Apparatus and method for generating oxygen from sodium percarbonate and water, including seawater

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11845656-B2
Application number	US-202117232741-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 16, 2021
Priority date	Apr 16, 2021
Publication date	Dec 19, 2023
Grant date	Dec 19, 2023

Abstract

An apparatus and method generate oxygen gas from sodium percarbonate and water including seawater. The apparatus includes a chamber, a valve system, and an output port. The valve system controls combining a quantity of the sodium percarbonate, a quantity of the water, a quantity of potassium iodide, and optionally a quantity of sodium sulfate decahydrate. A chemical reaction between the sodium percarbonate and the water in the chamber generates oxygen gas, which is output at an output port from the chamber. The potassium iodide is a catalyst for the chemical reaction and optionally the sodium sulfate decahydrate is a temperature moderator for the chemical reaction. A ratio between the water and the sodium percarbonate is in a range of 2.5 to 8 by weight. A ratio of the potassium iodide per liter of the water yields a molarity in a range of 0.25 to 1.25.

First claim

We claim:

1. An apparatus for generating oxygen gas from sodium percarbonate and water comprising:
a chamber including a first quantity of the sodium percarbonate, a second quantity of the water, and a third quantity of potassium iodide, wherein:
a first ratio of the second quantity to the first quantity is in a first range of 2.5 to 8 by weight between the water and the sodium percarbonate, and
a second ratio of the third quantity to the second quantity yields a molarity in a second range of 0.25 to 1.25 moles of the potassium iodide per liter of the water;

a valve system configured to control the combining of the first, second, and third quantities in the chamber; and
an output port from the chamber, wherein the output port is configured to output oxygen gas generated from a chemical reaction between the sodium percarbonate and the water in the chamber and the potassium iodide is a catalyst for the chemical reaction,
wherein the water is seawater.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein:
the first ratio of the second quantity to the first quantity in the first a range of 7.0 to 8.0 by weight between the seawater and the sodium percarbonate.

3. A fuel cell system comprising the apparatus of claim 2 for supplying the oxygen gas to a fuel cell, which generates electricity from hydrogen gas and the oxygen gas.

4. The apparatus of claim 2 not having a chemical that is a temperature moderator for the chemical reaction in the chamber.

5. A fuel cell system comprising the apparatus of claim 4 for supplying the oxygen gas to a fuel cell, which generates electricity from hydrogen gas and the oxygen gas.

6. A breathing system comprising the apparatus of claim 1 , wherein:
a maximum temperature for the chemical reaction in the chamber is 44° C., such that the oxygen gas is generated during the chemical reaction at a temperature less than or equal to the maximum temperature; and
the output port is for outputting the oxygen gas generated from the chemical reaction at a rate and the temperature sustaining human respiration.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 comprising:
the chamber for combining the first quantity of the sodium percarbonate, the second quantity of the water, the third quantity of the potassium iodide, and a fourth quantity of sodium sulfate decahydrate, which is a temperature moderator for the chemical reaction in the chamber, wherein:
the first ratio of the second quantity to the first quantity is in the first range of 2.5 to 3.5 by weight between the seawater and the sodium percarbonate, and
a third ratio of the fourth quantity to the first quantity is in a third range of 50% to 75% of that needed to balance an endothermic heat of dissolution of an adduct of the sodium percarbonate and an endothermic heat of dissociation of the sodium sulfate decahydrate with an exothermic heat of formation of the oxygen gas.

8. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein:
the chamber is configured to store in a dry state the first quantity of the sodium percarbonate, and an optional fourth quantity of sodium sulfate decahydrate; and
the valve system is configured to dump into the chamber a solution of the third quantity of the potassium iodide in the second quantity of the water, wherein during the chemical reaction the solution dissolves the first quantity of the sodium percarbonate and the optional fourth quantity of the sodium sulfate decahydrate in the chamber, thereby combining of the first, second, third, and optional fourth quantities in the chamber.

9. The apparatus of claim 1 , comprising:
the chamber is a first chamber that is configured to store in a dry state the third quantity of the potassium iodide, and an optional fourth quantity of sodium sulfate decahydrate;
a second chamber is configured to store in a dry state the first quantity of the sodium percarbonate;
the valve system is configured to admit the second quantity of the water into the first chamber to form a solution of the third quantity of the potassium iodide and the optional fourth quantity of sodium sulfate decahydrate in the second quantity of the water, and the valve system is further configured to meter the sodium percarbonate from the second chamber into the solution in the first chamber; and
the output port is configured to output the oxygen gas generated from the chemical reaction at a gas rate prescribed by a metering rate of the valve system metering the sodium percarbonate from the second chamber into the first chamber.

10. An apparatus for generating oxygen gas from sodium percarbonate and water comprising:
a chamber including a first quantity of the sodium percarbonate, a second quantity of the water, a third quantity of potassium iodide, and a fourth quantity of sodium sulfate decahydrate, wherein:
a first ratio of the second quantity to the first quantity is in a first range of 2.5 to 8 by weight between the water and the sodium percarbonate, and
a second ratio of the third quantity to the second quantity yields a molarity in a second range of 0.25 to 1.25 moles of the potassium iodide per liter of the water;

a valve system configured to control the combining of the first, second, and third quantities in the chamber; and
an output port from the chamber, wherein the output port is configured to output oxygen gas generated from a chemical reaction between the sodium percarbonate and the water in the chamber and the potassium iodide is a catalyst for the chemical reaction.

11. The apparatus of claim 10 , wherein the water is selected from the group consisting of seawater, fresh water, deionized water, distilled water, and a mixture thereof.

12. The apparatus of claim 10 , wherein:
the water is seawater, and
the first ratio of the second quantity to the first quantity in the first a range of 7.0 to 8.0 by weight between the seawater and the sodium percarbonate.

13. A fuel cell system comprising the apparatus of claim 12 for supplying the oxygen gas to a fuel cell, which generates electricity from hydrogen gas and the oxygen gas.

14. The apparatus of claim 10 , wherein:
the water is deionized water or distilled water, and
the first ratio of the second quantity to the first quantity is in the first range of 5.0 to 6.5 by weight between the water and the sodium percarbonate.

15. A breathing system comprising the apparatus of claim 14 , wherein:
a maximum temperature for the chemical reaction in the chamber is 44° C., such that the oxygen gas is generated during the chemical reaction at a temperature less than or equal to the maximum temperature; and
the output port is for outputting the oxygen gas generated from the chemical reaction at a rate and the temperature sustaining human respiration.

16. The apparatus of claim 10 comprising:
the chamber for combining the first quantity of the sodium percarbonate, the second quantity of the water, the third quantity of the potassium iodide, and the fourth quantity of sodium sulfate decahydrate, which is a temperature moderator for the chemical reaction in the chamber, wherein:
the water is seawater,
the first ratio of the second quantity to the first quantity is in the first range of 2.5 to 3.5 by weight between the seawater and the sodium percarbonate, and
a third ratio of the fourth quantity to the first quantity is in a third range of 50% to 75% of that needed to balance an endothermic heat of dissolution of an adduct of the sodium percarbonate and an endothermic heat of dissociation of the sodium sulfate decahydrate with an exothermic heat of formation of the oxygen gas.

17. The apparatus of claim 10 , wherein:
the cham

Assignees

• Us Navy
• Us Navy

Inventors

• Becker Carol A
• Glad Wayne E

Classifications

• A61M2202/0208

  Oxygen · CPC title

• A61M16/10

  Preparation of respiratory gases or vapours · CPC title

• A62B21/00

  Devices for producing oxygen from chemical substances for respiratory apparatus · CPC title

• C01B13/0207 Primary

  Water · CPC title

• A62B7/08

  containing chemicals producing oxygen · CPC title