Patent ID: 9636621
Date: 2017-05-02
CPC Classifications: B01D

Claim:
1. A single bed reversing blower vacuum swing adsorption air separation unit optimized for high altitude operation, comprising in combination: a ambient air inlet; a reversible blower downstream of said ambient air inlet, said reversible blower coupled to a motor which drives said reversible blower in either a production direction to add pressure to ambient air entering said reversible blower from said ambient air inlet or dropping pressure downstream of said reversible blower by drawing gas through said reversible blower and out of said ambient air inlet; an adsorption bed downstream of said reversible blower, said adsorption bed containing adsorption media therein which preferentially adsorbs N an O an adsorption bed pressure sensor; and a controller receiving a pressure signal from said adsorption bed sensor and providing a control signal to said reversible blower, said control signal causing said reversible blower to draw a vacuum pressure within said adsorption bed which causes an ambient-to-vacuum pressure ratio to match an optimal pressure ratio across said reversible blower.