ELECTROCHEMICAL OXYGEN PRESSURIZATION USING A CHEMICAL GAS-TO-LIQUID CONVERTER

CONVENTIONAL HIGH PRESSURE OXYGEN COMPRESSORS ARE UNSAFE DUE TO THE HIGH COMBUSTIBILITY OF OIL IN THE PRESENCE OF PURE OXYGEN. THEY MUST BE SPECIALLY DESIGNED TO ELIMINATE CONTACT BETWEEN OXYGEN AND OIL. CONVENTIONAL OXYGEN COMPRESSORS ARE ALSO INEFFICIENT AND REQUIRE SPECIAL MAINTENANCE. BINDING THE OXYGEN IN A LIQUID PRIOR TO PRESSURIZATION IS POTENTIALLY SAFER, MORE ENERGY EFFICIENT AND MORE RELIABLE. AQUANAUTICS CORPORATION IS DEVELOPING AN ARTIFICAL GILL TECHNOLOGY FOR DARPA WHICH IS ALSO BEING EVALUATED BY THE NAVY FOR SHIPBOARD OXYGEN SEPARATION FROM AIR AT ONE ATMOSPHERE. THE TECHNOLOGY SELECTIVELY EXTRACTS THE OXYGEN BY COMPLEXING IT INTO A LIQUID. THE OXYGEN IS THEN RELEASED USING A LOW POWER ELECTROCHEMICAL DESORBTION PROCESS. THE PROCESS MAY ALSO BE USEFUL FOR SAFETY PRESSURIZING PURE OXYGEN. FOR PHASE I, AQUANAUTICS PROPOSES TO PERFORM FEASIBILITY RESEARCH AND ENGINEERING TO DEFINE THE SPECIFICATIONS OF A PRESSURIZED SYSTEM. THE NAVY CAN APPLY THIS REVOLUTIONARY TECHNOLOGY WITH ONLY A SMALL INCREMENTAL INVESTMENT BECAUSE AQUANAUTICS HAS ALREADY INVESTED MORE THAN $7 MILLION IN R & D. AQUANAUTICS HAS DEMONSTRATED SIGNIFICANT TECHNICAL CAPABILITIES WITH A TEAM OF TWENTY PROFESSIONAL, OF WHOM TEN HOLD PH.D. DEGREES. THE COMPANY HAS SBIR EXPERIENCE AND THE FACILITIES TO CONDUCT THE SCOPE OF WORK.