Experimental Study of a Novel Rapid Pressure-Swing Adsorption Based Medical Oxygen Concentrator: Effect of the Adsorbent Selectivity of N2 over O2

It was experimentally demonstrated that the performance of a medical oxygen concentrator based on rapid pressure swing adsorption (RPSA) process using a LiLSX zeolite was improved [lower bed size factor (BSF) and higher oxygen recovery (R-o)] when the adsorbent exhibited higher selectivity of adsorption of N-2 over O-2. The effects of N-2 selectivity on BSF and R-o as functions of the RPSA process cycle times were found to be complex and nonintuitive. The key properties of a LiLSX zeolite sample for adsorption of N-2 and O-2 (pure and binary gas isotherms, binary selectivity, pure gas isosteric heats, pure gas mass-transfer characteristics, and degrees of adsorbent heterogeneity), which exhibited a relatively higher selectivity of adsorption for N-2 over O-2 compared to a previously reported sample, were measured and used in this study.