Apparatus employing porous diaphragms for producing useful work

A method suitable for producing heating and/or cooling by separating condensible and non-condensible gases of different molecular weights comprising:

• (a) providing at least one membrane with pores extending therethrough of a size and shape to utilize random motion of molecules in a gas to move gas through the wall predominantly in one direction;
• (b) condensing the condensible gases to produce heat of condensation;
• and
• (c) producing heating and/or cooling by means responsive to said heat of condensation.

A method suitable for generating power by separating fast-moving molecules from slow-moving molecules in a gas comprising:

• (a) providing at least one membrane having pores extending therethrough of a size and shape to utilize random motion of molecules in a gas to move gas through the membrane predominantly in one direction;
• said fast-moving and slow-moving molecules providing a temperature difference between the fast-moving and slow-moving molecules;
• and
• (b) producing power by means responsive to the temperature difference between said fast-moving molecules and slow-moving molecules.

A method for producing heating and/or cooling by separating fast-moving molecules from slow-moving molecules in a gas comprising:

• (a) providing at least one membrane having pores extending therethrough of a size and shape to utilize random motion of molecules in a gas to move gas through the wall predominantly in one direction;
• the fast-moving and slow-moving molecules providing a temperature difference between the fast-moving and slow-moving molecules;
• and
• (b) producing heating and/or cooling by means responsive to the temperature difference between the fast-moving molecules and slow-moving molecules.

A method suitable for separating gases of different molecular weights comprising:

• (a) providing a plurality of membranes having pores extending therethrough of a size and shape to utilize the random motion of molecules in a gas to move gas through the membranes predominantly in one direction and with higher pressure on the downstream sides than on the upstream sides;
• (b) arranging the membranes in series with a by-pass around all or most of the membranes to recycle a portion of the gas from the downstream sides to the upstream sides of the membranes such that the gas is enriched with lower molecular weight molecules from the downstream sides of the plurality of membranes, while the gas is enriched with higher molecular weight molecules from the upstream side of the plurality of membranes;
• (c) introducing a gas mixture at a point between first and last membranes of the plurality;
• and
• (d) removing the gas enriched with lower molecular weight molecules from the downstream sides of the plurality of membranes and the gas enriched with higher molecular weight molecules from the upstream sides of the plurality.

A method for separating fast-moving molecules from slow-moving molecules in a gas comprising:

• (a) providing multiple membranes having pores extending therethrough of a size and shape to utilize the random motion of molecules in a gas to move gas through the membranes predominantly in one direction and with higher pressure on the downstream sides than on the upstream sides;
• (b) arranging the multiple membranes in series with a by-pass around all or most of the membranes to recycle a portion of the gas from the downstream sides to the upstream sides of the membranes;
• and
• (c) removing heat from the downstream sides of the membranes or absorbing heat at the upstream sides of the membranes.