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US 2009/0260253 A1Published application
Apparatus and method of drying using a gas separation membrane
OwnerKeith A. Roberts, Ryan Hoitink +1inventors
InventorsKeith A. Roberts, Ryan Hoitink, Michael Spearman
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Abstract
An membrane drying system comprising: a chamber, a vacuum pump, a sweep gas source, and a membrane device, wherein the membrane device comprises a membrane, a first inlet in fluid communication with the chamber and the membrane, a first outlet in fluid communication with the membrane and the vacuum pump, a second inlet in fluid communication with the sweep gas source and the membrane, and a second outlet in fluid communication with the membrane.
Claims26
A membrane drying system comprising:
- a chamber;
- a vacuum pump;
- a sweep gas source;
- and
- a membrane device, comprising
- a membrane,
- a first inlet in fluid communication with the chamber and the membrane,
- a first outlet in fluid communication with the membrane and the vacuum pump,
- a second inlet in fluid communication with the sweep gas source and the membrane, and
- a second outlet in fluid communication with the membrane.
7 more elements
A method of drying, comprising the steps of:
- a. reducing the pressure surrounding a product within a chamber;
- b. drawing a chamber gas into a membrane device;
- c. feeding a sweep gas through a membrane device;
- d. exhausting the sweep gas from the membrane device;
- e. exhausting the chamber gas from the membrane device;
- and
- f. warming a surface upon which the frozen object rests.
4 more elements
An apparatus for drying comprising:
- a chamber;
- a vacuum pump;
- a sweep gas source;
- and
- a membrane device, comprising
- a membrane,
- a first inlet in fluid communication with the chamber and the membrane through which gas from the chamber enters the membrane,
- a first outlet in fluid communication with the membrane and the vacuum pump through which gas from the chamber exits the membrane into the vacuum pump,
- a second inlet in fluid communication with the sweep gas source and the membrane for directing sweep gas into the membrane, and
- a second outlet in fluid communication with the membrane for directing the sweep gas out of the membrane.
7 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.