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US 11,945,720 B2Granted
Apparatus and method for generating nitric oxide in controlled and accurate amounts
AssigneeNitricGen, Inc.
InventorsFrederick John Montgomery, Cory Casper, Duncan P. L. Bathe, Tye Gribb
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A nitric oxide generator generates nitric oxide from a mixture of nitrogen and oxygen such as air treated by a pulsating electrical discharge. The desired concentration of nitric oxide is obtained by controlling at least one of a frequency of the pulsating electrical discharge and duration of each electrical discharge pulse.
Claims33
A method for generating nitric oxide comprising:
- (i) providing a flow of a reactant gas comprising nitrogen and oxygen to an apparatus comprising:
- (a) a reaction chamber;
- (b) an inlet to provide the flow of the reactant gas comprising nitrogen and oxygen to the reaction chamber;
- (c) a pair of electrodes in the reaction chamber and separated by a gap;
- (d) an electronic control circuit in communication with the electrodes to generate an electric arc discharge across the gap, wherein the electronic control circuit is configured to control a pulse frequency of the electric arc discharge and a pulse duration of the electric arc discharge independent of the pulse frequency;
- (e) an outlet for a product gas comprising nitric oxide;
- (ii) promoting the electric arc discharge across the electrodes through the gas flow while controlling the pulse frequency of the electric arc discharge and the pulse duration of the electric arc discharge to produce the product gas comprising nitric oxide;
- and
- (iii) outputting the product gas comprising nitric oxide.
6 more elements
A method for generating nitric oxide comprising:
- (i) providing a flow of a reactant gas comprising nitrogen and oxygen to an apparatus comprising:
- (a) a reaction chamber;
- (b) an inlet to provide the flow of the reactant gas comprising nitrogen and oxygen to the reaction chamber;
- (c) a pair of electrodes located in the reaction chamber and separated by a gap;
- (d) an electronic control circuit in communication with the electrodes to generate an electric arc discharge across the gap, wherein the electronic control circuit is configured to control a pulse frequency of the electric arc discharge and a pulse duration of the electric arc discharge independent of the pulse frequency;
- wherein the pulse frequency of the electric arc discharge is within a range of 0.1 and 100 Hz, and the pulse duration of the electric arc discharge is within a range of 20 microseconds and 500 milliseconds,
- (e) one or more sensors;
- (f) one or more filters;
- and
- (g) an outlet for a product gas comprising nitric oxide;
- (ii) promoting the electric arc discharge across the electrodes through the gas flow while controlling the pulse frequency of the electric arc discharge and the pulse duration of the electric arc discharge to produce the product gas comprising nitric oxide;
- and
- (iii) outputting the product gas comprising nitric oxide.
10 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.