Sorbent Screening and Optimization of an Oxygen Purification Process****

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Benchmark International Inc. is an Edmonton based company involved in the manufacture of oxygen concentrators under the brand name of Oxygen solutions Inc. These units concentrate oxygen from atmospheric air using a physical separation process called adsorption. The units are typically installed in remote locations where bottled oxygen is not available or expensive, such as aquaculture, waste water treatment and mining facilities. In order to gain market share in this competitive business, the company is seeking to improve the performance of their oxygen concentrators with the ultimate goal of reducing unit size and energy consumption. This translates into reduction of both cost of oxygen and the associated CO2 footprint (through reduction of energy consumption). To achieve these goals, Benchmark seeks to collaborate with researchers at the University of Alberta (UofA) with expertise in adsorption process design. The UofA group will apply sophisticated mathematical tools to model a small-scale oxygen concentrator to be constructed by Benchmark exclusively to support this project. Using these mathematical models, we will test three commercial materials that are claimed to improve process performance. The unique aspect of this project will be the development and deployment of machine-learning-based optimization tools that are capable of exploring the operating space to identify operating conditions that reduce the overall costs. This will save 1000s of hours of engineering labor and associated costs in testing the different materials. The results from the modeling efforts will be validated first on the small-scale system and then scaled-up for a commercial instrument. The use of machine-learning tools for optimizing such systems will be "first-of-a-kind" and will provide Benchmark with a competitive edge and benefit Canada in key areas such as energy-efficient processes, reduction of CO2 footprint and artifical intelligence. The project also seeks assistance through the Alberta Innovates Campus Alberta Small Business Engagement Program.******