# US 9,873,078 B2 · Oxygen separator and method of generating oxygen > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 9,873,078 B2 - Document ID: US9873078B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 14/766,779 - Filed: 2014-02-15 - Published: 2016-01-07 - Granted: 2018-01-23 - Earliest claimed: 2013-02-15 - Assignees: Koninklijke Philips N.V. - Applicants: Koninklijke Philips N.V. - Inventors: Achim Gerhard Rolf Koerber; Rainer Hilbig; Paul Van Der Sluis - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US9873078B2 ## CPC - B01D 53/047: Pressure swing adsorption - B01D 53/30: Controlling by gas-analysis apparatus (regulating non electrical variables in general G05D) - C01B 13/0259: {by adsorption on solids} - B01D 2256/12: Oxygen - B01D 2257/102: Nitrogen - B01D 2259/40009: using sensors or gas analysers - B01D 2259/402: using two beds - B01D 2259/4533: for medical purposes - B01D: SEPARATION (separating solids from solids by wet methods B03B, B03D; by pneumatic jigs or tables B03B; by other dry methods B07; magnetic or electrostatic separation of solid materials from solid materials or fluids, separation by high-voltage electric fields B03C; centrifuges, vortex apparatus B04; presses per se for squeezing-out liquid from liquid-containing material B30B9/02; treatment of water C02F, e.g. softening by ion-exchange C02F1/42; {arrangements of air intake cleaners in gas turbine plants F02C7/05} ; arrangements or mounting of filters in air-conditioning, air-humidification or ventilation F24F13/28) - C01B: NON-METALLIC ELEMENTS; COMPOUNDS THEREOF; {METALLOIDS OR COMPOUNDS THEREOF NOT COVERED BY SUBCLASS C01C} ## Abstract The invention relates to an oxygen separator (10), comprising at least one oxygen separation device (12, 14) comprising an oxygen separation sorbent (16, 18) for separating oxygen from an oxygen comprising gas, wherein the oxygen separation device (12, 14) comprises a gas inlet (24, 28) at a primary side being connected to an inlet conduct (20) for guiding a flow of oxygen comprising gas into the oxygen separation device (12, 14) and having a gas outlet (34, 36) at a secondary side being connected to an outlet conduct (30, 32) for guiding a flow of oxygen enriched gas out of the oxygen separation device (12, 14), wherein the secondary side of the oxygen separation device (12, 14) is further connected to a source of purging gas for guiding purging gas through the oxygen separation device (12, 14) and wherein the primary side of the oxygen separation device (12, 14) is connected to an exhaust conduct (70, 72) for guiding exhaust gas out of the oxygen separator (10), wherein the oxygen separator (10) further comprises a pressure adjusting device (40) for creating a pressure difference between the primary side and the secondary side of the oxygen separation device (12, 14), and wherein a gas sensor (82) is provided in the exhaust conduct (70, 72, 73) for determining the concentration of at least one component of the exhaust gas. Such an oxygen separator (10) provides an improved controlling behavior. The invention further relates to a method of generating oxygen from an oxygen comprising gas. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An oxygen separator for generating a flow of oxygen-enriched gas, comprising: at least one oxygen separation device for separating oxygen from a gas mixture, the oxygen separation device including an oxygen separation sorbent; and an inlet conduct, the gas mixture including the oxygen and at least one other component; a first meter in the inlet conduct of the oxygen separation device configured to guide a flow of the gas mixture; an exhaust conduct configured to guide exhaust gas out of the oxygen separation device, the exhaust gas including used pure gas; a gas sensor in the exhaust conduct configured to determine an average concentration of at least one conponent of the exhaust gas over at least one purge phase of the oxygen separation device; and a control device configured by control instructions to: determine whether the oxygen separation device is operating in a cyclic steady state based on (i) the flow of gas mixture guided by the first meter and (ii) the average concentration of the at least one component of the exhaust gas, wherein the cyclic steady state operation is indicative of a constant change in an amount of oxygen stored in the oxygen separation sorbent; and control the oxygen separator based on the determination of cyclic steady state operation. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The oxygen separator according to claim 1, wherein the gas sensor is an oxygen sensor or a nitrogen sensor. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The oxygen separator according to claim 1, further compromising a second meter, including in an outlet conduct of the oxygen separation device and configured to guide the flow of oxygen enriched gas, wherein the gas mixture is guided into the oxygen separation device at a first side, and the oxygen enriched gas is guided out of the oxygen separation device at a second side, the second side being opposite the first side of the oxygen separation device. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The oxygen separator according to claim 1, wherein the oxygen separator is formed as a portable device. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The oxygen separator according to claim 1, wherein the gas sensor comprises an optical sensor. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The oxygen separator according to claim 1, wherein the control device comprises an input unit for manually controlling the oxygen separator. ### Claim 7 (depends on 3) The oxygen separator according to claim 3, wherein the control device communicates with at least one of the gas sensor, the first meter, and the second meter, and controls the oxygen separator based on the data provided by at least one of the gas sensor, the first meter, and the second meter. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The oxygen separator of claim 1, further comprising an inlet filter included in the inlet conduct of the oxygen separation device and configured to filter the gas mixture input to the oxygen separation device. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The oxygen separator of claim 1, further comprising an outlet filter included in an outlet conduct of the oxygen separation device and configured to filter the generated oxygen enriched gas. ### Claim 10 A method for generating a flow of oxygen-enriched gas, comprising: guiding, via a first meter in an inlet conduct of an oxygen separation device, a flow of a gas mixture, the gas mixture including oxygen and at least one other component; guiding, via an exhaust conduct, exhaust gas out of the oxygen separation device; determining, by a gas sensor, in the exhaust conduct, an average concentration of at least one component of the exhaust gas over at least one purge phase of the oxygen separate device; determining, by a control device, whether the oxygen separation device is operating in a cyclic steady state based on (i) the flow of the gas mixture guided by the first meter and (ii) the average concentration of the at least one component of the exhaust gas, wherein the cyclic steady state operation is indicative of a constant change in an amount of oxygen stored in an oxygen separation sorbent; and controlling, by the control device, the oxygen separation device based on the determination of cyclic steady state operation. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The method of claim 10, wherein the gas sensor is an oxygen sensor or a nitrogen sensor. ### Claim 12 (depends on 10) The method of claim 10, further comprising guiding, via a second meter included in an outlet conduct of the oxygen separation device, the flow of oxygen enriched gas, wherein the gas mixture is guided into the oxygen separation device at a first side, and the oxygen enriched gas is guided out of the oxygen separation device at a second side, the second side being opposite the first side of the oxygen separation device. ### Claim 13 (depends on 10) The method of claim 10, wherein the oxygen separation device is formed as a portable device. ### Claim 14 (depends on 10) The method of claim 10, wherein the gas sensor comprises an optical sensor. ### Claim 15 (depends on 12) The method of claim 12, further comprising controlling by the control device, the oxygen separation device based on data received by the control device from at least one of the gas sensor, the first meter, and the second meter. ### Claim 16 An oxygen separator for generating a flow of oxygen-enriched gas from a gas mixture, comprising: at least one oxygen separation device for separating oxygen from the gas mixture, the oxygen separation device including an inlet conduct; a first meter in the inlet conduct of the oxygen separation device configured to guide a flow of the gas mixture; an exhaust conduct configured to guide exhaust gas out of the oxygen separation device; a gas sensor in the exhaust conduct configured to determine an average concentration of at least one component of the exhaust gas over at least one purge phase of the oxygen separation device; and a control device configured to: determine whether the oxygen separation device is operating in a cyclic steady state based on (i) the flow of the gas mixture guided by the first meter and (ii) the average concentration of the at least one component of the exhaust gas; and control the oxygen separator based on the determination of cyclic steady state operation.