Hartford loop it) through carbon. Drilled cap to catch the offgas. You can use 3.5"OD acrylic to glue into 4" pvc fittings if you wanted to keep an eye on your airstone.
I think you'd exhaust an O2 bottle fairly quickly, not like dosing CO2 for a reactor.
Yes an ORP controller is almost mandatory if you use a DIY unit. the only way I wouldnt use one is if I bought a very small ozonizer.
All you need is a column of water to put it in. You could simply use a piece of 4" pipe. Ozone in the bottom, water in at the top, water out at the bottom (would have to standpipe or Hartford loop it) through carbon. Drilled cap to catch the offgas. You can use 3.5"OD acrylic to glue into 4" pvc fittings if you wanted to keep an eye on your airstone.
I think you'd exhaust an O2 bottle fairly quickly, not like dosing CO2 for a reactor.
Yes an ORP controller is almost mandatory if you use a DIY unit. the only way I wouldnt use one is if I bought a very small ozonizer.
Young Frankenstein
New member
Is about 1/4" total gab including glass ok for a flyback ? dont know the KV I am assuming atleast 15 KV
Young Frankenstein
New member
Thanks H2 I am building now bzzzzzzzzzzzbzzzzzzzzzzzzz BOOOOOOOM
O agios,
I have an old flyback, but could never figure out which pins to hot up to get it going. Its got 10 including the ground.
I've always used neon transformers, but they're safer at 30mA or so. I think those flybacks go up to 30kV or so right?
I have an old flyback, but could never figure out which pins to hot up to get it going. Its got 10 including the ground.
I've always used neon transformers, but they're safer at 30mA or so. I think those flybacks go up to 30kV or so right?
Young Frankenstein
New member
Yes they do go 30knnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnn sometimes even more depending on the size of tube. I found this monitor still dont know whats what on the flyback, lick my fingers and test holding a beer on the left hand always 
Young Frankenstein
New member
Can you sniff ozone ? what is supposed to smell like ?
