US 5,969,429 AGranted

Breathing apparatus having electrical power supply arrangement with turbine-generator assembly

AssigneeThe United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Navy

InventorsJoseph Rudolph, Robert Hughes, Kenneth Price

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Abstract

An electrical power supply arrangement incorporates a turbine-generator ambly providing a self-contained non-battery electrical power source for supplying power to a breathing apparatus. The turbine-generator assembly is interposed in an air hose extending between first and second stage pressure regulators respectively connected to a pressurized air cylinder and to a cooling device of the breathing apparatus. The assembly includes an air turbine and an electrical generator disposed and coupled in tandem relationship to one another and enclosed in an elongated hollow housing. Pressurized air introduced into the turbine end of the housing expands across turbine blades and rotatably drives a central shaft of the turbine which, in turn, rotates a central rotor of the generator causing generation of electrical power in a stationary stator of the generator which surrounds the rotor. The electrical power can be accessed at a terminal block attached to the generator end of the housing for supplying power to operate the cooling device of the breathing apparatus.

Claims22

Dependent claims

A breathing apparatus, comprising:

(a) a breathing mask;
(b) an electrically-operated air cooling device for supplying breathable air to said breathing mask substantially at atmospheric pressure;
(c) first means for supplying a flow of pressurized air at a first pressure higher than atmospheric pressure;
(d) second means for supplying the flow of pressurized air at substantially atmospheric pressure to said cooling device;
(e) an air flow transmission line extending between and interconnecting said first supplying means and said second supplying means for routing the flow of pressurized air from said first supplying means to said second supplying means;
and
(f) a turbine-generator assembly interposed in said air flow transmission line for receiving the flow of pressurized air at the first pressure from said first supplying means and discharging the flow of pressurized air at a second pressure lower than the first pressure but higher than atmospheric pressure to said second supplying means, said turbine-generator assembly, in response to expansion of the flow of pressurized air received from said first supplying means that reduces the pressurized air from the first pressure to the second pressure, being operable to produce a supply of electrical power to said cooling device for operating said cooling device to supply the breathable air to said breathing mask.

4 more elements

A breathing apparatus, comprising:

(a) a breathing mask;
(b) an electrically-operated air cooling device for supplying breathable air to said breathing mask substantially at atmospheric pressure;
(c) first means for supplying a flow of pressurized air at a first pressure higher than atmospheric pressure;
(d) second means for supplying the flow of pressurized air at substantially atmospheric pressure to said cooling device;
(e) an air flow transmission line extending between and interconnecting said first supplying means and said second supplying means for routing the flow of pressurized air from said first supplying means to said second supplying means;
and
(f) a turbine-generator assembly interposed in said air flow transmission line for receiving the flow of pressurized air at the first pressure from said first supplying means and discharging the flow of pressurized air at a second pressure lower than the first pressure but higher than atmospheric pressure to said second supplying means, said turbine-generator assembly including
(i) an air turbine for receiving the flow of pressurized air and, in response thereto, producing mechanical rotary motion,
(ii) an electrical generator coupled to said air turbine for receiving said mechanical rotary motion and, in response thereto, producing a supply of electrical power to said cooling device for operating said cooling device to supply the breathable air to said breathing mask, and
(iii) an elongated hollow housing enclosing and rotatably supporting said air turbine and said electrical generator.

7 more elements

A breathing apparatus, comprising:

(a) a breathing mask;
(b) an electrically-operated air cooling device for supplying breathable air to said breathing mask substantially at atmospheric pressure;
(c) a first stage pressure regulator for receiving a flow of pressurized air from a source of pressurized air at an elevated pressure and for reducing the pressure of the pressurized air to a first pressure lower than the elevated pressure but higher than atmospheric pressure and supplying the flow of pressurized air at a first pressure;
(d) a second stage pressure regulator for receiving the flow of pressurized air at a second pressure lower than the first pressure but higher than atmospheric pressure and for reducing the flow of air to substantially atmospheric pressure and supplying the flow of pressurized air at the substantially atmospheric pressure to said cooling device;
(e) an air flow transmission line extending between and interconnecting said first stage pressure regulator and said second stage pressure regulator for routing the flow of pressurized air from said first stage pressure regulator to said second stage pressure regulator;
and
(f) a turbine-generator assembly interposed in said air flow transmission line for receiving the flow of pressurized air at the first pressure from said first stage pressure regulator and discharging the flow of pressurized air at the second pressure to said second stage pressure regulator, said turbine-generator assembly including
(i) an air turbine for receiving the flow of pressurized air and, in response thereto, producing mechanical rotary motion, and
(ii) an electrical generator coupled to said air turbine for receiving said mechanical rotary motion and, in response thereto, producing a supply of electrical power to said cooling device for operating said cooling device to supply the breathable air to said breathing mask.

6 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.