Patent ID: 7588612
Filing Date: 2009-09-15
Classification: B01D

Abstract:
1. A system configured to separate nitrogen from atmospheric air comprising: a feed air compressor unit having a screw compressor with an inlet and outlet driven by an air/fuel engine so as to compress atmospheric air to a pressure of at least 200 psi at the outlet of the screw compressor; a filtration assembly comprising at least first, second, third, and fourth coalescence filters supported on a filter frame, the first, second, and third coalescence filters being connected in series with an inlet of the first coalescence filter connected to the outlet of the screw compressor, the first, second, third, and fourth coalescence filters disposed adjacent to each other on the filter frame; a carbon tower filter having an inlet communicating with an outlet of the third coalescence filter and an outlet of the carbon tower filter being connected to an inlet of the fourth coalescence filter, the carbon tower filter being disposed in a position that is not spatially between the third and fourth coalescence filters; a heater device having an inlet connected to an outlet of the third coalescence filter and an outlet connected to an inlet of the carbon tower filter; a membrane separation assembly having a plurality of membrane separation devices arranged in at least first and second vertical stacks, at least first and second vertical members supporting the first and second vertical stacks, at least the first vertical member defining either an inlet or an outlet manifold of a plurality of the membrane separation devices, and inlet of the membrane separation assembly being connected to an outlet of the fourth coalescence filter and being configured to distribute a filtered gas from the fourth coalescence filter to inlets of a plurality of the membrane separation devices, the heater device and being supported by at least one of the first and second vertical members; a booster compressor having an inlet connected to an outlet of the membrane separation assembly and configured to raise a pressure of nitrogen rich gas discharged from the membrane separation assembly, the booster compressor having an engine driving a compressor device having an outlet, the compressor device being configured to raise a pressure of the nitrogen rich gas to at least 1000 psi; and a control cab having an electronic control system comprising at least a first sensor being configured to detect an operational parameter of the feed air compressor, at least a second sensor being configured to detect an operational parameter of the membrane separation assembly, and at least a third sensor configured to detect an operational parameter of the booster compressor, the electronic control system comprising an electronic control unit connected to the first second and third sensors and configured to allow an operator of the electronic control system to monitor the output of the first, second, and third sensors; and a wheeled vehicle supporting the feed air compressor, the filtration assembly, the carbon tower filter, the heater device, the membrane separation assembly, the booster compressor, and the control cab.