Plasma Pump Oxygen Separation System
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing oxygen concentrators for home care are costly, inconvenient due to noise and maintenance, and generate non-sterile oxygen, with nitrogen adsorption requiring a swing process and using compressors that are noisy and bulky.
Innovation Solution
A method involving a plasma pump to compress and heat an oxygen-containing gas, which is then passed through a dense inorganic membrane to separate oxygen, eliminating the need for additional heating and reducing noise, size, and cost, while generating sterile oxygen on demand.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Stress or pressure
If a compressor is used to compress oxygen-containing gas, then the gas compression function is achieved, but noise increases and device size increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the mechanical compressor system with a plasma-based compression system. The plasma pump uses electromagnetic fields and plasma physics to compress oxygen-containing gas, eliminating the mechanical moving parts that generate noise. This substitution resolves the contradiction by achieving gas compression without the harmful noise associated with traditional mechanical compressors.
2Quantity of substance
If an organic membrane is used to separate oxygen, then oxygen separation is achieved, but nitrogen adsorption occurs requiring a swing process which increases complexity
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the fundamental parameter of the separation medium from organic membrane to inorganic membrane. This parameter change fundamentally alters the interaction with nitrogen gas, eliminating adsorption. The inorganic membrane maintains oxygen separation capability while preventing nitrogen adsorption, thereby eliminating the need for the swing process and reducing system complexity.
3Device complexity
If a plasma pump is used to compress and heat gas, then additional heating equipment is eliminated, but energy input is required to generate plasma
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the compression function and heating function into a single plasma pump device. The plasma generation process inherently produces both compression and heating effects simultaneously. This merging eliminates the need for separate heating equipment while the energy input for plasma generation is offset by the elimination of separate heating system energy requirements.
4Quantity of substance
If traditional oxygen concentrators are used, then oxygen generation is achieved, but maintenance requirements increase and device size increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces mechanical compression and heating systems with a plasma-based system that has fewer moving parts. The plasma pump and inorganic membrane system eliminates mechanical wear components, thereby reducing maintenance requirements. This substitution maintains oxygen generation capability while significantly improving ease of repair and reducing maintenance frequency.
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 approach reduces costs and maintenance, improves convenience by minimizing noise, and ensures sterile oxygen production without the need for swing processes, making it suitable for home care applications.
Implementation Method 1
compressing and heating the oxygen containing gas in a plasma pump
Implementation Method 2
a dense inorganic membrane to separate oxygen, eliminating the need for additional heating
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2~3
AI summary
The invention relates to a method of separating oxygen from an oxygen containing gas, said method comprising the steps of: compressing and heating the oxygen containing gas in a plasma pump (16), guiding the heated and compressed oxygen containing gas to the primary side of a dense inorganic membrane (58), thereby heating the inorganic membrane by the oxygen containing gas to a temperature at which it is permeable for oxygen, and creating a pressure difference between the primary side and a secondary side of the inorganic membrane (58), wherein an oxygen flow through the inorganic membrane (58) is created, thereby separating the oxygen from the oxygen containing gas.