Electrical Characterization of a Dielectric Barrier Discharge Ozone Generator and its Application for Wastewater Treatment

A dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) is a non-equilibrium cold plasma generated at atmospheric pressure between two electrodes covered with dielectric. The ionized plasma resulting from DBD is characterized by an electron temperature of a few electron volts (eV) much higher than that of neutral species (≈ 300 K) which are the majority. Following the achievement of a DBD reactor of cylindrical shape, we carried out its electric characterization then we used it as an ozone generator in a laboratory setup for treatment of wastewater. We could verify that DBD reactor used as generator of ozone in the treatment of urban and industrial wastewater, is very efficient in removing suspended matter and heavy metals. In Algeria, as this technique is not used both in domestic and industrial scale, the objective of the paper is to demonstrate experimentally that a system of water treatment using ozone generated by DBD is highly efficient