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EP0430304A2 Expired / Lapsed EP ⏱️ 0.0 years remaining

Separation of gas mixtures

Assignee: BOC Group Ltd
•
Filing: 1990-03-19
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Granted: —
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Expires: 2010-03-19
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Abstract

Abstract Air is separated in a vessel 16 housing membranes 20. The air is pre-dried by means a vessel 6 housing membranes 8 relatively permeable to water vapour. The waste permeate gas from the vessel 16 is used to purge the permeate side of the membranes 8 in the drier vessel 6 and thus facilitates drying of the air.

Inventors

  • 👤 Michael Ernest Garrett

Bibliographic Details

Application Number —
Jurisdiction EP
Data Source google_patents
Last Synchronized 2026-11-06 19:26
CPC Classifications
B; B01; B01D; B01D53/00; B01D53/26; B01D53/268; B01D53/22; B01D53/225; B01D53/226; B01D53/229; B01D2253/00; B01D2253/10; B01D2253/104; B01D2257/00; B01D2257/80; B01D2259/00; B01D2259/40; B01D2259/40001; B01D2259/402; B01D53/02; B01D53/04; B01D53/047; B01D53/261

Claims Analysis

Total Claims: 9
Claim 1
Independent Claim 125 words
A method of separating a gas mixture comprising at least two main components and water vapour characterised in that water vapour is separated by preliminary membranes (8) from a compressed stream of the gas mixture and the resulting water-depleted stream is then separated by further membranes (20) located downstream of the preliminary membranes to produce a dry permeate gas enriched in one main component and a pressurised product stream enriched in the other main component, wherein a stream of the dry permeate gas is passed over the preliminary membranes (8) on their permeate side whereby to lower the partial pressure of water vapour on the permeate side of the preliminary membranes (8) and thereby facilitate separation of the water vapour from the pressurised gas mixture.
Claim 2
Independent Claim 125 words
A method of separating a gas mixture comprising at least two main components and water vapour characterised in that water vapour is separated by preliminary membranes (8) from a compressed stream of the gas mixture and the resulting water-depleted stream is then separated by further membranes (20) located downstream of the preliminary membranes to produce a dry permeate gas enriched in one main component and a pressurised product stream enriched in the other main component, wherein a stream of the dry permeate gas is passed over the preliminary membranes (8) on their permeate side whereby to lower the partial pressure of water vapour on the permeate side of the preliminary membranes (8) and thereby facilitate separation of the water vapour from the pressurised gas mixture.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim 33 words
A method according to claim 1, characterised in that the preliminary membranes (8) and the further membranes (20) both extend in the general direction of flow of the gas mixture to be separated.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim 31 words
A method according to claim 1, characterised in that the preliminary membranes (8) and the further membranes (20) both extend transversely to the flow of the gas mixture to be separated.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim 24 words
A method according to claim 3, characterised in that both sets of membranes (8, 20) are located in the same vessel as one another.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim 152 words
Apparatus for separating a gas mixture comprising at least two main components and water vapour, characterised by a preliminary membrane separation vessel (6) having an inlet (4) for a pressurised gas stream, comprising at least two main components and water vapour, and containing membranes (8) adapted to separate water vapour from the gas mixture, wherein the preliminary membrane vessel (6) has an outlet (12) for pressurised gas mixture communicating with an inlet (18) to a main membrane gas separation vessel (16) located downstream of said preliminary membrane separation vessel and containing membranes (20)adapted to effect separation as between two main components of the gas mixture, wherein the main vessel (16) has on its permeate side an outlet (24) which communicates with an inlet on the permeate side of the preliminary membrane vessel (6), there also being an outlet (14) for moist gas from the membrane side of the said preliminary vessel (16).
Claim 7
Dependent Claim 152 words
Apparatus for separating a gas mixture comprising at least two main components and water vapour, characterised by a preliminary membrane separation vessel (6) having an inlet (4) for a pressurised gas stream, comprising at least two main components and water vapour, and containing membranes (8) adapted to separate water vapour from the gas mixture, wherein the preliminary membrane vessel (6) has an outlet (12) for pressurised gas mixture communicating with an inlet (18) to a main membrane gas separation vessel (16) located downstream of said preliminary membrane separation vessel and containing membranes (20)adapted to effect separation as between two main components of the gas mixture, wherein the main vessel (16) has on its permeate side an outlet (24) which communicates with an inlet on the permeate side of the preliminary membrane vessel (6), there also being an outlet (14) for moist gas from the membrane side of the said preliminary vessel (16).
Claim 8
Dependent Claim 34 words
Apparatus according to claim 5, characterised in that the preliminary membranes and the further membranes both extend in what in use is the general direction of flow of the gas mixture to be separated.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim 35 words
Apparatus according to claim 5, characterised in that the preliminary membranes and the further membranes both extend transversely to what in use is the general direction of flow of the gas mixture to be separated.

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