Abstract
Combustion with oxygen-enriched air can substantially reduce fuel consumption in certain industrial applications. The use of membranes is a potentially attractive approach for producing oxygen-enriched air. A variety of membrane materials and operating conditions can be used to produce oxygen concentrations in the range of interest, which is generally 25 to 35% O 2. To determine the optimum system, a trade-off must be made between capital cost (membrane area) and operating cost (pumping power). A silicone-based membrane oxygen enricher was fabricated and factory tested. As expected, a substantial reduction in natural gas consumption was achieved. During the test period some membrane degradation was experienced due to pinhole formation. It was determined that pinholes were not a result of the factory environment, and that use of a membrane oxygen enricher to achieve fuel savings is technically feasible.
Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Free) 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call
