Development history of pressure swing adsorption oxygen generators

Early production of oxygen generators in the world (Pressure Swing Adsorption Oxygen Generator) were in Germany and France.

In 1901, Linde Company in Germany established a cryogenic equipment manufacturing workshop in Munich, and in 1903 produced a 10m3/h oxygen generator (Pressure Swing Adsorption Oxygen Generator).

In 1902, Air Liquide was established in Paris, France. Following Germany, it began producing oxygen generators in 1910.

Before the 1930s, basically only Germany and France could produce oxygen generators. At that time, oxygen generators (Pressure Swing Adsorption Oxygen Generators) could only meet the needs of welding and cutting oxygen and nitrogen equipment required by the chemical industry. Oxygen generator production was mainly small and medium-sized, with capacities ranging from 2m3/h to 600m3/h, and about 200 varieties. The oxygen generation process used was high-pressure and medium-pressure processes.

From 1930 to 1950, in addition to Germany and France, other countries such as the Soviet Union, Japan, the United States, and the United Kingdom also began producing oxygen generators. During this period, with the development of production, the Applications of oxygen generators (Pressure Swing Adsorption Oxygen Generators) continued to expand, driving the development of large oxygen generators. Because large oxygen generators require more electricity and metal materials to produce 1m3 of oxygen than small and medium-sized oxygen generators, from 1930 to 1950, the number of large oxygen generator varieties increased significantly, such as 5000 m3/h in West Germany, 3600 m3/h in the Soviet Union, and 3000 m3/h in Japan. At that time, in addition to high and medium pressure processes, high and low pressure processes were also used. Because large oxygen generators (Pressure Swing Adsorption Oxygen Generators) could produce inexpensive oxygen, they were used in the metallurgical and ammonia synthesis industries. In 1932, Germany first used oxygen generators in the metallurgical and ammonia synthesis industries.

After 1950, in addition to the oxygen generators produced by the above-mentioned countries (Pressure Swing Adsorption Oxygen Generator), there were also China, Czechoslovakia, East Germany, Hungary, Italy, etc. (China's development was relatively late, all using deep cold technology).

Due to the development of the steel industry, nitrogen fertilizer industry, and rocket technology, the consumption of oxygen and nitrogen increased rapidly, driving the large-scale development of oxygen generators. Since 1957, 10000m3/h oxygen generators have been introduced one after another. Since 1967, according to incomplete statistics, there have been 87 large oxygen generators with capacities exceeding 20,000 cubic meters per hour, with the larger units being 50,000 cubic meters per hour, and even larger units are under development.

In the past 20 years, the number of product types has rapidly increased, gradually forming a series. For example, Linde Company in West Germany has typical large oxygen generator products ranging from 1000 to 40000 m3/h; Kobelco in Japan has the OF series; Hitachi in Japan has the TO Model; Japan Oxygen Company has the NR Model; and the UK has products ranging from 50 to 1500 tons/day. At the same time, large oxygen generators basically use all low-pressure processes.

In short, the development of oxygen generators (Pressure Swing Adsorption Oxygen Generator) is an imperfect process, with equipment developing from small and medium-sized to large-sized. The process has evolved from high-pressure (200 atmospheres), medium-pressure (50 atmospheres), and high-low pressure to all low-pressure (6 atmospheres), thereby reducing the unit power consumption and metal material consumption of oxygen generators and extending the operating cycle.