Hypoxia training device
Inventors
Reeh, Jonathan • Waje, Mahesh • Kesmez, Mehmet • Salinas, Carlos • Varughese, Jibi • Zbranek, John • Cocking, Seth • Balasubramanian, Ashwin • Teurman, Cory • Netherland, James • Hitchens, Geoffrey Duncan
Assignees
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Publication Number
US-12194242-B2
Publication Date
2025-01-14
Expiration Date
Abstract
The present invention includes a device for hypoxia training comprising: one or more electrochemical cells each comprising: a cathode and an anode separated by a proton exchange membrane, each of the anode and cathode in communication with an input and an output, wherein the input of the cathode is in fluid communication with ambient air, and wherein the input of the anode is in fluid communication with a source of liquid water; a power supply connected to the one or more electrochemical cells; and a mask in fluid communication with the output from the cathode of the one or more electrochemical cells, wherein oxygen is removed from the ambient air during contact with the cathode when hydrogen ions separated from liquid water by a catalyst on the anode convert oxygen in the ambient air into water.
Core Innovation
The invention provides an electrochemical oxygen separation (EOS) hypoxia training device that removes oxygen from ambient air. One or more electrochemical cells include a cathode and an anode separated by a proton exchange membrane, with the cathode input in fluid communication with ambient air and the anode input in fluid communication with a source of liquid water. During contact of the oxygen-depleted air stream with the cathode, hydrogen ions are separated from liquid water by a catalyst on the anode and are used to convert oxygen in the ambient air into water.
The device recirculates air from which oxygen has been removed back to the cathode using one or more recirculation pumps, and delivers the output from the cathode to a mask in fluid communication with the cathode output. Power is supplied to the electrochemical cells by a power supply. The system further includes components that manage balance-of-plant functions such as air pumping/filtering, cooling and condensation, water recovery, and oxygen storage, with an operational mode for oxygen dump.
For controlling oxygen output during pilot hypoxia training, the invention sets an altitude set-point to determine a current to the electrochemical cells and modulates the amount of oxygen output during operation. Oxygen control can be based on an oxygen sensor and/or on measurements including air inlet flow rate, air consumption, and system pressure, with a processor/logic controller using one or more settings for hypoxia training. The invention also emphasizes advanced anode electrocatalyst development and optimization using Ir—Ru mixed oxides and catalyst decoration/loading approaches, and extends the electrocatalyst and architecture to other electrochemical gas-generation applications.
Claims Coverage
The partial content includes five independent claims: clm-00001, clm-00015, clm-00026, clm-00027, clm-00028, and clm-00029. Across these, the claims cover a hypoxia training device using liquid-water-fed PEM electrochemical cells with ambient-air oxygen removal, methods controlling oxygen level during pilot hypoxia training using an altitude set-point and current modulation, methods and devices for reducing oxygen in ambient air using the same electrochemical conversion and recirculation architecture, and gas-generation methods using the PEM electrochemical stack to generate pure oxygen.
Liquid-water-fed proton exchange membrane cells for ambient oxygen removal
A device includes one or more electrochemical cells with a cathode and an anode separated by a proton exchange membrane, where the cathode input is in fluid communication with ambient air and the anode input is in fluid communication with a source of liquid water, and oxygen is removed from the ambient air during contact with the cathode when hydrogen ions separated from liquid water by a catalyst on the anode convert oxygen into water.
Recirculation pumps returning oxygen-depleted air to the cathode
The device includes one or more recirculation pumps to recirculate air from which oxygen has been removed back to the cathode.
Mask delivery in fluid communication with cathode output
The device includes a mask in fluid communication with the output from the cathode of the one or more electrochemical cells.
Altitude set-point determining electrochemical cell current for oxygen modulation
During pilot hypoxia training, an altitude set-point is set, where the altitude set point is used to determine a current to the one or more electrochemical cells, and the amount of oxygen output is modulated during operation.
Displaying instructions to change pilot parameters during hypoxia training
The method includes displaying instructions to the pilot to change one or more parameters selected from at least one of breathing depth, breathing frequency, breathing cadence, muscle tension, suit pressure, or provision of oxygen from a non-ambient source.
Anode electrolyzes water into protons and oxygen; cathode forms water from ambient oxygen
A device includes one or more electrochemical stacks comprising a cathode electrocatalyst, a proton exchange membrane, and an anode electrocatalyst, wherein when power is provided, the anode electrocatalyst electrolyzes water into protons and oxygen, the protons traverse the proton exchange membrane, and the cathode electrocatalyst reacts the protons with oxygen in ambient air to form water, thereby reducing the amount of oxygen in the ambient air.
Electrolyzing water at anode to generate protons and pure oxygen
A method for generating gas electrically powers one or more electrochemical stacks that comprise a cathode electrocatalyst, a proton exchange membrane, and an anode electrocatalyst; electrolysis of water at the anode electrocatalyst generates protons and oxygen, the protons are eliminated by traversing the proton exchange membrane by attraction to the cathode electrocatalyst, and pure oxygen is generated.
Across the independent claims, the coverage centers on PEM electrochemical cells that remove oxygen from ambient air using a liquid-water-fed anode catalyst pathway to generate hydrogen ions/protons, with recirculation of oxygen-depleted air to the cathode and delivery to a mask. For hypoxia training, the claims further require modulating oxygen output using an altitude set-point that determines electrochemical cell current, and can include displaying instructions to change pilot parameters. Related independent coverage also includes a device architecture for reducing ambient oxygen and a gas-generation method that generates pure oxygen using the same PEM stack concepts.
Stated Advantages
Modulates the amount of oxygen output during pilot hypoxia training using an altitude set-point to determine current.
Reduces the amount of oxygen in ambient air by converting oxygen into water via the cathode using protons separated from liquid water at the anode.
Generates pure oxygen by electrolyzing water at the anode in a proton exchange membrane electrochemical stack.
Delivers oxygen-removed or oxygen-reduced air to a mask in fluid communication with the cathode output.
Documented Applications
Hypoxia training for a pilot using a device that removes oxygen from ambient air and delivers oxygen-depleted air to a mask.
Pilot hypoxia training control based on altitude set-point and modulating oxygen output during operation.
Reducing the amount of oxygen in ambient air using electrochemical stacks and recirculating oxygen-depleted air back to the cathode.
Generating gas, including generating pure oxygen, using electrically powered electrochemical stacks with a proton exchange membrane.
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