The Boeing Company
Centrifugal air separators

Abstract:

Methods of recirculating clean air in an atmosphere of an enclosure comprise directing an input air stream from the atmosphere of the enclosure through a coiled duct at a rate sufficient to stratify the input air stream within the coiled duct according to a molecular weight of components of the input air stream and to form a heavy fraction stream and a light fraction stream, wherein the heavy fraction stream is relatively enriched in carbon dioxide as compared to the light fraction stream; withdrawing the heavy fraction stream from the coiled duct; and returning the light fraction stream from the coiled duct to the atmosphere of the enclosure.