Claims
- 1. A method for heating a gas purification apparatus operating at high temperature comprising the steps of:introducing a mixed gas flow into a housing containing a heating chamber and a selectively gas permeable membrane therein; reacting a portion of the mixed gas flow exothermically so as to heat said housing and produce exothermic reaction byproducts; and venting said byproducts from said heating chamber.
- 2. The method of claim 1 wherein the portion of the mixed gas flow is raffinate.
- 3. The method of claim 1 wherein reacting the portion of mixed gas flow comprises oxidizing a constituent gas of the mixed gas flow.
- 4. The method of claim 3 wherein oxidizing occurs through a combustion process.
- 5. The method of claim 4 wherein the combustion process occurs in the presence of a catalyst.
- 6. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of:conducting the portion of the mixed gas flow to said heating chamber through a conduit, wherein said conduit comprises a flow control device therein to regulate the portion of the mixed gas flow entering said heating chamber.
- 7. The method of claim 6 wherein said flow control device is a uni-directional flow valve.
- 8. An improved high temperature gas purification system comprising a chamber containing a gas purification membrane, a heating means and an inlet for mixed gas flow into said chamber and into contact with a first surface of said membrane, such that a constituent gas of the mixed gas flow selectively diffuses through said membrane at an elevated temperature leaving a raffinate in contact with the first surface of said membrane wherein the improvement lies in: a conduit for conducting raffinate into the heating means as a fuel stock to maintain the elevated temperature of the chamber.
- 9. A high temperature gas purification system comprising:a housing; a gas purification membrane having a mixed gas surface and a pure gas surface and a heating chamber disposed therein or proximal thereto; an inlet for conducting a mixed gas flow into contact with the mixed gas surface of said gas purification membrane; a conduit in fluid communication for conducting a portion of the mixed gas flow into said heating chamber, wherein said heating chamber is in fluid communication with a reactant for exothermic reaction with the portion of the mixed gas flow and has a reaction product vent; and an outlet for a purified gas of the mixed gas flow, said outlet in fluid communication with the pure gas surface of said membrane.
- 10. The gas purification system of claim 9 wherein the portion of the mixed gas flow is raffinate.
- 11. The gas purification system of claim 9 further comprising an exothermic reaction catalyst within said heating chamber.
- 12. The gas purification system of claim 9 further comprising a flow control device within said conduit.
- 13. The gas purification system of claim 12 wherein said flow control device is unidirectional.
- 14. The gas purification system of claim 12 wherein said flow control device is selected from the group consisting of: a frit, plenum, check valve, pressure regulator and through-put operated valve.
- 15. The gas purification system of claim 9 wherein the purified gas is hydrogen.
- 16. The gas purification system of claim 9 wherein the reactant is selected from the group of: air and oxygen.
RELATED APPLICATION
This application is a continuation-in-part of and claims priority of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 08/936,665 filed Sep. 24, 1997, issued as U.S. Pat. No. 5,888,273 which claims the priority of U.S. provisional patent application Serial No. 60/026,918 filed Sep. 25, 1996, and which are both incorporated herein by reference.
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May 1970 |
JP |
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Non-Patent Literature Citations (1)
Entry |
Buxbaum, R.E. et al., “Hydrogen Transport Through Tubular Membranes of Palladium-Coated Tantalum and Niobium”, Industrial & Engineering Chemistry Research, vol. 35, No. 2, pp. 530-537, 1996.* |
Provisional Applications (1)
|
Number |
Date |
Country |
|
60/026918 |
Sep 1996 |
US |
Continuation in Parts (1)
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Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
08/936665 |
Sep 1997 |
US |
Child |
09/281451 |
|
US |