ENERGY EFFICIENT, INEXPENSIVE EXTRACTION OF OXYGEN FROM AMBIENT AIR FOR PORTABLE AND HOME USE

摘要

Apparatus and method for separating oxygen directly from air, operating atsubstantially atmospheric pressure and recuperating energy used for coolingincoming air. An ambient air input leads from the atmosphere to a vessel forconfining gases. A cryocooler has a cooled surface in the vessel for directlycondensing oxygen from the air at substantially atmospheric pressure. Thecryocooler cools the cold surface to a temperature greater than the boilingpoint temperature of nitrogen and not greater than the boiling pointtemperature of oxygen for condensing oxygen. A liquid/gas separator separatesthe liquid oxygen from residual gases which both flow out through separateoutputs. Air is propelled through the system at substantially atmosphericpressure by an air impeller. A heat exchanger recovers cooling energy anddehumidifies incoming air by transferring heat from the incoming air tooutgoing gases.