The invention relates to a method for separating gases which comprises: a first step in which a gas fuel stream comprising combustible substances that produce gas products when oxidised, and an oxygen-rich inlet stream are passed through at least two modules of oxygen-separating ceramic membranes, such that the two streams come into contact through the membranes and exchange heat; a second step of selective diffusion of oxygen from the oxygen-rich stream to the fuel stream, such that the outlet streams from the membrane modules are an oxygen-depleted or completely oxygen-free stream and a partially or completely oxidised stream; and a third step of recovery of at least two separate outlet streams of at least two gases selected from oxygen, nitrogen, carbon dioxide and hydrogen.

The present invention generally relates to an oxygen transport membrane syngas panel whereby the reformer layer of the panel is eliminated, and the primary reforming function is integrated into the manifold as a gas heated reformer with product syngas as the source of heat.

The present invention generally relates to an oxygen transport membrane syngas panel whereby the reformer layer of the panel is eliminated, and the primary reforming function is integrated into the manifold as a gas heated reformer with product syngas as the source of heat.

A method is described of producing a catalyst-containing composite oxygen ion membrane and a catalyst-containing composite oxygen ion membrane in which a porous fuel oxidation layer and a dense separation layer and optionally, a porous surface exchange layer are formed on a porous support from mixtures of (Ln.sub.1xA.sub.x).sub.wCr.sub.1yB.sub.yO.sub.3 and a doped zirconia. Adding certain catalyst metals into the fuel oxidation layer not only enhances the initial oxygen flux, but also reduces the degradation rate of the oxygen flux over long-term operation. One of the possible reasons for the improved flux and stability is that the addition of the catalyst metal reduces the chemical reaction between the (Ln.sub.1xA.sub.x).sub.wCr.sub.1yB.sub.yO.sub.3 and the zirconia phases during membrane fabrication and operation, as indicated by the X-ray diffraction results.

A method of generating an electrical current and a multi-cell electrochemical device. The method includes extracting oxygen from an aqueous ambient environment surrounding an electrochemical system; transporting the extracted oxygen through a selectively oxygen-permeable membrane to an enclosed electrolyte configured to surround an anode and a cathode in the electrochemical system, wherein the electrolyte is separated from the aqueous ambient environment; transporting the oxygenated electrolyte to the cathode; reducing the oxygen at the cathode; and oxidizing a metal at the anode. The device includes a metal anode; a cathode; an enclosed electrolyte configured to surround the cathode and the anode, wherein the electrolyte is separated from an aqueous ambient environment surrounding the electrochemical device; and a selectively oxygen-permeable membrane configured to extract oxygen from the aqueous ambient environment.

A method of generating an electrical current and a multi-cell electrochemical device. The method includes extracting oxygen from an aqueous ambient environment surrounding an electrochemical system; transporting the extracted oxygen through a selectively oxygen-permeable membrane to an enclosed electrolyte configured to surround an anode and a cathode in the electrochemical system, wherein the electrolyte is separated from the aqueous ambient environment; transporting the oxygenated electrolyte to the cathode; reducing the oxygen at the cathode; and oxidizing a metal at the anode. The device includes a metal anode; a cathode; an enclosed electrolyte configured to surround the cathode and the anode, wherein the electrolyte is separated from an aqueous ambient environment surrounding the electrochemical device; and a selectively oxygen-permeable membrane configured to extract oxygen from the aqueous ambient environment.

The invention relates to a method and an arrangement for the continuous production of compressed oxygen from air using mixed conducting ceramic membranes. The aim of the invention is to provide a way of isolating pure oxygen from the air and compressing said oxygen to pressures above the ambient pressure, without using mechanical or electromechanical compression of air or oxygen. To achieve this aim, according to the invention water in various aggregate states is conducted in a circuit and the configuration of the equipment is designed such that the desired high oxygen pressure is produced in a separate area from the membrane module and the oxygen produced is prevented from mixing with the freshly produced water vapour.

The invention relates to a device for splitting water into hydrogen and oxygen by thermolysis, that is, by decomposition at elevated temperature. This device comprises: a reactor (1) having a heating system (2), a first reactor outlet (3), a second reactor outlet (4), at least one water inlet (5) and at least one oxygen filter (6); at least one hydrogen filter (7); an oxygen extraction pump (8), a hydrogen extraction pump (9), at least one water injection pump (10); a hydrogen separation chamber (11) located outside the reactor (1) and containing the hydrogen filter(s) (7); a heat exchanger (15) comprising an inlet (31) and an outlet (13) for a first circuit and an inlet (17) and an outlet (19) for a second circuit. The particularity of such a device is that it comprises two further heat exchangers (16, 28) each comprising an inlet (14, 27) and an outlet (20, 29) for a first circuit and an inlet (22, 36) and an outlet (23, 34) for a second circuit and in that: the inlet (31) of the first circuit of a first heat exchanger (15) is connected to an external water inlet (12) via the water injection pump (10), the outlet (13) of the first circuit of the first heat exchanger (15) is connected to the inlet (14) of a first circuit of a second heat exchanger (16); the inlet (17) of the second circuit of the first heat exchanger (15) is connected to an outlet (18) of the hydrogen separation chamber (11), which is connected to the filter(s) (7) and the outlet (19) of the second circuit of the first heat exchanger (15) is a hydrogen outlet of the device. The invention also pertains to a process for splitting water into hydrogen using the above device.

An oxygen separation device includes a substrate and an oxygen ion transport membrane supported on the substrate. The substrate has an air inlet end and a retentate outlet end. An intake air passageway extends through the substrate from the air inlet end to the retentate outlet end. The oxygen ion transport membrane is between the substrate and the intake air passageway and is adapted to separate oxygen atoms from the air in the intake air passageway and to transport the oxygen atoms to the substrate. The oxygen separation device collects the oxygen from the substrate for supply to an internal combustion engine for use as the gas of the gas-fuel mixture.

A self-healing ceramic ion-selective membrane assembly including a ceramic ion-selective membrane, and at least one additive layer. The at least one additive layer includes an ionic ceramic material which is porous or ion-selective. The at least one additive layer having a metal cation diffusivity higher than the metal cation diffusivity of the ceramic ion-selective membrane. When a defect occurs through the ceramic ion-selective membrane, metal cation transport will be enhanced by orders of magnitude towards and into the defect, driven by the chemical or electrical potential difference between the two sides of the membrane.