A Dynamic Model of a Pressure Swing Oxygen Generation System

Abstract

A full system model for oxygen generation from a pressure swing adsorption process is developed. The system under study has two zeolite packed molecular sieve beds which are cycled with high and low pressure in order to produce oxygen enriched air. These On-Board Oxygen Generation Systems (OBOGS) are to be used for the generation of aircraft crew breathing requirements. These units are much smaller in scale than present industrial systems and are called on to respond to variable demand. These special requirements have led to a reliable computer-based model to simulate the relatively fast transient performance of OBOGS. Besides the two zeolite beds, the system consists of a rotary valve used to cycle the beds, purge orifice, and breathing plenum. The computerized model predictions compare favorably with experiment. The model is presently being used in design and control synthesis studies.