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:
Sep. 23, 2003
Filed:
Jun. 04, 2001
Eric Hunter Shreiber, Getzville, NY (US);
Edward Paul Eardley, Lockport, NY (US);
Vijayaraghavan Srinivasan, Williamsville, NY (US);
Bart Antonie van Hassel, Getzville, NY (US);
Minish Mahendra Shah, East Amherst, NY (US);
Praxair Technology, Inc., Danbury, CT (US);
Abstract
A method of separating oxygen using a ceramic membrane unit having one or more ceramic membranes, preferably formed of a mixed conducting ceramic, for instance, a perovskite, capable of conducting both oxygen ions and electrons. Oxygen is separated within the ceramic membrane unit under impetus of compressing an incoming oxygen containing feed. The compressor used in the compression is powered by the work of expansion produced by expanding a process stream composed of at least a portion of the retentate produced in the ceramic membrane unit. Prior to expansion, the process stream is cooled to allow the use of less expensive materials in expanders used in the expansion. As a result, expansion of the process stream alone is insufficient to meet the power requirements involved in the compression. Interstage expansion with reheating is used to make up for the power deficit.