Design of an innovative surface-volume dielectric barrier discharge ozone generator for water treatment applications

The study presents the development of a novel hybrid ozone generator utilizing dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) technology for water treatment applications. This generator features a cylindrical design with multiple stainless steel balls as the internal high-voltage electrode, enhancing the electric field and increasing ozone concentration. Key results indicate that the hybrid configuration outperforms traditional volume and surface DBD systems in both ozone production and energy efficiency. Specifically, the hybrid reactor with smaller balls achieved ozone concentrations approximately 2 to 3 times higher than those produced by surface and volume DBD generators. Additionally, energy efficiency exceeded 500 g/kWh at low voltages for the hybrid system, significantly surpassing the efficiencies of the other configurations. The experimental results demonstrate that the hybrid reactor can decolorize contaminated water more effectively, achieving near-complete discoloration in just 20 min, compared to 30 min for conventional systems. This research highlights the potential of hybrid DBD systems in improving ozone generation efficiency for environmental applications, particularly in water treatment processes.