Oxygen gas generator and method of manufacturing the gas generator

• US 4,101,291 A
• Filed: 08/06/1976
• Issued: 07/18/1978
• Est. Priority Date: 08/06/1976
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Universal Propulsion Company Incorporated (Raytheon Technologies Corporation d/b/a RTX)
• Original Assignee: Universal Propulsion Company Incorporated (Raytheon Technologies Corporation d/b/a RTX)
• Inventors: Marion, Frank A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Dees, Carl F.
• Application Number:
  US05/712,280
• Time in Patent Office: 711 Days
• Field of Search: 44/3 R, 44/3 B, 44/7.5, 44/16 A, 44/16 B, 44/17, 44/1 F, 423/579, 252/186
• US Class Current: 44/558
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 7/00 Apparatus for generating gases production of inert gas mixtures B01J19/14; for generating specific gases, see the relevant subclasses, e.g. C01B, C10J ; in "air bags" on vehicles B60R21/26; for starter gas F02C7/26; blasting cartridges for producing gas under pressure F42B3/04
• CPC Class Codes: C01B 13/0218 Chlorate
• CPC Class Codes: C01B 13/0296 Generators releasing in a self-sustaining way pure oxygen from a solid charge, without interaction of it with a fluid nor external heating, e.g. chlorate candles or canisters containing them charges per se C01B13/02
• CPC Class Codes: C01B 32/40 Carbon monoxide
• CPC Class Codes: C01B 32/50 Carbon dioxide

Abstract

A gas generator is capable of being stored in a stable form for long periods of time without deteriorating in quality. The gas generator provides a substantial amount of gases, and particularly oxygen, carbon monoxide or carbon dioxide without producing any harmful or hazardous chemicals. The gas generator includes in some embodiments a minimum of fuel so that a maximum amount of oxygen in the generator is capable of being liberated. The oxygen is liberated by the combustion of a fuel at localized positions in a refractory binder, which has the property of preventing the salt residue from becoming molten and the oxidizer from flowing and thereby preventing the combustion from becoming extinguished.

The gas generator includes a suitable clay as a binder, coke as the fuel and a chlorate such as sodium chlorate or potassium chlorate as the oxidizer. The binder is included in the generator in the range of approximately 7% to 15% by weight; the fuel is included in the generator to an amount of approximately 25% by weight, depending upon the use to be made of the generator; and the remainder constitutes the oxidizer.

Claims

1. The combination in a generator for generating gases at a high temperature,

a refractory material providing a non-hydrophyllic binder having a substantial green strength and having a percentage by weight no greater than approximately 15% by weight of the mixture,

an oxidizer having properties of decomposing to liberate oxygen and having a percentage at least 60% by weight of the mixture, and

a fuel having properties of combusting with the oxygen liberated by the oxidizer and constituting large particles for dispersion throughout the refractory material to provide the combustion at localized positions in the refractory material and having a percentage by weight no greater than approximately 20% by weight in the mixture,

the refractory material having properties of softening and fusing at temperatures below the temperatures of combustion at the localized positions.

2. The combination set forth in claim 1, wherein

the fuel has properties of providing substantially only carbon for combustion with the oxygen liberated by the decomposition of the oxidizer.

3. The combination set forth in claim 1 wherein

the refractory material constitutes a clay and the fuel constitutes a coke.

4. The combination set forth in claim 1 wherein the binder constitutes 7% to 20% by weight and the fuel constitutes up to 25% by weight and the remainder constitutes the oxidizer.

5. The combination set forth in claim 4 wherein the fuel constitutes sea coal.

6. The combination set forth in claim 3 wherein

the refractory material constitutes bentonite having a weight in the order of 7% to 15% and the fuel has a weight in the order of 1% to 5% and the rest of the material is the oxidizer and the generator generates oxygen.

7. The combination set forth in claim 6 wherein the oxidizer is a chlorate.

8. The combination set forth in claim 7 wherein the oxidizer is sodium chlorate and the fuel is fluid coke or coke breeze.

9. The combination set forth in claim 3 wherein the refractory material constitutes bentonite having a weight in the order of 7% to 20% and the fuel has a weight up to (20%) and the rest of the material is a chlorate.

10. In combination in a generator for generating gases at a relatively high temperature,

a clay having a good green strength and having nonhydrophyllic properties and having a percentage by weight no greater than approximately 20% in the mixture,

coke particles serving as a fuel and having properties of being retained by the clay in dispersed form at individual positions in the clay and having a percentage by weight no greater than approximately 25% in the mixture, and

an oxidizer having properties of decomposing to provide oxygen for combustion of the oxygen with the coke at the localized positions and having a percentage by weight of at least 60% in the mixture,

the clay having a melting temperature above the temperature at which the oxidizer decomposes.

11. The combination set forth in claim 10 wherein

the clay constitutes less than approximately 15% by weight,

the coke constitutes less than 25% by weight,

the remainder is the oxidizer and constitutes a chlorate, and

the generator provides gases for purposes of inflation.

12. The combination set forth in claim 10 wherein

the clay constitutes bentonite and the oxidizer constitutes a chlorate.

13. The combination set forth in claim 11 wherein

the oxidizer is sodium chlorate and the clay has a range in the order of 7% to 15% by weight.

14. The combination set forth in claim 13 wherein the clay is bentonite.

15. The combination set forth in claim 10 wherein

the clay constitutes between approximately 7% and 20% by weight,

the coke constitutes to approximately 20% by weight,

the remainder is a chlorate, and

the generator is a combustion igniter.

16. The combination set forth in claim 15 wherein the coke is sea coal and the chlorate is sodium chlorate.

17. The combination set forth in claim 10 wherein

the clay constitutes between approximately 7% and 15% by weight,

the coke constitutes between 1% and 5% by weight,

the remainder is a chlorate, and

the generator generates oxygen.

18. The combination set forth in claim 16 wherein the binder is bentonite and the chlorate is sodium chlorate.

19. The combination set forth in claim 18 wherein the fuel is fluid coke or coke breeze.