Patent ID: 8435332

Claim:
An electrically driven oxygen separation apparatus comprising: an enclosure having two inlet regions, a heated interior region located between the inlet regions and having opposed end walls positioned adjacent the inlet regions, opposed openings defined in the end walls, a sidewall connecting the end walls, heating elements positioned to heat the heated interior region and an outlet extending from the heated interior region and through the sidewall; at least one oxygen separation module, the oxygen separation module having a plurality of tubular membrane elements each of the tubular membrane elements having an anode layer, a cathode layer, an electrolyte layer located between the anode layer and the cathode layer and each of the tubular membrane elements configured to separate oxygen from an oxygen containing feed stream when an electric potential difference is applied between the anode layer and the cathode layer to induce oxygen ion transport in the electrolyte; a power source electrically coupled to the plurality of tubular membrane elements to apply an electric potential difference between the anode layer and the cathode layer of each tubular membrane elements; the at least one oxygen separation module further having a first manifold and a second manifold spaced apart from one another with the tubular membrane elements situated therebetween and configured to receive oxygen from the tubular membrane elements such that oxygen is received by the first manifold from a first group or portion of the tubular membrane elements and oxygen is received by the second manifold from a second group or portion of the tubular membrane elements; the at least one oxygen separation module further having a plurality of end seals located at opposite ends of the tubular membrane elements and end insulation members located proximate end seals wherein the tubular membrane elements are arranged in a bundle and held in place by the end insulation members; the at least one oxygen separation module positioned within the enclosure and with the end insulation members situated within the openings of the end walls and the opposed ends of the tubular membrane elements, the end seals and the manifolds projecting outwardly from the end insulation members and into the two inlet regions; and the at least one oxygen separation module further having one or more inlets located within the end insulation members to allow passage of oxygen containing feed streams from the inlet regions to the heated interior region.