Top-milled channeling for removal of oxygen from an oxygen generator

An oxygen generator, comprising:

• a honeycomb body comprised of an oxygen ion conductive material;
• a plurality of first and second channels defined by channel walls, wherein the first channels extend from inlet openings to outlet openings in the honeycomb body to receive a first gas containing some oxygen and wherein the second channels are sealed at their longitudinal ends and extend generally in parallel to the first channels;
• electrodes disposed on walls of the first and second channels;
• means for electrically interconnecting the electrodes in the first channels;
• means for electrically interconnecting the electrodes in the second channels;
• a voltage source electrically connected to the electrodes;
• and
• a plurality of third channels, wherein each third channel extends laterally with respect to and intersects at least two of the second channels, and wherein at least one of the third channels is staggered horizontally with respect to the other third channels along a vertical dimension of the honeycomb body, thereby strengthening the structural integrity of the honeycomb body.

An oxygen generator, comprising:

• a honeycomb body comprised of an oxygen ion conductive material;
• a plurality of first and second channels defined by channel walls, wherein the first channels extend from inlet openings to outlet openings in the honeycomb body to receive a first gas containing some oxygen and wherein the second channels are sealed at their longitudinal ends and extend generally in parallel to the first channels;
• electrodes disposed on walls of the first and second channels;
• means for electrically interconnecting electrodes in the first channels;
• means for electrically interconnecting the electrodes in the second channels;
• a voltage source electrically connected to the electrodes;
• and
• a plurality of third channels, wherein each third channel extends laterally with respect to and intersects at least two of the second channels, and wherein the third channels are substantially aligned along a vertical dimension of the body away from a midpoint between the inlet and outlet openings, thereby strengthening the structural integrity of the honeycomb body.

A method of making an oxygen generator, comprising the steps of:

• forming an oxygen ion conductive body having a plurality of first and second channels defined by channel walls extending from inlet openings to outlet openings defining longitudinal ends of the first and second channels;
• forming a third channel at a longitudinal end of at least two of the second channels, thereby intersecting the at least two second channels;
• forming electrodes within the first and second channels;
• and
• sealing the second channels at the inlet and outlet openings with a glass sealing material.

An oxygen generator, comprising:

• an oxygen ion conductive body;
• a plurality of first and second channels defined by channel walls, extending from inlet openings to outlet openings in the body, thereby defining longitudinal ends of the first and second channels, wherein the first channels receives a first gas containing some oxygen and wherein the second channels are sealed at the inlet and outlet openings and extend generally parallel to the first channels;
• electrodes disposed on the channel walls of the first and second channels;
• means for electrically interconnecting the electrodes in the first channels;
• means for electrically interconnecting the electrodes in the second channels;
• a voltage source electrically connected to the electrodes;
• and
• a third channel intersecting at least two of the second channels, wherein the third channel is located at a longitudinal end of the second channels where there is an absence of oxygen ion conducting material, and a glass sealing material sealing the at least two second channels and forming part of the third channel, thereby providing an outlet channel for collected oxygen without substantially impacting the structural integrity of the body.