Patent ID: 6394043
Filing Date: 2002-05-28
Classification: B01B,B01D,B01J,C01B

Abstract:
A oxygen separation and combustion apparatus comprising:a combustion chamber; a plurality of parallel oxygen transport membranes located within said combustion chamber to separate oxygen from an oxygen containing gas, thereby to provide the oxygen within the combustion chamber to support combustion of a fuel and thereby generate heat; a plurality of fluid passages passing through said combustion chamber; said fluid passages positioned so that a portion of the heat is transferred from the combustion to said oxygen transport membranes to heat said oxygen transport membranes to an operational temperature and a further portion of the heat is transferred from the combustion to said fluid passages to provide heat to heat fluid and to promote stabilization of the operational temperature of said oxygen transport membranes; at least one inlet for introducing at least the fuel into said combustion chamber; and an exhaust from said combustion chamber to discharge combustion products arising from combustion of the fuel; the exhaust and said at least one inlet spaced apart from one another so that said combustion products flow in a direction predominantly parallel to said oxygen transport membranes.