Novel Oxygen Pump for High Altitude Air Breathing Engines

In this SBIR program, a novel hydroxide conductive ceramic membrane is used in an oxygen compressor for air breathing high altitude engines. As compared to the oxygen compressor based on the traditional mixed electron-ionic conductive membranes, eVionyx' novel air compressor can operate at much lower temperatures (<150oC), can provide much higher oxygen flux and is far less expensive to fabricate. Since the state-of-the-art oxygen conduction ceramic membrane (MIEC type) requires an operational temperature of more than 600oC, it requires integration with the engine, and thus huge risks are involved. eVionyx's oxygen generator can operate at ~ 150oC, so the residue heat from the jet engine can be used and the unit can be physically separated from the engine, significantly reducing the redesign requirement. The overall Phase I objective is to demonstrate the feasibility of using our novel membrane to make the oxygen compressor for air breathing high altitude engines, determine the scalability of the design, and make a preliminary design and test protocol for the engine in Phase II. In Phase II, we will further optimize the fabrication processes, carry out system design, and integrate with a small engine to test the validity of the predictions made in Phase I.