This disclosure relates to the adsorption and separation of nitrogen in a feed stream (e.g., natural gas) using zeolite ITQ-55 as the adsorbent. A process is disclosed for removing impurities such as nitrogen while producing a high pressure hydrocarbon product. The process involves passing the feed stream through a bed of an adsorbent comprising zeolite ITQ-55 to adsorb nitrogen from the feed stream, thereby producing a product stream depleted in nitrogen at pressure as feed condition without need of recompression. The zeolite ITQ-55 has a mean crystal particle size within the range of from about 0.01 microns to about 40 microns. The feed stream is exposed to the zeolite ITQ-55 at effective conditions for performing a kinetic separation, in which the kinetic separation exhibits greater kinetic selectivity for nitrogen than for methane. The system and method of this disclosure are particularly suitable for use with feed streams utilizing rapid cycle PSA operations.

An oxygen concentrator comprises a product tank that is fluidly coupled to at least one sieve bed, and a product gas accumulator tank that is fluidly coupled to the product tank via a first conduit and to an outlet port via a second conduit, wherein the first conduit and the second conduit are disposed to allow at least a portion of product gas to flow from the product tank to the outlet port through the accumulator tank.

A device is disclosed for separating nitrogen and oxygen. The device includes an inlet in fluid communication with a source of a gas comprising oxygen and nitrogen, a membrane having a greater permeability to oxygen than to nitrogen. One side of the membrane is in fluid communication with the inlet, and the other side of the membrane is in fluid communication with an outlet for nitrogen-enriched gas. An outlet for oxygen-enriched gas is also in fluid communication with the first side of the membrane. A porous metal foam is disposed between the inlet and the membrane.

A method for isolating substantially pure carbon dioxide from flue gas is provided. The method can include combusting carbon based fuel to form flue gas; cooling the flue gas to provide substantially dry flue gas; removing N.sub.2 from the dry flue gas to provide substantially N.sub.2 free flue gas CO.sub.2; and liquifying the substantially N.sub.2 free flue gas CO.sub.2 to form substantially pure carbon dioxide.

A portable oxygen delivery system including an oxygen concentrator having a housing, a compressor mounted inside the housing, a sieve module located within the housing and in fluid connection with the compressor, the sieve module containing a zeolite for removing Nitrogen from air through a pressure swing adsorption process for creating concentrated oxygen, a power source attached to the housing and an oxygen controller device for electronically controlling the pressure swing adsorption process. The portable oxygen delivery system also preferably includes a blowing apparatus fluidly connected to the oxygen concentrator having a blower housing, a blower motor mounted inside the blower housing, a blower fan connected to the blower motor, a second power source attached to the blower housing and a blower controller device for electronically controlling the blower.

A carbon porous body has a micropore volume, calculated from an α.sub.s plot analysis of a nitrogen adsorption isotherm at a temperature of 77 K, of 0.1 cm.sup.3/g or less, the micropore volume being smaller than a mesopore volume calculated by subtracting the micropore volume from a nitrogen adsorption amount at a nitrogen relative pressure P/P.sub.0 of 0.97 on the nitrogen adsorption isotherm, wherein a nitrogen adsorption amount at a nitrogen relative pressure P/P.sub.0 of 0.5 on the nitrogen adsorption isotherm is within a range of 500 cm.sup.3 (STP)/g or less, and a nitrogen adsorption amount at a nitrogen relative pressure P/P.sub.0 of 0.85 on the nitrogen adsorption isotherm is within a range of 600 cm.sup.3 (STP)/g or more and 1100 cm.sup.3 (STP)/g or less.

A membrane including a polymer substrate having pore channels and a metal-organic framework disposed on the polymer substrate. Methods of producing the membrane are described. Methods of separating gases using the membrane are also provided.

A system and method for flexible production of argon from a cryogenic air separation unit is provided. The cryogenic air separation unit is capable of operating in a ‘no-argon’ or ‘low-argon’ mode when argon demand is low or non-existent and then switching to operating in a ‘high-argon’ mode when argon is needed. The recovery of the argon products from the air separation unit is adjusted by varying the percentages of dirty shelf nitrogen and clean shelf nitrogen in the reflux stream directed to the lower pressure column. The cryogenic air separation unit and associated method also provides an efficient argon production/rejection process that minimizes the power consumption when the cryogenic air separation unit is operating in a ‘no-argon’ or ‘low-argon’ mode yet maintains the capability to produce higher volumes of argon products at full design capacity to meet argon product demands.

An oxygen generation device having a compressed air supply device, air cooling coil, a fan, pneumatic valve system, a housing, at least one media insert, an on-off switch, a printed circuit board, and a touch screen. The pneumatic valve system includes an air inlet port, a first air outlet port connected to the inlet of the first media insert, a second air outlet port connected to the inlet of the second media insert. The air inlet port receives compressed air from the compressed air supply device and alternatingly provides the compressed air to one of the first media insert and the second media insert. The lower housing includes check valve ball moveable between the first position and the second position and alternatingly controlling a flow of compressed air through the first media insert and the second media insert.

A wheel lock or clip for maintaining position of a thumbwheel or wheel of a rotary actuated delivery device includes an arcuate or curved body having a live hinge extending therefrom, the hinge connected to an arm having an engagement tooth extending therefrom. The tooth is operatively connected to tab for actuation by a user to disengage the engagement tooth from teeth of gear or barrel of a wheel or a thumbwheel of the rotary actuated device to thereby allow free movement of the wheel or thumbwheel.