oxygen generators/concentrators

[dtd7899]

does anyone here use oxygen generators/concentrators and if so are they any good ,what sort of power do they use and how do they work? they would have to be easier and cheaper than bottled oxygen you would think.

[Crusty]

I have a small "Air Sep" unit here. I can not recall what the stats on it are, will have to look them up. From memory, it strips out the nitrogen, co2 and argon etc from the air to produce about 95% oxygen roughly 9Lph or something like that. They are cheaper than bottled oxygen, but do not produce anything near the volumes that can be achieved out of a bottle. I used to use it (retired to storage now) as additional oxygen supply to my biofilter when my system was struggling with 35odd kg/m3 during summer.

Actually, it is one of these
http://www.airsepcpd.com/airsepcpd/pdfs/topaz.pdf (http://www.airsepcpd.com/airsepcpd/cpd.products.self-contained-generators.html)

[dtd7899]

these systems were what i was looking into,seems that they draw a bit of power (1300wts) for the larger 15lpm system.i might have to keep researching this one.just not sure 50kg per 1000ltrs or more stocking would go without oxygen in summer including the biofilter demand ,as the temp plays a big part in how much oxygen water can hold then i may have to go with bottled oxygen to maintain the demand should the system temp get up in summer.

[Crusty]

have you worked out what sort of load you intend to keep?

[fishfood]

I have a few ex medical generaters and i find if you strip the compresser out of them they give enough air to run 30 air stones

[arachdog]

They do work out cheaper than bottled oxygen thanks in part to the virtual monopoly in the gas supply sector (as far as I'm concerned BOC will be the first against the wall when the revolution comes). But from what I've read, the most economical form (provided your not too far from the supplier) is bulk liquid oxygen. Like just about everything the larger your operation the cheaper you can produce it. Depends what your using it for though I guess, in terms of it sitting there costing you nothing when your not using it, an oxygen generator is probably perfect for emergency use. Except for the fact that as Crusty mentioned they can only produce a limited flow.

They work by using a form of zeolite that preferentially absorbs nitrogen under pressure. The gases that are left is then 'mostly' oxygen, but it also contains some CO2 and noble gases.
Once the zeolite has absorbed all the nitrogen it can the pressure is released and the concentrated nitrogen is allowed to escape to atmosphere, regenerating the zeolite. They normally have two pressure chambers so one can be venting while the other is absorbing.

Fishfood: What sort of compressor is it ? I've never seen the guts of one.

[fishfood]

If i could knew how to put photos in this new forun i would post one
whats a url

[fishfood]

Got it heres a photo
one mean air pump

[Crusty]

Got it heres a photo
one mean air pump
Hi Fishfood,

Any ideas on its watt usage and liters per minute?

[arachdog]

Cheer fishfood. Looks like some sort of rotary compressor, maybe a roots or screw type. I don't think its efficiency would be great for an aeration application unless you have very, very, deep tanks. Its likely optimized to produce air at about 20 Psi, a lot more than necessary.

[fishfood]

Hi Fishfood,

Any ideas on its watt usage and liters per minute?
Sorry not at the moment its buryied under junk

[fishfood]

Cheer fishfood. Looks like some sort of rotary compressor, maybe a roots or screw type. I don't think its efficiency would be great for an aeration application unless you have very, very, deep tanks. Its likely optimized to produce air at about 20 Psi, a lot more than necessary.
No its a twin diaphragm type i know of a whole fish farm running on one the same

[arachdog]

No its a twin diaphragm type i know of a whole fish farm running on one the same
Oh OK. None the less I think the rest of my statement still holds true. It will be designed to operate at around that pressure because in its previous life it needed too.

[fishfood]

Oh OK. None the less I think the rest of my statement still holds true. It will be designed to operate at around that pressure because in its previous life it needed too.
Probley will run at 20 psi but just keep putting airstones on till it drops to 3 to5 psi
a while ago i ran a large air pump with the end of the line cracked open
i am not useing it i was just explaining what was in them