PHYSICAL SCIENCES INC. — Department of Defense STTR Phase I: ABSTRACT: Ozone generation for decontamination systems has been around for many decades b

Description

ABSTRACT: Ozone generation for decontamination systems has been around for many decades but systems, such as dielectric barrier discharge (DBD), are not suited to field use and the high voltages employed present serious safety problems. RF-driven microplasma devices are a unique technology for low-cost and low-power-voltage plasmas in vacuum and in air up to atmospheric pressure with a number of technological advantages over DBD systems, such as low voltages, continuous (CW) plasma, very low sputter erosion of electrodes, and compact, low-cost components. Physical Sciences Inc.,will team with engineering faculty at Tufts University to demonstrate RF-microplasma array devices operating in ambient air that can be scaled up to efficiently generate ozone at a high rate. Phase I will model an air-flow system, construct a microplasma array, and fully characterize the system and its ozone generation. A design for scaling this system will be developed and in Phase II the system will be fabricated and demonstrate the goal of high efficiency at a generation rate of 500 g/hr. Extensive RF engineering and advanced ozone and gas-phase chemistry diagnostics will be employed as necessary to meet the project goal. BENEFIT: Operator and personnel safety, maintenance intervals and field use will be dramatically improved by the considerable reduction of system voltages over conventional ozone generators. Both size and cost are expected to also be considerably improved over conventional systems. Fabrication from COTS components and small stripline circuits will keep costs low and reliability high. The successful development of an efficient, compact, RF-microplasma system for generating ozone will find application in bio-decontamination and purification useful for field production of potable water, air purification and surface sterilization.