On-site adsorptive oxygen generators and helium purification systems: Design, optimization and scale-up

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Oxygen Solutions Inc (OSI) is an Edmonton-based company, owned by Benchmark International, manufacturing vacuum swing adsorption (VSA) systems for oxygen(O2) generation (100 to 7000 SCFH O2) from air for aquaculture, mining, waste water treatment, etc. The VSA systems employ a molecular sieve and a unique operating configuration (called cycle) in order to concentrate O2 from air. The key objectives of this Alliance project are: 1.Improve the performance and expand the range of O2 generation units with an aim to remain competitive in this market. 2. Develop adsorption-based processes for Helium purification, targeted at Helium wells recently identified in Alberta and Saskatchewan, as a promising market to diversify.This project will aim to achieve these goals through 1. Process modelling 2. Development of advanced process configurations; 3. Computer-based optimization of process configurations; 4. Exploration of advanced sorbents and 5; Design of novel gas distribution systems through the use of computational fluid dynamics. The processes developed will be tested in a fully instrumented test-bed that will be built by OSI specifically for this project. The feedback from the testbed will allow the improvement of process models and will enable the identification of suitable operating conditions for large-scale units. Finally the advanced configurations and gas distributors designed in this project will be scaled-up and implemented on commercial units. The project will train 7 Highly qualified personnel who will gain valuable experience in modeling and experimentation. They will also benefit from working closely with Engineers at OSI. The success of this project will benefit Canada by positioning OSI as a world leader in the supply of O2 generators and helium purification technology and result in economic growth through increased exports and creation of employment opportunities.