Patent ID: 8828120

Claim:
A device for separating a gas mixture into product gas and offgas by way of gas permeation, the device comprising a first membrane unit comprising a gas inlet, a retentate outlet, and a permeate outlet, a second membrane unit comprising a gas inlet, a retentate outlet, and a permeate outlet, a first compressor placed upstream from the first membrane unit and comprising an intake side, an upstream membrane unit comprising a gas inlet, a retentate outlet, and a permeate outlet, and at least one other membrane unit comprising a gas inlet, a retentate outlet and a permeate outlet and disposed upstream from the upstream membrane unit, a first line connecting the retentate outlet of the first membrane unit to the gas inlet of the second membrane unit, a second line connecting the permeate outlet of the second membrane unit on the intake side with the first compressor or with a gas supply leading into the first compressor, a third line connecting the first compressor with the gas inlet of the first membrane unit, a fourth line connecting the permeate outlet of the upstream membrane unit with the gas supply of the first compressor, and a fifth line connecting the retentate outlet of the at least one other membrane unit with the gas inlet of the upstream membrane unit, wherein the product gas is obtained via the retentate outlet of the second membrane unit, wherein the offgas is obtained via the permeate outlet of the first membrane unit, wherein additional product gas is obtained via the retentate outlet of the upstream membrane unit, and wherein additional offgas is obtained via the permeate outlet of the at least one other membrane unit.