Oxygen enriched air generation system
DCFirst Claim
1. Method for generating high pressure oxygen enriched air having a predetermined oxygen content comprising the steps of:
- a) providing a high pressure gas stream of air containing nitrogen and oxygen;
b) reducing the pressure of the gas stream, with cooling, to below 600 p.s.i.g.;
c) adjusting a temperature of the reduced pressure gas stream to a preselected value;
d) introducing the pressure reduced, temperature adjusted gas stream into an inlet of a separation chamber containing a permeable nitrogen-oxygen separation membrane system and having two outlets, one outlet on an inlet side of the membrane system and another outlet on an opposite side of the membrane system;
e) withdrawing a first gas stream containing substantially nitrogen from the one outlet of the separation chamber;
f) withdrawing a second gas stream containing oxygen enriched air at a pressure from 0.5 to 5 p.s.i.g. from the other outlet of the separation chamber;
g) monitoring the oxygen content of the second gas stream;
h) controlling operating conditions of the separation chamber to obtain the second gas stream having the predetermined oxygen content; and
i) compressing the second gas stream to a high pressure.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A system for generating oxygen enriched air includes a compressed air supply for supplying compressed air and a permeable membrane gas separation system for separating a nitrogen gas component and an oxygen enriched air component from the compressed air. An oxygen analyzer is provided to detect an oxygen concentration in the oxygen enriched air component. The nitrogen gas component is divided, by a vortex tube, into a cold gas stream and a hot gas stream, and solenoid valves are actuated to modify a flow path of the compressed air through the cold gas stream and the hot gas stream in order to selectively heat and cool the compressed air. The oxygen enriched air is then selectively distributed for further use.
65 Citations
17 Claims
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1. Method for generating high pressure oxygen enriched air having a predetermined oxygen content comprising the steps of:
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a) providing a high pressure gas stream of air containing nitrogen and oxygen; b) reducing the pressure of the gas stream, with cooling, to below 600 p.s.i.g.; c) adjusting a temperature of the reduced pressure gas stream to a preselected value; d) introducing the pressure reduced, temperature adjusted gas stream into an inlet of a separation chamber containing a permeable nitrogen-oxygen separation membrane system and having two outlets, one outlet on an inlet side of the membrane system and another outlet on an opposite side of the membrane system; e) withdrawing a first gas stream containing substantially nitrogen from the one outlet of the separation chamber; f) withdrawing a second gas stream containing oxygen enriched air at a pressure from 0.5 to 5 p.s.i.g. from the other outlet of the separation chamber; g) monitoring the oxygen content of the second gas stream; h) controlling operating conditions of the separation chamber to obtain the second gas stream having the predetermined oxygen content; and i) compressing the second gas stream to a high pressure. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
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8. A system for generating oxygen enriched air having a predetermined oxygen content comprising:
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an air supply for supplying high pressure compressed air; a pressure regulator for selectively reducing the pressure of the compressed air to below 600 p.s.i.g. and cooling the pressure reduced air; a heat exchanger for adjusting the temperature of the pressure reduced air; a permeable membrane gas separation system for separating nitrogen from temperature adjusted pressure reduced air having an inlet for temperature adjusted pressure reduced air and two outlets, one for nitrogen and the other for oxygen enriched air; a device for detecting oxygen concentration in said oxygen enriched air; a controller for controlling operation of said permeable membrane gas separation system so that the oxygen enriched air separated in the separation system has the predetermined oxygen content; a compressor for compressing the oxygen enriched air to a high pressure; and a distribution arrangement for selectively distributing the high pressure oxygen enriched air for further use. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17)
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Specification