solar bug killer

solar bug killer

« Previous12345Next »

Ozone Hole Recovery

SYNOPSIS
This paper seek to take on Ozone depletion from the Stratosphere, a surrounding layer of the Earth's Atmosphere. The ozone layer, found in the stratosphere, helps to protect the Earth from dangerous Ultra Violet (UV) radiation (or rays) emanating from the Sun. Ozone Layer as named is made up of ozone gas; it is naturally formed in chemical reactions involving UV rays and oxygen molecules. Sunlight breaks an oxygen molecule to produce two oxygen atoms; respective oxygen atom reacts with other oxygen molecules to produce two ozone molecules. The ozone molecules are there on dissociated by UV rays; this combination and dissociation process prevents planet Earth from harmful UV rays. Use of certain gases (called ozone depleting substances) reacts with ozone molecules in the stratosphere, resulting to compounds that cannot prevent harmful UV rays from reaching planet Earth. Exposure to UV rays may cause damage to plants; skin cancer and cataract in humans. This paper presents a procedure on how to inject oxygen gas to depleted parts of the ozone layer, to replenish lost molecules and make injected oxygen join natural combination for UV rays protection. The oxygen gas to be discharged under high pressure will join dissociation and recombination as the process that protects us from harmful UV rays. As wide as stratosphere appears, this research presents a review of the possibility to add oxygen gas to its ozone layer using aerodynamic objects especially to parts where ozone depletion is observed.

1.0 INTRODUCTION

Ozone is the triatomic form of oxygen, abundant in the atmosphere but predominant in the stratosphere, a region that is roughly between 19 and 48km above sea level. About 90% of ozone is found in the stratosphere. Most ozone resides in the lower stratosphere in what is known as the ozone layer. The remaining 10% is found in the troposphere, the lowest region of the Earth atmosphere. [1]

The ozone layer is a protective shield, preventing most of the sun harmful Ultra Violet (UV) rays from reaching the Earth surface. Ultra Violet radiations have wavelengths shorter than light but longer than X-rays; lying outside the visible spectrum at its violet end. UV etymology comes from the fact that the color with the highest frequency humans can see is violet, and ultra- means far beyond normal, so being undetectable to the human eye, it is ultraviolet.

Ultraviolet radiation is measured in wavelength, with units in nanometers (nm) or electron volts (eV). The amount of UV rays from the sun that reaches the ground is mainly controlled by cloud cover, pollution and amount of atmospheric ozone. If all other factors remain same, UV at the Earth's surface increases as the amount of total ozone decreases, because ozone absorbs UV radiation. [1]

Electromagnetic spectrum of UV rays can be subdivided by their wavelength range. UV-A radiation measures between (400 nm - 315nm); UV-B radiation measures between (315nm - 280nm); UV-C radiation measures between (280nm – 100nm). UV-B and UV-C is usually screened out by the ozone layer while UV-A reaches the Earth surface.   [1] 

This paper suggests replacing depleted parts of the ozone layer or ozone hole artificially; the Ozone hole is expected to be replaced naturally at the middle of the 21st Century but may take a longer time as certain emissions persist. This procedure positions the possibility of having it replaced artificially; scientific and technical review will have it perfected and saved for future use as necessary.

Feasibility of this procedure presented here is well above average, since the method of approach tackles possible impediments. An aerodyne (heavier than-air-craft) or aerostat (lighter-than-air-craft) is expected to carry liquid oxygen to the stratosphere, because more volume of the same mass can be carried as liquid than gas. It will be discharged through a hull as gas under high pressure. Carrier aircraft should hover around depleted area in lower stratospheric altitude where ozone depletion is observed and where wind and turbulence is bearable.

2.0 THEORETICAL DEVELOPMENT

Long-term fluxes have had natural balance of ozone molecule creation and destruction in the stratosphere; with current reduction in ozone depleting substances, the ozone hole will not fully repair itself until the middle of the 21st Century. This is quite slow even as certain effects of harmful UV rays are felt. [2]

The photochemical process leading to creation and destruction of ozone molecules in the ozone layer favors this artificial approach. Atomic Oxygen (O), Oxygen molecule (O2) and Ozone Molecule (O3) are some of the allotropes of oxygen; these are structurally different forms of oxygen with different physical and chemical properties.

UV light dissociates existing oxygen molecule to form two atoms of oxygen, these atoms separately reacts with two other oxygen molecules to form two ozone molecules. UV rays dissociate the ozone molecules formed in this process. The overall process of dissociation and combination in presence of UV rays makes the ozone layer protect man and his environment from harmful UV rays. It appears that the harmful (wavelength range) UV rays get involved in these reactions preventing them from getting to the Earth Surface.

Oxygen gas to be injected in depleted parts of the ozone layer will react immediately with existing oxygen atoms to create more ozone molecules; it can also be dissociated by UV rays to form oxygen atoms that will continue in photochemical reactions as described.
Ozone gas, O3   itself is unstable and dissociates to diatomic oxygen, O2   at high concentrations in about half an hour under atmospheric conditions.

2 O3   → 3 O2 

Heat intensity in the stratosphere dissociates Oxygen molecule to atomic oxygen,

O2   + solar energy of wavelength less than 242nm → 2 O2 
O + O2   → O3 

O + O3   →2 O2 

O3   + solar energy of wavelength less than 336nm → O* + O2 

O* is an exited state of oxygen. It can be de-excited through thermal collisions and become a single oxygen atom. It can be seen that light with wavelength from 336nm down will be absorbed. Only the lowest-energy UV radiation will reach the surface.

All these transformations are encapsulated in what is called the Chapman cycle. [3]

A large percentage of ozone is formed over the equator, where sunshine (heat) amount are preeminent. Moving air transports it to other parts of the Earth, South Pole and North Pole. So at high latitudes, very high amounts of ozone are found in the upper atmosphere; it thickness is subject to change with seasons and at different places around the Earth.

Injecting oxygen gas to ozone depleted parts in lower stratospheric altitude; will mitigate the depletion. This will be noticed by re-observing the hole after time. This process can be used to replace depleted ozone over Antarctica during its spring; this may help reduce fractional melting of glaciers, due to increased solar intensity at that period.   [4] 

 3.0 EXPERIMENTAL PROCEDURE

Since space science is fast-past tertiary stage, available technology will produce desired result for this procedure. This heading presents sections important in achieving the objective.

 3.1 Oxygen Tank

Liquid Oxygen will be carried into the stratosphere but will be released as gas because more volume of oxygen is stored as liquid than as gas. The tank capacity should contain around 200m3   of liquid oxygen per aerodyne; the liquid will be made to vaporize in the next chamber before discharge as gas. It will be ejected under high pressure to trigger reactions in the stratosphere immediately.

A non-reactive pressurized gas like Nitrogen may be held above the oxygen storage tank to force the oxygen gas to the chamber where it is vaporized before its eventual discharge to the stratosphere. The oxygen gas will join naturally existing molecules and let natural process of creation and collapse of Ozone molecules occur as it were.

 3.2 Aerodynamic usage

To get to the stratosphere with a liquefied oxygen tank an aircraft will be used; the question is which one will effectively apply? an airship, a rotorcraft, a drone, a rocket or a jumbo jet? The one with little or no aftereffect to the ozone layer, large storage capacity for the oxygen tank, high altitude capability and speed will be considered.

The problem of pollution especially to that region may hamper the use of jet engine and rocket engine. This gives light to airships however speed, altitude, size, capacity and effectiveness questions their ability to convey the oxygen tank and discharge the gas.

There are merits and demerits of aerodynes and aerostats towards this but a way to discharge the oxygen gas to depleted areas of the ozone layer is a novel objective; achieving it to mitigate ozone hole should be possible.

 3.2.1 Airship

Recent developments in airship industry especially for defense systems points to achieve this objective. Hybrid configuration used for flying High Altitude Airships and Cargo Airships gives aerostats the advantage to get this done.

Airships also called blimps or dirigibles are self-propelled lighter-than-air craft with directional control surfaces or steering systems. They may also be defined as powered, gas-filled balloon which can be steered, not requiring movement through surrounding air. They were used for transportation many years ago; they have been modernized lately for high altitude and better transport capability.   [5] 

Operating capability of airships used in space defense system gives it an advantage to deliver oxygen to the ozone layer. The oxygen gas to be discharged is expected to pass through a hull and should pass through it without causing critical helium loss in the airship. The internal hull pressure will be maintained around 1-2% above surrounding air pressure.

Since the Stratosphere is located between 19 and 48km above sea level. Previously developed stratospheric airships flew at an altitude of 22km where wind and turbulence are bearable. The oxygen gas will be pumped at relatively low stratospheric altitude (20-22km above sea level). The discharged oxygen cum ozone is expected go higher in the stratosphere by natural processes.

The HiSentinel Airship, a United States Army Space and Missile Defense Command project to demonstrate powered stratospheric airship at high altitudes was tested for five hours in 2005 and could carry medium weight between 9-90kg. This was able to fly around 18km above sea level.   [6] 

This example presents two barriers for the ozone replacement purpose: the time it spent above (depending on the tank capacity could discharge oxygen gas around that time); more importantly is the amount of load that it is able to carry while it goes that high.

There are cargo airships not reaching 20km, stay longer in air and carry more weight. The airship to be used will have an equipment pod; a propulsion system and a liquid oxygen tank; it is required to discharge oxygen gas at hypersonic speed, spending few hours hovering round and round the depleted space.

The airship once at the desired altitude will be programmed to immediately release the gas from the chamber at high pressures to the stratosphere. Due to very high pressure of releasing the gas, the airship may stay at that level in a short time. The airship will also release the remaining gas as it comes down steadily from its maximum altitude within the stratosphere.

Novel design maybe considered for this project, where specially designed airships will be used to get to that height and carry the tank required, there maybe twin airship such that both fly simultaneously and depend on each other to achieve this goal.

More recent technologies have developed hybrid airships that can fly at about 26km above sea level, stay longer in air and carry more weight. With this or special purpose airships built for ozone hole recovery, Man can be at ease for harmful Ultra Violet radiation effects and also know that the comparatively cheap airship to aerodyne will discharge oxygen and emit little or negligible pollution.

 3.2.2 Unmanned Aerial Vehicle

An unmanned aerial vehicle also called Unmanned Aircraft System or drone is defined as a powered, aerial vehicle that does not carry a human operator, uses aerodynamic forces for lift, can fly autonomously or be piloted remotely.   [7] 

An unmanned aerial vehicle can help deliver oxygen gas to ozone hole since existing ones have produced expected result for reconnaissance and defense discharge at stratospheric height with weight capacity far exceeding 500kg.   [8] 

The design, performance, flight altitude, load capacity, Integrated system and sensor packages gives a nearly vertex mark for expected outcome for ozone hole recovery. This flight presents two drawbacks, cost and pollution. We are trying to recover depleted ozone in the stratosphere but taking a flight to that level that will eject some gases that may react with naturally produced ozone and further deplete them.

Tank containing liquid oxygen with weight of about 900kg can be carried by the RQ-4 Global Hawk; the Northrop Grumman RQ-4 Global Hawk was used by the United States Air Force as a surveillance aircraft; a high altitude (21km), long-endurance unmanned aerial reconnaissance system with an integrated sensor suite that provides military field commanders with high resolution, near real-time imagery of large geographic areas.   [9] 

A more recent Unmanned Aircraft is the Boeing X-37B, operated by the United States Air Force for space experimentation, risk reduction and a concept of operations development for reusable space vehicle technologies. It can carry a reasonable amount of load and is powered by Gallium Arsenide Solar Cells with Lithium-Ion batteries.   [10] 
No pollution fears if this aircraft is used for artificial ozone hole recovery; It can spend desired time and more in the stratosphere, it is however very expensive to build and run.

The liquid oxygen tank will be connected to a chamber where it is expected to vaporize and released under pressure through a hull, not allowing any gas from space to penetrate. High Cost remain the major demerit of UAV's for this objective, since this research is in review stage, groups may extemporize for UAV usage.

 4.0 RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

Using either of the two aerodynamic systems, when it gets to the stratospheric altitude desired; it will discharge oxygen gas to places where ozone depletion has been observed. After successful discharge; wind is expected to carry discharged oxygen gas or oxygen cum ozone gas higher.

The airship is expected to go round and round the depleted area while it discharges the gas, pushing the gas out under high pressure to trigger immediate reaction as other naturally existing oxygen molecules does.

I have carried out in-depth studies for several months on this subject, it presents overly review on having a method to artificially mitigate the ozone hole. Further validation by the research community is needed to have this procedure documented and developed overtime, to provide an available alternative to natural recovery. Except the ozone layer does not exist and there are no holes in some parts of it, this procedure is void.

This method seek to add oxygen gas to the stratosphere not ozone gas, since adding ozone gas is practically impossible; which is like delivering a large volume of gas to that height. Injecting oxygen gas is not expected to offset the existing balance, since there is a range to which ozone molecules are available in the stratosphere, the incoming oxygen molecules will not exceed that range. This approach is suggested for depleted parts of the layer and not everywhere in the stratosphere. It is also not intended to be a continuous process because if used, certainty for results would have been validated.

Amounts of ozone are often described in terms of the thickness of ozone in a column of air that stretched from the Earth's surface to the top of the atmosphere. The most common measurement of total ozone values in the column are called Dobson's unit (DU).   [1] 

One DU is equal to the number of molecules of ozone that would be needed to create a layer of pure ozone 0.01millimeter thick. Typical amounts vary between 200 and 500 DU world wide. The total ozone value of the ozone hole is only 100DU. This is equivalent to a layer of pure ozone gas on the Earth Surface having a thickness of only 1millimeter.   [1] 

 4.1 CONCLUSION

Efforts to cut and cap Greenhouse Gas emissions needs to be increased since the corresponding effect of abating global warming helps ozone amount remain constant or increase.   [1] 

Developments in science have improved beyond staying at a corner of impossibility; it is with scientist, institutions and nations to use every technology, procedure and research to save our World. This procedure is an option for protection; I look forward to far-reaching scientific and technical review.

 APPENDIX

 Global Warming

The concept of global warming came to existence with observed and measured rise in temperature in the 20th Century. Global warming is usually caused by the heat trapping actions of Greenhouse Gases (GHG). GHG are heat trapping gases that helps the Earth absorb heat within the thermal infra red range.   [11] 

Sunlight shines on the Earth emitting radiations in all direction including infrared radiation, some of the infrared radiation passes through the atmosphere, and some is absorbed and re-emitted in all directions by GHG. The effect is to warm the Earth's surface and the lower atmosphere.

GHG in upper atmosphere is on the increase because they are emitted mostly by human activities. Examples of GHG are water vapor, carbon (IV) oxide, methane, Nitrous oxide and ozone gas. (Ozone gas is also a Greenhouse gas, it causes photochemical smog around troposheric height, reducing visibility) Some of these gases are emitted from processes like burning fossil fuel and deforestation amongst other means.

Each GHG contribution to Green House effect depends on its characteristics and abundance, in the upper atmosphere. Normally without GHG, planet Earth will be colder on average than what is obtainable.

Other dangerous substances that make it to the upper atmosphere are halogens (chlorine family of element) that are made available when sun dissociates chlorofluorocarbons compounds used in freezer, refrigerators, fire extinguishers, and air conditional. These gases once at the ozone layer react with ozone molecules and form monoxides that cannot protect us from Ultra Violet (UV) radiation.

Greenhouse gases traps heat in the troposphere, a surrounding layer of the Earth Atmosphere which is up from 10km above sea level, it precedes the stratosphere. This makes fewer heat gets to the ozone layer.

Additional heat will also be useful in making ozone molecule dissociate and recombine, a process that prevents harmful Ultra Violet rays. If greenhouse gases are more in the troposphere, they trap more heat than re-emit; making the stratosphere colder. Usually re-emitted heat supports ozone molecule formation and dissociation process. Therefore, a colder stratosphere, a weaker ozone layer, can make harmful UV rays to reach the Earth Surface; cutting and capping GHG emissions will help stay recovery.

 ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

Sometimes, I usually believe that this World belong to Scientists; not just any person involved with scientific topics; but those whose findings are contributing or will contribute progressively towards present and future change. Researchers are sincerely appreciated.

 REFERENCES

1. U.S. Climate Change Science Program, (2008) Trends in Emissions of Ozone-Depleting substances, Ozone Layer Recovery and Implications for Ultra Violet Radiation Exposure. Synthesis and Assessment Product 2.4.

2. Australian Academy of Science, (2008) Enhanced Greenhouse effect – a hot international topic: nova 016 / 016 key.

3. Wilkins J, (2006) How the Earth got its ozone layer. Energy, publication of Department of Physics, Ohio State University, E01.1 .

4. McKenzie, R., B. Connor, and G. Bodeker, (1999) Increased summertime UV observed in New Zealand in response to ozone loss. Science 285 (10 September): 1709-1711.

5. John M, Introduction of Airships. Article Alley Publications 1437412_31.

6. Smith S Jr., and L. Michael, (2007) The HiSentinel Airship, presented paper at the 7th AIAA Aviation Technology, Integration and Operation (ATIO) 2nd C, Belfast, Northern Ireland.

7. Wagner. W, (1982) Lightning Bugs and other Reconnaissance Drones, Armed Forces International Journal Page XI.

8. Axe, D, (2009) Strategist: Killer Drone Level Extremist Advantage, Wired.

9. United States Air Force, (2009) RQ-4 Global Hawk, Fact Sheet by the Air combat command, Public Affairs office, Virginia Unites States Of America.

10. United States Air Force, (2010) X-37B Orbital Test Vehicle, Fact Sheet from the Office of the Secretary of the Air Force (Public Affairs), Washington, USA.

11. United States National Academy of Sciences, (2008) "Understanding and Responding to Climate Change".

 

 

About the Author

Just call me Stephen; I am into Theoretical Research, I write Position Papers on Scientific Topics that will benefit present and future Generations. I have an equivalent of a BS in Physics and hope to commence a RHD using any of my published or unpublished articles as a preliminary thesis; interested Universities should please write me.

I work on Basic Science & there is still time for me to specialize since I'm in my mid-early twenties; I believe that Health and Earth Sciences are the most important aspects of Science because issues about any for any person within and without (respectively) are not nice. Close as Health Sciences is to man, it so complex that it may take a lifetime to have a resolve. Earth Sciences from recent anomaly calls research attention to itself. Lets leave technology to the wonders of Silicon Valley.

Science is the center of the World and Research is at the center of science: Science Mothers The World.

Solar Light Trap