Oxygen generating device

An oxygen generating device to which a gas mixture containing oxygen is fed, and which is operable to separate the gas mixture into oxygen rich and oxygen depleted gas components, the device comprising a negative temperature coefficient material which is active at an elevated temperature above a minimum operating temperature, to separate the gas mixture into oxygen rich and oxygen depleted gas components, there being means to pass an electrical current through the device to produce a heating effect within the device to heat the gas mixture at least towards the minimum operating temperature and wherein the device comprises a plurality of active sections through each of which the gas mixture passes in turn, and the electrical current supply is connected to each of the sections so that the sections electrically are connected in series;

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• a housing containing the plurality of sections of the device, each section having a passage therethrough for the gas in which passage the active material is arranged.

An oxygen generating device to which a gas mixture containing oxygen is fed, and which is operable to separate the gas mixture into oxygen rich and oxygen depleted gas components, the device comprising a negative temperature coefficient material which is active at an elevated temperature above a minimum operating temperature, to separate the gas mixture into oxygen rich and oxygen depleted gas components, there being means to pass an electrical current through the device to produce a heating effect within the device to heat the gas mixture at least towards the minimum operating temperature and wherein the device comprises a plurality of active sections through each of which the gas mixture passes in turn, and the electrical current supply is connected to each of the sections so that the sections electrically are connected in series;

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• wherein in each section the gas passes between layers of the active material there being duct means into which the oxygen rich gas component flows from each of the sections and from which the oxygen rich gas component is collected for use.

An oxygen generating system including an oxygen generating device to which a gas mixture containing oxygen is fed, and which is operable to separate the gas mixture into oxygen rich and oxygen depleted gas components, the device comprising a negative temperature coefficient material which is active at an elevated temperature above a minimum operating temperature, to separate the gas mixture into oxygen rich and oxygen depleted gas components, there being means to pass an electrical current through the device to produce a heating effect within the device to heat the gas mixture at least towards the minimum operating temperature and wherein the device comprises a plurality of active sections through each of which the gas mixture passes in turn, and the electrical current supply is connected to each of the sections so that the sections electrically are connected in series;

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• wherein the system includes a heat exchanger through which the gas mixture passes prior to being fed to the oxygen generating device, there being passage means for at least one of heated oxygen depleted gas component and oxygen rich gas component from the oxygen generating device to be fed to the heat exchanger such that the gas mixture is preheated by heat exchanged from a least one of the oxygen depleted gas component and the oxygen rich gas component prior to being fed to the oxygen generating device.