A new ozone generator for treating aircraft water systems
Among the many challenges faced by airlines, ensuring safe drinking water on board aircraft is a significant concern. Ozone, a natural gas composed of 3 oxygen molecules (O3), is emerging as an innovative technology for the disinfection and purification of commercial aircraft drinking water systems. In this article, we will explore the role of ozone treatment in commercial aviation, its high benefits, and the challenges associated with its use of this technology.
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Challenges of Water treatment with Ozone generators on Aircraft
Having a high quality of potable water on board commercial aircraft is crucial for the health and comfort of passengers and crew. However, aircraft drinking water tanks are subjected to harsh conditions, contaminants and viruses. Commercial Aircraft travel long distances and stop at various airports, exposing water tanks to various quality in local water and potential contaminants (bacterria, viruses, …). Furthermore, water is stored on-board in water tanks, which can lead to microbiological contamination if effective disinfection measures are not regularly taken during maintenance process.
Actual industrial solutions for water disinfection and purification methods, such as the use of chlorine or chemicals, are effective but have high drawbacks. Chlorine can alter the taste and odor of water, which can be unpleasant for passengers. Additionally, chlorine residues can be challenging to completely eliminate from water, necessitating extensive flushing of aircraft water tanks and systems, which becomes an environmental issue at a time when water restrictions are common in many countries. This is where treatment with ozone generators who are integrated into our products TMH RD64 “OZONE DISINFECTION UNIT” come into play.
Ozone: An Innovative effective high technology
Ozone is a powerful oxidant that has been widely used for drinking water disinfection and purification in various industrial applications, including drinking water treatment and purification in France for over 100 years, and especially in the food industry for purification of fruits or purification of wine fermentation tanks, for example. Ozone generators are also used to combat bacteria and viruses in swiming pools. Its deployment in aviation is emerging as an high innovative, environmentally friendly, and effective alternative process to ensure the high quality of drinking water on commercial aircraft. This results in reduced water treatment costs in terms of time, chemicals, and water consumption.
The Ozonation system and Process
Ozone is produced by a generator who produce an electrical discharge in the air, forming from oxygen (O2) the ozone gas molecules (O3). These molecules react with contaminants in the water, destroying them by oxidation. Ozone gas has a much higher oxidation capacity than chlorine (3000 times greater), leading to an effective elimination of bacteria, viruses, algae, and other water contaminants.
High Advantages of water treatment with Ozone Generators
- Disinfection Efficiency: Ozone gas is highly effective destroying pathogenic microorganisms by oxidation, ensuring high quality of water.
- No Chemical Residue: Unlike chlorine treatment, the ozonation process leaves no chemical residue in the water. Ozone eliminates the need for additional treatment or rinsing.
- Water Savings: Ozone disinfection, unlike chemical-based solutions, does not require extensive flushing of drinking water systems after the ozonation process.
- Water Quality Improvement: Ozone also possesses high scaling properties, increasing the lifespan of faucets and coffee machines. In addition two water input filters complete the cleaning process.
- Cost and Time Reduction: Using ozonation process can reduce maintenance and management costs of commercial aircraft drinking water systems, eliminating expensive and hard-to-store chemicals. Ozone, having high effective disinfection and purification property, allows for longer intervals between two disinfection process.
- Benefit: Using ozonation process lead to Elimination of the reprocessing of used water.
Challenges Addressed for the Design of TMH RD64 “OZONE DISINFECTION UNIT” :
Despite its many advantages, the operation of products using ozonation technology in commercial aviation is not without challenges. TMH-tools has successfully addressed key concerns, including:
- Safety: Continuous monitoring of ozone gas in the air with integrated safety sensors and safety light, two water input filters.
- Simplicity: Automation with a user-friendly interface, easy installation and pressure control, easy filters replacement.
- Efficiency: Ozone water treatment is up to 3000 times more efficient for disinfection and purification than conventional chlorine systems, coupled with effective filtration and powerfull electrical pumps lead to effective and fast operation.
- Speed: The power of ozone plus the simplicity of installation lead to significant time savings.
- Environmental Responsibility: On-site ozone production process results in no chemical(chlorine) storage an reprocessing, no residues of bacteria, viruses, algae, and other water contaminants and no potable water waste for rinsing.Current Cases of industrial ozone generator use in aviation industry
Several airlines and commercial aircraft manufacturers have already begun using TMH-tools industrial ozone generator TMH RD64 “OZONE DISINFECTION UNIT” systems for disinfection of water systems with high satisfaction. AIRBUS has qualified our produts and technology system for their medium and long-haul fleets.
Today, the TMH RD64 “OZONE DISINFECTION UNIT” in service since 2019, is evolving to improve operators’ experience. It is now available with a new intuitive interface, an integrated tank, hose management and automated process for water aircraft purification. The latest version of our product was presented at the last Paris Air Show and first contact with this new system received enthusiastic and eager responses from our customers
Future Outlook of ozone generator in commercial aircraft maintenance
The high benefits (environmental and economic) of using ozone generators in commercial aviation are promising. With the commitment of airlines and commercial aircraft manufacturers to move toward more environmentally friendly and decarbonized aviation, such new technology like using ozone gas for disinfection of water on aircraft are likely to become a standard process.
Ozone: a certain future for aircraft disinfection
The high quality of water purification on board commercial aircraft is crucial for the health and comfort of passengers and crew. Ozone proves to be a promising solution for water treatment, offering effective disinfection, no chemical residues (unlike chlorine), and water quality improvement. Overall, ozone represents an exciting innovative technology in the field of aeronautical maintenance.
Other applications may arise for ozone generators systems or process on commercial aircraft maintenance, such as descaling of “wastewater” systems and certain accessories prone to scaling.
To learn more on ozone, ozonation process, feel free to contact ours teams who well know the products.