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Purification method and apparatus for purifying a gas stream by oxygen removal. The apparatus includes primary and secondary oxygen separation zones and tubular electrically driven oxygen separation elements. There are more elements in the primary zone than the secondary zone so that low concentrati

Purification method and apparatus for purifying a gas stream by oxygen removal. The apparatus includes primary and secondary oxygen separation zones and tubular electrically driven oxygen separation elements. There are more elements in the primary zone than the secondary zone so that low concentrations of oxygen can be obtained in a purified stream and turbulent flow conditions can also be obtained that will permit purification to very low levels. In addition, a junction is provided to connect the tubular separation elements to metallic elements such as manifolds.

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We claim: 1. A method of purifying a gas stream by removing oxygen from the gas stream to produce a purified gas stream, said method comprising: dividing the gas stream into subsidiary gas streams, introducing the subsidiary gas streams into primary oxygen separation elements to separate a primary

We claim: 1. A method of purifying a gas stream by removing oxygen from the gas stream to produce a purified gas stream, said method comprising: dividing the gas stream into subsidiary gas streams, introducing the subsidiary gas streams into primary oxygen separation elements to separate a primary portion of the oxygen from the gas stream, and collecting a partly purified gas stream from the primary oxygen separation elements after separation of the primary portion of the oxygen from the gas stream; introducing the partly purified gas stream into a secondary oxygen separation element, separating a secondary portion of the oxygen from the partly purified gas stream, thereby to produce the purified gas stream and discharging the purified gas stream from the secondary oxygen separation element; each of the primary oxygen separation elements and the secondary oxygen separation element being configured to separate the oxygen through electrically driven oxygen ion transport occurring within the primary oxygen separation elements and the secondary oxygen separation element, being heated to an operational temperature at which the oxygen ion transport can occur and having a first electric potential applied to the primary oxygen separation elements and a second electric potential applied to the secondary oxygen separation element to drive the oxygen ion transport; the subsidiary gas streams flowing through the primary oxygen separation elements under conditions of laminar flow; and the secondary oxygen separation element being sized such that a turbulent flow condition exists within the secondary oxygen separation element. 2. The method of claim 1, wherein each of the primary oxygen separation elements and the secondary oxygen separation element is of tubular configuration. 3. The method of claim 2, wherein the turbulent flow condition are in a Reynold's number range of between about 2,100 and about 30,000. 4. The method of claim 2, wherein the turbulent flow condition are in a Reynold's number range of between about 2,100 and about 20,000. 5. The method of claim 3, wherein the turbulent flow condition are in a Reynold's number range of between about 2,100 and about 10,000.