Optimization study of process parameters for onboard pressure swing adsorption oxygen generation
WANG Yongguo
ZHAO Lisheng
ZHANG Quanli
LI Ye
YANG Xiong
SUN Ningqi
LI Ziyi
LIU Yingshu
Abstract：The high altitude and low partial pressure of oxygen in the western plateau of China not only affect the physical and mental health of the plateau population,but also seriously impair the mobility performance of vehicles on the plateau,thereby leading to the slow economic development in Tibet.The plateau population can ensure their physical and mental health by inhaling oxygen,and similarly,the engines of plateau vehicles can ensure complete fuel combustion and improve vehicle mobility at high altitudes by supplying oxygen.Therefore,the development of onboard oxygen generation technology is of significant practical importance.This study designs a two-tower pressure swing adsorption(PSA)oxygen generation process to support the research on onboard oxygen generation devices.Lithium molecular sieves are used to study the effects of adsorption time,pressure equalization time,pressure equalization methods,and product gas flow rate on oxygen generation performance.The results show that the oxygen generation processes with pressure equalization steps are more favorable for nitrogen adsorption by molecular sieves compared to those without pressure equalization steps.The five pressure equalization methods designed in this study all improve oxygen generation performance,with the ranking of effectiveness as follows:first upper pressure equalization then simultaneous upper and lower pressure equalization>simultaneous upper and lower pressure equalization>first lower pressure equalization then simultaneous upper and lower pressure equalization>upper pressure equalization>lower pressure equalization.As adsorption time increases,oxygen concentration first rises and then decreases,with an optimal adsorption time existing,while oxygen recovery rate continues to increase.Similarly,as pressure equalization time increases,oxygen concentration first rises and then decreases,with an optimal pressure equalization time existing,while oxygen recovery rate continues to increase.With an increase in product gas flow rate,oxygen concentration decreases and oxygen recovery rate increases.Under the optimal process parameters,the oxygen generation performance of the device reaches its peak,with a maximum product gas flow rate of 2.5 L/min and an oxygen concentration of up to 93.48%.
Keywords：plateauonboardoxygen generationpressure swing adsorptionflowoxygen concentration
Publication Date：2024-12-28
Online Publishing Date：2025-08-15(First online date of this platform, not the publication date of the document)
Pages：6( 9-14 )