How to Choose the Right Ozone Generator?
The increasing demand for disinfection and hygiene products after the COVID-19 epidemic has led to a rapid increase in interest in ozone generators and ozone gas. We observe that many opportunistic companies, under the name of ozone generator manufacturer, victimize ozone gas, ozone generators and people, institutions or organizations dealing with ozone gas with incomplete information, wrong products and wrong practices, without knowing the nature of ozone gas. The question 'How to Choose the Right Ozone Generator?' became very important at this point. Below you can find information about the features that should be found in the ozone generator for the correct ozone generator selection.
-Important things to pay attention to when Buying an Ozone Generator (Ozone Machine)
When choosing an ozone generator (ozone machine), attention should be paid to the company's quality documents, references, ozone gas information, product information, technical infrastructure, service network and project planning capability, as well as product quality and production capacity.
1) Ozone Generator Product Compliance and Certification
When selecting an ozone generator, it is important to verify that the equipment complies with the relevant product safety and regulatory requirements.
For equipment placed on the UK market, the applicable conformity requirements depend on the product design and intended use. CE and/or UKCA marking may apply, supported by the appropriate Declaration of Conformity and technical documentation.
Key areas to consider include:
Electrical Safety (LVD): Compliance with applicable electrical safety requirements.
Electromagnetic Compatibility (EMC): Ensuring the equipment operates without causing unacceptable electromagnetic interference.
RoHS: Restrictions on hazardous substances in electrical and electronic equipment, where applicable.
WEEE: Relevant obligations relating to the collection, treatment and recycling of electrical and electronic equipment.
Conformity marking confirms compliance with applicable product requirements but does not, by itself, verify ozone production capacity, treatment performance or long-term reliability.
Biocidal Product Regulations (BPR)
Where ozone is generated for biocidal purposes, additional regulatory requirements may apply.
In Great Britain, in-situ generated ozone used as a biocide falls within the scope of the GB Biocidal Products Regulation. The requirements depend on the active substance status, relevant product type and intended application.
Equipment compliance and biocidal product authorisation are separate considerations. A CE- or UKCA-marked ozone generator is not automatically authorised for every biocidal application.
Before selecting a system, buyers should verify the applicable regulatory requirements, technical documentation, measured ozone output and suitability for the intended process.
2) Ozone Generator Capacity
Unfortunately, determining and labelling the capacity of the ozonation machine is a problematic issue and a bleeding wound in our industry. Since the capacities of ozone generators are not determined, inspected and certificated by any institution, many companies stick the desired capacity label on the products.
There are ozone generators in the UK that claim to produce ozone at a capacity of 10 grams-20 grams or even 50 grams/hour, which are sold especially on e-commerce sites. As consumers and end-users, it is your most natural right to ask the ozone generator manufacturers or sellers how the capacity of the product is determined and how they are tested. The right to obtain information about the product is one of the basic consumer rights and this right is protected by law.
With the gr / nm3 analyzer, each ozone generator is operated for 3 hours at 70-80% humidity and 30 OC values for 5 hours in an uninterrupted air conditioning cabinet and a concentration test is performed.
Under EUOTA / IOA standard directives, the ozone gas measurement device (gr / h) should be tested at 70-80% humidity for 3 hours and 30 OC for 3 hours without interruption.
Each device that complies with the +/- 1% capacity standard in these two measurement factors is sent to the shipment process after the final control approval. Capacity measurement cannot be done with air ozone measuring devices that measure the ozone amount in the environment in PPM. Air ozone measuring devices measure the amount of ozone gas in the volume, the production capacity of the ozone generator cannot be measured with this sensor or measuring devices.
3) Ozone Gas Output
Again, a problem arising from the ignorance of many companies that have just met with ozone gas and ozone generators is the inability to offer the appropriate device for the need. In many environment disinfection projects, devices with local outlets and without fan blowing are recommended for very large areas (100-150 m2). Unfortunately, due to this ignorance and misdirection, companies cannot utilize ozone gas as they wish.
Ozone gas is about 2 times heavier than air and if it is not distributed by an external factor (fan, compressor, etc.), it always tends to move downwards. In small areas (40-50 m2), the Ozonator machine without an air distribution mechanism and local output devices can be used by using natural air circulation in the environment. These types of ozone generators can't be used in large areas or even in small areas for shocking purposes. In large spaces, you should choose ozone generators with a sufficient fan to deliver ozone gas to every corner of the space homogenously.
4) Control and Safety of Ozone Generator UK
A high-quality ozone generator should include essential safety features for both air and water treatment applications:
Timer settings for automatic shutdown after treatment (air treatment).
Ozone concentration sensors to prevent exceeding safe exposure limits, particularly in human-occupied areas.
Automatic shutdown features to reduce output if ozone concentration surpasses international safety thresholds.
Temperature protection to prevent overheating during prolonged operation.
Voltage protection to safeguard against power fluctuations.
Leakage detectors to identify ozone or water leaks and trigger emergency shutdowns.
Lid switches (for water treatment systems) to ensure the system does not operate if the chamber is open.
Overcurrent protection to prevent electrical damage.
These safety features are crucial to ensure efficient and risk-free operation in both air and water treatment applications.
5) Feed Gas Quality and Nitrogen Oxide Formation
The quality of the feed gas is an important consideration when selecting a corona discharge ozone generator.
Ozone generators can operate using either properly dried air or oxygen-enriched feed gas, depending on their design and intended application.
When air is used, nitrogen oxides (NOx) may be formed during the electrical discharge process. In the presence of moisture, nitrogen oxide by-products can contribute to nitric acid formation, potentially causing corrosion and reducing equipment reliability.
For this reason, air-fed ozone generators require appropriate air preparation, including filtration and drying to the dew point specified by the manufacturer. Oxygen-fed systems generally achieve higher ozone concentrations and reduce nitrogen-related by-product formation.
The choice between air-fed and oxygen-fed ozone generation should be based on the required ozone output, concentration, feed-gas quality, energy consumption, operating conditions and application-specific requirements.
Ozcon recommends selecting a properly engineered ozone generation system with verified performance and suitable feed-gas preparation, rather than choosing equipment based on nominal ozone capacity alone.
6) Ozone Outlet Pressure (Corona Cell Operating Pressure):
The corona cell operating pressure is affected by the design of the ozone generator. Ozone generators can be built to work under vacuum, pressure, or both. The vacuum or pressure available will affect the ozone generator's suitability for specific applications or change your system configurations.
Vacuum
Working under a vacuum is an excellent way to eliminate ozone leaks. If the ozone generator is running on dry air, it is possible to draw ozone gas from the ozone generator and air dryer while maintaining a vacuum and minimising moving parts of the system.
Pressure
When an application necessitates the pressurisation of ozone gas, operating under pressure is ideal. The higher the pressure at which the ozone generator can operate, the more operational flexibility your system will have.
Increasing ozone pressure after the ozone generator is a poor choice because it generates excess heat, destroys ozone, and introduces new leak points.
Vacuum and pressure
Some ozone generators can work in a vacuum or under pressure. This works well when the feed gas is pressurised and a venturi injector creates a vacuum. Implementing an ozone generator with the ability to operate under vacuum or pressure results in an extremely simple to use and dependable system.
7) Energy Consumption
Another point that can be considered as an end-user here is the electricity consumption of the product. It is not possible to determine the electricity consumption and the ozone generator capacity, but it is possible to make a general inference. Including the latest technology and the most efficient ozone generators (in ozone generators with a capacity of over 1000 grams/hour), it needs 15-20 w / hour of electricity to produce 1 gram/hour of ozone gas from dry air. This ratio is valid for a system without an industrial type compressor or fan. Most portable products contain many electricity consuming materials such as fans and electronic cards.
Therefore, the minimum energy consumption of 200 watts is required to produce 10 grams/hour of ozone gas. No technology can produce 10 grams/hour of ozone gas with an energy consumption of 50-60-100 watts. You can request a report or written evidence of capacity measurements from companies making this claim.
8) Price
The cost of the ozone generator is important to the overall system and should be considered in the proper context. Consider the following examples:
A more expensive ozone generator that produces more ozone and requires less feed-gas may reduce the cost of an oxygen concentrator and other equipment. Spending more on the ozone generator may lower the system's capital and/or operating costs in the long run.
On the market, there are extremely low-cost imported ozone generators. These should be used with caution, but they may be useful in situations where long-term reliability is not critical, such as short-term pilot tests or lab testing.
At Final
Choosing the right ozone generator requires careful consideration of certifications, compliance (including BPR in the UK & EU), ozone capacity verification, safety features, and energy efficiency. Avoid misleading claims and uncertified products, as they may pose health risks and fail to deliver effective results.
By selecting a compliant, tested, and properly designed ozone generator, you ensure safety, efficiency, and long-term reliability for your disinfection needs.
For further guidance on ozone generators and regulatory compliance, feel free to reach out to experts in the field.
