How do Portable Oxygen Concentrators Work?
In simple terms, an Oxygen Concentrator takes in air and removes nitrogen from it. Our air is 78% nitrogen and 21% oxygen. Removal of nitrogen leaves an oxygen-enriched gas. This gas can be used by people requiring medical oxygen.
Oxygen concentrator consists of an air compressor. It takes in air from the atmosphere, compresses it and passes it over porous zeolite minerals. Zeolite adsorbs large quantity of nitrogen from air because of its large surface area and chemical characteristics. The remaining oxygen-rich gas is used for medicinal purposes while the nitrogen is desorbed from zeolite under reduced pressure and vented out.
In Portable Oxygen Concentrators as high purity is not essential and feed gas can be discarded, size of the adsorbent bed is reduced and Rapid pressure swing adsorption or RPSA is frequently used.
References:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pressure_swing_adsorption#Rapid_PSA
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oxygen_concentrator
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