Development of oxygen generating equipment

• Grant number: 04/02595-2
• Support Opportunities: Research Grants - Innovative Research in Small Business - PIPE
• Start date: April 01, 2005
• End date: September 30, 2005
• Field of knowledge: Engineering - Production Engineering - Product Engineering
• Principal Investigator: Nelson Antonio Félix Beirão
• Grantee: Nelson Antonio Félix Beirão
• Company: Ecozon Plus Indústria, Comércio, Importação e Exportação de Equipamentos Geradores de Ozônio Ltda
• City: São Paulo

Abstract

This project aims to develop a reliable low cost piece of equipment, with national components, or which can easily be acquired on the national market. The proposal is based on a time-honored process – selective adsorption under pressure – controlling and regenerating the adsorbent element by means of a sophisticated electronic system. The fundamental principle being exploited is that certain substances, zeolites, display the peculiarity of adsorbing nitrogen when subjected to a pressure of 4 to 5 atmospheres. Once the pressure is relieved, the deabsorption of nitrogen occurs, restoring the zeolite to its initial condition. The idea is to build an oxygen generator with the following physical arrangement: two zeolite beds (molecular sieves) connected to a buffer tank. When the operation starts, compressed air at around 5 atmospheres is forced across one of the molecular sieve beds, which retains the nitrogen and lets the oxygen pass through, which continues on into the buffer tank. After a certain period of time the two beds are inverted; the bed that was resting now receives the compressed air, and the one that was operating has its pressure relieved so as to regenerate the zeolite and so on successively. The oxygen which leaves the buffer tank is fed through to an analyzer which reveals the level of purity obtained. A small part of the gas that leaves the buffer tank is diverted to assist in the regeneration of the zeolite bed that is resting. The prototype should be built in such a way as to permit the carrying out of experiments with three different sizes of adsorbent beds. (AU)