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:
Jan. 10, 1995
Filed:
Mar. 19, 1992
Ching-Yu Lin, Monroeville, PA (US);
Richard P Kunkle, Irwin, PA (US);
William Feduska, Edgeworth, PA (US);
Westinghouse Electric Company, Pittsburgh, PA (US);
Abstract
Methods of and apparatus for generating high purity oxygen. Employed for this purpose is a 'membrane cell' comprised of a praseodymia-modified, yttria-stabilized zirconia film that is fabricated onto a porous support, typically a tube of calcia-stabilized zirconia. This cell has the capability of 'pumping' oxygen. As a consequence, oxygen in a pressurized fluid stream on the outer face of the membrane can be extracted from that stream and pumped as oxygen ions through the membrane without parasitic electric power and then released on the opposite side of the porous support tube as pure (electrolytic grade) oxygen. Extraction of pure oxygen continues as long as an oxygen partial pressure differential is maintained across the mixed conduction, 'shorted' membrane. Oxygen thus produced can be used in industrial processes--for example, in coal gasification--or for other purposes.