초록 ▼

Method and apparatus for providing clean air to an environment. Incoming air, which may be contaminated with chemical, nuclear or biological contamination is initially cooled and water is removed from the cooled air by a first cooler, a first water separator, a second cooler and a second water sepa

Method and apparatus for providing clean air to an environment. Incoming air, which may be contaminated with chemical, nuclear or biological contamination is initially cooled and water is removed from the cooled air by a first cooler, a first water separator, a second cooler and a second water separator. The cooled air is passed through a regenerative pressure swing absorption system which removes the contaminants. The resulting, cleaned, air is expanded by an expander. The expanded, cleaned air is provided to the environment, after being used in the second cooler to clean the incoming air.

대표청구항 ▼

The invention claimed is: 1. A method for providing clean air to an environment, the method comprising: compressing incoming air contaminated with nuclear, biological and chemical contaminants; cooling the compressed air to produce cooled compressed air; removing water from the cooled compressed a

The invention claimed is: 1. A method for providing clean air to an environment, the method comprising: compressing incoming air contaminated with nuclear, biological and chemical contaminants; cooling the compressed air to produce cooled compressed air; removing water from the cooled compressed air; enabling access to a regenerative pressure swing adsorption system; directing the cooled, compressed air through the regenerative pressure swing adsorption system; receiving, from the regenerative pressure swing absorption system, clean output air with contaminants removed therefrom; enabling access to an expander and using the expander to expand the cleaned air; providing the cleaned air to the environment; and enabling access to a first air cooler, a second air cooler, a first water separator and a second water separator; wherein cooling the compressed air and removing water from the compressed air includes passing the compressed air through the first cooler, passing the cooled air through the first water separator, passing the cooled air through the second cooler in which the cooled air is further cooled by cleaned air from the expander, and passing the air through the second water separator. 2. A method according to claim 1, in which the compression is suitably achieved by at least one of a turbo compressor, a piston compressor and a screw compressor. 3. A method according to claim 2, in which the compressor is driven through a gearbox. 4. A method according to claim 3, wherein driving the compressor through a gearbox involves at least one of driving the compressor using an engine of a vehicle, driving the compressor using a crankshaft of an auxiliary power unit, and driving the compressor using hydraulic or electric motor. 5. A method according to claim 1, further comprising filtering the incoming air before compressing the incoming air. 6. A method according to claim 1, further comprissing filtering the compressed air to remove biological agents. 7. A method according to claim 6, wherein filtering the compressed air to remove biological agents includes passing compressed air through a high efficiency particulate (HEPA) filter. 8. A method according to claim 1, in which the first cooler uses heat exchange with at least one of ambient air, water and other cooling media. 9. A method according to claim 1, in which a condensate from at least one of the first and second water separator is applied to the first cooler to effect evaporative cooling and to further cool the inlet air. 10. A method of claim 9, in which the condensate is applied to the first cooler by spraying. 11. A method according to claim 1, in which water droplets are removed from the air by passing the air through a coalescer. 12. A method according to claim 1, further comprising providing a heater upstream of an on-line bed of the regenerative pressure swing adsorption system to increase the temperature of the air and reduce the relative humidity of the air to below 100%. 13. A method according to claim 1, in which the air supplied to an on-line bed of the regenerative pressure swing adsorption system has a dew point below around 10째 C. at standard temperature and pressure. 14. A method according to claim 1, in which the compression of the inlet air is achieved in two or more sequential steps. 15. An apparatus for providing clean air to an environment comprising: a compressor for compressing inlet air; a first cooler for cooling the inlet air compressed by the compressor; a first water removal mechanism for removing water from the cooled, compressed air; a second cooler for further cooling the inlet air; a second water removal mechanism for removing additional water from the air; a regenerative pressure swing adsorption system for removing contaminates from the air; and an expander for expanding cleaned air from the pressure swing adsorption system for supply to the environment, in which the air is cooled in the second cooler by the cool expanded air from the expander. 16. An apparatus according to claim 15, in which the compressor comprises at least one of a turbo compressor, a piston compressor and a screw compressor. 17. An apparatus according to claim 16, in which the compressor is driven through a gearbox. 18. An apparatus according to claim 17, in which at least one of an engine of a vehicle, a crankshaft of an auxiliary power unit, a hydraulic or electric motor are configured to drive the compressor through the gearbox. 19. An apparatus according to claim 15, further comprising a filter upstream of the compressor to filter the inlet air before the air is compressed. 20. An apparatus according to claim 15, further comprising a filter provided after the compressor to remove and destroy biological agents in the compressed air stream. 21. An apparatus according to claim 20, in which the filter is a high efficiency particulate (HEPA) filter. 22. An apparatus according to claim 15, in which the first cooler comprises a heat exchanger. 23. An apparatus according to claim 22, in which the heat exchanger is at least one of an ambient air heat exchanger and a water cooled heat exchanger. 24. An apparatus according to claim 15, further comprising a cooling mechanism configured to apply condensate from at least one of the first and second water removal mechanisms onto the first cooler to give evaporative cooling. 25. An apparatus according to claim 24, wherein the cooling mechanism is configured to spray the condensate on the first cooler. 26. An apparatus according to claim 15, further comprising a coalescer that removes water droplets in the air. 27. An apparatus according to claim 15, further comprising a heater, positioned upstream of an on-line bed of the regenerative pressure swing adsorption system, to increase the temperature of the air, and to reduce the relative humidity of the air to below 100%. 28. An apparatus according to claim 15, in which the expander is coupled to the compressor, thereby recovering energy from the cleaned air to drive the compressor. 29. An apparatus according to claim 15, further comprising a cooling mechanism for cooling the air in the environment to be controlled. 30. An apparatus according to claim 29, in which the cooling mechanism comprises a vapour cycle cooling system. 31. An apparatus for providing clean air to an environment comprising: a compressor for compressing inlet air; a first cooler for cooling the inlet air compressed by the compressor; first water removal means for removing water from the cooled, compressed air; a second cooler for further cooling the inlet air; second water removal means for removing additional water from the air; a regenerative pressure swing adsorption system for removing contaminates from the air; and an expander for expanding cleaned air from the pressure swing adsorption system for supply to the environment, in which the air is cooled in the second cooler by the cool expanded air from the expander.