OXYGEN GENERATION APPARATUS AND METHOD

摘要

An oxygen generator for an oxygen-generation apparatus has a proton-conducting membrane, a cathode contacting a first side, or cathodic side, of the membrane, an anode contacting a second side, or anodic side, of the membrane, and a source of water for supply to the membrane. In use, an electrolysis voltage applied between the cathode and the anode causes electrolysis of the water to generate oxygen gas at the anode. Atmospheric oxygen, i.e. oxygen in the air, is substantially prevented from coming into contact with the cathode. For an acidic proton-conducting membrane this substantially prevents the formation of hydrogen peroxide at the cathode.

主权项

1. A method of generating oxygen comprising:
electrolysing water supplied to a proton-conducting membrane, the proton-conducting membrane being in contact with an anode on one side and a cathode on the other side, to generate oxygen at the anode and hydrogen at the cathode; and recycling the generated hydrogen by reaction of the generated hydrogen with atmospheric oxygen at an oxidation catalyst adjacent to the cathode to produce water, wherein, the generated hydrogen passes from the cathode through a gas-and-liquid permeable membrane sandwiched between the cathode and the oxidation catalyst, and wherein water produced at the oxidation catalyst passes through the gas-and-liquid-permeable membrane to the proton-conducting membrane.