The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
May. 21, 1991
Filed:
Jul. 20, 1989
John B Kerr, Oakland, CA (US);
Emory S De Castro, Emeryville, CA (US);
Bruce Zenner, Hercules, CA (US);
Aquanautics Corporation, Alameda, CA (US);
Abstract
Oxygen is extracted from a fluid mixture feedstock by circulating a carrier fluid from an oxygen loading station to an electrochemical cell. The carrier fluid includes a carrier compound capable of reversibly binding oxygen, with oxygen binding dependent on the oxidation state of the compound. Oxygen bound to the carrier compound in a first oxidation state is released as the oxidation state is altered at the first electrode of the electrochemical cell. The carrier compound is then returned to the first oxidation state at the second electrode at the electrochemical cell. The loading station typically comprises an oxygen-permeable membrane which prevents bulk mixing of the fluid mixture and the carrier fluid. By providing an electrocatalyst capable of rapid electron transfer and having an electropotential less than that of the carrier compound, without binding or otherwise interfering with the carrier compound, low energy electron transfer between the carrier compounds and the electrodes of the electrochemical cell is achieved.