Gas reconditioning systems

• US RE46,071 E1
• Filed: 04/23/2015
• Issued: 07/19/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 02/07/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Paragon Space Development
• Original Assignee: Paragon Space Development
• Inventors: MacCallum, Taber K.
• Primary Examiner(s): DOERRLER, WILLIAM CHARLES
• Application Number:
  US14/694,065
• Time in Patent Office: 453 Days
• Field of Search: 128/201.22, 128/201.29, 128/202.11, 128/201.13, 128/204.15, 128/204.16, 128/204.17
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 16/1045 Devices for humidifying or heating the inspired gas by using recovered moisture or heat from the expired gas
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 16/1075 by influencing the temperature A61M16/1045 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 16/22 Carbon dioxide-absorbing devices ; Other means for removing carbon dioxidecartridges with absorbing substances for respiratory apparatus A62B19/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/3606 cooled
• CPC Class Codes: B63C 11/24 in closed circulation
• CPC Class Codes: B64G 1/48 for treatment of the atmosphere B64G1/50 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B64G 6/00 Space suits
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 5/0007 cooling apparatus specially adapted for use in air-conditioning F24F5/0046 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 5/0096 combined with domestic apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: F28D 21/0001 Recuperative heat exchangers

Abstract

Closed system breathable gas regeneration systems comprising temperature swing adsorption (“TSA”) using metabolic regeneration, such systems being useful for EVA in extraterrestrial environments having hostile atmospheres.

Claims

1. A system, relating to human respiration in extraterrestrial environments, comprising:

a) at least one expiration-breath holder adapted to hold expired breath;

b) at least one expiration-breath cooler adapted to cool the expired breath;

c) at least one gas-impermeable separator adapted to separate said at least one expiration-breath holder from said at least one expiration-breath cooler;

d) at least one thermal conductor adapted to assist thermal conductivity between such expired breath and said at least one expiration-breath cooler;

and

e) wherein said at least one expiration-breath holder comprises at least one moisture capturer adapted to capture moisture from such expired breath as such expired breath is cooled by said at least one expiration-breath cooler, assisting formation of cooled, de-humidified expired breath;

f) at least one moisture holder adapted to hold moisture captured by said at least one moisture capturer;

g) at least one inspiration-breath holder adapted to hold portions of such expired breath desired to be included in inspiration breath;

h) at least one inspiration-breath warmer adapted to warm such portions of such expired breath prior to inspiration;

and

i) at least one re-humidifier adapted to re-humidify such portions of such expired breath;

j) wherein said at least one re-humidifier comprises at least one moisture returner adapted to return the captured moisture from said at least one moisture capture to such portions of such expired breath, assisting formation of warmed humidified such portions to include in such inspiration breath;

k) at least one carbon dioxide adsorber adapted to adsorb carbon dioxide from such cooled, de-humidified expired breath;

l) at least one further cooler adapted to further cool such cooled, de-humidified expired breath;

m) at least one extraterrestrial body suit adapted to extraterrestrial body protection; and

n) at least one suit cooler adapted to cool body-heat suit warming said at least one extraterrestrial body suit;

o) wherein said at least one further cooler comprises liquid carbon dioxide;

and

p) wherein said at least one suit cooler comprises said liquid carbon dioxide.

2. The system according to claim 1 wherein said at least one expiration-breath cooler comprises such cooled, de-humidified expired breath.

3. The system according to claim 1 further comprising:

a) at least one breathable gas storer adapted to store breathable gas; and

b) at least one breathable gas mixer adapted to mix breathable gas from said at least one breathable gas storer with such warmed humidified portions.

4. The system according to claim 1 wherein said at least one carbon dioxide adsorber comprises at least one sorbent adapted to adsorb and/or desorb carbon dioxide, the mode correlating with temperature of said at least one sorbent.

5. The system according to claim 4 wherein said at least one sorbent comprises at least one desorber adapted to desorbing carbon dioxide into the environment to re-prepare said at least one sorbent for re-use as said carbon dioxide adsorber.

6. The system according to claim 5 wherein said desorber uses thermal transfer from warmth of such expired breath to attain at least one desorbing condition.

7. The system according to claim 1 wherein said at least one carbon dioxide adsorber comprises said liquid carbon dioxide.

8. The system according to claim 1 wherein the body heat warming said at least one extraterrestrial body suit assists providing the warmth to warm such inspiration breath from body heat.

9. A method, relating to human respiration in extraterrestrial environments, comprising the steps of:

a) collecting and holding expired breath;

b) cooling such expired breath using at least one expired-breath cooler;

c) gas-impermeably separating such expired breath from such at least one expired-breath cooler;

d) assisting thermal conductivity between such expired breath and such at least one expired-breath cooler;

e) capturing moisture from such expired breath as such expired breath is cooled by such at least one expired-breath cooler, assisting formation of cooled, de-humidified expired breath;

f) holding such captured moisture;

g) holding portions of such expired breath desired to be included in inspiration breath;

h) warming such portions of such expired breath prior to inspiration;

i) re-humidifying, with such captured moisture, such portions of such expired breath to form warmed humidified such portions to include in such inspiration breath;

j) adsorbing carbon dioxide from such cooled, de-humidified expired breath;

and

k) further cooling such cooled, de-humidified expired breath;

l) wherein such further cooling utilizes liquid carbon dioxide;

m) protecting at least one body in at least one extraterrestrial suit; and

n) cooling body-heat warming such at least one extraterrestrial suit;

o) wherein such cooling utilizes such liquid carbon dioxide.

10. The method according to claim 9 wherein such at least one expired-breath cooler comprises such cooled, de-humidified expired breath.

11. The method according to claim 9 further comprising the steps of:

a) storing breathable gas; and

b) mixing such breathable gas with such warmed humidified portions prior to inspiration.

12. The method according to claim 9 wherein such adsorbing utilizes at least one sorbent adapted to adsorb and/or desorb carbon dioxide, the mode correlating with temperature of such at least one sorbent.

13. The method according to claim 12 further comprising desorbing carbon dioxide into the environment to re-prepare such at least one sorbent for re-use in such adsorbing.

14. The method according to claim 13 wherein such desorbing utilizes thermal transfer from warmth of such expired breath to attain at least one desorbing condition.

15. The method according to claim 9 wherein such adsorbing utilizes such liquid carbon dioxide.

16. A system, relating to human respiration in extraterrestrial environments, comprising:

a) at least one expiration-breath holder adapted to hold expired breath;

b) at least one expiration-breath cooler adapted to cool the expired breath;

c) at least one gas-impermeable separator adapted to separate said at least one expiration-breath holder from said at least one expiration-breath cooler;

d) at least one thermal conductor adapted to assist thermal conductivity between such expired breath and said at least one expiration-breath cooler;

and

e) wherein said at least one expiration-breath holder comprises at least one moisture capturer adapted to capture moisture from such expired breath as such expired breath is cooled by said at least one expiration-breath cooler, assisting formation of cooled, de-humidified expired breath;

f) at least one moisture holder adapted to hold moisture captured by said at least one moisture capturer;

g) at least one inspiration-breath holder adapted to hold portions of such expired breath desired to be included in inspiration breath;

h) at least one inspiration-breath warmer adapted to warm such portions of such expired breath prior to inspiration;

i) at least one re-humidifier adapted to re-humidify such portions of such expired breath; and

j) at least one carbon dioxide adsorber adapted to adsorb carbon dioxide from such cooled, de-humidified expired breath;

k) wherein said at least one carbon dioxide adsorber comprises at least one sorbent adapted to adsorb and/or desorb carbon dioxide, the mode correlating with temperature of said at least one sorbent;

l) wherein said at least one re-humidifier comprises at least one moisture returner adapted to return the captured moisture from said at least one moisture capture to such portions of such expired breath, assisting formation of warmed humidified such portions to include in such inspiration breath;

m) wherein said at least one sorbent comprises at least one desorber adapted to desorbing carbon dioxide into the environment to re-prepare said at least one sorbent for re-use as said carbon dioxide adsorber; and

n) wherein said desorber uses thermal transfer from warmth of such expired breath to attain at least one desorbing condition.

17. The system according to claim 16 wherein said at least one expiration-breath cooler comprises such cooled, de-humidified expired breath.

18. The system according to claim 16 further comprising:

a) at least one breathable gas storer adapted to store breathable gas; and

b) at least one breathable gas mixer adapted to mix breathable gas from said at least one breathable gas storer with such warmed humidified portions.

19. The system according to claim 16 further comprising at least one further cooler adapted to further cool such cooled, de-humidified expired breath.

20. The system according to claim 19 wherein said at least one further cooler comprises liquid carbon dioxide.

21. The system according to claim 20 wherein said at least one carbon dioxide absorber comprises said liquid carbon dioxide comprises said at least one carbon dioxide adsorber.

22. The system according to claim 20 further comprising:

a) at least one extraterrestrial body suit adapted to extraterrestrial body protection; and

b) at least one suit cooler adapted to cool body-heat suit warming said at least one extraterrestrial body suit;

c) wherein said at least one suit cooler comprises said liquid carbon dioxide.

23. The system according to claim 22 wherein the body heat warming said at least one extraterrestrial body suit assists providing the warmth to warm such inspiration breath from body heat.

24. A method, relating to human respiration in extraterrestrial environments, comprising the steps of:

a) collecting and holding expired breath;

b) cooling such expired breath using at least one expired-breath cooler;

c) gas-impermeably separating such expired breath from such at least one expired-breath cooler;

d) assisting thermal conductivity between such expired breath and such at least one expired-breath cooler;

e) capturing moisture from such expired breath as such expired breath is cooled by such at least one expired-breath cooler, assisting formation of cooled, de-humidified expired breath;

f) holding such captured moisture;

g) holding portions of such expired breath desired to be included in inspiration breath;

h) warming such portions of such expired breath prior to inspiration;

i) re-humidifying, with such captured moisture, such portions of such expired breath to form warmed humidified such portions to include in such inspiration breath;

j) adsorbing carbon dioxide from such cooled, de-humidified expired breath; and

k) desorbing carbon dioxide into the environment to re-prepare such at least one sorbent for re-use in such adsorbing;

l) wherein such adsorbing utilizes at least one sorbent adapted to adsorb and/or desorb carbon dioxide, the mode correlating with temperature of such at least one sorbent; and

m) wherein such desorbing utilizes thermal transfer from warmth of such expired breath to attain at least one desorbing condition.

25. The method according to claim 24 wherein such at least one expired-breath cooler comprises such cooled, de-humidified expired breath.

26. The method according to claim 24 further comprising the steps of:

a) storing breathable gas; and

b) mixing such breathable gas with such warmed humidified portions prior to inspiration.

27. The method according to claim 24 further comprising further cooling such cooled, de-humidified expired breath.

28. The method according to claim 27 wherein such further cooling utilizes liquid carbon dioxide.

29. The method according to claim 28 wherein such adsorbing utilizes such liquid carbon dioxide.

30. The method according to claim 28 further comprising:

a) protecting at least one body in at least one extraterrestrial suit; and

b) cooling body-heat warming such at least one extraterrestrial suit;

c) wherein such cooling utilizes such liquid carbon dioxide.

31. A system comprising:

at least one metabolic heat regenerated temperature swing adsorption (MTSA) module, the at least one MTSA module configured to receive expired breath from a person, wherein the at least one MTSA module includes;

at least one sorbent, the at least one sorbent configured to adsorb carbon dioxide at an adsorption temperature and desorb carbon dioxide at a desorption temperature;

at least one heat exchanger, wherein the at least one sorbent is configured to desorb carbon dioxide at the desorbing temperature via the at least one heat exchanger, the at least one heat exchanger transferring warmth from the expired breath to attain the desorbing temperature and produce cooled expired breath from the expired breath, wherein the at least one sorbent is further configured to adsorb carbon dioxide from the cooled expired breath at the adsorbing temperature and produce cold scrubbed gas from the cooled expired breath.

32. The system of claim 31, wherein the desorption temperature is between about 270 K and about 280 K, and the adsorption temperature is between about 210 K and about 215 K.

33. The system of claim 31, wherein the at least one MTSA module comprises a first MTSA module and a second MTSA module, the first MTSA module including a first sorbent and a first heat exchanger, and the second MTSA module including a second sorbent and a second heat exchanger, wherein the first sorbent is configured to adsorb carbon dioxide when the second sorbent desorbs carbon dioxide via the second heat exchanger, and wherein the first sorbent is configured to desorb carbon dioxide via the first heat exchanger when the second sorbent adsorbs carbon dioxide.

34. The system of claim 31, further comprising:

a coolant including liquid carbon dioxide, the at least one heat exchanger configured to heat the coolant during adsorption of carbon dioxide from the expired breath.

35. The system of claim 34, wherein the coolant is configured to further cool the cooled expired breath to produce the cold scrubbed gas.

36. The system of claim 34, further comprising:

an extraterrestrial body suit adapted to extraterrestrial body protection of the person; and

at least one additional heat exchanger, wherein the coolant is further configured to cool the extraterrestrial body suit via the at the at least one additional heat exchanger.

37. The system of claim 31, wherein the at least one heat exchanger includes one or more gas impermeable barriers.

38. The system of claim 31, further comprising:

a moisture capturer configured to capture moisture from the expired breath when the at least one sorbent desorbs carbon dioxide via the at least one heat exchanger.

39. The system of claim 38, further comprising:

a humidifier coupled to the moisture capturer and configured to humidify the cold scrubbed gas with the captured moisture to produce rehydrated gas.

40. The system of claim 39, further comprising:

at least one additional heat exchanger, the at least one additional heat exchanger configured to warm the rehydrated gas to produce warm, rehydrated gas.

41. The system of claim 31, wherein the at least one sorbent is configured to desorb carbon dioxide at ambient pressure.

42. The system of claim 41, wherein the ambient pressure includes a partial pressure of carbon dioxide about equal to or greater than 0.8 kPa.

43. The system of claim 31, wherein the at least one sorbent includes NaX zeolite.

44. A method comprising:

providing expired breath from a person to at least one metabolic heat regenerated temperature swing adsorption (MTSA) module, wherein the at least one MTSA module includes at least one sorbent and at least one heat exchanger;

transferring warmth from the expired breath to the at least one sorbent to attain a desorbing temperature via the at least one heat exchanger;

desorbing carbon dioxide to an environment outside the at least one MTSA module at the desorbing temperature;

cooling the expired breath to form cooled expired breath via the at least one heat exchanger;

providing the cooled expired breath to the at least one MTSA module; and

adsorbing carbon dioxide in the at least one sorbent from the cooled expired breath at an adsorbing temperature to produce cold scrubbed gas.

45. The method of claim 44, wherein the desorption temperature is between about 270 K and about 280 K, and the adsorption temperature is between about 210 K and about 215 K.

46. The method of claim 44, wherein the at least one MTSA module comprises a first MTSA module and a second MTSA module, the first MTSA module including a first sorbent and a first heat exchanger, and the second MTSA module including a second sorbent and a second heat exchanger, and wherein desorbing carbon dioxide occurs in the first MTSA module when adsorbing carbon dioxide occurs in the second MTSA module, and wherein desorbing carbon dioxide occurs in the second MTSA module when adsorbing carbon dioxide occurs in the first MTSA module.

47. The method of claim 44, further comprising:

cooling further the cooled expired breath to produce the cold scrubbed gas using a coolant including liquid carbon dioxide; and

heating the coolant including liquid carbon dioxide via the at least one heat exchanger during adsorption of carbon dioxide from the expired breath.

48. The method of claim 44, further comprising:

capturing moisture from the expired breath during cooling of the expired breath.

49. The method of claim 48, further comprising:

humidifying the cold scrubbed gas with the captured moisture; and

forming rehydrated gas.