Centrifugal air separators

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10981107-B2
Application number	US-201916391762-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 23, 2019
Priority date	Mar 27, 2015
Publication date	Apr 20, 2021
Grant date	Apr 20, 2021

Abstract

Methods of recirculating clean air in an atmosphere of an enclosure comprise directing an input air stream from the atmosphere of the enclosure through a coiled duct at a rate sufficient to stratify the input air stream within the coiled duct according to a molecular weight of components of the input air stream and to form a heavy fraction stream and a light fraction stream, wherein the heavy fraction stream is relatively enriched in carbon dioxide as compared to the light fraction stream; withdrawing the heavy fraction stream from the coiled duct; and returning the light fraction stream from the coiled duct to the atmosphere of the enclosure.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method of recirculating clean air in an atmosphere of an enclosure, the method comprising:
directing an input air stream from the atmosphere of the enclosure through a number of coiled ducts at a rate sufficient to stratify the input air stream within each coiled duct according to a molecular weight of gaseous components of the input air stream and to form a heavy fraction stream and a light fraction stream, wherein the heavy fraction stream is relatively enriched in carbon dioxide as compared to the light fraction stream;
withdrawing the heavy fraction stream from the number of coiled ducts;
returning the light fraction stream from the number of coiled ducts to the atmosphere of the enclosure; and
controlling a level of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere of the enclosure by selecting the number of coiled ducts.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein controlling includes selecting the number of coiled ducts based upon a number of people within the enclosure.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein controlling includes selecting the number of coiled ducts based upon a level of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere of the enclosure.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein controlling includes selecting the number of coiled ducts based upon a level of carbon dioxide in the input air stream.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein controlling includes selecting the number of coiled ducts based upon a level of carbon dioxide in the heavy fraction stream.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein controlling includes selecting the number of coiled ducts based upon a level of carbon dioxide in the light fraction stream.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein controlling includes selecting the number of coiled ducts based upon a rate of production of carbon dioxide within the enclosure.

8. The method of claim 1 , further comprising accumulating the heavy fraction stream in a vessel.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein controlling includes maintaining a partial pressure of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere of the enclosure below 1 kPa.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein directing includes flowing the input air stream at a velocity of at least 10 m/s through each of the coiled ducts.

11. The method of claim 1 , wherein directing includes flowing the input air stream at a mass flow rate of at least 0.1 g/s through each of the coiled ducts.

12. The method of claim 1 , wherein directing includes flowing the input air stream through each of the coiled ducts in a generally laminar manner.

13. A method of recirculating clean air in an atmosphere of an enclosure, the method comprising:
directing an input air stream from the atmosphere of the enclosure through a coiled duct at a rate sufficient to stratify the input air stream within the coiled duct according to a molecular weight of components of the input air stream and to form a heavy fraction stream and a light fraction stream, wherein the heavy fraction stream is relatively enriched in carbon dioxide as compared to the light fraction stream;
withdrawing the heavy fraction stream from the coiled duct; and
returning the light fraction stream from the coiled duct to the atmosphere of the enclosure.

14. The method of claim 13 , further comprising sensing at least one of a concentration and a partial pressure of carbon dioxide in at least one of the atmosphere of the enclosure, the input air stream, the heavy fraction stream, and the light fraction stream.

15. The method of claim 13 , further comprising determining a quantity related to a rate of production of carbon dioxide within the enclosure and controlling a level of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere of the enclosure by directing the input air stream through a number of coiled ducts based at least in part upon the quantity, wherein the level is at least one of a concentration, a partial pressure, and an amount.

16. The method of claim 15 , further comprising selecting the number of coiled ducts based at least in part upon the quantity.

17. The method of claim 15 , wherein the quantity is selected from the group consisting of a number of people within the enclosure, a level of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere of the enclosure, a level of carbon dioxide in the input air stream, a level of carbon dioxide in the heavy fraction stream, a level of carbon dioxide in the light fraction stream, and the rate of production of carbon dioxide within the enclosure.

18. The method of claim 15 , wherein the controlling includes maintaining a partial pressure of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere of the enclosure of less than 1 kPa.

19. The method of claim 13 , further comprising accumulating the heavy fraction stream.

20. The method of claim 13 , further comprising directing the heavy fraction stream out of the enclosure.

Assignees

• Boeing Co

Inventors

• Gentry Gregory James
• Son Chang Hyun
• Clark Jr Robert Warren

Classifications

• B01D45/16 Primary

  generated by the winding course of the gas stream {, the centrifugal forces being generated solely or partly by mechanical means, e.g. fixed swirl vanes} · CPC title

• B01D45/12

  by centrifugal forces (centrifuges B04B; cyclones B04C) · CPC title

• B01D53/02

  by adsorption, e.g. preparative gas chromatography {(solid sorbent compositions B01J20/00, preparation of inorganic compounds or elements C01)} · CPC title

• B01D2257/504

  Carbon dioxide · CPC title

• B01D53/22

  by diffusion (manufacturing semi-permeable membranes B01D67/00; form, structure or properties of semi-permeable membranes B01D69/00; material for semi-permeable membranes B01D71/00) · CPC title