Thin-Film Oxygen Membrane with Support Bars for PSA Systems
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current pressure swing adsorption systems for oxygen separation face challenges in maintenance behavior, lifetime, and energy consumption, particularly in on-demand oxygen generation for medical applications, due to limitations in mass-transfer and heat-transfer properties and abrasion issues with traditional sorbent beads.
Innovation Solution
The use of a thin-film oxygen separation membrane supported by a structure of multiple non-contacting support bars, which enhances mass-transfer and heat-transfer efficiency while preventing abrasion, and incorporates zeolite materials for effective oxygen separation without the need for gas cylinders, allowing for improved maintenance and longer device life.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If traditional sorbent beads are used in pressure swing adsorption systems, then oxygen separation can be achieved, but abrasion occurs leading to dust particle formation and reduced maintenance behavior
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies this principle by using a thin-film oxygen separation membrane instead of traditional sorbent beads. The membrane is a continuous thin film structure that eliminates the abrasion issues associated with discrete beads, thereby improving maintenance behavior and preventing dust particle formation while maintaining oxygen separation functionality.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs composite materials by combining the oxygen separation sorbent with a supportive matrix or substrate to form a composite membrane structure. This composite approach provides mechanical strength to prevent membrane damage while maintaining the separation performance, thus improving reliability without generating harmful abrasion particles.
2Productivity
If thin-film oxygen separation membrane is used, then mass-transfer and heat-transfer efficiency are enhanced, but the membrane requires support structure to prevent damage
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses a thin-film membrane structure that provides high mass-transfer and heat-transfer efficiency due to its thin nature, while the membrane is designed with sufficient mechanical strength or is supported by a structure to prevent damage during operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The membrane is constructed as a composite material combining the separation-active thin film with a mechanically stronger support layer or matrix, allowing the thin film to provide high transfer efficiency while the composite structure provides the necessary mechanical strength.
3Reliability
If support bars are added to hold the membrane, then membrane stability is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The support structure is segmented into discrete support bars rather than a continuous complex framework. These segmented support bars are strategically positioned to provide necessary membrane stability while minimizing the overall complexity of the support structure.
Solution Approach 2:
The support bars act as intermediary elements between the thin membrane and the housing or flow channels, providing mechanical stability to the membrane without requiring a complex integrated support structure. The bars mediate the mechanical loads and stabilize the membrane in place.
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
This configuration significantly improves the maintenance behavior, energy efficiency, and longevity of the oxygen separation device by reducing abrasion and enhancing gas exchange, leading to higher oxygen separation capacity and purity, while minimizing the formation of dust particles and pressure drop.
Implementation Method 1
an oxygen separation membrane comprising an oxygen separation sorbent being capable of separating oxygen from an oxygen comprising gas by sorbing at least one component of the oxygen comprising gas apart from oxygen
Implementation Method 2
The use of a thin-film oxygen separation membrane supported by a structure of multiple non-contacting support bars, which enhances mass-transfer and heat-transfer efficiency
Implementation Method 3
The use of a thin-film oxygen separation membrane supported by a structure of multiple non-contacting support bars, which enhances mass-transfer and heat-transfer efficiency
Data Source
Figure 1
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AI summary
The present invention refers to an oxygen separation device (12, 14) for a pressure swing adsorption system. In order to provide at least one of improved maintenance behavior, longer lifetime and improved energy consumption, the oxygen separation device (12, 14) comprises a gas inlet (18, 22) at a primary side for guiding a flow of oxygen comprising gas into the oxygen separation device(12, 14) and a gas outlet(28, 30) at a secondary side for guiding a flow of oxygen enriched gas out of the oxygen separation device (12, 14),an oxygen separation membrane (78) comprising an oxygen separation sorbent being capable of separating oxygen from an oxygen comprising gas by sorbing at least one component of the oxygen comprising gas apart from oxygen, and a support structure (80) for supporting the oxygen separation membrane (78), wherein the support structure (80) comprises a plurality of support bars (82) being fixed to the oxygen separation membrane (78). The invention further relates to an oxygen separator(10) and to a method of generating an oxygen separation device (12, 14) for a pressure swing adsorption system.