A ventilator, including an enclosure; a tubing configured to receive an input gas; a flow outlet airline in fluid communication with the tubing, wherein the flow outlet airline includes an airline outlet, and the flow outlet airline is configured to supply an output gas to a user via the airline outlet; a breath detection airline including an airline inlet, wherein the airline inlet is separated from the airline outlet of the flow outlet airline, and the breath detection airline is configured to receive breathing gas from the user during exhalation by the user via the airline inlet; a pressure sensor in direct fluid communication with the breath detection airline, wherein the pressure sensor is configured to measure breathing pressure from the user, and the pressure sensor is configured to generate sensor data indicative of breathing by the user.

The present invention and embodiments thereof provide a process to separate ethylene products from impurities such as nitrogen, hydrogen, ethane, propane and isobutane without the need for distillation processes.

It has been discovered that mixed-alcohol production can utilize the waste tail gas stream from the pressure-swing adsorption section of an industrial hydrogen plant. Some variations provide a process for producing mixed alcohols, comprising: obtaining a tail-gas stream from a methane-to-syngas unit (e.g., a steam methane reforming reactor); compressing the tail-gas stream; separating the tail-gas stream into at least a syngas stream, a CO.sub.2-rich stream, and a CH.sub.4-rich stream; introducing the syngas stream into a mixed-alcohol reactor operated at effective alcohol synthesis conditions in the presence of an alcohol-synthesis catalyst, thereby generated mixed alcohols; and purifying the mixed alcohols to generate a mixed-alcohol product. Other variations provide a process for producing clean syngas, comprising: obtaining a tail-gas stream from a methane-to-syngas unit; compressing the tail-gas stream; separating the tail-gas stream into at least a syngas stream, a CO.sub.2-rich stream, and a CH.sub.4-rich stream; and recovering a clean syngas product.

An inerting system comprises an air separating device having an enclosure (40) having at least one air inlet (46) and one outlet (48) for oxygen-depleted air. The air separating device (18) is configured to generate, from an air inlet flow coming from the air inlet (46) of the enclosure (40), an outlet flow of oxygen-depleted air and to discharge the outlet flow of oxygen-depleted air through the outlet (48) for oxygen-depleted air. The inerting system (14) comprises a heating system (20), outside the enclosure (40), configured to heat at least one region of the enclosure (40).

A continuous desulfurization process and process system are described for removal of reduced sulfur species at gas stream concentrations in a range of from about 5 to about 5000 ppmv, using fixed beds containing regenerable sorbents, and for regeneration of such regenerable sorbents. The desulfurization removes the reduced sulfur species of hydrogen sulfide, carbonyl sulfide, carbon disulfide, and/or thiols and disulfides with four or less carbon atoms, to ppbv concentrations. In specific disclosed implementations, regenerable metal oxide-based sorbents are integrated along with a functional and effective process to control the regeneration reaction and process while maintaining a stable dynamic sulfur capacity. A membrane-based process and system is described for producing regeneration and purge gas for the desulfurization.

Oxygen concentrator methods and apparatus estimate sieve bed effective capacity. Estimation applies function(s) to a parameter of a measured pressure-time characteristic of the bed, characteristic of a phase of an adsorption cycle of the concentrator at a predetermined motor speed of its compression system. Estimation may involve operating the concentrator at a predetermined bed pressure and measuring a mass flow of gas entering or exiting the bed, and may use the measured mass flow and one or more functions. Estimation may involve a measured bed exhaust mass flow for a purge phase when bed pressure is regulated to maintain a predetermined target pressure using motor speed adjustment. The estimation may apply exhaust mass flow function(s) to the measured exhaust mass flow. Estimation of the effective capacity may involve applying motor speed function(s) to measured motor speed, such as an adjusted one for regulating canister pressure to achieve a target pressure.

Methods and materials for the selective capture and storage of preselected materials from gas streams using metal organic framework (MOF) materials are described. In various embodiments preselected target material gases could include noble gasses such as Kr, Xe, Rn, Arultramicro to mesopore frameworks for selective separation and storage of noble gases, other gasses such as I.sub.2 or other particular isotopes either naturally occurring or man-made, or another preselected gas capture material such as a target material for legal, regulatory or treaty compliance, or a preselected material from a particular process such as a cleaning or etching agent from semiconducting or microelectronic manufacture, or a portion of an anesthetic gas such as nitrous oxide, isoflurane, sevoflurane or a fluorinated ethers.

Embodiments of the present disclosure describe polyimide blend compositions, methods of making polyimide blend compositions, methods of using polyimides, membranes including polyimide blends, methods of making membranes including polyimide blends, methods of separating mixtures using the membranes including polyimide blends, and the like.

An approach for separating a gaseous mixture includes a multi-stage membrane system in which a rubbery membrane is operated at a low temperature. Various streams are cooled and heated in a multi-fluid heat exchanger. In specific configurations, the multi-fluid heat exchanger is cooled by using no fluids other than fluids derived from the permeate and/or residue generated in the first membrane stage.

A hydrogen feed stream comprising oxygen and one or more impurities selected from the group consisting of nitrogen, argon, methane, carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, and water, is purified by first removing oxygen using a copper oxide and/or manganese oxide getter, then using a cryogenic temperature swing adsorption (CTSA) process with high overall recovery of hydrogen. The oxygen getter prevents an explosive mixture of hydrogen and oxygen from occurring in the CTSA during regeneration.