Gill for extracting oxygen from oxygen bearing fluids
AssigneeAquanautics Corporation
InventorsJoseph V. Ryzin, Jose M. Andres, Dale Jensen, Robert Ruggieri
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Abstract
An apparatus for extracting oxygen from sea water in which a plurality of hollow gill members carry on oxygen extracting heme and are positioned within a diffuser. A flow of oxygen bearing liquid, such as sea water, passes through the diffuser and around the gill membranes. The gill membranes are angled with respect to the flow of sea water. The diffuser has a reduced section intake and outlet, and is divided into a number of channels, with the result that the drag force is reduced while maintaining adequate oxygen extraction. Propellers compensate for drag force losses.
Claims9
An apparatus for extracting oxygen from an oxygen bearing liquid, comprising:
- a plurality of hollow cylindrical gills formed of gas permeable membranes;
- means for flowing through each of said gills a carrier fluid having dissolved therein a heme-like compound capable of absorbing and desorbing oxygen passign through said membranes,
- means for providing relative movement between said apparatus and a source of oxygen bearing liquid so as to form a moving stream of said liquid;
- and
- means for guiding said stream of liquid past said membranes in a flow direction,
- wherein an angle .beta. formed between said flow direction and the longitudinal axes of said gills is less than 90.degree., whereby the drag force of said apparatus is reduced;
- wherein saidmeans for guiding comprise a diffuser conduit having:
- an intake communicating with said source of liquid and having a first sectional area;
- a membrane supporting region in which said membranes are positioned, said membrane supporting region having a second sectional area larger than said first sectional area;
- and an outlet communicating with said source of liquid downstream from said membrane supporting region in said flow direction, said outlet having a third sectional area small than said second section area;
- and
- wherein said means for providing relative movement comprises means in said intake or outlet for propelling liquid within said intake in said flow direction, whereby drag losses are compensated for.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.