Back then they could have never predicted that their patented electrochemical technology platform could be used in the fight against the ravages of a deadly global pandemic.
SKYRE has always based their business plan on the reality of climate change, focusing on the development and manufacturing of two key products: The H2RENEW™ – which captures and recycles hydrogen and the CO2RENEW™ that converts carbon dioxide into useful fuels and chemicals.
Working for decades with NASA and the U.S. Navy, the SKYRE team has applied its innovations to oxygen production systems for life support in spacecraft and submarines.
Recently Skyre developed an oxygen concentrator for NASA that concentrates oxygen from ambient air to address medical traumas that may occur during extended space missions. Its development was coincident with the arrival of the coronavirus pandemic, and extending its use here on Earth became obvious and critically important.
“We’re on a life-saving mission right here on Earth,” Trent Molter, SKYRE’s Founder and CEO tells gasworld in an exclusive interview.
“With the continuing horror of the coronavirus public health crisis and its impact on lives and livelihoods, we see a way to help, because in the worst of times, we want to apply the best of ourselves to find a solution.”
Focusing on delivering oxygen to places where currently there is none, SKYRE has developed an extension of its hydrogen concentration, generation and compression technology found in its H2RENEW – an electrochemical, hydrogen recycling and compression system which is deployed by NASA.
SKYRE’s Oxygen Concentrator Module (OCM) is a natural evolution of the work it had previously been pursuing with NASA, but now has the focal point of serving the medical market, a new path for the company.
“One of the fundamental things that occurs when someone is infected with the coronavirus, is that they suffer lung damage,” Molter explains.
“As a result, they need assistance in breathing and taking in enough oxygen. In the worst case, they need to go on a ventilator but invariably they need oxygen support in some way.”
“Our system concentrates oxygen from ambient air for emergency life support for medical traumas and other respiratory-related applications. Through our OCM, we can provide oxygen where currently there is none and we can provide it almost anywhere.”
“In essence, we’re providing life support just like we did on submarines and space capsules, but with a more evolved technology.”
Described as an elegant and efficient solution to provide pure oxygen, the OCM is a solid state (no moving parts) electrochemical process that produces oxygen at ambient pressure or as a pressurised storage of gas.
“The OCM has little to no dependency on logistics to operate efficiently and no moving parts. This means no noise, minimal maintenance and high reliability,” Molter tells gasworld.
“The small unit for individual patients instantly responds to changing demands and makes for easy integration with application feedback systems.”
“We have a lot of flexibility because the core is our electrochemical technology platform which is modular, scalable and industry-agnostic.”
SKYRE has shown proof of concept and is now working on the initial stages of product development.
“We are currently in discussion with medical personnel, gas suppliers, potential investors and medical product development companies to better understand the best applications for the device and where exactly in the market it fits.”
Talking to gasworld, Molter explained that the company has already received great feedback on its innovation, as well as some coaching which has helped SKYRE to finalise the initial design.
“The bottom line is, everyone wants to see it in the market right away.”
“The technology is proven and we’re confident that our OCM will result in success of the life-saving mission right here on Earth, but time is of the essence.”