Influences of Reactor Geometry on Ozone Production with Dielectric Barrier Discharges: Experimental and Simulation Studies

This study developed a model to simulate ozone synthesis in dry oxygen streams with a coaxial dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) reactor. Analyzing ozone synthesis chemistry, we found that fast quenching metastable species seems favorable for ozone production. This interpretation was successfully confirmed by the experiment conducted with a packed-bed DBD reactor. Ozone concentration generated by the packed-bed DBD reactor was significantly enhanced compared to non-packed one. Model simulations were carried out to elucidate the effects of reactor geometries on ozone synthesis. Parameters in the simulation include radii of inner and outer electrodes, dielectric thickness, dielectric constant, and discharge gap. More details regarding their effects were extensively discussed in the paper. In brief, a DBD reactor with a thinner dielectric thickness and/ or a greater dielectric constant could achieve higher ozone yields.