Onboard Ceramic Oxygen Generation System for Aircraft
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current onboard oxygen generation systems for aircraft, particularly those using ceramic oxygen generation systems, face limitations in oxygen output efficiency due to high power, weight, and size requirements, making them impractical for aircraft applications, and existing rebreathing technologies are not designed for onboard use.
Innovation Solution
An onboard rebreathing loop system integrating a ceramic oxygen generating system, carbon dioxide scrubber, odor removal module, air temperature and humidity control, and gas sensors to maintain optimal oxygen partial pressure, with a backup oxygen system for supplementary support and COGS recharging.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Quantity of substance
If ceramic oxygen generation system is used to provide entire air supply at 25 LPM, then oxygen purity is improved (theoretically 100%), but power consumption, weight, and size increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The system provides only the necessary oxygen to replace what is consumed by metabolism (0.3-2 LPM) rather than supplying the entire breathing air stream (25 LPM). This partial action approach uses COGS to generate high purity oxygen that is then mixed with ambient air in the breathing loop, dramatically reducing the electrical power requirement while maintaining adequate oxygen supply.
Solution Approach 2:
High purity oxygen is generated locally at the point of need within the breathing loop and mixed with ambient air to create the final breathable mixture. This localized oxygen generation allows the system to maintain high oxygen purity where needed without requiring the entire air supply to be purified, reducing overall system power consumption and size.
2Quantity of substance
If ceramic oxygen generation system provides entire air supply at 25 LPM, then oxygen supply is improved, but weight and size of the system increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system generates only the portion of oxygen needed to replace metabolic consumption (0.3-2 LPM) rather than processing the entire 25 LPM breathing stream. This partial oxygen generation approach dramatically reduces the weight of the COGS unit and associated components while still maintaining adequate oxygen supply to the pilot.
3Productivity
If rebreathing technology is used to deliver only necessary oxygen, then oxygen efficiency is improved, but system complexity increases due to CO2 removal requirements
Solution Approach 1:
The system merges the CO2 scrubbing function with the oxygen generation and mixing functions in an integrated breathing loop system. The CO2 scrubber, COGS, and air mixing components work together as a unified system, managing multiple functions (CO2 removal, O2 generation, gas mixing, temperature control) within a single closed-loop architecture, which improves oxygen efficiency while controlling overall system complexity through functional integration.
4Device complexity
If molecular sieve based OBOGS is used, then system simplicity is improved, but oxygen purity is limited to about 93%
Solution Approach 1:
The system replaces the mechanical valve-based separation system with a ceramic oxygen generation system that uses electrochemical or membrane-based separation. This substitution achieves higher oxygen purity (>90% typically, up to 100% theoretically) while maintaining acceptable system complexity, as the COGS uses electrical or pressure-driven processes rather than complex mechanical valve assemblies.
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-purity oxygen efficiently, reduces weight and size, minimizes contaminant entry, and extends backup oxygen supply duration, while maintaining optimal breathing conditions for aircraft personnel.
Implementation Method 1
A ceramic oxygen generation system (COGS) is based on oxygen ion conduction through a dense ceramic membrane driven by either electrical potential difference or oxygen partial pressure difference across the ceramic membrane
Implementation Method 2
a carbon dioxide (CO2) scrubber module configured to receive exhaled air from the aircraft personnel and output a CO2-scrubbed air into the breathing loop
Data Source
AI summary
An onboard rebreathing loop system resident on an aircraft for providing oxygen to aircraft personnel includes a ceramic oxygen generating system (COGS) module configured to receive an inlet air and output a high purity oxygen (O2) gas into a breathing loop and a carbon dioxide (CO2) scrubber module configured to receive exhaled air from the aircraft personnel and output a CO2-scrubbed air into the breathing loop. The high purity O2 gas and CO2-scrubbed air are mixed to form a mixed gas having a partial pressure of O2 suitable for breathing by the aircraft personnel. The onboard rebreathing loop system may further include an odor removal module, an air temperature and/or humidity control module to condition the mixed gas before breathing by the aircraft personnel, and a gas sensor module to confirm the partial pressure of O2 within the mixed gas before breathing by the aircraft personnel.