Ultra Controlo Medical gas library

Oxygen and PSA

How much compressed air does a PSA generator need?

How much compressed air does a PSA oxygen generator consume, by generator size and purity setting?

Short answer

A PSA generator's compressed air need depends on its size and purity setting: the ULTRACON datasheet lists 3.5 Nm³/h of air for 0.32 Nm³/h of 93% oxygen in the smallest generator and 1,258 Nm³/h of air for 111.4 Nm³/h in the largest, the ULTRACON 14D.

The ULTRACON is the PSA oxygen generator used in ULTRAOX plants. It produces oxygen from compressed air fed to the unit: two columns go through a cyclic sequence of high and low pressure steps, retaining contaminants in the high pressure step and releasing them in the low pressure step. Its datasheet gives, for every size, the oxygen delivered and the compressed air consumed at two purity settings, which are the flows the plant's compressors must supply.

ULTRACON oxygen output and air consumption

ULTRACON modelOxygen at 93% (Nm³/h)Air at 93% (Nm³/h)Oxygen at 95% (Nm³/h)Air at 95% (Nm³/h)
10.323.50.33.5
20.788.60.78.5
31.1120.912
43.1352.532
54.6523.847
66.5745.366
78906.581
89.51087.897
912.414110.1126
1018.220614.8185
1126.229621.3266
1236.541329.7371
1343.549235.3442
11D5259242.6532
1455.762945.2566
12D7382659.4742
1582.6593467.16839.5
14D111.41,25890.41,132

Source: ULTRACON datasheet, p. 3. The datasheet also gives the oxygen flows in Nl/min and SCFH.

Reading the table

  • Purity changes the result. Every generator in the table delivers less oxygen at 95% than at 93%, and the Global Fund purity note (3 April 2024) gives a similar example: equipment producing 20 Nm³/h at 93% (±3%) would produce 18 Nm³/h set to 95% (±1%).
  • Pressure. The ULTRAOX SC and ST model tables give an inlet pressure of 7.5 bar for the compressed air and an oxygen outlet pressure of 6 bar on every model.
  • Plant configuration. ULTRAOX plants combine one or more compressors with one or more ULTRACON concentrators; the compressors switch and the generators start in cascade to keep a continuous supply (ULTRAOX SC and ST datasheets).
  • Energy. WHO's Foundations of medical oxygen systems (2023) says the energy efficiency of a PSA plant is largely determined by the feed air compressor; see how much electricity a PSA plant uses.

What other guidance says

WHO (2023) describes oxygen concentration as beginning with the compression of ambient air. The 2020 WHO interim specification for PSA plants (superseded by WHO's technical specifications of 31 December 2024), issued on 8 June 2020, which stated that it would expire two years after publication, asked for a feed air compressor of at least 750 kPa (7.5 bar) and an external air dryer sized to manage the compressor output. PATH and CHAI (2021) note that, depending on the manufacturer, a compressed air surge tank, an air compressor and a filter or dryer may be required, and that PSA manufacturers commonly provide recommended models or specifications for this equipment as a package. For how the compressor itself is chosen, see how the air compressor for a PSA plant is sized.

More questions

Does a generator use more air at 95% purity?

The ULTRACON table lists the same or less air at 95% but less oxygen: the ULTRACON 10 uses 185 Nm³/h of air for 14.8 Nm³/h at 95%, against 206 Nm³/h of air for 18.2 Nm³/h at 93%.

At what pressure must the compressed air arrive?

The ULTRAOX SC and ST model tables list 7.5 bar at the inlet for every model, with oxygen delivered at 6 bar.

Sources

Ultra Controlo figures come from its technical datasheets. Third-party facts were read at the source on the date shown.

Reviewed: · Ultra Controlo engineering · Markdown version

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