Super-enriched oxygen generator

A method of supplying super-enriched oxygen, the method comprising:

• cyclically separating an oxygen/argon mixture from atmospheric air by cyclically with a first cycle periodicity passing the atmospheric air through an oxygen/nitrogen separating means for separating the oxygen/argon mixture from atmospheric air, the oxygen/nitrogen separating means including:
• an adsorbent bed which selectively passes oxygen and argon and adsorbs nitrogen;
• an oxygen/nitrogen separator valve means for cyclically supplying compressed air to the oxygen/nitrogen adsorbent bed and discharging nitrogen from the adsorbent bed with the first cycle periodicity;
• and
• cyclically separating super-enriched oxygen from the oxygen/argon mixture by cyclically with a second cycle periodicity passing the oxygen/argon mixture through an argon/oxygen separating means for separating the super-enriched oxygen from the oxygen/argon mixture, the oxygen/argon separating means including:
• an oxygen/argon adsorption bed for selectively adsorbing oxygen and passing argon therethrough;
• an oxygen/argon valve means for cyclically connecting the oxygen/argon adsorption bed with the oxygen/nitrogen separating means for receiving an oxygen/argon mixture therefrom and with a downstream oxygen receiving means for discharging oxygen thereto with the second cycle periodicity;
• the second cycle periodicity being different from the first cycle periodicity such that the oxygen/argon separator valve means cycle asynchronously relative to the cycling of the oxygen/nitrogen separator valve means.

A method of separating and supplying super-enriched oxygen, the method comprising:

• compressing atmospheric air;
• separating an oxygen/argon mixture from the compressed atmospheric air at a positive pressure;
• passing the oxygen/argon mixture through an adsorbent bed including an adsorbent material which selectively adsorbs oxygen and passes argon;
• cyclically drawing the oxygen from the adsorbent bed at a subatmospheric pressure;
• increasing the oxygen pressure to a super atmospheric pressure and passing the oxygen downstream at the super atmospheric pressure.

An oxygen enriching system for use in combination with and which derives all its motive power from an oxygen separator system that includes a compressor means for providing compressed air and an oxygen/nitrogen separating means for separating a mixture of oxygen and argon from the compressed air, the oxygen/nitrogen separating means being operatively connected with the compressor means to receive the compressed air therefrom, the oxygen/nitrogen separating means discharging the oxygen/argon mixture at a relatively low pressure, the oxygen enriching system comprising:

• a first pressurizing means for increasing the pressure of the oxygen/argon mixture to a relatively high pressure;
• a means for connecting the first pressurizing means with said compressor means for receiving the compressed air therefrom such that the first pressurizing means derives its motive power from the oxygen separator system compressor means to increase the pressure of the oxygen/argon mixture to the relatively high pressure;
• an oxygen/argon separating means for separating super-enriched oxygen from argon and discharging the super-enriched oxygen at a lower pressure, the oxygen/argon separating means being connected with the first pressurizing means for receiving the oxygen/argon mixture at the relatively high pressure therefrom such that the oxygen separator compressor means provides motive power for both the oxygen/nitrogen separating means and the oxygen/argon separating means.

An apparatus for supplying super-enriched oxygen, the apparatus comprising:

• an oxygen/nitrogen separating means for separating an oxygen/argon mixture from atmospheric air, the oxygen/nitrogen means including:
• an adsorbent bed which selectively passes a mixture of oxygen and argon and which selectively adsorbs nitrogen;
• an oxygen/nitrogen valve means for supplying compressed air to the oxygen/nitrogen adsorption bed in a first mode and for discharging nitrogen from the adsorption bed in a second mode;
• an oxygen/argon separating means for separating oxygen from the oxygen/argon mixture, the oxygen/argon separating means including:
• an oxygen/argon adsorption bed for selectively adsorbing oxygen and passing argon therethrough;
• an oxygen/argon valve means for connecting the oxygen/argon adsorption bed with the oxygen/nitrogen separating means in a first mode for receiving an oxygen/argon mixture therefrom and for connecting the oxygen/argon adsorption bed with downstream oxygen receiving means in a second mode for discharging oxygen thereto;
• and,
• a valve control means for asynchronously cycling the oxygen/nitrogen and oxygen/argon valve means between their first and second modes such that each valve means cycles independently of and in no fixed relationship to the other valve means.

A super-enriched oxygen separating system comprising:

• an air compressing means for compressing atmospheric air;
• an oxygen/nitrogen separating means for separating an oxygen/argon mixture from the compressed atmospheric air;
• an oxygen/argon adsorbent bed;
• an oxygen/argon valve means which is operable in a first mode for passing the oxygen/argon mixture from the oxygen/nitrogen separating means to the oxygen/argon adsorbent bed and which is operable in a second mode for passing super-enriched oxygen from the adsorbent bed downstream;
• a pressurizing means for cyclically drawing a subatmospheric pressure and creating a super atmospheric pressure, the pressurizing means being connected with the oxygen/argon valve means for drawing the oxygen from the oxygen/argon adsorbent bed at the subatmospheric pressure and for discharging the oxygen downstream at the super atmospheric pressure;
• and,
• an oxygen storage reservoir operatively connected with the pressurizing means for receiving and storing oxygen therefrom at the super atmospheric pressure.