Integrated Breathing Air System with Purification and Backup
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing breathing air systems for hazardous environments fail to effectively purify compressed air, leading to concentrated pollutants and potential health hazards due to the lack of integrated solutions for pollutant removal and emergency backup systems, especially in industrial settings where ambient air quality is compromised.
Innovation Solution
A compact, integrated breathing air system that includes an air inlet, compressor, air purifier, emergency backup store, and safety control system with sensors to monitor and automatically switch to backup air supply upon faults, featuring an air receiver matrix for on-load/off-load compressor control and a purification process involving a water separator and heatless regeneration dryer to meet medical standards.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Duration of action of moving object
If ambient air is compressed to provide breathing air, then the air supply duration is extended, but pollutant concentration increases by 800% at 8 bar pressure
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts and removes harmful pollutants from compressed air through multiple filtration stages. The system uses coalescing filters to separate liquid contaminants, activated carbon filters to adsorb gaseous pollutants, and bacterial filters to remove microorganisms, thereby extracting harmful substances while retaining the useful compressed air for breathing
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces intermediary purification components between the compressor and the breathing air outlet. These intermediaries include refrigeration units to condense water vapor, coalescing filters to trap liquid contaminants, activated carbon filters to adsorb gases, and bacterial filters to remove microorganisms, acting as mediators that clean the compressed air before delivery
2Reliability
If water vapour is condensed during compression, then air purification is improved, but acidic oily condensate sludge is formed mixing with hydrocarbon contaminants
Solution Approach 1:
The patent converts the harmful condensate sludge into a manageable byproduct through a refrigeration unit that condenses water vapor and an automatic drain system that removes the condensed liquid. The system transforms the problematic mixing of water, oil, and hydrocarbons into a controlled condensation and drainage process that prevents sludge accumulation while maintaining air purification quality
Solution Approach 2:
The patent extracts and removes the harmful condensate sludge through automatic drainage systems. The refrigeration unit separates water vapor from the compressed air, and the automatic drain removes the condensed liquid along with dissolved oils and hydrocarbons, extracting these harmful substances from the breathing air stream
3Device complexity
If a single integrated breathing air system is used, then device complexity is reduced, but ensuring high safety integrity becomes more challenging
Solution Approach 1:
The patent incorporates beforehand cushioning through multiple redundant safety features: automatic shutdown mechanisms that activate upon detecting abnormal conditions, emergency backup air supplies, and multiple filtration stages that provide cumulative protection. These pre-configured safety measures cushion against potential failures while maintaining system integration
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements feedback mechanisms through automatic monitoring systems that detect abnormal operating conditions and trigger appropriate responses. The system continuously monitors air quality parameters, compressor performance, and filter status, providing feedback that activates automatic shutdown or backup systems when safety thresholds are exceeded, thereby maintaining high safety integrity within the integrated design
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The system provides high-quality, safe breathing air by reducing pollutant concentrations and ensuring continuous supply through automatic fault detection and emergency backup activation, maintaining safe operational parameters and adhering to recognized breathing air quality standards.
Implementation Method 1
the process of creating compressed air comprises pumping air at ambient pressure into a restricted volume thereby increasing the air pressure
Implementation Method 2
an air purifier for removing pollutants from the compressed air
Implementation Method 3
part of the water vapour present in the air is condensed as a free liquid condensate
Implementation Method 4
heatless regeneration dryer to meet medical standards
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2A
Figure 2B
AI summary
A breathing air system provided in a single integrated unit for use in hazardous environments. The system has an air inlet for receiving air from an ambient air source, a compressor system which pressurizes the received air, an air purifier for removing pollutants from the compressed air, an air distribution system for supplying the compressed, purified air to an outlet, an emergency backup store of breathable compressed air and a safety control system with a plurality of sensors for monitoring safety critical parameters associated with operation of the breathing air system such that the emergency backup store of breathable compressed air is automatically connected to the outlet upon failure of the supply of compressed purified air and the compressor is automatically shut down when an abnormal operating condition occurs. The breathing air system is integrated into a single machine that is located within the hazardous environment where the breathing air is to be supplied. Accordingly, safety is improved because any fault in the air supply will occur locally on the machine and the emergency backup will be in operation as soon as a fault is detected.