(661g) Oxygen/Nitrogen Enriched Air for Energy Applications

The benefits of increased oxygen partial pressure over air fed processes for power generation from combustion have been well known and documented for at least 50 years. As typically practiced, oxygen enrichment involves dilution of high purity oxygen with air to the desired oxygen concentration with the unavoidable associated loss in the separation energy required for isolation of the high purity oxygen.

Membranes offer potential for a lower total energy approach by supplying oxygen enriched air (OEA), within limits of separation, at the required oxygen concentration. The portable nature of OEA membrane systems also affords their application in remote locations and mobile uses. CMS is presently investigating the combination of these features in a variety of applications, including the increased power density of diesel engines.

Parallel efforts to control diesel engine NOx Emissions with nitrogen enriched air (NEA) will be discussed. By broadly reducing diesel NOx emissions (e.g. 50%) the use of diesel engines is enhanced. Diesel engines are over 30% more energy efficient than gasoline powered spark engines.

This presentation will outline recent feasibility studies for increasing the power and energy efficiency on a portable diesel engine driven electric power generator with membrane supplied OEA.