Patent ID: 8114193

Claim:
An ion transport membrane system comprising (a) a pressure vessel having an interior, an exterior, an inlet, and an outlet; (b) a membrane stack or module assembly disposed in the interior of the pressure vessel, the assembly having a plurality of planar wafers comprising mixed metal oxide ceramic material, each wafer having an interior region and an exterior region, and a plurality of hollow ceramic spacers, wherein the stack or module assembly is formed by alternating wafers and spacers such that the interiors of the wafers are in flow communication via the hollow spacers, the wafers are oriented parallel to one another, and the alternating spacers and wafers are oriented coaxially to form the stack or module such that the wafers are perpendicular to the stack or module axis; (c) a gas manifold shroud assembly disposed around the membrane stack or module assembly within the interior of the pressure vessel, wherein the shroud assembly separates the stack or module into at least a first wafer zone and a second wafer zone, places any inlet of the pressure vessel in flow communication with exterior regions of the wafers in the first wafer zone, and places exterior regions of the wafers in the first wafer zone in series flow communication with exterior regions of the wafers of the second wafer zone.