Method and system for high reliability oxygen supply from multiple units

摘要

A multi-unit system combines multiple single bed reversing blower vacuum swing adsorption air separation units together. The units feed a common O2 supply such as a system buffer tank. Demand is monitored and a number of individual units are brought online sufficient to meet demand. If demand exceeds supply, a further unit is brought online. If demand drops below supply by an amount greater than output of a single unit, then a longest operating unit is taken offline. The multi-unit system thus meets demand through utilization of multiple separate units in a highly redundant and highly reliable and scalable fashion.

主权项

1. A method for high reliability O2 supply, including the steps of:
installing a plurality of single bed reversing blower vacuum swing adsorption air separation units, each unit having an air inlet and an O2 outlet; coupling the O2 outlets of each unit to a common O2 supply; operating at least one of the single bed reversing blower vacuum swing adsorption air separation units; sensing O2 demand; bringing an additional single bed reversing blower vacuum swing adsorption air separation unit into operation if O2 demand is greater than O2 supply; taking a single bed reversing blower vacuum swing adsorption air separation unit out of operation if O2 demand is less than O2 supply by an amount sufficient to meet demand with one fewer unit operating; and said taking step including taking out of operation the single bed reversing blower vacuum swing adsorption air separation unit which has been operating longest.