An internal air adjustment device that includes a gas composition adjustment unit including a gas separation film and that adjusts a composition of internal air existing inside a storage box, such as a container, includes a pressure regulating valve that regulates a pressure of air that is supplied from an air pump to the gas separation film of the gas composition adjustment unit.

A method of fuel tank inerting includes separating process air into nitrogen-enriched air and oxygen-enriched air with an air separation membrane. A vacuum is applied to the air separation membrane to produce a pressure differential across the air separation membrane. The vacuum is manipulated to vary the pressure differential and vary purity of the nitrogen-enriched air.

An illustrated view of an exemplary air filter for reducing emissions is presented. The air filter is useful for removing toxic gases from the air surrounding a combustion engine of a vehicle is presented. The air filter is useful for scrubbing the ambient air for removal of toxic contaminants such as carbon dioxide and thus reducing harmful emissions of a vehicle. The air filter though described for a vehicle can also be used in industry settings as well as at home. The air filter is recyclable. Although a vehicle is shown, it is an example only. Other applications are possible and have been contemplated for the air filter 100 including, but not limited to, commercial applications, home applications, industrial applications, etc.

A device for separating a gas, such as air, into components, includes a plurality of modules, each module having one or more polymeric membranes capable of gas separation. A set of valves, pipes, and manifolds together arrange the modules in one of two possible configurations. In a first configuration, the modules are arranged in parallel. In a second configuration, the modules are divided into two groups which are arranged in series. The device can be switched from parallel to series, or from series to parallel, simply by changing the positions of a small number of valves, typically three valves. The device can therefore produce gas either of higher purity, or moderate purity, depending on the settings of the valves. The device also includes improved structures for connecting the modules to inlet and outlet manifolds, and also includes devices for temporarily isolating one or more modules from the system.

A ventilation system includes an inside air passage having inflow and outflow ends communicating with an indoor space to be ventilated, at least one permeable film unit including a permeable film, and an air supply passage having an inflow end communicating with an outdoor space and an outflow end connected to a downstream side of the permeable film in the inside air passage. The permeable film allows a target gas to pass and allows the target gas that has passed through the permeable film to be discharged into outdoor air. The target gas contains at least one of carbon dioxide and a volatile organic compound in indoor air that flows in the inside air passage. Alternatively or in addition, the ventilation system can include an outside air passage and a discharge passage in place of or in addition to the inside air passage and the air supply passage, respectively.

Reactor/separator elements for performing the generation and/or separation of hydrogen gas with improved efficiency have a central core and a separation layer that, in combination, define at least one spiral gas flow channel extending from one end of the central core to the opposite end of the central core. In use, the reactor/separator element may be placed in a housing which constrains gas on the outside of the reactor/separator element into the spiral channel defined by the outside of the separation layer.

A fuel tank system is disclosed that includes a fuel tank and a first fluid flow path between a gas space in the fuel tank and outside of the fuel system. A gas separation membrane is disposed with a first side in communication with the first fluid flow path and a second side in communication with a second fluid flow path. A fluid control device is in communication with the second fluid flow path and is configured to provide fluid flow from the second fluid flow path to a liquid space in the fuel tank or to outside of the fuel system. A prime mover is disposed in communication with the second fluid flow path, and is configured to move fluid on the second fluid flow path from the second side of the separation membrane to the fuel tank liquid space or to outside of the fuel system.

A gas separation method is provided. The method includes using a gas separation apparatus comprising a selective permeable membrane and a first and second treatment chambers separated by the selective permeable membrane. A mixed gas containing a gas to be separated is supplied into (or generated within) the first treatment chamber, and the gas to be separated is separated from the mixed gas by having the gas to be separated permeate from the first/second treatment chamber side of the selective permeable membrane, which has a stacked laminated structure of a hydrophilic porous membrane, a separation-functional layer, and a first protective membrane, and the separation-functional layer includes a layer of hydrophilic polymer containing water, and the first treatment chamber is provided on a hydrophilic porous membrane side of the selective permeable membrane and the second treatment chamber is provided on the first protective membrane side of the selective permeable membrane.

The present invention involves the use of a two-step membrane system for gas separations. In this two-step membrane system, the membrane system comprises high selectivity and high permeance membranes. The two-step membrane system includes a first membrane section, a second membrane section and an ejector configured to increase the pressure of a lower permeate using the energy from a higher permeate gas pressure. The process provides increase in product recovery and product purity of the product gases. It can also save the cost compared to the system using compressors and external energy to drive the separation of gases.

The present invention relates to a method for impregnating a filter having pores suitable for retaining particles within them that may be present in a flow of air suitable for passing through the filter, according to which the filter made up of a polymer membrane is impregnated with one or more organometallic salts by applying a treatment using supercritical CO.sub.2, the metal M of each salt being chosen from among the group of rare earths, yttrium, scandium, chromium, or a combination thereof. The invention also relates to the obtained filter and an associated method for the collection and quantitative analysis of nanoparticles.