Granted Patent B2

US 12,258,267 · App. 18/495,446 · Granted Mar 25, 2025

Inventors: Carol A. Becker (Del Mar, CA); Wayne E. Glad (Del Mar, CA)

Assignee: United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Navy

C01B13/0207A61M16/10A62B7/08A62B21/00A61M2202/0208B01J2208/00752

Abstract

Claims (40)

1. A method for generating oxygen gas from sodium percarbonate and water comprising:

combining a first quantity of the sodium percarbonate, a second quantity of the water, a third quantity of potassium iodide, and a fourth quantity of sodium sulfate decahydrate in a chamber, wherein:

a first ratio of the second quantity to the first quantity is in a first range of 2.5 to 8 by weight between the water and the sodium percarbonate,

a second ratio of the third quantity to the second quantity yields a molarity in a second range of 0.25 to 1.25 moles of the potassium iodide per liter of the water, and

a third ratio of the fourth quantity to the first quantity is in a third range of greater than zero to 75% of that needed to balance an endothermic heat of dissolution of an adduct of the sodium percarbonate and an endothermic heat of dissociation of the sodium sulfate decahydrate with an exothermic heat of formation of the oxygen gas;

chemically reacting a chemical reaction between the sodium percarbonate and the water in the chamber, wherein the potassium iodide is a catalyst for the chemical reaction and the sodium sulfate decahydrate is a temperature moderator for the chemical reaction; and

outputting the oxygen gas generated from the chemical reaction at an output port from the chamber.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the water is selected from the group consisting of seawater, fresh water, deionized water, distilled water, and a mixture thereof.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein:

the water is seawater, and

the first ratio of the second quantity to the first quantity is in the first range of 7.0 to 8.0 by weight between the seawater and the sodium percarbonate; and

the outputting of the oxygen gas includes outputting the oxygen gas to a fuel cell.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein:

the water is deionized water or distilled water, and

the first ratio of the second quantity to the first quantity is in the first range of 5.0 to 6.5 by weight between the water and the sodium percarbonate; and

the outputting of the oxygen gas includes outputting the oxygen gas at a rate and a temperature less than or equal to a maximum temperature of 44° C. for sustaining human respiration.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the third ratio of the fourth quantity to the first quantity is in the third range of 50% to 75% of that needed to balance an endothermic heat of dissolution of an adduct of the sodium percarbonate and an endothermic heat of dissociation of the sodium sulfate decahydrate with an exothermic heat of formation of the oxygen gas.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the combining includes:

storing the first quantity of the sodium percarbonate and the fourth quantity of the sodium sulfate decahydrate in the chamber in a dry state; and

responsive to a demand requesting the oxygen gas, introducing into the chamber a solution of the third quantity of the potassium iodide in the second quantity of the water.

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein the introducing of the solution includes:

dissolving the third quantity of the potassium iodide in the second quantity of the water to form the solution; and

combining the solution with the first quantity of the sodium percarbonate and the fourth quantity of the sodium sulfate decahydrate in the chamber.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein

the combining includes:

storing a mixture of the third quantity of the potassium iodide and a non-zero amount of the fourth quantity of the sodium sulfate decahydrate in a dry state in the chamber that is a first chamber;

storing the first quantity of the sodium percarbonate in a dry state in a second chamber;

responsive to a demand requesting the oxygen gas, admitting the second quantity of the water into the first chamber to form a solution of the third quantity of the potassium iodide, the fourth quantity of the sodium sulfate decahydrate, and the second quantity of the water in the first chamber; and

responsive further to the demand requesting the oxygen gas, metering the sodium percarbonate from the second chamber into the solution in the first chamber; and

the outputting the oxygen gas includes:

outputting the oxygen gas generated in the first chamber from the chemical reaction at a gas rate prescribed by a metering rate of the metering of the sodium percarbonate from the second chamber to the first chamber.

9. A method for generating oxygen gas from sodium percarbonate and seawater, the method comprising

combining a first quantity of the sodium percarbonate, a second quantity of the seawater, and a third quantity of potassium iodide in a chamber, wherein:

a first ratio of the second quantity to the first quantity is in a first range of 2.5 to 8 by weight between the seawater and the sodium percarbonate, and

a second ratio of the third quantity to the second quantity yields a molarity in a second range of 0.25 to 1.25 moles of the potassium iodide per liter of the seawater;

chemically reacting a chemical reaction between the sodium percarbonate and the seawater in the chamber, wherein the potassium iodide is a catalyst for the chemical reaction; and

outputting the oxygen gas generated from the chemical reaction at an output port from the chamber.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein:

the first ratio of the second quantity to the first quantity is in the first range of 7.0 to 8.0 by weight between the seawater and the sodium percarbonate; and

the outputting of the oxygen gas includes outputting the oxygen gas to a fuel cell.

Continuity (2)

References Cited (14)