High efficiency oxygen/air separation system
First Claim
1. An oxygen/air separation apparatus comprising a first compressor/expander, a first heat exchanger, a manifold heat exchanger and an insulated container, wherein the first compressor/expander compresses input air and expands high pressure, high temperature spent nitrogen from the manifold heat exchanger, wherein the first heat exchanger cools the compressed input air from the first compressor/expander and heats high pressure nitrogen from the insulated container, wherein the manifold heat exchanger heats the heated high pressure nitrogen from the first heat exchanger and cools engine exhaust, further comprising a second heat exchanger provided in the insulated container for further cooling the cooled, compressed input air from the first heat exchanger, a separator in the insulated container for separating the further cooled compressed input air into oxygen and nitrogen, and a second compressor in the insulated container for compressing the nitrogen to obtain said high pressure nitrogen.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A high efficiency oxygen/air separation system uses waste heat produced by an internal combustion engine to produce pure or enriched oxygen for combustion in the internal combustion engine. Nitrogen is eliminated from the combustion process, thus preventing the formation of nitrogen oxides. The formation of other particulates is also reduced as the exhaust gases are repeatedly burned. The separation system includes a manifold heat exchanger, a vane compressor/expander, a spent nitrogen heat exchanger and an insulated container. Air is first compressed in the integrated vane compressor/expander. Compression energy is provided from the expansion of the spent nitrogen after that nitrogen has been heated to exhaust manifold temperatures. High efficiency is achieved through simultaneous expansion and compression. The compressed air is cooled through a spent nitrogen heat exchanger and enters the insulated container, where the oxygen separation takes place. The insulated container includes a regenerative heat exchanger, an expander and a separator column. The compressed air is delivered to the regenerative heat exchanger and is cooled by the separated gas streams that include a mixture of (1) oxygen/argon and (2) nitrogen. The cooled air stream is expanded in the expander where oxygen/argon condenses in the gas stream. The expanded air stream is delivered to a separation column which separates the liquid oxygen/argon mixture from the nitrogen gas by gravity. Nitrogen gas is released and the liquid oxygen/argon mix is returned to the regenerative heat exchanger to cool the incoming compressed air.
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Citations
22 Claims
- 1. An oxygen/air separation apparatus comprising a first compressor/expander, a first heat exchanger, a manifold heat exchanger and an insulated container, wherein the first compressor/expander compresses input air and expands high pressure, high temperature spent nitrogen from the manifold heat exchanger, wherein the first heat exchanger cools the compressed input air from the first compressor/expander and heats high pressure nitrogen from the insulated container, wherein the manifold heat exchanger heats the heated high pressure nitrogen from the first heat exchanger and cools engine exhaust, further comprising a second heat exchanger provided in the insulated container for further cooling the cooled, compressed input air from the first heat exchanger, a separator in the insulated container for separating the further cooled compressed input air into oxygen and nitrogen, and a second compressor in the insulated container for compressing the nitrogen to obtain said high pressure nitrogen.
- 7. An insulated container for separating oxygen from air comprising a regenerative heat exchanger, a compressor/expander and a separator column, wherein the regenerative heat exchanger cools compressed input air, heats liquified oxygen from the separator column, and heats high pressure nitrogen from the compressor/expander, wherein the compressor/expander expands the cooled, compressed air from regenerative heat exchanger and compresses separated nitrogen from the separator column, and wherein the separator column separates the cooled, expanded air from the compressor/expander into nitrogen gas and liquid oxygen components.
- 10. A method for separating oxygen from air comprising the steps of inputting air to a compressor/expander, compressing the input air, cooling the compressed air from the compressor/expander in a heat exchanger, introducing the cooled air from the heat exchanger into an insulated container, separating oxygen from the air introduced into the container, releasing purified oxygen from the container, recycling warm nitrogen gas out from the insulated container, heating the warm nitrogen outside of the insulated container, expanding the heated nitrogen in the compressor/expander, and releasing the spent nitrogen.
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18. A method for separating oxygen from air comprising the steps of inputting air into an integrated compressor/expander, compressing the air to about 20 atmospheres, cooling the compressed air in a first heat exchanger to a temperature of about 300°
- K, introducing the cooled air from a first heat exchanger into an insulated container, separating the oxygen from the air in the container, releasing separated oxygen gas from the insulated container at about 5 atmospheres and about 290°
K, releasing separated nitrogen gas from the insulated container at about 8-10 atmospheres and about 290°
K, heating the nitrogen gas in the first heat exchanger to about 600°
K, thereby facilitating the cooling of the compressed air, heating the nitrogen gas from the first heat exchanger in a second heat exchanger to 780°
K, expanding the heated nitrogen gas from the second heat exchanger to a pressure of 1 atmosphere, and driving the compressing of the input air using energy of expansion. - View Dependent Claims (19, 20, 21, 22)
- K, introducing the cooled air from a first heat exchanger into an insulated container, separating the oxygen from the air in the container, releasing separated oxygen gas from the insulated container at about 5 atmospheres and about 290°
Specification