Nitrogen Oxygen Separator

Abstract

To provide a portable nitrogen and oxygen separation device that is compact and capable of separating large amounts of gas. [Solution] A nitrogen and oxygen separation device 1 including a housing and a gas separation assembly, the housing including a front cover 11 and a rear cover 12, the front cover and the rear cover separating them and defining a space, the gas separation assembly being disposed in the space, the gas separation assembly including a front component 30 disposed near the front cover, a rear component 40 disposed near the rear cover, and an electrochemical assembly 50 disposed between the front component and the rear component, the electrochemical assembly including a cathode current collector 51, an anode current collector 52, and an electrolytic reaction membrane 53 between the cathode current collector and the anode current collector.

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a nitrogen and oxygen separator, and more particularly to a portable nitrogen and oxygen separator. [Background technology]

[0002] Nitrogen and oxygen gas separation technology is used in various fields such as plastic molding, metallurgy, analytical equipment, pharmaceuticals, and food and beverages. Conventional methods for separating nitrogen and oxygen gas mainly use nitrogen gas separation membranes and pressure swing adsorption (PSA). Nitrogen gas separation membranes separate air using multiple fiber membrane walls that allow gas molecules to pass through, which is slow and the purity of the gas obtained is low. Pressure swing adsorption separates nitrogen gas and oxygen gas by adsorbing and desorbing different gas molecules in the air using an adsorbent (zeolite, activated carbon, molecular sieve, etc.). This method requires the design of two or more adsorption towers, one of which independently separates nitrogen gas and the other obtains oxygen gas when nitrogen gas passes through it. Pressure swing adsorption requires complex equipment and is difficult to use in portable devices. In addition, conventional portable nitrogen and oxygen separation devices cannot handle the separation of large amounts of gas.

[0003] Therefore, how to miniaturize the nitrogen and oxygen separator and solve the drawback that the portable nitrogen and oxygen separator cannot separate large amounts of gas is a problem that those skilled in the art urgently need to solve. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] none Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] The main objective of the present invention is to miniaturize the nitrogen and oxygen separator and to solve the problem that the portable nitrogen and oxygen separator cannot separate a large amount of gas. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The present invention discloses a nitrogen and oxygen separator including a housing and a gas separation assembly, the housing including a front cover and a rear cover, the front cover and the rear cover are spaced apart and define a space, and the gas separation assembly is disposed in the space.

[0007] The gas isolation assembly includes a front component disposed near the front cover, a rear component disposed near the rear cover, and an electrochemical assembly disposed between the front and rear components.

[0008] The front component includes a first plate, a first gas pipe for introducing air, and a second gas pipe for discharging nitrogen gas, the first gas pipe including a first inlet extending laterally outward from a side wall of the first plate, and a first through hole communicating with the first inlet and penetrating the first plate along the thickness direction to the reaction side, and the second gas pipe including a second through hole penetrating the first plate from the reaction side along the thickness direction, and a second outlet communicating with the second through hole and extending laterally outward from the side wall of the first plate.

[0009] The rear component includes a second plate, a third gas pipeline for discharging oxygen gas, and a fourth gas pipeline for discharging oxygen gas, the third gas pipeline including a third through hole penetrating the second plate from the reaction side along the thickness direction, and a third outlet communicating with the third through hole and extending laterally outward from the side wall of the second plate, and the fourth gas pipeline including a fourth through hole penetrating the second plate from the reaction side along the thickness direction, and a fourth outlet communicating with the fourth through hole and extending laterally outward from the side wall of the second plate.

[0010] The electrochemical assembly includes a cathode current collector adjacent to the first plate and in communication with the first gas line and the second gas line, an anode current collector adjacent to the second plate and in communication with the third gas line and the fourth gas line, and an electrolytic reaction membrane between the cathode current collector and the anode current collector.

[0011] Although other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will be further understood from additional technical features disclosed in the embodiments of the present invention, the preferred embodiments of the present invention are shown and described only by way of illustration of the most suitable form for carrying out the embodiments of the present invention. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0012] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a schematic assembly diagram of one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2A] FIG. 2A is an exploded view of one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2B] FIG. 2B is an exploded view of one embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 3] FIG. 3 is a schematic view of a first plate viewed from the front cover toward an electrochemical assembly in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram of a second plate viewed from the rear cover toward an electrochemical assembly in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 5] FIG. 5 is a schematic cross-sectional view of one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is an assembly diagram of another embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0013] The terminology used in this specification is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting of the present invention. As used in this specification, the singular forms "a," "an," and "the" may include the plural forms unless the context clearly indicates otherwise.

[0014] Terms expressing directions, such as up, down, left, right, front, rear, and their derivatives or synonyms, used in this specification are intended to indicate the direction of elements in the drawings, unless otherwise clearly stated in the context, and are not intended to limit the present invention. Hereinafter, the technical contents of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

[0015] 1 to 4, FIG. 1 shows an embodiment of a nitrogen oxygen separator 1. The nitrogen oxygen separator 1 may be a gas generator, particularly a nitrogen and / or oxygen generator, for separating nitrogen and / or oxygen from compressed air or other gases. The nitrogen oxygen separator 1 may be a stationary or mobile device. In one embodiment, the gas generator is not involved in the adsorption process. The present invention discloses a nitrogen oxygen separator 1 including a housing 10 and a gas separation assembly 20. The housing 10 includes a front cover 11 and a rear cover 12, the front cover 11 and the rear cover 12 are separated and define a space, the gas separation assembly 20 is disposed in the space, and the front cover 11, the gas separation assembly 20 and the rear cover 12 are sequentially stacked from front to rear (along the Y axis of FIG. 1) and fixed to each other by a plurality of locking parts 60 to form the nitrogen oxygen separator 1.

[0016] The gas separation assembly 20 includes a front component 30, a rear component 40, and an electrochemical assembly 50, where the front component 30 is disposed near the front cover 11, the rear component 40 is disposed near the rear cover 12, and the electrochemical assembly 50 is disposed between the front component 30 and the rear component 40, and the sides of the front component 30 and the rear component 40 closer to the electrochemical assembly 50 are defined as reaction sides 30a, 40a, respectively.

[0017] The front component 30 includes a first plate 31 , a first gasket 32 ​​, and a first O-ring 33 .

[0018] The first plate 31 includes a first main body 310, an intake pipe wall 311, an exhaust pipe wall 312, an intake through-hole 313, and an exhaust through-hole 314. The first main body 310 is formed as a flat plate extending along the XZ plane, and the intake pipe wall 311 and the exhaust pipe wall 312 protrude from the first main body 310 in the thickness direction (i.e., the Y-axis direction in the figure), and respectively define a first lateral flow path and a second lateral flow path.

[0019] The intake pipe wall 311 includes an intake end 311a located at the first side end 310a and the second side end 310b of the first body 310, respectively, and an end 311b, wherein the intake end 311a is connected to the joint 341 to receive air, and the end 311b is a closed end, and a first through hole 351 is provided in a portion of the first body 310 in the first horizontal flow path of the intake pipe wall 311, and penetrates the first body 310 along the thickness direction to the reaction side 30a, so that the air entering from the joint 341 first passes through the first horizontal flow path of the intake pipe wall 311 and then enters the reaction side 30a via the first vertical flow path defined by the first through hole 351.

[0020] The intake pipe wall 311 includes a first section 311c, a second section 311d, and a third section 311e, the second section 311d is connected between the first section 311c and the third section 311e, the first section 311c and the third section 311e are provided substantially parallel to the X-axis, and the second section 311d is curved. In this embodiment, the intake pipe wall 311 is provided near the upper end of the first body 310, and the center of the arc of the second section 311d overlaps with the geometric center of the first body 310.

[0021] The exhaust pipe wall 312 includes an exhaust end 312a and an end 312b located at the first side end 310a and the second side end 310b of the first body 310, respectively. The exhaust end 312a is connected to the joint 342 to discharge nitrogen gas, and the end 311b is a closed end. The second through hole 352 is provided in the part of the first body 310 in the first horizontal flow path of the exhaust pipe wall 312, and penetrates the first body 310 along the thickness direction to the reaction side 30a, so that the air in the reaction side 30a, after obtaining nitrogen gas, enters the second horizontal flow path of the exhaust pipe wall 312 through the second vertical flow path defined by the second through hole 352, and is further discharged through the exhaust end 312a.

[0022] The exhaust pipe wall 312 includes a first section 312c, a second section 312d, and a third section 312e, the second section 312d is connected between the first section 312c and the third section 312e, the first section 312c and the third section 312e are substantially parallel to the X-axis, and the second section 312d is curved. In this embodiment, the exhaust pipe wall 312 is disposed near the bottom end of the first body 310, and the center of the arc of the second section 312d overlaps with the geometric center of the first body 310.

[0023] The rear component 40 includes a second plate 41 , a second gasket 42 , and a second O-ring 43 .

[0024] The second plate body 41 includes a second main body 410, a first exhaust pipe wall 411, a second exhaust pipe wall 412, a first exhaust through hole 413, and a second exhaust through hole 414. The second main body 410 is formed as a flat plate extending along the XZ plane, and the first exhaust pipe wall 411 and the second exhaust pipe wall 412 protrude from the second main body 410 along the thickness direction (i.e., the Y-axis direction in the figure), and respectively define a third lateral flow path and a fourth lateral flow path.

[0025] The first exhaust pipe wall 411 includes an exhaust end 411a and an end 411b located at the first side end 410a and the second side end 410b of the second body 410, respectively. The exhaust end 411a is connected to the joint 441 to discharge oxygen gas, and the end 411b is a closed end. The third through hole 451 is provided in a part of the second body 410 in the third horizontal flow path of the first exhaust pipe wall 411, and penetrates the second body 410 along the thickness direction to the reaction side 40a. Thus, the oxygen gas entering from the reaction side 40a first enters the third horizontal flow path of the first exhaust pipe wall 411 through the third vertical flow path defined by the third through hole 451, and is then discharged through the exhaust end 411a.

[0026] The first exhaust pipe wall 411 includes a first section 411c, a second section 411d, and a third section 411e, the second section 411d is connected between the first section 411c and the third section 411e, the first section 411c and the third section 411e are substantially parallel to the X-axis, and the second section 411d is curved. In this embodiment, the first exhaust pipe wall 411 is provided near the upper end of the second body 410, and the center of the arc of the second section 411d overlaps with the geometric center of the second body 410.

[0027] The second exhaust pipe wall 412 includes an exhaust end 412a and an end 412b located at the first side end 410a and the second side end 410b of the second body 410, respectively. The exhaust end 412a is connected to the joint 442 to discharge oxygen gas, and the end 412b is a closed end. The fourth through hole 452 is provided in a part of the second body 410 in the fourth horizontal flow path of the second exhaust pipe wall 412, and penetrates the second body 410 along the thickness direction to the reaction side 40a. Thus, the oxygen gas entering from the reaction side 40a first enters the fourth horizontal flow path of the second exhaust pipe wall 412 through the fourth vertical flow path defined by the fourth through hole 452, and is then discharged through the exhaust end 412a.

[0028] The second exhaust pipe wall 412 includes a first section 412c, a second section 412d, and a third section 412e, the second section 412d is connected between the first section 412c and the third section 412e, the first section 412c and the third section 412e are arranged substantially parallel to the X-axis, and the second section 412d is curved. In this embodiment, the second exhaust pipe wall 412 is arranged near the bottom end of the second body 410, and the center of the arc of the second section 412d overlaps with the geometric center of the second body 410.

[0029] In this embodiment, the intake through hole 313 and the exhaust through hole 314 are located at the first side end 310a, and the first exhaust through hole 413 and the second exhaust through hole 414 are located at the first side end 410a, thereby the intake through hole 313, the exhaust through hole 314, the first exhaust through hole 413 and the second exhaust through hole 414 are located at the same side wall of the gas separation assembly 20.

[0030] The front cover 11 defines a first gas pipeline and a second gas pipeline with the intake pipe wall 311 and the exhaust pipe wall 312, respectively, and the rear cover 12 defines a third gas pipeline and a fourth gas pipeline with the first exhaust pipe wall 411 and the second exhaust pipe wall 412, respectively.

[0031] The first gas line includes a first inlet, the first inlet being defined by both the intake through hole 313 and the joint 341, and the second gas line includes a second outlet, the second outlet being defined by both the exhaust through hole 314 and the joint 342, the first inlet and the second outlet extending laterally outward from the side wall of the first plate body 31.

[0032] The third gas line includes a third outlet, the third outlet being defined by both the first exhaust through hole 413 and the joint 441, and the fourth gas line includes a fourth outlet, the fourth outlet being defined by both the second exhaust through hole 414 and the joint 442, the third outlet and the fourth outlet extending laterally outward from the side wall of the second plate body 41.

[0033] The electrochemical assembly 50 includes a cathode current collector 51, an anode current collector 52, an electrolytic reaction membrane 53, a first spacer 54, and a second spacer 55. The cathode current collector 51 is adjacent to the first plate 31 and located on the reaction side 30a. The cathode current collector 51 is connected to the first gas pipeline and the second gas pipeline through a first through hole 351 and a second through hole 352. The anode current collector 52 is adjacent to the second plate 41 and located on the reaction side 40a. The anode current collector 52 is connected to the third gas line and the fourth gas line via the third through hole 451 and the fourth through hole 452. The electrolytic reaction membrane 53 is located between the cathode current collector 51 and the anode current collector 52. The first spacer 54 is located between the cathode current collector 51 and the electrolytic reaction membrane 53. The second spacer 55 is located between the anode current collector 52 and the electrolytic reaction membrane 53.

[0034] In this example, the housing 10 has a planar shape as shown in Figure 1. The planar shape has a first length L1, a second length L2, and a thickness T. Note that air is introduced into the gas separation assembly 20 in a direction parallel to either the first length L1 or the second length L2. Similarly, nitrogen and oxygen are exhausted in a direction parallel to either the first length L1 or the second length L2.

[0035] The electrochemical assembly 50 can be thought of as an electrochemical cell having an anode side and a cathode side. The anode side and cathode side can be defined as the front and rear regions of the electrochemical assembly 50. The anode side is the region proximate the anode current collector 52 and the cathode side is the region proximate the cathode current collector 51.

[0036] On the cathode side, oxygen entering the air undergoes reaction (1) below, and residual nitrogen is released. O 2 +4H + +4e - →2H 2 O(1) The following reaction (2) occurs on the anode side: 2H 2 O → O 2 +4H + +4e - (2)

[0037] In one embodiment, a voltage of less than 1.2 V is supplied to electrochemical assembly 50 when reactions (1) and (2) are carried out.

[0038] 2 to 5, the first plate 31 includes a first clamp slot 315 and a plurality of cathode flow field structures 316, and the first clamp slot 315 is molded along the edges of the first gas pipeline and the second gas pipeline and toward the front cover 11 along the thickness direction.

[0039] The front cover 11 includes a first latch 111 and a plurality of first grooves 112, the first latch 111 is molded toward the gas separation assembly 20 and is provided corresponding to the first clamp slot 315, and when the nitrogen and oxygen separation device 1 is assembled, the first latch 111 is inserted into the first clamp slot 315 and the first gasket 32 ​​is between the first clamp slot 315 and the first latch 111 to seal the first gas pipeline and the second gas pipeline, and the first grooves 112 are provided corresponding to the first inlet and the second outlet (joints 341, 342).

[0040] The cathode flow field structure 316 protrudes along the thickness direction toward the electrochemical assembly 50 and contacts the cathode current collector 51, so that the flow rate of air entering the reaction side 30a is uniformly distributed. A first O-ring 33 is provided on the reaction side 30a and surrounds the cathode flow field structure 316 to avoid gas overflow.

[0041] The second plate 41 includes a second clamp slot 415 and a plurality of anode flow field structures 416, and the second clamp slot 415 is molded along the edges of the third gas line and the fourth gas line and toward the rear cover 12 along the thickness direction.

[0042] The rear cover 12 includes a second latch 121 and a plurality of second grooves 122, the second latch 121 is molded toward the gas separation assembly 20 and is provided corresponding to the second clamp slot 415, and when the nitrogen and oxygen separation device 1 is assembled, the second latch 121 is inserted into the second clamp slot 415 and the second gasket 42 is between the second clamp slot 415 and the second latch 121 to seal the third gas line and the fourth gas line, and the second grooves 122 are provided corresponding to the third outlet and the fourth outlet (joints 441, 442).

[0043] The anode flow field structure 416 protrudes toward the electrochemical assembly 50 along the thickness direction and contacts the anode current collector 52, so that the flow rate of oxygen gas obtained at the reaction side 40a is uniformly distributed. A second O-ring 43 is provided at the reaction side 40a and surrounds the anode flow field structure 416 to avoid gas overflow.

[0044] Referring to FIG. 6, in one embodiment, a modularized nitrogen and oxygen separation equipment can be formed by stacking multiple nitrogen and oxygen separation devices 1 (three are shown in the figure as an example) on one another and fixing them with multiple locking parts 61, thereby meeting the needs for nitrogen and oxygen separation of large volumes of air.

[0045] In short, the present invention provides a housing and a gas separation assembly, and uses a metal sheet to perform electrochemical reaction, which is advantageous in terms of lightweight design compared to conventional electrochemical separation methods, and the nitrogen and oxygen separation equipment can be made smaller and easier to carry than the equipment used in the pressure swing adsorption method. In addition, the present invention can also form a modular nitrogen and oxygen separation equipment by stacking multiple nitrogen and oxygen separation devices together and fixing them with locking parts, thereby meeting the needs of nitrogen and oxygen separation for large amounts of air. [Explanation of symbols]

[0046] 1 Nitrogen Oxygen Separator 10. Housing 11 Front cover 111 First Latch 112 First groove 12 Rear cover 121 Second Latch 122 2nd groove 20 Gas Isolation Assembly 30 Front Component 30a Reaction side 31 1st plate 310 First Body 310a 1st side end 310b 2nd side end 311 Intake pipe wall 311a Intake end 311b Terminal 311c Section 1 311d Section 2 311e Section 3 312 Exhaust pipe wall 312a Exhaust end 312b Terminal 312c Section 1 312d Section 2 312e Section 3 313 Intake through hole 314 Exhaust through hole 315 First clamp slot 316 Cathode Flow Field Structure 32 First gasket 33 No. 1 O-ring 341, 342 Joint 351 First through hole 352 Second Through Hole 40 Rear components 40a Reaction side 41 Second plate 410 Second Body 410a first side end 410b 2nd side end 411 No. 1 exhaust pipe wall 411a Exhaust end 411b Terminal 411c Section 1 411d Section 2 411e Section 3 412 Second exhaust pipe wall 412a Exhaust end 412b Terminal 412c Section 1 412d Section 2 412e Section 3 413 First exhaust through hole 414 Second exhaust through hole 415 Second Clamp Slot 416 Anode Flow Field Structure 42 Second gasket 43 2nd O-ring 441, 442 Joint 451 3rd Through Hole 452 4th Through Hole 50 Electrochemical Assembly 51 Cathode current collector 52 Anode current collector 53 Electrochemical reaction membrane 54 1st spacer 55 Second spacer 60, 61 Lock parts

Claims

1. a housing including a front cover and a rear cover, the front cover and the rear cover being separated from each other and defining a space; A gas separation assembly disposed in the space, a front component provided near the front cover, the front component including a first plate, a first gas pipe for introducing air, and a second gas pipe for discharging nitrogen gas, the first gas pipe including a first inlet extending laterally outward from a side wall of the first plate, and a first through hole communicating with the first inlet and penetrating the first plate along a thickness direction to a reaction side, the second gas pipe including a second through hole penetrating the first plate from the reaction side along the thickness direction, and a second outlet communicating with the second through hole and extending laterally outward from the side wall of the first plate; a rear component provided near the rear cover, the rear component including a second plate, a third gas pipe for discharging oxygen gas, and a fourth gas pipe for discharging oxygen gas, the third gas pipe including a third through hole penetrating the second plate from the reaction side along the thickness direction, and a third outlet communicating with the third through hole and extending laterally outward from a side wall of the second plate, the fourth gas pipe including a fourth through hole penetrating the second plate from the reaction side along the thickness direction, and a fourth outlet communicating with the fourth through hole and extending laterally outward from the side wall of the second plate; and a gas separation assembly including an electrochemical assembly provided between the front component and the rear component, the electrochemical assembly including a cathode current collector adjacent to the first plate and in communication with the first gas line and the second gas line, an anode current collector adjacent to the second plate and in communication with the third gas line and the fourth gas line, and an electrolytic reaction membrane between the cathode current collector and the anode current collector.

2. 2. The nitrogen and oxygen separation apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first plate includes a first clamp slot molded toward the front cover along edges of the first and second gas lines, the front cover includes a first latch molded toward the gas isolation assembly and corresponding to the first clamp slot, and the second plate includes a second clamp slot molded toward the rear cover along edges of the third and fourth gas lines, the rear cover includes a second latch molded toward the gas isolation assembly and corresponding to the second clamp slot.

3. 2. The nitrogen and oxygen separation apparatus of claim 1, wherein said first inlet, said second outlet, said third outlet and said fourth outlet are located on the same side of said gas separation assembly.

4. 2. The nitrogen and oxygen separation device of claim 1, wherein the first plate further comprises a plurality of cathode flow field structures protruding along the thickness direction toward the electrochemical assembly, the cathode flow field structures contacting the cathode current collector, and the second plate further comprises a plurality of anode flow field structures protruding along the thickness direction toward the electrochemical assembly, the anode flow field structures contacting the anode current collector.

5. 2. The nitrogen and oxygen separation apparatus of claim 1, wherein the front cover includes a plurality of first grooves corresponding to the first inlet and the second outlet, and the rear cover includes a plurality of second grooves corresponding to the third outlet and the fourth outlet.

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