US 5,388,413 A · Portable nitrogen source

Abstract

A nitrogen gas source for providing nitrogen gas at sequential work sites includes a channel for containing flowing gas at a pressure greater than ambient atmospheric pressure. A compressor provides compressed air at a pressure greater than atmospheric pressure to an up-stream end of the channel. A central portion of the channel includes a nitrogen module with a membrane wall portion for selectively constraining nitrogen within the channel while allowing other gases to escape from the channel through the membrane. A downstream portion of the channel includes a bifurcated channel section with a first bifurcated section passage having a first flow restrictor and second bifurcated section passage having a second flow restrictor. A two position valve allows flowing gas to be selectively directed through the first or second passage. The compressor, module and channel are mounted within a cabinet in fixed, functional relation and a handle is provided on the top of the cabinet to facilitate transport between work sites.

Claims4

Dependent claims

An apparatus for providing nitrogen gas at sequential work sites comprising:

a channel with constraining walls for containing flowing nitrogen gas at a pressure greater than ambient atmospheric pressure, said channel having an upstream end and a down stream end;
a compressor for providing compressed air at a pressure greater than atmospheric pressure to said up-stream end of said channel;
a membrane wall portion of said channel between said upstream end and said downstream end, said constraining wall of said membrane wall portion comprising a membrane for selectively constraining nitrogen within said channel while allowing another gas to pass through said membrane and without said channel;
a cabinet for containing said compressor and said channel in fixed, relative, functional relation;
transport facilitation means for facilitating transport of said cabinet from a first of the work sites to a second of the work sites;
a bifurcated channel section with a first and second bifurcated section passage;
a first flow restrictor located within said first bifurcated section passage;
a second flow restrictor located within said second bifurcated section passage;
and,
valve means for selectively directing a flow of gas through said first or said second passage.

7 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Portable nitrogen source

Life of this patent

Portable nitrogen source

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims4