PSA – Pressure Swing Adsorption
The oxygen generators are based on the PSA technology, also called Pressure Swing Adsorption or
Separation by Pressurization Alternated, which consist to separate the air & gas from the ambient air,
used as one raw material (air ambient contains 21 % oxygen, 78% nitrogen, 0.9 % argon and 0.1 % rare
gases).
The gases are separated under the alternating pressurization of two tanks filled with molecular
sieve ( zeolite for oxygen generator and activated carbon for nitrogen generator).
When the tank is pressurized by the compressed air, the nitrogen or the oxygen is gradually
retained by the molecular sieve, releasing the produced gas directly at the output of the generator.
At high pressure, the molecular sieve adsorbs oxygen ( or nitrogen), carbon dioxide and vapor
from the air to water, and allowed to pass nitrogen ( or oxygen ).
When the tank is almost full, the process continues to the second tank and the gas adsorbed in the
first receiver is released into the atmosphere. While a tank is adsorbing, the other regenerates
itself by pressure reduction.
The cycle is then repeated under electronic control in order to produce high purity and stable
oxygen or nitrogen continuously.