	US 7,547,349 B2
	Method for supplying passengers of an aircraft with an oxygen-rich gas mixture
Stéphane Lessi, Grenoble (France)
Assigned to L'Air Liquide, Societe Anonyme a Directoire et Conseil de Surveillance pour l'Etude et l'Exploitation des Procedes Georges Claude, Paris (France)
Appl. No. 10/539,157 PCT Filed Dec. 08, 2003, PCT No. PCT/FR03/50156 § 371(c)(1), (2), (4) Date Jun. 14, 2005, PCT Pub. No. WO2004/056451, PCT Pub. Date Jul. 08, 2004.
Claims priority of application No. 02 16122 (FR), filed on Dec. 18, 2002.
Prior Publication US 2006/0117950 A1, Jun. 08, 2006
Int. Cl. B01D 59/26 (2006.01)

U.S. Cl. 95—130 [96/108]

12 Claims

1. A method which may be used for supplying occupants of an aircraft with an oxygen rich gas mixture, said method comprising producing an oxygen-rich gas mixture by air separation in a pressure swing adsorption system, wherein:

a) one cycle of said pressure swing adsorption system comprises:

1) an adsorption/production phase;

2) a desorption/regeneration phase; and

3) a duration less than about 10 seconds;

b) said pressure swing adsorption system comprises a high-performance adsorbent, wherein said adsorbent has a particle size less than about 0.8 mm; and

c) feed air is introduced to said pressure swing adsorption system at an inlet temperature between about 50° C. and about 90° C., wherein the feed air is obtained from a stream of hot air from a compressor stage of an aircraft engine which is subsequently cooled in a heat exchanger.