Ion transport membrane module and vessel system

An ion transport membrane system comprising

• (a) a pressure vessel having an interior, an exterior, an inlet, and an outlet;
• (b) a plurality of planar ion transport membrane modules disposed in the interior of the pressure vessel and arranged in a series of banks of modules, each bank containing two or more modules in parallel, each membrane module comprising mixed metal oxide ceramic material and having an interior region and an exterior region, wherein any inlet and any outlet of the pressure vessel are in flow communication with exterior regions of the membrane modules;
• and
• (c) one or more gas manifolds in flow communication with interior regions of the membrane modules and with the exterior of the pressure vessel.

An ion transport membrane system comprising

• (a) a pressure vessel having an interior, an exterior, an inlet, and an outlet;
• (b) a plurality of ion transport membrane modules disposed in the interior of the pressure vessel and arranged in series, each membrane module comprising mixed metal oxide ceramic material and having an interior region and an exterior region, wherein any inlet and any outlet of the pressure vessel are in flow communication with exterior regions of the membrane modules;
• and
• (c) one or more gas manifolds disposed in the interior of the pressure vessel and in flow communication with the interior regions of the membrane modules and with the exterior of the pressure vessel.

A method for the recovery of oxygen from an oxygen-containing gas comprising

• (a) providing an ion transport membrane separator system comprising
• (1) a pressure vessel having an interior, an exterior, an inlet, and an outlet;
• (2) a plurality of planar ion transport membrane modules disposed in the interior of the pressure vessel and arranged in series, each membrane module comprising mixed metal oxide ceramic material and having an interior region and an exterior region, wherein any inlet and any outlet of the pressure vessel are in flow communication with exterior regions of the membrane modules;
• and
• (3) one or more gas manifolds in flow communication with the interior regions of the membrane modules and with the exterior of the pressure vessel;
• (b) providing a heated, pressurized oxygen-containing feed gas stream, introducing the feed gas stream via any pressure vessel inlet to the exterior regions of the membrane modules;
• and contacting the feed gas stream with the mixed metal oxide ceramic material;
• (c) permeating oxygen ions through the mixed metal oxide ceramic material, recovering high purity oxygen gas product in the interior regions of the membrane modules, and withdrawing the high purity oxygen gas product from the interior regions of the membrane modules through the gas manifolds to the exterior of the pressure vessel;
• and
• (d) withdrawing an oxygen-depleted oxygen-containing gas from any pressure vessel outlet.