Ceramic honeycomb structures as oxygen separators or concentrators

Claim 1

A method of separating or concentrating oxygen from air or other gaseous mixture, comprising: (a) providing a die-formed monolithic honeycomb body of ceramic material which is an oxygen-ion conductive solid electrolyte, said honeycomb body having an inlet face and an outlet face and a plurality of substantially parallel channels that are separated from each other by partition walls and that extend through the body between said faces, wherein (1) selected channels are hermetically sealed at the inlet face and open at the outlet face, and the remaining channels are hermetically sealed at the outlet face and open at the inlet face, and (2) said inlet-open channels have a first electrically-conductive coating on the interior walls thereof forming a first electrode surface, and said outlet-open channels have a second electrically-conductive coating on the interior walls thereof forming a second, separate electrode surface; (b) applying a first voltage through said first electrode surface to the interior walls of said inlet-open channels and a second voltage through said second electrode surface to the interior walls of said outlet-open channels, whereby an electrical potential is created between any adjacent inlet-open and outlet-open channels; (c) introducing an oxygen-containing gaseous mixture to the inlet face of the honeycomb; and (d) collecting oxygen at the outlet face.

Claim 2

A method of separating or concentrating oxygen from air or other gaseous mixture, comprising: (a) providing a die-formed monolithic honeycomb body of ceramic material which is an oxygen-ion conductive solid electrolyte, said honeycomb body having an inlet face and an outlet face and a plurality of substantially parallel channels that are separated from each other by partition walls and that extend through the body between said faces, wherein (1) selected channels are hermetically sealed at the inlet face and open at the outlet face, and the remaining channels are hermetically sealed at the outlet face and open at the inlet face, and (2) said inlet-open channels have a first electrically-conductive coating on the interior walls thereof forming a first electrode surface, and said outlet-open channels have a second electrically-conductive coating on the interior walls thereof forming a second, separate electrode surface; (b) applying a first voltage through said first electrode surface to the interior walls of said inlet-open channels and a second voltage through said second electrode surface to the interior walls of said outlet-open channels, whereby an electrical potential is created between any adjacent inlet-open and outlet-open channels; (c) introducing an oxygen-containing gaseous mixture to the inlet face of the honeycomb; and (d) collecting oxygen at the outlet face.

Claim 8

A method of separating or concentrating oxygen from air or other gaseous mixtures, comprising: (a) providing a die-formed monolithic honeycomb body of ceramic material which is an oxygen-ion conductive solid electrolyte, said honeycomb body having first and second faces and a plurality of substantially parallel channels separated from each other by partition walls and extending through the body between said faces, wherein (1) selected channels for oxygen collection are hermetically sealed at the first face and open at the second face, and the remaining channels are open at both faces, (2) said oxygen channels have a first electrically-conductive coating on the interior walls thereof forming a first electrode surface, and the remaining channels have a second electrically-conductive coating on the interior walls thereof forming a second, separate electrode surface, and (3) said oxygen channels and said remaining channels are arranged in said honeycomb in parallel alternating rows; (b) providing a separate manifold to cover the openings of each row of oxygen channels at the second face and to hermetically isolate each of said covered rows of openings from openings of said remaining channels at the second face, each manifold having a single outlet whereby the oxygen channel openings covered by each said manifold are in communication with each other and with the single outlet of said manifold; (c) applying a first voltage through said first electrode surface to the interior walls of said oxygen channels and a second voltage through said second electrode surface to the interior walls of said remaining channels, whereby an electrical potential is created between adjacent oxygen channels and remaining channels; (d) introducing an oxygen-containing gaseous mixture into the openings of said remaining channels; and (e) collecting oxygen at the outlets of said manifolds.

Claim 9

A method of separating or concentrating oxygen from air or other gaseous mixtures, comprising: (a) providing a die-formed monolithic honeycomb body of ceramic material which is an oxygen-ion conductive solid electrolyte, said honeycomb body having first and second faces and a plurality of substantially parallel channels separated from each other by partition walls and extending through the body between said faces, wherein (1) selected channels for oxygen collection are hermetically sealed at the first face and open at the second face, and the remaining channels are open at both faces, (2) said oxygen channels have a first electrically-conductive coating on the interior walls thereof forming a first electrode surface, and the remaining channels have a second electrically-conductive coating on the interior walls thereof forming a second, separate electrode surface, and (3) said oxygen channels and said remaining channels are arranged in said honeycomb in parallel alternating rows; (b) providing a separate manifold to cover the openings of each row of oxygen channels at the second face and to hermetically isolate each of said covered rows of openings from openings of said remaining channels at the second face, each manifold having a single outlet whereby the oxygen channel openings covered by each said manifold are in communication with each other and with the single outlet of said manifold; (c) applying a first voltage through said first electrode surface to the interior walls of said oxygen channels and a second voltage through said second electrode surface to the interior walls of said remaining channels, whereby an electrical potential is created between adjacent oxygen channels and remaining channels; (d) introducing an oxygen-containing gaseous mixture into the openings of said remaining channels; and (e) collecting oxygen at the outlets of said manifolds.