Oxygen Concentrator Hazards

F

freewind

#1
Hello,

Has anyone any experience working with Oxygen concentrators?

What are the standards that regulate Oxygen concentrators for home use other than ISO 8359:1996? Because I'm looking at this standard (ISO 8359) and it does not write about the type of flow control device that can be used. but I know from valve manufacturers that oil/grease should not be present when oxygen is used.

Thank you!
 
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J

John Nabors - 2009

#2
Freewind-

Two disclaimers- my last experience with oxygen concentrators was over 20 years ago as a repair technician and I am not familiar with the standard you are citing, but here's my :2cents:..

The solenoid valves used for flow control in the concentrators I worked on were designed to isolate the lubricated, metal on metal contact areas from the airflow to the molecular sieve beds. Any surfaces exposed to the air flow did not require lubrication. However, I was told in a training class given by Mountain Medical Equipment in 1984 that any minor (as in less than a gram) inadvertant escapes of lubricant would be adsorbed onto the surface of the molecular sieve material (in their case Union Carbide molecular sieve) and would not be exposed to the patient.

It could well be that over the last 2+ decades that concentrators no longer operate anything like the ones I worked on (actually including Bendix concentrators built in the 70's) but if it is still the same principle of two molecular sieve beds swapping flow, I wouldn't be too terribly concerned with very minor, accidental escapes of graphite into the sieve beds, the sieves will catch and hold it long before it gets to the top of the beds. The only caveat I could think of is this: I was working in Florida where the humidity necessitated frequent replacement (annually at the very least) of the sieve beds, if you are in a more arid climate where the sieve beds last longer, perhaps it could then be more of an issue.

Regards -John

(I have no affiliation with any of the organizations I mentioned.)
 
J

John Nabors - 2009

#3
Freewind-

I just reread your original post and realized that a certain dimwit (who shall remain nameless except to say that it was ME!!) may have missed a critical point in your post. Assuming that oxygen concentrators work the same way they did when I worked on them....

it does not write about the type of flow control device that can be used. but I know from valve manufacturers that oil/grease should not be present when oxygen is used.
...the valves requiring lubrication that direct the flow to the sieve beds will only be exposed to ambient (21%) oxygen. The 90+% oxygen concentration flow coming out of the top of the molecular sieve beds (as I remember) is only regulated by check valves that should not require any lubrication.

Someone please correct me if I am wrong.

Regards -John
 
R

rbhagat

#4
Hi all,

i am working on oxygen concentrator and facing a problem in using molecular sieve beds. can anyone provide me some technical help in using the sieve beds
 
Last edited by a moderator:
J

John Nabors - 2009

#5
Hi all,

i am working on oxygen concentrator and facing a problem in using molecular sieve beds. can anyone provide me some technical help in using the sieve beds
If you can explain the problem and assuming my tired old brain can recall a solution, hopefully I or someone else here can help. I will certainly try.
 
R

rbhagat

#6
Hi
I am working on 5L oxygen concentrator. I am using the sieve beds with dimensions 420 x 75mm. the problem is that when I use readymade sieve beds, machine gives the purity above 90% for all the flow rates. But when I use self made cylinders filled with 5A & 13X sieve the purity dropped down. It gives only 40% on all flow rates. I am using the same dimension of the cylinders and also the same pressure in the sieve. I also tested the sieve beds at different pressure, with different sieves and I also checked the leakage,there is not any leakage but the purity is still low.



Is there any special procedure or equipment required to fill the sieve beds with molecular sieve?
 
J

John Nabors - 2009

#7
Are you using a vibratory table of some sort to pack the sieve material? If the sieve material is not vibrated down to the the highest possible density you will not acheive the oxygen purity you are seeking. Remember that the adsorption of nitrogen by the sieve is a function of the total surface area of the sieve material in the beds; that adsorption capacity is what enables the sieve beds to purge each other and the diversion of oxygen to the patient is really just a by-product of the purge process.

When I was in this line of work (over 20 years ago!!), we did both original manufacture of molecular sieve beds and also 'recycling' by refilling sieve beds that were designed with re-use in mind. In both cases, the beds were refilled on a vibratory table to settle the sieve material in order to pack the beds with the maximum possible ammount of sieve.

Also, be sure to protect your sieve material from moisture/humidity. If you want a really graphic example of what humidity will do to sieve material, take some sieve from an old sieve bed and pour a cup of water into it. The friction of adsorption will actually heat the water to boiling temperature within a couple of seconds.

Good Luck!!

Kind Regards -John
 
R

rbhagat

#8
Thanks John for the information.

There are some more points that I want to know. Sieve is very sensitive to moisture so is there any special room used for the sieve bed packing?


I packed the sieve beds in normal working room with temp. 25 oC and RH. 50 % (approximately)

Currently I am using 2.6kg molecular sieve for 5L in both cylinders of volume 49784.7 mm3/cylinder.

Is there any standard formula or relation between the dimensions of the cylinder, quantity of the sieve, packing density of the sieve in cylinder, and concentration /flow rate of oxygen or in any other parameters?
 
O

oscianwind

#9
Dear bhagat
did the problem of refilling of oxygen sieve bed solved? I'm also fessing same problem can you please tell me the complete procedure of refilling. I'm working on Respironics millennium and airsep. thanks
 

somashekar

Staff member
Super Moderator
#10
Dear bhagat
did the problem of refilling of oxygen sieve bed solved? I'm also fessing same problem can you please tell me the complete procedure of refilling. I'm working on Respironics millennium and airsep. thanks
Welcome to the cove oscianwind ..
You are picking up and responding to a Sept 2008 post and bhagat has last login recorded in Dec 2008. Most likely he will not see your post.
Please anyone here can you comment on this post >>>
 
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