Oxygen concentrator utilizing electrochemical cell
AssigneeInvacare Corporation
InventorGregory A. Michaels
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Abstract
An oxygen concentration system for producing oxygen from air comprises an electrochemical oxygen generator mounted within an inner housing. The generator has an outer surface and is adapted to extract oxygen from air by means of an electrochemical reaction. The oxygen generator fits within an inner housing having the form of an annulus. The inner housing is insulated and is spaced from the outer surface of the oxygen generator to create a first passageway. Air in the first passageway is heated by the generator and rises upwardly out of the passageway by means of convection.
Claims56
An oxygen concentration system for producing oxygen from oxygen-containing gases and mixtures of gases, said system comprising:
- an electromechanical oxygen generator, said generator having an outer surface and means for extracting oxygen from the gases by an electromechanical reaction;
- and,
- an inner housing, said inner housing having inner, outer, base, and top surfaces, said generator mounted within said inner housing so that a first passageway is created between said inner surface of said inner housing and an outer surface of said generator, said first passageway having a first inlet near said base surface of said inner housing and having a first outlet near said top surface of said inner housing, said first passageway passing the gases entering said first inlet to said first outlet, the gases exiting said first passageway being in a heat-exchanging relationship with the gases entering said first inlet.
An oxygen concentration system for producing oxygen from oxygen-containing gases and mixtures of gases, said system comprising:
- an electromechanical oxygen generator, said generator having an outer surface and means for extracting oxygen from the gases by an electrochemical reaction;
- an inner housing, said inner housing having inner, outer, base, and top surfaces, said generator mounted within said inner housing so that a first passageway is created between said inner surface of said inner housing and an outer surface of said generator, said first passageway having a first inlet near said base surface of said inner housing and having a first outlet near said top surface of said inner housing, said first passageway passing the gases entering said first inlet to said first outlet;
- and,
- an outer housing, said outer housing having inner, outer, base, and top surfaces, said inner housing being mounted within said outer housing so that a second passageway is created between said inner surface of said outer housing and said outer surface of said inner housing.
An oxygen concentration system for producing oxygen from oxygen-containing gases and mixtures of gases, said system comprising:
- an electrochemical oxygen generator, said generator having an outer surface and means for extracting oxygen from the gases by an electrochemical reaction;
- an inner housing, said inner housing having inner, outer, based, and top surfaces, said generator mounted within said inner housing so that a first passageway is created between said inner surface of said inner housing and an outer surface of said generator, said first passageway having a first inlet near said base surface of said inner housing and having a first outlet near said top surface of said inner housing, said first passageway passing the gases entering said first inlet to said first outlet by means of conviction;
- and,
- a reflective shield, said shield made of a material suitable to reflect infrared radiation emanating from said inner housing back into said inner housing, said shield mounted below said inner housing.
An oxygen concentration system for producing oxygen from oxygen-containing gases and mixtures of gases, said system comprising:
- an electrochemical oxygen generator, said generator having an outer surface and means for extracting oxygen from the gases by an electrochemical reaction;
- an inner housing, said inner housing having inner, outer, based, and top surfaces, said generator mounted within said inner housing so that a first passageway is created between said inner surface of said inner housing and an outer surface of said generator, said first passageway having a first inlet near said base surface of said inner housing and having a first outlet near said top surface of said inner housing, said first passageway passing the gases entering said first inlet to said first outlet by means of convection;
- and,
- a reflective shield, said shield suitable to reflect infrared radiation emanating from said inner housing back into said inner housing, said shield mounted above said inner housing.
An oxygen concentration system for producing oxygen from oxygen-containing gases and mixtures of gases, said system comprising:
- an electrochemical oxygen generator, said generator having an outer surface and means for extracting oxygen from the gases by an electrochemical reaction;
- an inner housing, said inner housing having inner, outer, base, and top surfaces, said generator mounted within said inner housing so that a first passageway is created between said inner surface of said inner housing and an outer surface of said generator, said first passageway having a first inlet near said base surface of said inner housing and having a first outlet near said top surface of said inner housing, said first passageway passing the gases entering said first inlet to said first outlet by means of convection;
- an outer housing, said outer housing having inner, outer, base, and top surfaces, said inner housing being mounted within said outer housing so that a second passageway is created between said inner surface of said outer housing and said outer surface of said inner housing;
- and,
- a cap, said cap having an interior and an exterior surface, said cap attached to said top surface of said outer housing, said cap having a fourth inlet.
An apparatus for extracting oxygen from oxygen-containing gases and mixtures of gases, said apparatus comprising:
- an outer cylinder, said outer cylinder having an inner and outer surface;
- an inner cylinder fitting concentrically within said outer cylinder, said inner cylinder having an inner and outer surface, said outer surface of said inner cylinder being spaced from said inner surface of said outer cylinder, said spacing creating an outer gap between said outer and inner cylinders;
- and,
- tubular oxygen extraction means, said extraction means fitting concentrically within said inner cylinder so that an inner gap is formed between said inner cylinder and said extraction means, said extraction means generating heat via the application of electric current.
A method for extracting oxygen from oxygen-containing gases and mixtures of gases, said method comprising the steps of:
- energizing an electrochemical generator, said generator for generating oxygen from the gases upon the application of an electric current;
- confining said generating within an enclosed first housing so that a relatively narrow first gap is created between said first housing and said generator;
- heating the the gases in said first gap;
- and,
- upwardly transporting the gases in said first gap by placing the gases heated in said first gap in heat-exchanging relationship with gases entering said first gap.
A method for extracting oxygen from the oxygen-containing gases and mixtures of gases, said method comprising the steps of:
- energizing an electrochemical generator, said generator for generating oxygen from the gases upon the application of an electric current;
- confining said generator within an enclosed first housing so that a relatively narrow first gap is created between said first housing and said generator;
- confining said generator and said first housing in an enclosed second housing so that a relatively narrow second gap is created between said second housing and said first housing, said second gap being operatively connected to the base of said first gap;
- introducing cooler gases into said second gap:
- heating the gases in said first gap;
- and,
- upwardly transporting the gases in said first gap by means of convection.
A method of moving oxygen-containing gases and mixtures of gases past a cylindrical electrochemical oxygen generator, said generator mounted concentrically within a cylindrical first housing so that a first passageway is formed between the generator and the first housing, said method of moving oxygen-containing gases and mixtures of gases comprising:
- heating the gases in said first passageway;
- introducing cooler gases above the gases in said first passageway;
- and,
- moving the gases in said first passageway by means of convection.
A method of moving oxygen-containing gases and mixtures of gases past a cylindrical electrochemical oxygen generator, said generator mounted concentrically within a cylindrical first housing so that a first passageway is formed between said generator and said first housing, said first housing mounted concentrically within a cylindrical second housing so that a second passageway is formed between said first housing and said second housing, said second passageway being connected to a base of said first air passageway, a cap mounted on said second housing so that a mixing zone is formed above said first and second air passageways, said method of moving the gases comprising the steps of:
- heating the gases in said first passageway;
- introducing cooler gases into said mixing zone in a circular fashion to create a vortex, said vortex creating a zone of low pressure above said first passageway;
- and,
- directing the cooler gases downwardly into said second passageway, the cooler gases effective to displace warmer gases at said base of said first passageway.
A method of controlling the temperature within an oxygen concentration system, said system comprising an electrochemical oxygen generator mounted within inner and outer housings and a blower, said method comprising:
- energizing said electrochemical generator, said generator capable of generating oxygen from oxygen-containing gases and mixtures of gases upon application of an electric current;
- confining said generating within said inner housing so that a relatively narrow first gap is created between said inner housing and said generator, and a relatively narrow second gap is created between said first housing and said second housing;
- energizing said blower so that gases are introduced within said cap;
- and,
- adjusting the flow rate of said blower until the positive pressure within said cap is great enough to overcome and reverse the forces of convection within said first gap.
A method of raising the temperature of oxygen-containing gases and mixtures of gases within an oxygen concentration system, said system comprising an electrochemical oxygen generator mounted within inner and outer housings and a blower, said method comprising the steps of:
- energizing said electrochemical generator, said generator for generating oxygen from the gases upon application of an electric current;
- confining said generator within said inner housing so that a relatively narrow first gap is created between said inner housing and said generator, and a relatively narrow second gap is created between said first housing and said second housing;
- energizing said blower so that the gases are introduced within said cap;
- and,
- adjusting the flow rate of said blower until the positive pressure within said cap is great enough to equalize forces of convection within said first gap, thereby causing air flow within said first gap to substantially cease.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.