Process and apparatus for providing breathing gas
AssigneeLinde Aktiengesellschaft
InventorsGerhard Beysel, Rudiger von Saldern
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A process and apparatus provides breathing gas for occupants of pressurized cabins, e.g., cabins in aircraft, by passing a compressed air through adsorbers for increasing the relative oxygen concentration thereof. The same apparatus is simultaneously employed for providing an emergency breathing gas supply stock. In normal operation, the supply from the adsorber is selectively switched to partially flow into an emergency storage tank for storing enriched oxygen breathing gas therein, and then switched back into supplying a total flow of the normal breathing gas for the occupants of the pressurized cabin. In the event of a system shut-down, the thus provided emergency storage tank is switched on to supply the emergency breathing gas.
Claims20
In a process for providing breathing gas for occupants of pressurized cabins in aircraft wherein said breathing gas is normally provided by passing air through adsorbers in aircraft for increasing the oxygen concentration of the air, the improvement comprising:
- withdrawing a portion of the oxygen-enriched breathing gas from said adsorbers and storing said portion of oxygen enriched breathing gas as an emergency supply of breathing gas for consumption only in the event of an interruption of the normal breathing gas supply.
An apparatus for providing breathing gas to occupants of pressurized cabins in aircraft by the enrichment of oxygen in adsorbers in the aircraft, comprising a plurality of elements connected in series for providing a flow path for the air to be processed, and said plurality of elements comprising:
- a filter (3);
- a breathing gas generator (4), including plural adsorbers, connected to said filter (3);
- a breathing gas outlet conduit (6) connected to said breathing gas generator (4);
- and an emergency storage tank (40) connected to the breathing gas outlet conduit (6) by means of a branch conduit (9), with said emergency storage tank having means associated therewith such that breathing gas is fed thereto through said branch conduit (9) only when breathing gas produced by said breathing gas generator (4) exceeds a predetermined minimum O.sub.2 concentration, and means adapted to supply breathing gas stored therein only upon an interruption of the breathing gas supply from said breathing gas generator (4).
In a process for providing breathing gas for occupants of pressurized cabins in aircraft wherein said breathing gas is normally provided by passing air through adsorbers in the aircraft for increasing the oxygen concentration of the air, the improvement comprising:
- withdrawing a portion of the oxygen-enriched breathing gas from said adsorbers and storing said portion of oxygen enriched breathing gas as an emergency supply of breathing gas for consumption in the event of an interruption of the normal breathing gas supply, and wherein said withdrawing step is conducted by monitoring the fluctuating composition of the breathing gas, and branching off the position of the flow into the emergency supply when the gas exiting from the adsorbers has an oxygen concentration greater than the oxygen concentration normally required for breathing gas.
An apparatus for providing breathing gas to occupants of pressurized cabins in aircraft by the enrichment of oxygen in adsorbers in the aircraft, comprising a plurality of elements in series for providing a flow path for the air to be processed, and said plurality of elements comprising:
- a filter (3);
- a breathing gas generator (4), including plural adsorbers, connected to said filter (3);
- a breathing gas outlet conduit (6) connected to said breathing gas generator;
- an emergency storage tank (40) connected to the breathing gas outlet conduit (6) by means of a branch conduit (9);
- branch conduit valve means (10) arranged in branch conduit (9);
- oxygen concentration sensing means associated with said breathing gas outlet conduit (6) and said branch conduit valve means (10);
- and said branch conduit valve means (10) adapted for opening to direct a partial flow of gas produced by said breathing gas generator (4) to said emergency storage tank (40) when said oxygen concentration sensing means senses a minimum oxygen concentration of the gas produced by said breathing gas generator of at least about 60%.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.