US 4,761,209 A · System for the extraction and utilization of oxygen from fluids

Abstract

A method for extracting oxygen from a fluid environment, which comprises the steps of (1) contacting a first fluid environment containing oxygen with a first surface of a first oxygen permeable membrane having a first and a second surface, wherein the membrane separates the environment from an interior space of a closed container, (2) transporting a carrier fluid into contact with the second surface of the membrane, wherein the carrier fluid is confined in the closed container and the carrier fluid contains a binding-state oxygen carrier, whereby oxygen which diffuses through the membrane binds to the carrier to give a bound oxygen complex, (3) transporting the carrier fluid containing the bound oxygen complex to a first electrode compartment of an electrochemical cell which forms a second portion of the closed container, (4) electrochemically modifying the binding-state oxygen carrier to an oxidation state having less binding affinity for oxygen, thereby releasing free oxygen into the carrier fluid and producing a nonbinding-state oxygen carrier, (5) removing oxygen from the carrier fluid, (6) transporting the carrier fluid containing the nonbinding-state oxygen carrier to a second electrode compartment of an electrochemical cell which forms a third portion of the closed container, and (7) electrochemically modifying the nonbinding-state oxygen carrier to the binding-state oxygen carrier, is disclosed along with an apparatus useful for carrying out the method of the invention.

Claims42

Dependent claims

An apparatus for extracting oxygen from an environment surrounding said apparatus, which comprises:

a container having
(1) a first portion which comprises a first oxygen permeable membrane which defines at least a portion of an inner space of said container, said oxygen permeable membrane having a first surface adapted to be in contact with said environment and a second surface facing said interior space;
(2) a second portion which comprises a first electrode compartment of an electrochemical cell;
(3) a third portion which comprises a second electrode compartment of said electrochemical cell;
and
(4) means for removing oxygen from said container;
said container being adapted such that a fluid confined in said container passes from said first electrode compartment to said means for removing oxygen, from said means for removing oxygen to said second electrode compartment, from said second electrode compartment to said first portion of said container, and from said first portion of said container to said first electrode compartment.

4 more elements

A method for extracting oxygen from a fluid environment, which comprises the steps of:

(1) contacting a first fluid environment containing oxygen with a first surface of a first oxygen permeable membrane having a first and a second surface, wherein said membrane separates said environment from an interior space of a man-made container,
(2) contacting a carrier fluid with said second surface of said membrane, wherein said carrier fluid is confined in said container and said carrier fluid is confined in said container and said carrier fluid contains a binding-state oxygen carrier, whereby oxygen which diffuses through said membrane binds to said carrier to give a bound oxygen complex,
(3) transporting said carrier fluid containing said bound oxygen complex to an unloading station;
and
(4) removing oxygen from said carrier fluid to give an oxygen-depleted carrier fluid.

2 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

System for the extraction and utilization of oxygen from fluids

Life of this patent

System for the extraction and utilization of oxygen from fluids

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims42