Real-Time Gas Concentrator

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Real-Time Gas Concentrator

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The U.S. Navy seeks to commercialize U.S. Patent 6,517,610 (Micro-electro-mechanical gas concentrator).

The Technology

The micro-electro-mechanical system (MEMS) gas concentrator allows for the real-time extraction/concentration of a gaseous component from a gas mixture (e.g., oxygen from air) through the use of novel miniaturized extraction units. In each unit, an adsorbent member moves between two regions selectively adsorbing the gas in the first region and desorbing it in the second region. This results in a pumping action that concentrates the gaseous component from one region to the other. O2 extraction/concentration is one primary application of this technology. This approach could provide a replacement for compressed gas bottles used in the medical market. Two different implementations for O2 concentration are shown in diagrams A and B.

Key Benefits

Real-time concentration of individual gases from air, e.g., real-time oxygen generation eliminating the need for storage bottles

Significant size reduction from current gas concentration methods —1 liter per minute of oxygen using only 100-cm2 surface area

Enhanced safety over stored gas bottles, e.g., flammability of oxygen storage

Inherently energy-efficient process

Applicable in biosensor/organic life support, micro fluidics, and multifunction chip integration

Consumer health applications, e.g., long-term geriatrics

Medically applicable in civil disasters and emergency response, wartime casualty care, and high-altitude flights

Development Status

U. S. Patent issued: 6,517,610

DoD 5000 Series Technology Readiness Level 1: Basic principles observed and reported

O2 application: Projected adsorbent characteristics

Generates (in real time) 1 liter per minute of O2 from the air using only 100-cm2 surface area and a cycle frequency of 10 kHz.

These test results are based on data from Dr. M. Sailor, University of California, San Diego.

For more information on technology transfer, please contact us at (619) 553–5118 or email ssc_pac_t2@navy.mil
SD 629, February 2006. SSC Pacific, San Diego, CA 92152–5001. Approved for public release; distribution is unlimited.

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Updated: 10/17/2011 3:33 PM EST Published (1.0)