Oxygen enriched air system

Claim 1

A system for the production of oxygen enriched air comprising: (a) a pressure swing adsorption system containing on or more adsorbent beds capable of selectively adsorbing either oxygen or nitrogen as the more readily adsorbable component of air, with separate recovery of the less readily adsorbable component and the more readily adsorbable component of air from said system; (b) means for passing feed air to said pressure swing adsorption system at a desired adsorption pressure; (c) enriched oxygen stream conduit means for passing either the less readily adsorbable component or the more readily adsorbable component of the feed air from the pressure swing adsorption system as an oxygen enriched stream at a desired pressure for subsequent blending with air; (d) air compression means for pressurizing blend air to said desired pressure for blending with said oxygen enriched stream; (e) blend air conduit means for passing said pressurized blend air from the air compression means for subsequent blending with said oxygen enriched stream; (f) a mixing zone for the mixing of said enriched oxygen stream and said blend air at a desired pressure to form a product oxygen enriched air stream; (g) discharge conduit means for passing said oxygen enriched air stream to a downstream application therefor; (h) vent conduit means for passing a portion of the pressurized blend air in said blend air conduit means to vent; (i) computer/controller means adapted to receive input signals corresponding to the flow rates of enriched oxygen in said enriched oxygen stream conduit means and of blend air in said blend air conduit means and to the oxygen purity in said enriched oxygen stream conduit means and in said discharge conduit means, and adapted to transmit output signals for the control of the flow rate of said oxygen enriched stream and said blend air stream so that said streams are blended to produce oxygen enriched air of the desired oxygen purity; (j) purity monitoring means for monitoring the purity of oxygen enriched stream in said enriched oxygen stream conduit means and of the product oxygen enriched air stream in said discharge conduit means, said monitoring means including transmitter means for sending input signals to said computer/controller means in response to said measured purities; (k) flow monitoring means for monitoring the flow rate of said enriched oxygen stream in said enriched oxygen stream conduit means and of the blend air in said blend air conduit means upstream of the positioning of said vent conduit means, said monitoring means including transmitter means for sending input signals to said computer/controller means in response to said measured flow rates; and (1) flow control valve means in said enriched oxygen stream conduit means and in said vent conduit means for controlling the amount of enriched oxygen and blend air passed to the mixing zone, said flow control valve means being responsive to said output signals from said computer/controller means, whereby enriched oxygen from the pressure swing adsorption system and blend air can be properly blended to produce product oxygen enriched air having a desired oxygen concentration.

Claim 2

A system for the production of oxygen enriched air comprising: (a) a pressure swing adsorption system containing on or more adsorbent beds capable of selectively adsorbing either oxygen or nitrogen as the more readily adsorbable component of air, with separate recovery of the less readily adsorbable component and the more readily adsorbable component of air from said system; (b) means for passing feed air to said pressure swing adsorption system at a desired adsorption pressure; (c) enriched oxygen stream conduit means for passing either the less readily adsorbable component or the more readily adsorbable component of the feed air from the pressure swing adsorption system as an oxygen enriched stream at a desired pressure for subsequent blending with air; (d) air compression means for pressurizing blend air to said desired pressure for blending with said oxygen enriched stream; (e) blend air conduit means for passing said pressurized blend air from the air compression means for subsequent blending with said oxygen enriched stream; (f) a mixing zone for the mixing of said enriched oxygen stream and said blend air at a desired pressure to form a product oxygen enriched air stream; (g) discharge conduit means for passing said oxygen enriched air stream to a downstream application therefor; (h) vent conduit means for passing a portion of the pressurized blend air in said blend air conduit means to vent; (i) computer/controller means adapted to receive input signals corresponding to the flow rates of enriched oxygen in said enriched oxygen stream conduit means and of blend air in said blend air conduit means and to the oxygen purity in said enriched oxygen stream conduit means and in said discharge conduit means, and adapted to transmit output signals for the control of the flow rate of said oxygen enriched stream and said blend air stream so that said streams are blended to produce oxygen enriched air of the desired oxygen purity; (j) purity monitoring means for monitoring the purity of oxygen enriched stream in said enriched oxygen stream conduit means and of the product oxygen enriched air stream in said discharge conduit means, said monitoring means including transmitter means for sending input signals to said computer/controller means in response to said measured purities; (k) flow monitoring means for monitoring the flow rate of said enriched oxygen stream in said enriched oxygen stream conduit means and of the blend air in said blend air conduit means upstream of the positioning of said vent conduit means, said monitoring means including transmitter means for sending input signals to said computer/controller means in response to said measured flow rates; and (1) flow control valve means in said enriched oxygen stream conduit means and in said vent conduit means for controlling the amount of enriched oxygen and blend air passed to the mixing zone, said flow control valve means being responsive to said output signals from said computer/controller means, whereby enriched oxygen from the pressure swing adsorption system and blend air can be properly blended to produce product oxygen enriched air having a desired oxygen concentration.

Claim 11

A system for the production of oxygen enriched air comprising: (a) a pressure swing adsorption system containing one or more adsorbent beds capable of selectively adsorbing either oxygen or nitrogen as the more readily adsorbable component of feed air passed to said system, with conduit means for recovering either the less readily adsorbable component or the more readily adsorbable component of the feed air as an oxygen enriched stream for subsequent blending with air at a desired pressure; (b) air compression means for pressurizing blend air at said desired pressure for blending with said oxygen enriched stream, said air compression means including control means for controlling the flow rate of said blend air; (c) a mixing zone for mixing said enriched oxygen stream and said blend air; (d) discharge conduit means for passing oxygen enriched air product to a downstream application therefor; (e) computer/controller means adapted to receive input signals corresponding to the flow rates of enriched oxygen and said blend air and to the oxygen purity of said enriched oxygen stream and said oxygen enriched air product and adapted to transmit output signals for the control of the flow rate of said oxygen enriched stream and said blend air so that the oxygen enriched air product is at the desired oxygen purity level; (f) purity monitoring means for monitoring the purity of said oxygen enriched stream and of the oxygen enriched air product, and for transmitting input signals to said computer/controller means in response to said measured purities; and (g) flow monitoring means for monitoring the flow rate of said oxygen enriched stream and of said blend air passing into said mixing zone, and for transmitting input signals to said computer/controller means in response to said measured flow rates, whereby enriched oxygen from the pressure swing adsorption system and blend air can be properly blended to produce product oxygen enriched air having a desired oxygen concentration.

Claim 12

A system for the production of oxygen enriched air comprising: (a) a pressure swing adsorption system containing one or more adsorbent beds capable of selectively adsorbing either oxygen or nitrogen as the more readily adsorbable component of feed air passed to said system, with conduit means for recovering either the less readily adsorbable component or the more readily adsorbable component of the feed air as an oxygen enriched stream for subsequent blending with air at a desired pressure; (b) air compression means for pressurizing blend air at said desired pressure for blending with said oxygen enriched stream, said air compression means including control means for controlling the flow rate of said blend air; (c) a mixing zone for mixing said enriched oxygen stream and said blend air; (d) discharge conduit means for passing oxygen enriched air product to a downstream application therefor; (e) computer/controller means adapted to receive input signals corresponding to the flow rates of enriched oxygen and said blend air and to the oxygen purity of said enriched oxygen stream and said oxygen enriched air product and adapted to transmit output signals for the control of the flow rate of said oxygen enriched stream and said blend air so that the oxygen enriched air product is at the desired oxygen purity level; (f) purity monitoring means for monitoring the purity of said oxygen enriched stream and of the oxygen enriched air product, and for transmitting input signals to said computer/controller means in response to said measured purities; and (g) flow monitoring means for monitoring the flow rate of said oxygen enriched stream and of said blend air passing into said mixing zone, and for transmitting input signals to said computer/controller means in response to said measured flow rates, whereby enriched oxygen from the pressure swing adsorption system and blend air can be properly blended to produce product oxygen enriched air having a desired oxygen concentration.