Oxygen separator and method of generating oxygen

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9504953-B2
Application number	US-201314397773-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 22, 2013
Priority date	May 4, 2012
Publication date	Nov 29, 2016
Grant date	Nov 29, 2016

Abstract

The invention relates to a method of separating oxygen from an oxygen comprising gas, the method comprising the steps of: performing at least a first and a second period of oxygen separation, the first and the second period of oxygen separation each comprising the steps of guiding an oxygen comprising gas to the primary side of an oxygen separation device ( 12, 14 ), the oxygen separation device ( 12, 14 ) comprising an oxygen separation sorbent ( 16, 18 ), and generating a flow of oxygen enriched gas out of the oxygen separation device ( 12, 14 ) by creating a pressure difference between the primary side and the secondary side of the oxygen separation device ( 12, 14 ), and performing a cooling period between the first and the second period of oxygen separation, wherein the cooling period comprises the steps of guiding a flushing sorbate through the oxygen separation device ( 12, 14 ), the flushing sorbate having an adsorption energy e 1 with respect to the oxygen separation sorbent ( 16, 18 ), and guiding a cooling sorbate through the oxygen separation device ( 12, 14 ), the cooling sorbate having an adsorption energy e2 with respect to the oxygen separation sorbent ( 16, 18 ), wherein the adsorption energy e2 is lower with respect to the adsorption energy e 2 . Such a method provides an improved oxygen separation behavior especially with respect to high temperatures. The present invention further relates to an oxygen separator ( 10 ).

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. Method of separating oxygen from an oxygen comprising gas, the method comprising the steps of:
performing at least a first and a second period of oxygen separation, the first and the second period of oxygen separation each comprising the steps of guiding an oxygen comprising gas to the primary side of an oxygen separation device, the oxygen separation device comprising an oxygen separation sorbent, and generating a flow of oxygen enriched gas out of the oxygen separation device by creating a pressure difference between the primary side and the secondary side of the oxygen separation device, and
performing a cooling period between the first and the second period of oxygen separation, wherein the cooling period comprises the steps of
guiding a flushing sorbate through the oxygen separation device, the flushing sorbate having an adsorption energy e 1 with respect to the oxygen separation sorbent, and
guiding a cooling sorbate through the oxygen separation device, the cooling sorbate having an adsorption energy e 2 with respect to the oxygen separation sorbent,
wherein the adsorption energy e 2 is lower with respect to the adsorption energy e 1 , and
wherein the step of guiding the flushing sorbate through the oxygen seperation device and/or the step of guiding the cooling sorbate through the oxygen separation device is performed in dependence of the oxygen separation sorbent temperature.

2. Method according to claim 1 , wherein the flushing sorbate comprises nitrogen and/or wherein the cooling sorbate comprises oxygen, or rare gases.

3. Method according to claim 1 , wherein the flushing sorbate and/or the cooling sorbate are generated during an oxygen separation period and/or during a cooling period.

4. Method according to claim 1 , wherein the step of guiding the flushing sorbate through the oxygen separation device, and the step of guiding a cooling sorbate through the oxygen separation device are separated by an off-period.

5. Method according to claim 1 , wherein the oxygen separation sorbent is loaded with flushing sorbate in an amount of more than 3 wt.-‰.

6. An oxygen separator, comprising
at least one oxygen separation device with an oxygen separation sorbent, having a gas inlet at a primary side for guiding a flow of oxygen comprising gas into the oxygen separation device and having a gas outlet at a secondary side for guiding a flow of oxygen enriched gas out of the oxygen separation device, and
a pressure adjusting device for creating a pressure difference between the primary side and the secondary side of the oxygen separation device, wherein
the oxygen separator comprises a control unit being adapted for guiding a flushing sorbate through the oxygen separation device between two oxygen generation periods and in dependence of the oxygen separation sorbent temperature, the flushing sorbate having an adsorption energy e 1 with respect to the oxygen separation sorbent, and being adapted for guiding a cooling sorbate through the oxygen separation device, between two oxygen generation cycles and in dependence of the oxygen separation sorbent temperature, the cooling sorbate having an adsorption energy e 2 with respect to the oxygen separation sorbent, wherein the adsorption energy e 2 is lower with respect to the adsorption energy e 1 .

7. Oxygen separator according to claim 6 , wherein the oxygen separator comprises a sensor for detecting the temperature of the oxygen separation sorbent.

8. Oxygen separator according to claim 6 , wherein the oxygen separator comprises a container for accommodating the flushing sorbate and/or a container for accommodating the cooling sorbate.

9. Oxygen separator according to claim 6 , wherein the oxygen separation sorbent comprises a Li-LSX zeolite.

Assignees

• Koninklijke Philips Nv

Inventors

• Hilbig Rainer
• Koerber Achim Gerhard Rolf
• Van Der Sluis Paul
• Klee Mareike
• Keur Wilhelmus Cornelis

Classifications

• C01B13/0259

  by adsorption on solids · CPC title

• A62B21/00

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

• B01D53/047 Primary

  Pressure swing adsorption · CPC title

• B01D2256/12

  Oxygen · CPC title

• B01D2253/1085

  characterized by a silicon-aluminium ratio · CPC title