The effect of moist air on the ozone yield
Moisture in the supply gas of an ozone generator has negative consequences, for example on the amount of maintenance. This is quite well-known. However, moisture also has a negative impact on the maximum ozone yield. The ozone yield of a generator is measured in grans of ozone per hour. But most manufacturers only tell you the yield and none of the conditions under which it was measured. This is very important to know how the generator will function in your system.
If it’s not mentioned, you can assume the yield of the ozone generator was measured with a dew point of around -40 to -70 degrees Celsius. The ozone yield is 100% at -70 degrees Celsius. At a dew point of -5 degrees Celsius, which is more common, it’s only about 50% of that. In other words, a generator sold as “two grams” produces a lot less in practice because of the large difference in dew point. This is why a two gram Purusaqua generator is comparable to a four gram generator of most other brands. We state the measuring conditions so that no surprises will await.
In many cases where the measuring conditions aren’t stated, the yield was even measured on dry oxygen. When you use that generator on air instead of oxygen, the yield is about 50% lower because they assumed a dew point of -40 to -70 degrees Celsius. After that, the yield can be divided by two or three once again because you’re using air instead of oxygen. This way, a two gram ozone generator can turn out to generate only 0,3 to 0,45 gr/hr!
As you see, the effect of moisture on an ozone generator is quite significant, which is why you should always ask about the measuring conditions before purchasing an ozone generator. The effect mentioned above is one of the biggest reasons why ozone systems function badly. It’s very nice to know the ozone yield but it doesn’t tell you anything when the measuring conditions aren’t stated.
If you need any more information, please contact us. Do you want to know how much ozone your generator actually produces on air or oxygen? We can heck that for you! We can perform a continuity test on your generator for a small fee. We’ll give you a measuring report on the ozone yield and the measuring conditions.