Continuous nitrox mixer
AssigneeThe United States of America as represented by the Department of Commerce
InventorJ. Morgan Wells
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
The continuous NITROX mixer is a pre-calibrated, continuous flow, gas mix system and a method which combines pure oxygen and air at atmospheric pressure, to create a final mixture of predetermined composition. Constituent gases are regulated to the same pressure and temperature before oxygen is metered through precision micro-metering valves. The system proportions the amounts of each gas and delivers the final mixture to a common mixing chamber. Delivery pressure can be adjusted up to 3000 PSI, making the system suitable for filling SCUBA or storage cylinders.
Claims6
A system for forming precise and regulated mixture percentages of oxygen and air in a breathing gas comprising:
- means for supplying a stream of oxygen gas;
- means for injecting said oxygen into a stream of ambient air;
- means for mixing said oxygen and ambient air;
- means for compressing said mixed gas stream;
- and
- means for analyzing and distributing said compressed gas stream into high pressure storage tanks.
A method of mixing precise and regulated mixtures of oxygen and air in a breathing gas comprising:
- providing a fluid stream of ambient air;
- injecting oxygen through precision micro-metering valves into said fluid stream;
- mixing said oxygen containing fluid stream;
- compressing said fluid stream to a high pressure breathing gas up to 3000 PSI;
- measuring the percentage of the oxygen in said breathing gas;
- and
- transferring said breathing gas into high pressure storage tanks.
A system for forming a precise and regulated mixture percentages of oxygen and air in a breathing gas comprising:
- gas intake means for supplying a stream of ambient air;
- an oxygen gas supply for providing oxygen to be mixed;
- oxygen injection means having pre-calibrated precision micro-metering valves programmed to provide precise proportions of oxygen to said stream of ambient air;
- a mixing chamber couples with said gas intake means for mixing said oxygen and air stream;
- a non-oil lubricated high pressure compressor coupled to said mixing chamber for increasing the pressure of said oxygen and air stream to desired pressure up to 3000 PSI;
- and
- oxygen analyzing and distributing means coupled to said compressor and adapted to measure the percentage of oxygen in said oxygen and air stream and transferring said breathing gas into a high pressure storage means.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.