Oxygen generators are devices that can extract oxygen from the air to provide users with high-concentration oxygen. They are widely used in medical, health care and other fields.
This is the technology adopted by most oxygen generators currently. The oxygen generator is equipped with molecular sieves, which are adsorbents with a uniform microporous structure. When the air is compressed by the compressor and enters the oxygen generator, impurities and moisture are removed through pretreatment. Then, the air passes through the molecular sieves. Due to the different adsorption speeds of nitrogen and oxygen in the micropores of the molecular sieves, nitrogen is preferentially adsorbed, and oxygen passes through the molecular sieves, thus obtaining high-concentration oxygen. After a period of time, when the adsorption of the molecular sieves reaches saturation, the adsorbed nitrogen is discharged through the nitrogen exhaust system to regenerate the molecular sieves, restoring their adsorption capacity and continuing the oxygen generation process.
Oxygen generators using membrane separation utilize special polymer membranes that have the characteristic of selective permeation for different gases. When the air passes through the membrane, gases such as oxygen and nitrogen permeate through the membrane at different speeds. The permeation speed of oxygen is relatively fast, so high-concentration oxygen is enriched on one side of the membrane, realizing the separation and extraction of oxygen.
- Features: Medical oxygen generators have higher requirements for the concentration and purity of oxygen. Generally, they can provide oxygen with a concentration of over 90% and have a stable oxygen output flow. They are usually equipped with precise oxygen concentration monitoring and adjustment functions to meet the oxygen inhalation needs of patients with different conditions. For example, for patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), cardiopulmonary insufficiency and other serious diseases, medical oxygen generators can provide continuous, stable and high-concentration oxygen support.
- Application Scenarios: They are widely used in various departments of hospitals, such as the Department of Respiratory Medicine and the Intensive Care Unit. They can also be used by patients for long-term oxygen therapy at home.
- Features: Health care oxygen generators are mainly used for daily health care oxygen inhalation. The oxygen concentration is generally around 30% - 60%, and the output flow is relatively small with a wide adjustable range. These oxygen generators focus on the convenience and comfort of use, are easy to operate, and are relatively inexpensive.
- Application Scenarios: They are suitable for middle-aged and elderly people, pregnant women, mental workers and other groups to relieve fatigue, improve sleep, and enhance physical functions for health care purposes. For example, office workers who work at their desks for a long time can use health care oxygen generators to inhale oxygen when they feel tired to relieve the condition of brain hypoxia.
The compressor is a key power component of the oxygen generator. It is responsible for compressing the air to provide the necessary pressure conditions for the subsequent oxygen generation process. High-quality compressors have the characteristics of low noise, small vibration, and long service life, which can ensure the stable and efficient operation of the oxygen generator.
As mentioned above, molecular sieves or separation membranes are the core components for realizing oxygen separation. Their quality and performance directly determine the oxygen generation effect and oxygen concentration of the oxygen generator. High-quality molecular sieves have a large adsorption capacity and fast adsorption and desorption speeds; high-quality separation membranes have high selectivity and good gas permeation properties.
The oxygen concentration sensor is used to monitor the concentration of the oxygen output by the oxygen generator in real time. In medical oxygen generators, this sensor is particularly important. It can feed back the oxygen concentration information to the control system so that the oxygen generation process can be adjusted in a timely manner to ensure that the output oxygen concentration meets the treatment requirements.
The control system is the "brain" of the oxygen generator. It can control the working states of the compressor and molecular sieves precisely according to the parameters set by the user (such as oxygen flow, concentration, etc.) and the information fed back by the oxygen concentration sensor, ensuring the stable operation and the quality of the oxygen output of the oxygen generator. At the same time, the control system also has an alarm function. When the oxygen generator fails or the oxygen concentration is abnormal, it can issue an alarm in a timely manner.
Oxygen generators need to be regularly cleaned, including wiping the outer shell and cleaning the air inlet, to prevent dust and impurities from entering and affecting the oxygen generation effect. For the key components such as molecular sieves or separation membranes inside, they also need to be maintained or replaced according to the time and method specified by the manufacturer.
When using an oxygen generator, make sure to use a power supply that meets the requirements of the device to avoid damage to the device caused by unstable voltage or power supply problems. When plugging and unplugging the power supply, pay attention to the operation specifications to prevent electric shock.
According to the doctor's advice or your own needs, set the oxygen inhalation concentration and time reasonably. Especially for medical oxygen generators, improper oxygen inhalation parameters may cause adverse effects on patients. For health care oxygen generators, it is not advisable to inhale oxygen at a high concentration for a long time.
With the increasing demand for health care, especially in scenarios such as traveling and outdoor activities, miniaturized and portable oxygen generators are becoming more and more popular. Manufacturers are constantly researching and developing new technologies to reduce the size and weight of oxygen generators while ensuring the oxygen generation effect, improving their portability.
Future oxygen generators will be more intelligent. By connecting with mobile phone applications and the like, functions such as remote monitoring, data recording and analysis can be achieved. Patients or users can manage their oxygen inhalation process more conveniently, and doctors can also remotely understand the oxygen inhalation situation of patients, providing a more accurate basis for treatment.
Research and development of new oxygen generation technologies and materials to further improve the oxygen generation efficiency and reduce the noise during the operation of the oxygen generators, enhancing the user's experience of using the oxygen generators.