EP0778069A1
Expired / Lapsed
EP
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Reactive purge for solid electrolyte membrane gas separation
Assignee: Praxair Technology Inc
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Filing: 1996-12-04
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Granted: —
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Expires: 2016-12-04
Abstract
Abstract A system and process for producing a high-purity product from a feed stream containing elemental oxygen by applying the feed stream to at least one separator including a feed zone and a permeate zone separated by a solid electrolyte membrane, and driving a portion of oxygen contained in the feed stream from the feed zone to the permeate zone via the membrane by applying to the permeate zone a reactive purge stream containing a reactive gas which combines with oxygen to establish a lower partial pressure of oxygen in that zone. Oxygen-depleted retentate is withdrawn as a high-purity product stream.
Inventors
- 👤 Ravi Prasad
- 👤 Christian Friedrich Gottzmann
- 👤 Nitin Ramesh Keskar
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
EP
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-05 20:20
CPC Classifications
B; B01; B01D; B01D53/00; B01D53/22; B01D53/225; B01D53/226; B01D53/32; B01D53/326; C; C01; C01B; C01B13/00; C01B13/02; C01B13/0229; C01B13/0248; C01B13/0251; B01D2257/00; B01D2257/10; B01D2257/104
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 10
Claim 1
Independent Claim
126 words
A process for producing a high-purity product from a feed stream containing elemental oxygen, comprising: applying said feed stream to a first separator including a first feed zone and a first permeate zone separated by a first solid electrolyte membrane capable of transporting oxygen ions; driving a first portion of oxygen contained in said feed stream from said first feed zone to said first permeate zone through said first membrane by applying a reactive purge stream to said first permeate zone, said reactive purge stream including a reactive gas that combines with oxygen to establish a lower partial pressure of oxygen in said first permeate zone; and obtaining an oxygen-depleted product stream after the first portion of oxygen has been driven from said first feed zone.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
15 words
The process of claim 1 wherein said reactive purge stream includes an oxygen-depleted diluent component.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
20 words
The process of claim 1 wherein said reactive purge stream includes a portion of output from said first feed zone.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
26 words
The process of claim 1 further including directing at least a portion of output from said first permeate zone to mix with said reactive purge stream.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
116 words
The process of claim 1 further including positioning said first separator as a second stage and initially applying said feed stream to a second feed zone of at least a second separator, said second separator being positioned as a first stage and having a second permeate zone separated from said second feed zone by a second solid electrolyte membrane; driving a second portion of oxygen, which is contained in said feed stream, from said second feed zone to said second permeate zone through said second membrane; and directing an oxygen-depleted feed stream, obtained after the second portion of oxygen has been driven from said second feed zone, to said first feed zone of said first separator.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
60 words
The process of claim 5 wherein said reactive purge stream applied to said first permeate zone includes an oxygen-depleted diluent component that is selected to accomplish at least one of decreasing the rate at which said reactive gas combines with the oxygen, controlling temperature rise in said first separator, and rendering chemical conditions with said first permeate zone less reducing.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
46 words
The process of claim 6 wherein the step of driving oxygen for at least one of said first and second separators includes diverting a portion of output from at least one of said first and second feed zones to purge the permeate zone of that separator.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
20 words
The process of claim 7 wherein at least one of said first and second membranes includes a mixed conduction material.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
35 words
The process of claim 8 wherein said first membrane in said second stage is an ionic membrane, and the step of driving for said first separator includes providing an electrical connection across said first membrane.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
27 words
The process of claim 5 further including directing a purge stream from an outlet of said first permeate zone to an inlet of said second permeate zone.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
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