Method for process-integrated oxygen supply of a hydrogen circulation engine comprising recirculation of a noble gas

A method for operating a closed-cycle hydrogen engine with an oxidizer gas comprising oxygen and an inert gas not participating in the combustion, the method comprising:

• cycling a gas mixture, and separating a combustion-product water by condensing out, by performing the steps of:
• alternatingly operating, in two phases, at least two reactors, each filled with oxygen-storage material to obtain oxygen needed for combustion directly from air surrounding the closed-cycle hydrogen engine, including:
• in a first phase, filling the at least two reactors with air so that oxygen contained in the air is stored in the oxygen-storage material, and
• in a second phase purging the at least two reactors which were enriched with the oxygen in the oxygen-storage material with the gas mixture expelled from the combustion engine so that the gas mixture is enriched with the oxygen stored in the oxygen-storage material;
• separating water from the oxygen-enriched gas mixture resulting from the second phase by condensing the water out to produce the oxidizer gas containing the oxygen and the inert gas;
• supplying the oxidizer gas to the closed-cycle hydrogen engine.