Portable gas fractionalization system
First Claim
1. A portable gas fractionalization apparatus, comprising:
- a PSA unit comprising plural adsorbent beds which produce oxygen having a purity of at least 87%, said unit including valves operating in accordance with a PSA cycle that includes a pressure equalization step so as to provide greater than about 31% recovery of oxygen from air;
a compressor connected to supply compressed air to said PSA unit, said compressor being non-reciprocating to reduce compressor noise, wherein the compressor is configured to draw ambient air at a flow rate of no more than about 15 slpm;
a blower which produces an air stream across said compressor, wherein said valves of said PSA unit are disposed upstream of said air stream across said compressor such that thermal load on said PSA valves is reduced.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A portable gas fractionalization apparatus that provides oxygen rich air to patients is provided. The apparatus is compact, lightweight, and low-noise. The components are assembled in a housing that is divided into two compartments. One compartment is maintained at a lower temperature than the other compartment. The lower temperature compartment is configured for mounting components that can be damaged by heat. The higher temperature compartment is configured for mounting heat generating components. An air stream is directed to flow from an ambient air inlet to an air outlet constantly so that there is always a fresh source of cooling air. The apparatus utilizes a PSA unit to produce an oxygen enriched product. The PSA unit incorporates a novel single ended column design in which all flow paths and valves can be co-located on a single integrated manifold. The apparatus also can be used in conjunction with a satellite conserver and a mobility cart.
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Citations
21 Claims
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1. A portable gas fractionalization apparatus, comprising:
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a PSA unit comprising plural adsorbent beds which produce oxygen having a purity of at least 87%, said unit including valves operating in accordance with a PSA cycle that includes a pressure equalization step so as to provide greater than about 31% recovery of oxygen from air; a compressor connected to supply compressed air to said PSA unit, said compressor being non-reciprocating to reduce compressor noise, wherein the compressor is configured to draw ambient air at a flow rate of no more than about 15 slpm; a blower which produces an air stream across said compressor, wherein said valves of said PSA unit are disposed upstream of said air stream across said compressor such that thermal load on said PSA valves is reduced. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
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9. A portable gas fractionalization apparatus, comprising:
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a housing having an air inlet and an air outlet, said housing containing components including a compressor, plural adsorbent beds, a battery having a rated life of at least 2 hours, said compressor is powered by the battery so as to draw air into said compressor at a rate of about 15 slpm or less, said housing and said components having a combined weight of less than about 10 pounds; wherein said housing is configured such that noise produced exterior to the fractionalization apparatus is no more than about 45 dB. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
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16. A method of producing an oxygen rich gas, comprising:
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providing ambient air to a non-reciprocating compressor, wherein said ambient air is drawn into the compressor at a flow rate of less than about 15 slpm, wherein said compressor pressurizes the ambient air and delivers the pressurized air to a PSA unit at a flow rate of between about 4 to 9 slpm; and processing said pressurized air in the PSA unit in accordance with a PSA cycle so as to produce an oxygen rich gas having a purity of between about 87%–
93%. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19, 20, 21)
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Specification