Oxygen production system with two stage oxygen pressurization

An apparatus for supplying oxygen at a relatively high pressure, the apparatus comprising:

• an oxygen separator for separating oxygen from atmospheric air, the oxygen being produced at a relatively low pressure, the oxygen separator being operatively connected with an air compressor and accumulator, which accumulator stores compressed air;
• a first reservoir having a first movable barrier therein for dividing the first reservoir into a first oxygen receiving region and a first pressurizing fluid receiving region, the first oxygen receiving region being operatively connected with the oxygen separator;
• a cyclically operated valve for alternately (i) connecting the first pressurizing fluid receiving region with the accumulator and (ii) venting the first pressurizing fluid receiving region;
• a second reservoir having a second movable barrier therein for dividing the second reservoir into a second oxygen receiving region and a second pressurizing fluid receiving region, the second oxygen receiving region being operatively connected by a check valve with the first oxygen receiving region, the second pressurizing fluid receiving region being operatively connected with the accumulator to supply a continuous compressed air biasing force to the second pressurizing fluid receiving region, the oxygen in the second oxygen receiving region being biased to the relatively high pressure which relatively high pressure is slightly less than the pressure of the oxygen in the first oxygen receiving region when the first pressurizing fluid receiving region is connected with the accumulator such that oxygen is cyclically transferred from the first oxygen receiving region to the second oxygen receiving region.

A method of supplying a selected gaseous component, the method comprising:

• separating the selected gaseous component from a gaseous mixture, the separated gaseous component being at a relatively low separated gas pressure;
• in a first tank cyclically (i) receiving the separated gaseous component at the relatively low separated gas pressure and (ii) increasing the pressure of the received separated gas with a first preselected pressure;
• transferring the pressurized separated gaseous component to a second tank;
• continuously pressurizing the gaseous component in the second tank to a second preselected pressure, which second preselected pressure is lower than the first pressure;
• and,
• selectively supplying the gaseous component from the second tank at the second pressure.