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Low Cost, Efficient Microchannel Plasma Ozone System for Point of Use Water Treatment

Award Information
Agency: Environmental Protection Agency
Branch: N/A
Contract: EP-D-15-006
Agency Tracking Number: EP-D-15-006
Amount: $297,500.00
Phase: Phase II
Program: SBIR
Solicitation Topic Code: A
Solicitation Number: SOL-NC-14-00003
Timeline
Solicitation Year: 2014
Award Year: 2014
Award Start Date (Proposal Award Date): 2014-11-01
Award End Date (Contract End Date): 2016-10-31
Small Business Information
60 Hazelwood Drive
Champaign, IL 61820-
United States
DUNS: 962674300
HUBZone Owned: No
Woman Owned: No
Socially and Economically Disadvantaged: No
Principal Investigator
 Jin Hoon Cho
 (217) 493-8477
 sjinpark@ep-pure.com
Business Contact
 Cyrus Herring
Phone: (217) 621-5746
Email: cy.herring@ep-pure.com
Research Institution
 Stub
Abstract

A team at EP Purification has performed research for the development and commercialization of low-cost microchannel plasma reactor modules capable of efficiently producing ozone for water treatment and other environmental applications in a slim form factor and size. The conservation of water resources for human consumption is a growing national priority. Ozone is a unique purification agent as it is the strongest oxidant and disinfectant available commercially. It is known to be extremely effective for neutralizing pathogens and the dissociation of toxic organic chemicals, making it ideal for the disinfection of water. Also, ozonation is generally regarded as being superior to traditional disinfection or cleaning methodologies (through a combination of chemical and thermal treatment processes) because the latter requires significant energy consumption to be effective (for heating water), and leaves a number of byproducts and chemical wastes after the process. The primary drawback of ozonation for utility and consumer applications at present is high cost (capital and operating), size and power consumption.In Phase I, EP Purification has developed and demonstrated a series of low cost and yet robust ozone generators based on massively-parallel plasmachemical processing of air or oxygen gases in large arrays of microchannel plasmas. Prototype modules have been realized that produce ozone at a rate of 10 g/hour and with an efficiency comparable to, or higher than, commercially available ozone generators. Furthermore, the size of the module is, at least a factor of 3 smaller than conventional units, and the reduction in production costs is expected be as much as a factor of two. EP Purification designed and fabricated basic modules (in the range of 10 g/h), including the pulse-power supply optimized for this unit, and modules can be combined to obtain the desired ozone production capacity. Currently, for example a ~100 g/hr ozone generation system has been designed by“stacking” basic modules. Additionally, an optimized power supply design was built and is being evaluated in field tests.

In Phase II, EP Purification will develop and commercialize a system capable of ozone production at a rate higher than 100 g/hour. Designed for treating water in small/medium system applications, this system will be considerably smaller, more efficient, and more cost effective from both capital and operating perspectives than existing technologies. Also, EP Purification has identified immediate markets of this technology and intends to commercialize this product in point-of-use applications, such as commercial laundries and food preservation during this Phase II program.

* Information listed above is at the time of submission. *

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