Selective Opto-Magneto Oxygen Distiller

The generation of electricity in coal-fired plants, which use oxygen-enriched combustion and oxygen-based gasification processes, requires a low-cost oxygen supply. Current oxygen production methods, such as cryogenic air separation and pressure swing absorption, are energy intensive because energy is used to process both oxygen and nitrogen simultaneously. This project will develop a non-cryogenic, non-membrane, oxygen production technology, based on the combined principles of selective photioionization and magnetohydrodynamics (opto-magneto distillation), to separate oxygen from air. The new process will use 25 percent less energy and have a 28 percent lower production cost compared to current technologies. In Phase I, a design study will be conducted and a laboratory prototype for separating oxygen from air will be built, using both commercial-off-the-shelf components and custom built components. Feasibilty will be demonstrated by using spectroscopy and other chemical-based analyses to quantify prototype performance and efficiency. Commercial Applications and Other Benefits as described by the awardee: The technology should revolutionize oxygen production by lowering production costs, thereby increasing its application and distribution. In addition to its use for coal-fired power plants, the oxygen production technology also should have commercial applications in construction and manufacturing, semiconductors, scientific research, and the medical and aerospace industrys. The military could use the technology for rocket boosters and hospitals.