Abstract: An onboard rebreathing loop system resident on an aircraft for providing oxygen to aircraft personnel includes a ceramic oxygen generating system (COGS) module configured to receive an inlet air and output a high purity oxygen (O2) gas into a breathing loop and a carbon dioxide (CO2) scrubber module configured to receive exhaled air from the aircraft personnel and output a CO2-scrubbed air into the breathing loop. The high purity O2 gas and CO2-scrubbed air are mixed to form a mixed gas having a partial pressure of O2 suitable for breathing by the aircraft personnel. The onboard rebreathing loop system may further include an odor removal module, an air temperature and/or humidity control module to condition the mixed gas before breathing by the aircraft personnel, and a gas sensor module to confirm the partial pressure of O2 within the mixed gas before breathing by the aircraft personnel.

Abstract: An apparatus for adjusting the partial pressure of gaseous mixtures comprises a housing and piston. The housing defines a chamber coupled to an oxygen metering orifice, diluent metering orifice, vent port and gas outlet. The oxygen metering orifice provides oxygen to the chamber and the diluent metering orifice provides diluent gas to the chamber. The piston is movably positioned in the chamber and includes first and second sealing devices. The chamber is sectioned into a mixing chamber, a diluent chamber and a reference chamber located between the mixing chamber and diluent chamber. The diluent chamber receives a diluent gas referenced at ambient pressure and the reference chamber is charged with a gas having a reference pressure. The piston changes positions within the chamber depending on a force balance created by a pressure differential between the reference pressure and ambient pressure.

Abstract: An air separation unit for an OBOGS includes a housing having an inlet for receiving a wet inlet air and an outlet for outputting a dry product gas. The housing includes an outer side wall and annular walls defining a series of concentric annular chambers. A first annular chamber is coupled to the inlet and includes a desiccant material to receive the wet inlet air and output a dried air. An unfilled second annular chamber is coupled to the first annular chamber. A third annular chamber is coupled to the second annular chamber at a first end and the outlet at a second end. The third annular chamber receives air separation material to selectively remove unwanted constituents from the dried air and output the dry product gas. A tap may be coupled to the second annular chamber so that dried air may be removed from the housing.

Abstract: An onboard rebreathing loop system resident on an aircraft for providing oxygen to aircraft personnel includes a ceramic oxygen generating system (COGS) module configured to receive an inlet air and output a high purity oxygen (O2) gas into a breathing loop and a carbon dioxide (CO2) scrubber module configured to receive exhaled air from the aircraft personnel and output a CO2-scrubbed air into the breathing loop. The high purity O2 gas and CO2-scrubbed air are mixed to form a mixed gas having a partial pressure of O2 suitable for breathing by the aircraft personnel. The onboard rebreathing loop system may further include an odor removal module, an air temperature and/or humidity control module to condition the mixed gas before breathing by the aircraft personnel, and a gas sensor module to confirm the partial pressure of O2 within the mixed gas before breathing by the aircraft personnel.

Abstract: An air separation unit for an OBOGS includes a housing having an inlet for receiving a wet inlet air and an outlet for outputting a dry product gas. The housing includes an outer side wall and annular walls defining a series of concentric annular chambers. A first annular chamber is coupled to the inlet and includes a desiccant material to receive the wet inlet air and output a dried air. An unfilled second annular chamber is coupled to the first annular chamber. A third annular chamber is coupled to the second annular chamber at a first end and the outlet at a second end. The third annular chamber receives air separation material to selectively remove unwanted constituents from the dried air and output the dry product gas. A tap may be coupled to the second annular chamber so that dried air may be removed from the housing.

Abstract: An apparatus for adjusting the partial pressure of gaseous mixtures comprises a housing and piston. The housing defines a chamber coupled to an oxygen metering orifice, diluent metering orifice, vent port and gas outlet. The oxygen metering orifice provides oxygen to the chamber and the diluent metering orifice provides diluent gas to the chamber. The piston is movably positioned in the chamber and includes first and second sealing devices. The chamber is sectioned into a mixing chamber, a diluent chamber and a reference chamber located between the mixing chamber and diluent chamber. The diluent chamber receives a diluent gas referenced at ambient pressure and the reference chamber is charged with a gas having a reference pressure. The piston changes positions within the chamber depending on a force balance created by a pressure differential between the reference pressure and ambient pressure.

Abstract: An electronic controller (16) controls the operation of an electrochemical oxygen generating system (14) producing a desired gas. The product gas is fed to a storage unit (12) or a regulator (28) and pulsing valve (28) controlling the gas flow to a user. A two-stage system (180) combines a low pressure 100 and a high pressure (150) gas generating subsystems. The low pressure subsystem (100) uses IMAT's (106) to pump oxygen from ambient air to generate a low-pressure. The high pressure subsystem (150) uses IMAT's (160) to pump oxygen to high-pressure oxygen storage devices (194).

Abstract: An oxygen concentrator system includes at least one oxygen concentrator sub-system and a plenum subsystem. The at least one oxygen concentrator sub-system produces oxygen-enriched air which is outputted to both the oxygen concentrator system output and to a plenum chamber within the plenum subsystem. The plenum chamber is trickle charged with the oxygen-enriched air when the at least one oxygen concentrator sub-system produces an excess amount of oxygen-enriched air. Should the demand for oxygen-enriched air exceed the capability of the at least one oxygen concentrator sub-system, additional oxygen-enriched air is provided by the plenum chamber until such time that the capability of the at least one oxygen concentrator sub-system exceeds the demand of oxygen-enriched air. At that time, oxygen-enriched air is no longer provided by the plenum chamber but rather the plenum chamber is again trickle charged.

Abstract: An oxygen concentrator system with altitude compensation includes at least one oxygen concentrator sub-system and a plenum subsystem. The at least one oxygen concentrator sub-system produces oxygen enriched product which is outputted to both the oxygen concentrator system output and to a plenum chamber within the plenum subsystem. The plenum chamber is trickle charged with the oxygen enriched product when the at least one oxygen concentrator sub-system produces an excess amount of oxygen enriched product. Should the demand for oxygen enriched product exceed the capability of the at least one oxygen concentrator sub-system, additional oxygen enriched product is provided by the plenum chamber until such time that the capability of the at least one oxygen concentrator sub-system exceeds the demand for oxygen enriched product. At that time, oxygen enriched product is no longer provided by the plenum chamber but rather the plenum chamber is again trickle charged.

Abstract: An oxygen concentrator system with altitude compensation includes at least one oxygen concentrator sub-system and a plenum subsystem. The at least one oxygen concentrator sub-system produces oxygen-enriched air which is outputted to both the oxygen concentrator system output and to a plenum chamber within the plenum subsystem. The plenum chamber is trickle charged with the oxygen-enriched air when the at least one oxygen concentrator sub-system produces an excess amount of oxygen-enriched air. Should the demand for oxygen-enriched air exceed the capability of the at least one oxygen concentrator sub-system, additional oxygen-enriched air is provided by the plenum chamber until such time that the capability of the at least one oxygen concentrator sub-system exceeds the demand for oxygen-enriched air. At that time, oxygen-enriched air is no longer provided by the plenum chamber, but rather the plenum chamber is again trickle charged.

Abstract: An oxygen concentrator system includes at least one oxygen concentrator sub-system and a plenum subsystem. The at least one oxygen concentrator sub-system produces oxygen-enriched air which is outputted to both the oxygen concentrator system output and to a plenum chamber within the plenum subsystem. The plenum chamber is trickle charged with the oxygen-enriched air when the at least one oxygen concentrator sub-system produces an excess amount of oxygen-enriched air. Should the demand for oxygen-enriched air exceed the capability of the at least one oxygen concentrator sub-system, additional oxygen-enriched air is provided by the plenum chamber until such time that the capability of the at least one oxygen concentrator sub-system exceeds the demand for oxygen-enriched air. At that time, oxygen-enriched air is no longer provided by the plenum chamber but rather the plenum chamber is again trickle charged.