US3898047A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Oxygen generation system
Assignee: Northrop Grumman Guidance and Electronics Co Inc
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Filing: 1973-07-17
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Granted: 1975-08-05
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Expires: 1993-07-17
Abstract
Abstract A system for enhancing the operation of an oxygen extractor by reacting an oxygen enriched effluent with heated beds of barium oxide to reduce the time involved in sequentially producing pure oxygen from these beds by lowering the pressure therein. A separator which fractionalizes air into the oxygen enriched effluent produces a nitrogen enriched effluent as a by-product. The nitrogen enriched effluent is carried in a conduit to cool the produced oxygen which is produced during transfer to a storage container. Cycling controls connected to the separator and the oxygen extractor synchronize the fractionalization of the air and the heating of the beds of barium oxide elements to establish the optimum operational time interval for each to continually produce the pure oxygen.
Inventors
- 👤 Robert L Cramer
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-30 06:50
CPC Classifications
C; C01; C01B; C01B13/00; C01B13/02; C01B13/08; C01B13/083; B; B01; B01D; B01D53/00; B01D53/02; B01D53/04; B01D2253/00; B01D2253/10; B01D2253/106; B01D2253/108; B01D2253/30; B01D2253/302; B01D2253/308; B01D2256/00; B01D2256/12; B01D2257/00; B01D2257/10; B01D2257/102; B01D2257/80; B01D2259/00; B01D2259/40; B01D2259/402; Y; Y10; Y10T; Y10T137/00; Y10T137/1842; Y10T137/1939; Y10T137/2012; Y10T137/2496; Y10T137/2514; Y10T137/2516
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 7
Claim 1
Independent Claim
551 words
A SYSTEM FOR PRODUCING AN OXYGEN EFFLUENT, SAID SYSTEM COMPRISING: PRESSURING MEANS FOR DELIVERING AIR UNDER PESSURE TO A SUPPLY CONDUIT, FILTER MEANS LOCATED IN A SUPPLY CONDUIT THROUGH WHICH PRESSURED AIR FROM THE ENVIRONMENT IS PASSED FOR REMOVING AIRBORNE CONTAMINANTS, VALVE MEANS CONNECTED TO THE SUPPLY CONDUIT FOR SEQUENTIALLY DIRECTING THE PRESSURIZED AIR INTO A FIRST FLOW PATH AND INTO A SECOND FLOW PATH FOR A PREDETERMINED TIME INTERVAL, SEPARATOR MEANS HAVING A HOUSING WITH A FIRST CHAMBER AND A SECOND CHAMBER THEREIN, SAID FIRST CHAMBER AND SAID SECOND CHAMBER BEING CONNECTED IN SERIES TO SAID VALVE MEANS, SAID FIRST AND SECOND CHAMBERS EACH CONTAINING A QUANTITY OF MOLECULAR SIEVE MATERIAL TO WHICH NITROGEN HAS AN AFFINITY TO PRODUCE AN OXYGEN ENRICH FLUID COMPOSED OF SUBSTANTIALLY EQUAL PERCENTAGES OF OXYGEN AND NITROGEN UPON THE VALVE MEANS SEQUENTIALLY DIRECTING THE PRESSURIZED AIR THERETO, PARALLEL CONDUIT MEANS CONNECTING THE FIRST CHAMBER TO THE SECOND CHAMBER, SAID PARALLEL CONDUIT MEANS BEING INTERCONNECTED BY A RESTRICTED PASSAGE, SAID PARALLEL CONDUIT MEANS HAVING DIRECTIONAL FLOW CONTROLLING MEANS TO ESTABLISH THE FIRST AND SECOND FLOW PATH BETWEEN THE SERIES POSITIONED FIRST AND SECOND CHAMBERS, CYCLING MEANS CONNECTED TO SAID PARALLEL CONDUIT MEANS FOR COMMUNICATING A PORTION OF SAID OXYGEN ENRICHED FLUID FROM THE PARALLEL CONDUIT MEANS TO A DISTRIBUTION CONDUIT MEANS WHILE THE REMAINDER OF SAID OXYGEN ENRICHED FLUID PASSES THROUGH SAID RESTRICTED PASSAGE INTO A BRANCH OF THE PARALLEL CONDUIT MEANS TO THE FIRST AND SECOND CHAMBERS IN AN ALTERNATE SEQUENCE WITH THE PRESSURIZED AIR FLOW FROM THE VALVE MEANS, SAID OXYGEN ENRICHED FLUID COMBINING WITH ANY NITROGEN RETAINED IN THE MOLECULAR SIEVE MATERIAL IN THE FIRST AND SECOND CHAMBERS TO PRODUCE A FIRST NITROGEN ENRICHED FLUID WHICH IS COMMUNICATED TO A FIRST OUTLET CONDUIT, OXYGEN EXTRACTING MEANS HAVING A HOUSING WITH A THIRD CHAMBER AND A FOURTH CHAMBER LOCATED THEREIN, SAID THIRD AND FOURTH CHAMBERS EACH CONTAINING A QUANTITY OF BARIUM OXIDE ELEMENTS, SAID CYCLING MEANS ALTERNATELY PRESENTING SAID OXYGEN ENRICHED EFFLUENT TO THE THIRD AND FOURTH CHAMBERS THROUGH SAID DISTRIBUTION CONDUIT MEANS WHERE THE BARIUM OXIDE ELEMENTS UPON BEING HEATED ARE CONVERTED TO BARIUM DIOXIDE, SAID THIRD CHAMBER HAVING A FIRST EXIT PORT AND SAID FOURTH CHAMBER HAVING A SECOND EXIT PORT, HEAT EXCHANGER MEANS ASSOCIATED WITH SAID DISTRIBUTION CONDUIT MEANS FOR RAISING THE TEMPERATURE OF THE OXYGEN ENRICHED FLUID TO ENHANCE SAID CONVERSION OF BARIUM OXIDE TO BARIUM DIOXIDE, DIVERTER VALVE MEANS CONNECTED TO SAID FIRST EXIT PORT AND SAID EXIT PORT FOR ALTERNATELY COMMUNICATING THE THIRD CHAMBER SAID THE FOURTH CHAMBER TO AN EXHAUST CONDUIT, TO ALLOW A SECOND NITROGEN ENRICHED FLUID TO ESCAPE TO THE ATMOSPHERE, AND TO A SECOND OUTLET CONDUIT, PUMP MEANS CONNECTED TO SAID SECOND OUTLET CONDUIT FOR ALTERNATELY LOWERING THE PRESSURE IN THE THIRD AND FOURTH CHAMBER TO ALLOW THE BARIUM DIOXIDE ELEMENTS TO REVERT TO BARIUM OXIDE ELEMENTS, BY RELEASING AN OXYGEN EFFLUENT, SAID OXYGEN EFFLUENT BEING COMMUNICATED TO A STORAGE CHAMBER, SAID FIRST OUTLET CONDUIT BEING CONNECTED TO SAID SECOND OUTLET CONDUIT FOR COOLING THE OXYGEN EFFLUENT, AND TIMING MEANS CONNECTED TO SAID VALVE MEANS, TO SAID CYCLING MEANS, TO SAID OXYGEN EXTRACTING MEANS, TO SAID DIVERTER VALVE MEANS, AND TO SAID PUMP MEANS FOR CONTROLLING THE OPTIMUM OPERATIONAL TIME INTERVAL DURING WHICH SAID OXYGEN ENRICHED FLUID AND SAID OXYGEN EFFLUENT WILL BE PRODUCED.
Claim 2
Independent Claim
551 words
A SYSTEM FOR PRODUCING AN OXYGEN EFFLUENT, SAID SYSTEM COMPRISING: PRESSURING MEANS FOR DELIVERING AIR UNDER PESSURE TO A SUPPLY CONDUIT, FILTER MEANS LOCATED IN A SUPPLY CONDUIT THROUGH WHICH PRESSURED AIR FROM THE ENVIRONMENT IS PASSED FOR REMOVING AIRBORNE CONTAMINANTS, VALVE MEANS CONNECTED TO THE SUPPLY CONDUIT FOR SEQUENTIALLY DIRECTING THE PRESSURIZED AIR INTO A FIRST FLOW PATH AND INTO A SECOND FLOW PATH FOR A PREDETERMINED TIME INTERVAL, SEPARATOR MEANS HAVING A HOUSING WITH A FIRST CHAMBER AND A SECOND CHAMBER THEREIN, SAID FIRST CHAMBER AND SAID SECOND CHAMBER BEING CONNECTED IN SERIES TO SAID VALVE MEANS, SAID FIRST AND SECOND CHAMBERS EACH CONTAINING A QUANTITY OF MOLECULAR SIEVE MATERIAL TO WHICH NITROGEN HAS AN AFFINITY TO PRODUCE AN OXYGEN ENRICH FLUID COMPOSED OF SUBSTANTIALLY EQUAL PERCENTAGES OF OXYGEN AND NITROGEN UPON THE VALVE MEANS SEQUENTIALLY DIRECTING THE PRESSURIZED AIR THERETO, PARALLEL CONDUIT MEANS CONNECTING THE FIRST CHAMBER TO THE SECOND CHAMBER, SAID PARALLEL CONDUIT MEANS BEING INTERCONNECTED BY A RESTRICTED PASSAGE, SAID PARALLEL CONDUIT MEANS HAVING DIRECTIONAL FLOW CONTROLLING MEANS TO ESTABLISH THE FIRST AND SECOND FLOW PATH BETWEEN THE SERIES POSITIONED FIRST AND SECOND CHAMBERS, CYCLING MEANS CONNECTED TO SAID PARALLEL CONDUIT MEANS FOR COMMUNICATING A PORTION OF SAID OXYGEN ENRICHED FLUID FROM THE PARALLEL CONDUIT MEANS TO A DISTRIBUTION CONDUIT MEANS WHILE THE REMAINDER OF SAID OXYGEN ENRICHED FLUID PASSES THROUGH SAID RESTRICTED PASSAGE INTO A BRANCH OF THE PARALLEL CONDUIT MEANS TO THE FIRST AND SECOND CHAMBERS IN AN ALTERNATE SEQUENCE WITH THE PRESSURIZED AIR FLOW FROM THE VALVE MEANS, SAID OXYGEN ENRICHED FLUID COMBINING WITH ANY NITROGEN RETAINED IN THE MOLECULAR SIEVE MATERIAL IN THE FIRST AND SECOND CHAMBERS TO PRODUCE A FIRST NITROGEN ENRICHED FLUID WHICH IS COMMUNICATED TO A FIRST OUTLET CONDUIT, OXYGEN EXTRACTING MEANS HAVING A HOUSING WITH A THIRD CHAMBER AND A FOURTH CHAMBER LOCATED THEREIN, SAID THIRD AND FOURTH CHAMBERS EACH CONTAINING A QUANTITY OF BARIUM OXIDE ELEMENTS, SAID CYCLING MEANS ALTERNATELY PRESENTING SAID OXYGEN ENRICHED EFFLUENT TO THE THIRD AND FOURTH CHAMBERS THROUGH SAID DISTRIBUTION CONDUIT MEANS WHERE THE BARIUM OXIDE ELEMENTS UPON BEING HEATED ARE CONVERTED TO BARIUM DIOXIDE, SAID THIRD CHAMBER HAVING A FIRST EXIT PORT AND SAID FOURTH CHAMBER HAVING A SECOND EXIT PORT, HEAT EXCHANGER MEANS ASSOCIATED WITH SAID DISTRIBUTION CONDUIT MEANS FOR RAISING THE TEMPERATURE OF THE OXYGEN ENRICHED FLUID TO ENHANCE SAID CONVERSION OF BARIUM OXIDE TO BARIUM DIOXIDE, DIVERTER VALVE MEANS CONNECTED TO SAID FIRST EXIT PORT AND SAID EXIT PORT FOR ALTERNATELY COMMUNICATING THE THIRD CHAMBER SAID THE FOURTH CHAMBER TO AN EXHAUST CONDUIT, TO ALLOW A SECOND NITROGEN ENRICHED FLUID TO ESCAPE TO THE ATMOSPHERE, AND TO A SECOND OUTLET CONDUIT, PUMP MEANS CONNECTED TO SAID SECOND OUTLET CONDUIT FOR ALTERNATELY LOWERING THE PRESSURE IN THE THIRD AND FOURTH CHAMBER TO ALLOW THE BARIUM DIOXIDE ELEMENTS TO REVERT TO BARIUM OXIDE ELEMENTS, BY RELEASING AN OXYGEN EFFLUENT, SAID OXYGEN EFFLUENT BEING COMMUNICATED TO A STORAGE CHAMBER, SAID FIRST OUTLET CONDUIT BEING CONNECTED TO SAID SECOND OUTLET CONDUIT FOR COOLING THE OXYGEN EFFLUENT, AND TIMING MEANS CONNECTED TO SAID VALVE MEANS, TO SAID CYCLING MEANS, TO SAID OXYGEN EXTRACTING MEANS, TO SAID DIVERTER VALVE MEANS, AND TO SAID PUMP MEANS FOR CONTROLLING THE OPTIMUM OPERATIONAL TIME INTERVAL DURING WHICH SAID OXYGEN ENRICHED FLUID AND SAID OXYGEN EFFLUENT WILL BE PRODUCED.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
196 words
The system, as recited in claim 1, wherein said valve means includes: a housing having a bore therein with a first port connected to a filter means which will remove any air borne contaminants which could affect the conversion of barium oxide to barium dioxide, a second port connected to the first chamber, a third port connected to said second chamber, a fourth port, and a fifth port connected to said second outlet conduit going to said storage container; piston means located in said bore having a series of lands thereon such that in a first position communication is established between the first port and the second port, and the third port and the fifth port and in a second position communication is established between the first port and the third port, and the second port and the fourth port; resilient means associated with said bore means for moving said piston means to one of said first and second positions; and solenoid means located in said housing and connected to said timing means for moving said piston means to the other of said first and second positions in response to a signal from the timing means.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
227 words
The system, as recited in claim 2, wherein said cycling means includes: a housing with a bore therein, said bore having an inlet port, a first outlet port, and a second outlet port, said inlet port being connected to receive the oxygen enriched fluid from the parallel conduit, said first outlet port being connected through the distribution conduit means to a first bed barium oxide elements in the oxygen extracting means, and said second outlet port being connected through the distribution conduit means to a second bed of barium oxide elements in the oxygen extracting means; plunger means located in said bore for separating the first outlet port from the second outlet port, said plunger means being moved from a first locatioN where the inlet port communicates with the first outlet port to a second location where the inlet port communicates with the second outlet port; resilient means located in said bore for moving said plunger means to one of said first and second locations; and solenoid means associated with said housing and connected to said timing means for moving said plunger means to the other of said first and second locations to alternately allow barium oxide to be converted into barium dioxide in one of said third and fourth chambers while barium dioxide reverts into barium oxide in the other of said third and fourth chambers.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
115 words
The system as recited in claim 1 wherein said heat exchanger means includes: housing means having a chamber with a first passage connected to the beds of barium oxide elements and a second passage connected to the atmosphere and to the storage container; a conduit centrally located in said chamber for connecting said cycling means with the beds of barium oxide elements; and a series of discs fixed on said centrally located conduit radially extending to the limits of the chamber, each of said discs having random perforations therein through which said second nitrogen enriched fluid travels from the first passage along the second passage before reaching one of said first and second exit ports.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
187 words
The system, as recited in claim 4, wherein said diverter valve means includes: a housing having a bore therein with an inlet connected to the first and second exit ports of the oxygen extracting means, a first outlet connected to the environment through the exhaust conduit and a second outlet connected to the storage chamber through the second outlet conduit; plunger means located in the bore for separating the first outlet from the second outlet, said plunger being adapted to move from a first position where one of said first and second outlets is in communication with the inlet to a second position where the other of said first and second outlets is in communication with the storage reservoir; resilient means in said bore for moving the plunger means to one of said first and second positions; and solenoid means associated with said housing and connected to said timing means for moving said plunger means to the other of said first and second positions to alternately allow the second nitrogen enriched fluid to escape to the atmosphere while the oxygen effluent is retained in the storage container.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
51 words
The system as recited in claim 5, further including: shroud means associated with each of said diverter valve means and connected to said first outlet conduit carrying said first nitrogen enriched fluid for cooling the solenoid means therein to attenuate the affect the heated second nitrogen enriched fluid may have thereon.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1978-08-04 | 1979-02-03 | 1979-08-05 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1982-08-04 | 1983-02-03 | 1983-08-05 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1986-08-04 | 1987-02-03 | 1987-08-05 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |