SBIR Phase I: Continuous Adsorption Technology for Oxygen Enrichment

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This Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I project will investigate a novel technology that exploits micro-scale enhanced heat and mass transport phenomena, and micro-fabrication mass production methods. The proposed device will have no moving parts, will operate at ambient pressure, and can be used as a micro-component or assembled into a larger architecture to perform separations at high production rates. Enriching the oxygen content of combustion air with a device as easy to use as an air filter would increase the efficiency of domestic furnaces and hot water heaters, would decrease fuel use and CO2 and NOx pollution in steel making and aluminum production, and could even enhance the performance of ultra-high altitude air-breathing engines. At the smaller scale, continuous adsorption provides the simple, reliable micro-architecture needed to purify fuel cell feed gases.