Hybrid PSA and Dense Membrane Oxygen Generation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing oxygen concentrators for medical use are costly and produce oxygen with concentrations typically below 93%, which may be insufficient for many applications, and require high maintenance due to the use of multiple separation devices.
Innovation Solution
A method involving intermittent guidance of oxygen-rich gas through adsorption chambers with oxygen separation adsorbents, followed by purification using a dense ceramic membrane, where the enriched gas is heated to separate oxygen, and the generated pure oxygen is used to regenerate the adsorbent, reducing maintenance and energy consumption.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Quantity of substance
If pressure swing adsorption is used to generate oxygen, then oxygen concentration can be increased, but the concentration typically remains below 95% which is insufficient for many applications
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines pressure swing adsorption (PSA) with a dense membrane separation process in a hybrid system. The PSA unit pre-concentrates oxygen from air to approximately 90-95% purity, and then the dense membrane further purifies this stream to achieve >99% oxygen purity. This merging of two separation mechanisms resolves the contradiction by achieving both high concentration and high purity that neither method can achieve alone.
Solution Approach 2:
The dense membrane acts as an intermediary between the PSA unit and the final oxygen product. It receives the pre-concentrated oxygen stream from PSA and performs the final purification step, mediating the transition from high concentration to high purity oxygen. This intermediary approach allows the system to leverage the strengths of both separation technologies.
2Manufacturing precision
If multiple oxygen separation devices are used to achieve high purity oxygen, then oxygen purity can be increased, but maintenance costs increase due to more components
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges PSA and dense membrane technologies into a single integrated oxygen generation system. While this does combine two separation mechanisms, the design integrates them so that the PSA unit handles the bulk of the separation work, and the dense membrane provides final polishing. This integration reduces maintenance complexity compared to using multiple separate high-purity devices in series, as the system is optimized to work together with unified control and monitoring.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes operating parameters dynamically - using pressure swing in the adsorption chambers and temperature control in the dense membrane - to optimize performance while reducing maintenance. By adjusting these parameters, the system can operate at optimal efficiency points that minimize wear and maintenance requirements while achieving high purity output.
3Manufacturing precision
If a dense membrane is used to separate oxygen, then oxygen purity can be increased, but energy consumption increases due to heating requirements
Solution Approach 1:
The PSA unit performs preliminary oxygen concentration before the gas stream enters the dense membrane. By pre-concentrating oxygen to 90-95% purity in the PSA unit, the subsequent membrane separation requires less energy-intensive heating and processing to achieve the final high purity target. This preliminary action reduces the overall energy burden on the membrane unit.
Solution Approach 2:
The hybrid PSA-membrane system merges two separation mechanisms where PSA handles the energy-intensive pre-concentration at lower temperatures, and the dense membrane performs final purification with optimized heating. This division of labor reduces total energy consumption compared to using the membrane alone for both concentration and purification steps.
4Ease of operation
If conventional oxygen concentrators are used, then oxygen can be provided on demand, but the oxygen concentration typically remains below 93% which may be too low for medical applications
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges PSA and dense membrane technologies in a hybrid system that maintains on-demand oxygen generation capability while achieving >99% purity. The PSA unit continuously processes air to pre-concentrate oxygen, and the dense membrane continuously purifies this stream, providing high-purity oxygen on demand without requiring storage tanks or pre-filled cylinders.
Solution Approach 2:
The system maintains continuous operation of both PSA and membrane units to provide uninterrupted high-purity oxygen on demand. The PSA chambers operate in continuous cyclic mode, and the dense membrane operates continuously, ensuring steady supply of medical-grade oxygen without interruption or need for manual intervention.
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 method achieves oxygen concentrations of up to 100% purity with reduced energy and maintenance costs, making it suitable for homecare and other applications where space and power efficiency are critical.
Implementation Method 1
intermittently guiding a stream of oxygen comprising gas through at least one adsorption chamber being equipped with an oxygen separation adsorbent, thereby defining an adsorption mode and a desorption mode
Implementation Method 2
heating the dense membrane to a temperature at which it is permeable for oxygen, generating an oxygen flow through the dense membrane to its secondary side, thereby separating the oxygen from the enriched oxygen comprising gas
Implementation Method 3
guiding at least a part of the generated oxygen through the at least one adsorption chamber being in desorption mode
Data Source
AI summary
The invention relates to a method of generating oxygen. The method comprises the steps of: intermittently guiding a stream of oxygen comprising gas through at least one adsorption chamber (12) being equipped with an oxygen separation adsorbent (16), thereby defining an adsorption mode and a desorption mode of the at least one adsorption chamber (12), and thereby enriching the oxygen comprising gas with respect to oxygen, guiding the enriched oxygen comprising gas to a primary side of a dense membrane (52), heating the dense membrane(52) to a temperature at which it is permeable for oxygen, generating an oxygen flow through the dense membrane (52) to its secondary side, thereby separating the oxygen from the enriched oxygen comprising gas and forming a stream of oxygen. According to the invention, the invention further comprises the step of guiding at least a part of the generated oxygen through the at least one adsorption chamber (12) being in desorption mode. The method according to the invention allows generating oxygen in a high purity, thereby being energy saving, cost saving and being performable in a compact device.