Life support process and system using solvent extraction

Claim 2

An undersea system for supplying life supporting gas to a habitat in accordance with claim 2, wherein said first rectification means includes a first rectifier column connected to said first liquid extraction tower to receive a stream of solvent containing said dissolved gases for separating out a first stream of high purity nitrogen from said solvent, said additional rectification means including a second rectifier column connected to said first rectifier column to receive a stream of solvent stripped of nitrogen therefrom and to strip from said last-named stream of solvent a first stream of commercially pure oxygen, said storage means being connected to receive the stripped solvent from said second rectifier column, said carbon dioxide absorbing means being connected to receive solvent from said storage means and a stream of exhaust air from said habitat, and to return said stream of air to said habitat substantially purged of carbon dioxide, a third rectifier column connected to said carbon dioxide absorbing means for receiving a stream of solvent containing carbon dioxide from the exhaust air from said habitat and for stripping a second stream of high purity nitrogen stream from said stream for combination with said first high purity nitrogen stream From said first rectifier column, a fourth rectifier column, connected to receive a stream of solvent from said third rectifier column stripped of nitrogen, for stripping a second stream of high purity oxygen from said solvent and delivering said oxygen stream to said habitat, a second absorbing means, connected to receive a stream of solvent from said fourth rectifier column, for receiving and absorbing the combined streams of high purity nitrogen derived from said second and fourth rectifier columns, means for delivering the solvent, including waste gases comprising carbon dioxide and said nitrogen, to said second liquid-to-liquid extraction tower, and means for delivering the sea water from said second liquid-to-liquid extraction tower to the sea and for returning the purified solvent to said first liquid-to-liquid extraction tower.

Claim 3

The combination in accordance with claim 2, wherein said first rectification means and additional rectification means include: a first rectifier column for separating out commercially pure nitrogen from a stream of solvent derived from said first liquid-to-liquid extraction tower, a second rectifier column connected to said first rectifier column for separating out commercially pure oxygen from a stream of solvent derived from said second rectifier column, said storage means connected to receive solvent from said second rectifier column stripped of nitrogen and oxygen, said carbon dioxide absorbing means connected to receive exhaust air from said habitat and to return air substantially purged of carbon dioxide to said habitat, a third rectifier column, connected to said carbon dioxide absorbing means, for receiving a stream of solvent containing absorbed waste gases including carbon dioxide from the exhaust air from said habitat and for stripping a second stream of high purity nitrogen from said column for combination with said first high purity nitrogen stream from said first rectifier column, a fourth rectifier column, connected to receive a stream of solvent from said third rectifier column stripped of nitrogen and containing waste gases including carbon dioxide, for stripping a second stream of oxygen from said solvent and delivering said oxygen stream to said habitat, means for returning a stream of said solvent including waste gas comprising carbon dioxide to a junction, a nitrogen absorbing vessel, means for deriving solvent from said second rectifier column and directing said solvent to said nitrogen absorber and said first and third rectifiers in parallel, and means for directing the combined nitrogen streams to the nitrogen absorbing vessel, means for directing the solvent output of said nitrogen absorbing vessel to said junction and returning the combined solvents to said second extraction tower.

Claim 4

The combination in accordance with claim 1, wherein said solvent comprises an inert liquid substantially immiscible with sea water and having a substantially higher solubility for oxygen and carbon dioxide than does sea water at temperatures within the range 50*F. to 90*F. and at pressures within the range 1 to 30 atmospheres.

Claim 5

The combination in accordance with claim 4, wherein said solvent comprises an inert fluorochemical liquid.

Claim 6

The process of supplying life supporting gas including oxygen to an extended undersea habitat and eliminating therefrom waste gas including metabolic carbon dioxide which comprises the steps of: processing a stream of sea water for recovering dissolved gases including oxygen from said sea water by a direct exchange with a stream of solvent, having a greater solubility for oxygen than does the sea water, separating out from the said stream of solvent a breathing stream comprising oxygen and directing said breathing stream into said habitat, removing a stream of waste gases including carbon dioxide from the gas in said habitat, returning said stream of waste gases including said carbon dioxide for absorption in a stream of said solvent, and contacting the stream of said solvent including the waste gases including carbon dioxide with a stream of sea water for return of the waste gases to the sea.

Claim 7

In an undersea system for supplying life supporting oxygen to a human habitat beneath the sea and eliminating metabolic carbon dioxide from said habitat which comprises in combination the steps of: deriving a stream of sea water from the sea, utilizing said stream for liquid-to-liquid extraction of the dissolved gases in said stream by a stream of solvent having a greater solubility for said gases than has said sea water, stripping high purity nitrogen from a stream of solvent including said dissolved gases, stripping oxygen from the stream of solvent including said dissolved gases and returning said solvent to storage, passing said solvent through carbon dioxide absorbing means for absorbing waste gases including carbon dioxide from a stream of exhaust air returning from said habitat, returning said stream of air cleansed of carbon dioxide to said habitat, passing said solvent comprising absorbed waste gases including carbon dioxide through rectifying means for stripping from said solvent an additional stream of high purity nitrogen, further stripping said stream containing absorbed carbon dioxide and stripped of nitrogen to means for further stripping oxygen from said stream for habitat, returning said solvent stripped of oxygen and nitrogen and containing absorbed carbon dioxide for receiving said high purity nitrogen stripped from said solvent, returning said stream including carbon dioxide and nitrogen for liquid-to-liquid extraction of said carbon dioxide and nitrogen from said solvent by sea water, and returning the sea water, including dissolved carbon dioxide and nitrogen to the sea.

Claim 8

The process for supplying life supporting gas including oxygen to a habitat beneath the sea and eliminating metabolic carbon dioxide from said habitat which comprises in combination: deriving a stream of sea water from the sea surrounding said habitat, contacting a stream of solvent in a countercurrent liquid-to-liquid exchange for recovering dissolved gases including oxygen, carbon dioxide, and nitrogen from said sea water, directing the stripped stream of sea water from said first extraction process to a second extraction process, passing the stream of solvent including said recovered gases through a first rectification step for stripping from said solvent a stream of high purity nitrogen, directing said solvent including a balance of said recovered gases through additional rectification steps for stripping a stream of oxygen from said solvent, delivering said stream of oxygen into said habitat, storing the solvent from which said recovered gases have been stripped, directing a stream of said purified solvent into carbon dioxide absorbing means for a countercurrent exchange with a stream of exhaust air from said habitat for purging said air of impurities including carbon dioxide, returning said purged air to said habitat, directing the solvent including dissolved carbon dioxide and waste gases to receive a stream of nitrogen from said first rectification step for dissolving said nitrogen in said stream of solvent including carbon dioxide, and directing said last-named stream of solvent for countercurrent exchange with said stripped stream of sea water in said second extraction process for dissolving waste gases including said nitrogen and carbon dioxide in said stripped stream and returning the stream of sea water including said dissolved gases to the sea.

Claim 9

The method of operation in accordance with claim 9, wherein said rectification steps include: a first rectification step wherein high purity nitrogen is separated out from a stream of said solvent, a second rectification step deriving solvent from said first rectification step and separating out a stream of high purity oxygen from said solvent, and directing said high purity oxygen into said habitat, the stripped Solvent from said second rectification step passing to storage means, said solvent being directed from said storage means to a carbon dioxide absorbing step wherein a stream of exhaust air from said habitat is passed in countercurrent with said solvent for absorbing therefrom waste gas including carbon dioxide, the purged air being returned to said habitat, a third rectification step for receiving solvent from said carbon dioxide absorbing step comprising dissolved gases including oxygen, nitrogen, and carbon dioxide for separating out a second stream of high purity nitrogen from said solvent for combination with the first high purity nitrogen stream from said first rectification step, a fourth rectification step for receiving the stream of solvent from said third rectification step for stripping a second stream of high purity oxygen from said solvent and delivering said oxygen stream to said habitat, an additional absorbing step connected to receive a stream from said fourth rectification step containing concentrated waste gases comprising carbon dioxide for receiving and absorbing the combined streams of high purity nitrogen derived from said first and third rectification steps, delivering a stream of the said solvent including said waste gases comprising carbon dioxide and said nitrogen to a final liquid-to-liquid extraction step wherein a stream of stripped sea water from said first liquid-to-liquid extraction step passes in countercurrent from said stream of solvent for redissolving in said sea water, said waste gases comprising carbon dioxide and nitrogen, for return to the sea.

Claim 10

The method in accordance with claim 7 wherein said solvent comprises an inert liquid substantially immiscible with sea water and having a substantially higher solubility for oxygen, than does sea water at temperatures within the range 50* F. to 90* F. and at pressures within the range 1 to 30 atmospheres.

Claim 11

The process of supplying a life supporting gas to an undersea environment comprising recovering dissolved oxygen from a stream of sea water by contacting said stream of sea water with a stream of solvent having a greater solubility for oxygen than does the sea water, stripping the oxygen from the solvent and directing the stripped oxygen to the undersea environment.

Claim 12

The process of claim 12 further including removing nitrogen from said environment in order to prevent undesired build-up of nitrogen in said environment.

Claim 13

The process of claim 12 further including removing carbon dioxide from said environment in order to prevent undesired buildup of the carbon dioxide in said environment.