KR102294123B1 - High purity oxygen generating system capable of operating multi mode - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to an oxygen generating system comprising an oxygen generating device capable of multi-mode selective operation. The oxygen generating system according to the present invention is composed of an oxygen generating device capable of multi-mode selective operation and a remote controller for controlling the same, which enables selective operation of a manual mode in which an oxygen discharge flow rate and purity can be adjusted under the control of a user, an automatic mode in which the oxygen discharge flow rate and the purity are adjusted by sensing an external environment, or a power saving mode which is operated at a preset oxygen discharge flow rate and purity. According to the present invention, the system can conduct customized operation by situations.

Description

High purity oxygen generating system capable of operating multi mode

The present invention relates to an oxygen generating system including an oxygen generating device capable of selectively operating in multiple modes.

Specifically, the present invention is a system consisting of an oxygen generator capable of selective operation in multiple modes and a remote controller for controlling the same. It relates to an oxygen generation system capable of selectively operating in an automatic mode for controlling the oxygen discharge flow rate and purity or in a power saving mode operated at a preset oxygen discharge flow rate and purity.

The RVSA (Rapid Vacuum Swing Adsorption) process currently used as a gas separation and purification process includes air drying process, hydrogen purification and recovery process, CH ₄ recovery process, CO ₂ recovery process from gas, and trace amount from mixed gas. There are a process for removing components and a process for separating and enriching oxygen and nitrogen from air, and even now, research for expanding the applicability of the RVSA process and improving the process is being actively conducted.

The RVSA method of gas separation and purification process is a technology that extracts a specific gas from a mixed gas by using the difference in the adsorption power of the zeolite itself (Zeolite Molecular Sieve). can be separated.

The above RVSA method of gas separation and purification process is also applied to oxygen generator. The oxygen generator using RVSA method has the advantages of compact size, large flow rate, low noise and low power consumption, so it is widely used for home or vehicle use. do.

On the other hand, from the point of view of the general consumer, the oxygen generating device that can implement a mode that automatically detects the environment in which the oxygen generating device is installed and maintains an appropriate oxygen concentration or maintains the minimum oxygen concentration when the user is absent from the installation environment There is a need for this, but there is no product that satisfies it, and it is common for a home or vehicle oxygen generator to be operated by a user setting driving conditions directly. Therefore, in addition to the method of setting the oxygen purity and flow rate under the user's control, it is possible to set the mode for automatically maintaining the proper oxygen purity or the mode for maintaining the oxygen concentration in the enclosed space with the minimum oxygen purity and flow rate. development is needed for

KR Registered Patent Publication No. 10-1355161

The present invention operates in a manual mode in which the oxygen discharge flow rate and purity can be adjusted by a signal provided through a remote controller, an automatic mode in which the oxygen discharge flow rate and purity are automatically adjusted by sensing the external environment, or a preset oxygen discharge flow rate and purity To provide an oxygen generating system including an indoor oxygen generating device capable of selectively operating in a power saving mode.

The present invention has been devised to solve the above problems, and for an oxygen generating system including an oxygen generating device receiving a signal provided from a remote controller through a communication unit and a remote controller providing a signal to the oxygen generating device will be.

The oxygen generator of the oxygen generation system is designed to discharge oxygen by selectively filtering nitrogen from outside air, and a manual mode in which the oxygen discharge flow rate and purity can be adjusted according to a signal provided from the remote controller, sensing the external environment Selective operation of automatic mode that automatically adjusts oxygen discharge flow rate and purity or power saving mode operated at preset oxygen discharge flow rate and purity is possible, a branch valve for switching the driving mode that branches to any one of the first to third solenoid valves according to the operation mode; first to third solenoid valves respectively controlling the flow rate of external air introduced into the first to third adsorption beds; As a first adsorption bed that selectively adsorbs nitrogen in external air introduced through the first solenoid valve, lithium in low silica X (LSX) having a molar ratio of Si and Al (Si/Al) in the range of 0.90 to 1.10 a first region filled with a first zeolite formed by ion exchange of ions and having a molar ratio of Li and Al (Li/Al) in the range of 0.65 to 0.95; a second region located at the rear end of the first region and filled with a second zeolite formed by ion-exchanging calcium ions with the first zeolite and having a Ca/Al molar ratio (Ca/Al) in the range of 0.25 to 0.45; and physically partitioning the first region and the second region, wherein the first zeolite positioned in the first region moves to the second region or the second zeolite positioned in the second region moves to the first region a first adsorption bed comprising a zeolite-based membrane for controlling movement to; As a second adsorption bed that selectively adsorbs nitrogen in external air introduced through the second solenoid valve, potassium ions are ion-exchanged into NaX zeolite having a molar ratio of Si and Al (Si/Al) in the range of 1.20 to 1.50 a second adsorbent bed formed by the above and filled with a third zeolite having a K to Al molar ratio (K/Al) in the range of 0.60 to 0.90; As a third adsorption bed that selectively adsorbs nitrogen in external air introduced through the third solenoid valve, potassium ions are ion-exchanged into NaX zeolite having a molar ratio of Si and Al (Si/Al) in the range of 1.20 to 1.50 a third adsorption bed formed by the above and filled with a fourth zeolite having a K to Al molar ratio (K/Al) in the range of 0.30 to 0.60; an air compressor including an oxygen discharging unit receiving oxygen from the first to third adsorption beds and discharging to the outside, and a nitrogen discharging unit receiving nitrogen desorbed from the first to third adsorption beds and discharging to the outside; an oxygen flow branch valve designed to branch oxygen discharged from the oxygen discharge unit of the air compressor into oxygen for nitrogen desorption and oxygen for external discharge; a vacuum pump that pressurizes oxygen for nitrogen desorption branched by the oxygen flow branch valve in the direction of the first to third adsorption beds; An oxygen flow control valve for controlling the flow of oxygen for nitrogen desorption so that oxygen for nitrogen desorption provided in the direction of the first to third adsorption beds from the vacuum pump is provided only to any two beds of the first to third adsorption beds ; a sensor unit including a plurality of sensors for detecting external environmental conditions to implement an automatic mode; a communication unit receiving the driving mode, the discharge oxygen purity, and the flow rate setting signals provided from the remote controller; and the operation of the branch valve for switching the driving mode, the first to third solenoid valves, the air compressor, the oxygen flow branch valve, the vacuum pump, and the oxygen flow control valve according to manual mode, automatic mode, or power saving mode. a processor designed to control; In addition, the remote controller provides the manual mode, automatic mode, or power saving mode switching signal to the oxygen generator under the control of the user.

In one example, when the processor receives a manual mode operation signal from the remote controller, the processor controls the branch valve for switching the drive mode so that external air flows into the first solenoid valve, and receives the automatic mode operation signal from the remote controller. In this case, the branch valve for switching the driving mode is controlled so that external air flows into the second solenoid valve. can control

In one example, the first to fourth zeolites may each have a diameter in a range of 1.5 mm to 5.0 mm, and micropores in a range of 3 Å to 10 Å.

In one example, the first zeolite may have a relatively larger diameter and smaller micropores than the second zeolite.

In one example, the zeolite-based membrane may include any one component selected from the group consisting of FAU zeolite, MFI zeolite, CHA zeolite, DDR zeolite, and MWW zeolite.

In one example, the oxygen flow control valve consists of first to third oxygen flow control valves to provide oxygen for nitrogen desorption only to any two of the first to third adsorption beds according to a driving mode, The processor may control the first to third oxygen flow control valves to provide oxygen for nitrogen desorption only to any two of the first to third adsorption beds according to the driving mode.

In one example, the sensor unit may include a temperature sensor, a humidity sensor, and an oxygen concentration sensor.

The oxygen generator included in the system according to the present invention may further include a memory unit for storing, for example, discharge oxygen purity and flow rate data corresponding to external environmental conditions. In addition, when the communication unit receives an automatic mode driving signal from the remote controller, the processor is configured to discharge oxygen to the oxygen purity and flow rate data corresponding to the external environmental conditions obtained by the sensor unit. It is possible to control the operation of the switching branch valve, the first to third solenoid valves, the air compressor, the oxygen flow branch valve, the vacuum pump, and the oxygen flow control valve.

The oxygen generator included in the system according to the present invention, for example, may be designed to automatically switch to the power saving mode when a preset time elapses after the communication unit receives the automatic mode driving signal from the remote controller.

In one example, the memory unit may additionally store oxygen purity and flow rate data discharged in the power saving mode. In addition, when the communication unit receives a power saving mode driving signal from the remote controller or is switched to a power saving mode after a preset time has elapsed after driving in an automatic mode, the processor uses the preset oxygen purity and flow rate stored in the memory unit. The operation of the branch valve for switching the driving mode, the first to third solenoid valves, the air compressor, the oxygen flow branch valve, the vacuum pump, and the oxygen flow control valve may be controlled so that oxygen may be discharged.

The oxygen generation system according to the present invention includes not only a manual mode in which a user can directly control the purity and flow rate of oxygen through a remote controller, but also an automatic mode and an automatic mode in which the purity and flow rate of oxygen are controlled by sensing external environmental conditions. It is possible to implement a power-saving mode that discharges oxygen at a set value, enabling customized operation for each situation.

The oxygen generating system according to the present invention is stable in terms of long-term operation characteristics and maintenance through an adsorption bed design that matches the oxygen discharge purity and flow rate characteristics for each mode of the oxygen generating device.

Of course, the effect of the present invention is not limited within the above-mentioned range.

1 is a block diagram of an oxygen generating system according to the present invention.
2 is a structural block diagram of an oxygen generating device according to the present invention.
3 is a view for explaining in detail the structure of the first adsorption bed according to the present invention.
4 and 5 are one block diagram for explaining in more detail the structure and air flow in the oxygen generating device according to the present invention.

Hereinafter, the present invention will be described in more detail with reference to drawings and examples.

In this specification, the singular expression includes the plural expression unless otherwise specified.

The terms used in this specification are selected as currently widely used general terms as possible while considering the functions in the present invention, which may vary depending on the intention or precedent of a person skilled in the art, the emergence of new technology, and the like. In addition, in a specific case, there is a term arbitrarily selected by the applicant, and in this case, the meaning will be described in detail in the description of the corresponding invention. Therefore, the term used in the present invention should be defined based on the meaning of the term and the overall content of the present invention, rather than the name of a simple term.

Embodiments of the present invention may be subjected to various transformations and may have various embodiments, and specific embodiments will be illustrated in the drawings and described in detail in the detailed description. However, this is not intended to limit the scope of the specific embodiments, and it should be understood to include all modifications, equivalents and substitutes included in the spirit and scope of the invention. In describing the embodiments, if it is determined that a detailed description of a related known technology may obscure the subject matter, the detailed description thereof will be omitted.

In this specification, terms such as first, second, etc. may be used to describe various elements, but the elements should not be limited by the terms. The above terms are used only for the purpose of distinguishing one component from another.

In the present specification, terms such as "comprises" or "consisting of" are intended to designate that the features, numbers, steps, operations, components, parts, or combinations thereof described in the specification exist, but one or more other It is to be understood that this does not preclude the possibility of addition or presence of features or numbers, steps, operations, components, parts, or combinations thereof.

In this specification, terms such as "consisting of" or "consisting , it should be understood that the existence or addition of one or more other features or numbers, steps, operations, components, parts or combinations thereof other than the above configuration is excluded.

The 'valve' or 'unit' presented herein performs at least one function or operation, and the operation may be controlled by at least one processor.

In the present invention, the term 'manual mode' refers to a mode in which oxygen is discharged from the oxygen generating device at the purity and flow rate of the discharged oxygen set by the user through the remote controller, and the term 'automatic mode' refers to a mode in which the oxygen generating device controls external environmental conditions. It means a mode in which oxygen is sensed and discharged at a discharge oxygen purity and flow rate corresponding to external environmental conditions, and the term 'power saving mode' refers to a mode in which oxygen is discharged from the oxygen generator at a preset oxygen purity and flow rate.

The present invention relates to an oxygen generating system including an oxygen generating device capable of selectively operating in multiple modes.

The oxygen generating system according to the present invention is composed of an indoor oxygen generating device installed and driven in an enclosed space, such as in a home or vehicle, and a remote controller for controlling the same by wire or wireless. On the other hand, the oxygen generator is an RVSA type oxygen generator that extracts or separates oxygen from external air sucked in by an air compressor through a zeolite adsorption bed.

A general indoor oxygen generator and a system including the same are implemented only in a manual mode method that discharges only the oxygen purity and flow rate set by the user, making it impossible to implement an operation mode tailored to the indoor environmental conditions, and also when the user is absent There was no mode driven by the set conditions, so there was a problem in that it was difficult to customize operation for each situation. However, the oxygen generating system according to the present invention has the advantage that it can be customized for each situation, including the oxygen generating device designed to enable selective operation in manual mode, automatic mode, or power saving mode under the control of a remote controller. In particular, the oxygen generating system according to the present invention has excellent long-term operation characteristics and maintenance advantages by adopting an oxygen generating device having a design optimized for each mode characteristic.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of an oxygen generating system according to the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a structural block diagram of an oxygen generating device according to the present invention.

The oxygen generating system according to the present invention includes an oxygen generating device 1 receiving a signal provided from the remote controller 2 via a communication unit 900 and a remote controller 2 providing a signal to the oxygen generating device 1 . includes

The oxygen generator 1 is designed to discharge oxygen by selectively filtering nitrogen from external air, and detects the external environment, in a manual mode in which the oxygen discharge flow rate and purity can be adjusted according to a signal provided from the remote controller 2 Thus, it is possible to selectively operate in an automatic mode in which the oxygen discharge flow rate and purity are automatically adjusted or in a power saving mode operated at a preset oxygen discharge flow rate and purity. That is, the oxygen generator 1 according to the present invention has a characteristic of selectively operating a manual mode, an automatic mode, or a power saving mode under the control of the processor 1000 . The manual mode, automatic mode, or power saving mode may be changed by following a signal received from the remote controller 2 via the communication unit 900, and the automatic mode and power saving mode may be automatically switched according to settings. .

Referring to FIG. 2 , the components of the oxygen generating device according to the present invention will be described in more detail. The oxygen generating device according to the present invention operates the external air that has passed through an air filter that filters moisture from the externally introduced air. A branch valve 100 for switching the driving mode that branches to any one of the first to third solenoid valves 201, 202, and 203 according to the; first to third solenoid valves (201, 202, 203) for controlling the flow rate of external air introduced into the first to third adsorption beds (301, 302, 303), respectively; As a first adsorption bed 301 that selectively adsorbs nitrogen in the external air introduced through the first solenoid valve 201, the molar ratio of Si and Al (Si/Al) is in the range of 0.90 to 1.10 LSX ( a first region 3011 formed by ion-exchanging lithium ions in low silica X) and filled with a first zeolite having a Li/Al molar ratio (Li/Al) in the range of 0.65 to 0.95; A second region located at the rear end of the first region 3011 and filled with a second zeolite formed by ion-exchanging calcium ions with the first zeolite and having a Ca/Al molar ratio (Ca/Al) in the range of 0.25 to 0.45. (3012); and physically partitioning the first region 3011 and the second region 3012, but the first zeolite located in the first region 3011 moves to the second region 3012 or is located in the second region 3012 a first adsorption bed 301 including a zeolite-based membrane 3013 for controlling the movement of the second zeolite to the first region 3011; As a second adsorption bed 302 that selectively adsorbs nitrogen in the external air introduced through the second solenoid valve 202, the molar ratio of Si and Al (Si/Al) is in the range of 1.20 to 1.50 NaX zeolite a second adsorption bed 302 filled with a third zeolite formed by ion-exchanging potassium ions and having a molar ratio of K and Al (K/Al) in the range of 0.60 to 0.90; NaX zeolite having a molar ratio of Si and Al (Si/Al) in the range of 1.20 to 1.50 as a third adsorption bed 303 for selectively adsorbing nitrogen in external air introduced through the third solenoid valve 203 . a third adsorption bed 303 formed by ion-exchanging potassium ions with a fourth zeolite and filled with a fourth zeolite having a molar ratio of K and Al (K/Al) in the range of 0.30 to 0.60; Air comprising an oxygen discharging unit receiving oxygen from the first to third adsorption beds 301,302 and 303 and discharging to the outside, and a nitrogen discharging unit receiving nitrogen desorbed from the first to third adsorption beds 301,302 and 303 and discharging to the outside compressor 400; an oxygen flow branch valve 500 designed to branch oxygen discharged from the oxygen discharge unit of the air compressor 400 into oxygen for nitrogen desorption and oxygen for external discharge; a vacuum pump 600 that pressurizes oxygen for nitrogen desorption branched by the oxygen flow branch valve 500 in the direction of the first to third adsorption beds 301, 302, and 303; The flow of oxygen for nitrogen desorption is such that the oxygen for nitrogen desorption provided from the vacuum pump 600 in the direction of the first to third adsorption beds 301,302,303 is provided only to any two of the first to third adsorption beds 301,302,303. Oxygen flow control valve 700 to control; a sensor unit 800 including a plurality of sensors for detecting external environmental conditions for automatic mode implementation; a communication unit 900 for receiving driving mode, discharge oxygen purity, and flow rate setting signals provided from the remote controller; and a branch valve 100 for switching the driving mode according to manual mode, automatic mode or power saving mode, first to third solenoid valves 201, 202, 203, air compressor 400, oxygen flow branch valve 500, vacuum pump 600 ) and a processor 1000 designed to control the operation of the oxygen flow control valve 700 .

The branch valve 100 for switching the driving mode is external to any one of the first to third solenoid valves 201, 202, and 203 according to the operating mode to induce an external inflow air flow in the oxygen generating device suitable for each mode under the control of the processor 1000. It serves to branch the incoming air.

Specifically, when the oxygen generator is operating in the manual mode, the branch valve 100 for switching the driving mode is externally introduced so that externally introduced air can be introduced into the first adsorption bed 301 through the first solenoid valve 201 . When the air is branched to the first solenoid valve 201 and the oxygen generator is operating in the automatic mode, the branch valve 100 for switching the driving mode allows the external air to pass through the second solenoid valve 202 to the second adsorption bed. The external air is branched to the second solenoid valve 202 so that it can be introduced into the 302, and when the oxygen generator is operating in the power saving mode, the branch valve 100 for switching the driving mode is the third solenoid It serves to branch the external air to the third solenoid valve 203 so that it can be introduced into the third adsorption bed 303 through the valve 302 . In addition, the operation of the branch valve 100 for switching the driving mode is controlled by the processor 1000 . Therefore, when the processor 1000 receives a manual mode operation signal from the remote controller, the processor 1000 controls the branch valve 100 for switching the driving mode so that external air flows into the first solenoid valve 201, and operates in the automatic mode from the remote controller. When a signal is received, the branch valve 100 for switching the driving mode is controlled so that external inflow air flows into the second solenoid valve 202, and when a power saving mode operation signal is received from the remote controller, the third solenoid valve 203 It is possible to control the branch valve 100 for switching the driving mode so that external air is introduced into the furnace.

The branch valve 100 for switching the driving mode may also serve to provide a portion of external inflow air to the air compressor 400 . Specifically, the branch valve 100 for switching the driving mode is an external inflow air flow control unit. A portion of the externally introduced air may be branched and provided to the air compressor 400 via the 1200 .

An air filter is located at the front end of the branch valve 100 for switching the driving mode to filter moisture from the external air, and the air filter can also serve to filter fine dust or ultrafine dust like a HEPA filter. have. Therefore, the externally introduced air flowing into the branch valve 100 for switching the driving mode may be air that has been removed from contaminants such as moisture, fine dust, or ultrafine dust.

The first to third solenoid valves 201 , 202 , and 203 are alternatively supplied with external air by the branch valve 100 for switching the driving mode. Accordingly, the first to third adsorption beds 301 , 302 , and 303 also selectively adsorb nitrogen from external air to discharge oxygen.

The first to third solenoid valves 201, 202, and 203 are configured to control the flow rate of external air introduced into the first to third adsorption beds 301, 302, and 303, respectively. Alternatively, the flow rate of external inflow air is controlled by

The externally introduced air passing through the first to third solenoid valves 201, 202, and 203 is introduced into the first to third adsorption beds 301, 302, and 303, respectively.

The first to third adsorption beds 301 , 302 , and 303 include zeolite that selectively adsorbs nitrogen in the external air introduced through the first to third solenoid valves 201 , 202 and 203 . In particular, the oxygen generator included in the system according to the present invention includes zeolites having different characteristics in the first to third adsorption beds 301 , 302 , and 303 , thereby implementing individual driving characteristics of each mode while providing long-term usability and maintenance safety was intended to secure. Specifically, the manual mode is a mode in which the user sets the purity and flow rate of the discharged oxygen, and it is necessary to design a high-performance adsorption bed that can achieve high purity and high flow rate discharge conditions. And as a mode driven by flow rate, it is necessary to design an adsorption bed capable of discharging oxygen at a constant purity and flow rate for an appropriate period of time. In the power saving mode, oxygen is discharged at a preset purity and flow rate for a long time, but adsorption with excellent nitrogen desorption efficiency A bed design is required, and the first to third adsorption beds 301, 302, and 303 according to the present invention introduce customized zeolite in consideration of these characteristics.

The first adsorption bed 301 is configured to perform a role of adsorbing nitrogen from external air introduced through the first solenoid valve 201 and discharging oxygen during manual mode operation. In order to discharge, the first zeolite having excellent nitrogen desorption efficiency is charged in the first region 3011 located at the front end, and the second zeolite having excellent nitrogen adsorption efficiency is charged in the second region 3012 located at the rear end. did.

More specifically, as shown in FIG. 3 , the first adsorption bed 301 ionizes lithium ions into low silica X (LSX) having a Si/Al molar ratio (Si/Al) in the range of 0.90 to 1.10. a first region 3011 filled with a first zeolite formed by exchanging and having a molar ratio of Li and Al (Li/Al) in the range of 0.65 to 0.95; A second region located at the rear end of the first region 3011 and filled with a second zeolite formed by ion-exchanging calcium ions with the first zeolite and having a Ca/Al molar ratio (Ca/Al) in the range of 0.25 to 0.45. (3012); and physically partitioning the first region 3011 and the second region 3012, but the first zeolite located in the first region 3012 moves to the second region 3012 or is located in the second region 3012 and a zeolite-based membrane 3013 that controls movement of the second zeolite to the first region 3011 .

The first zeolite included in the first region 3011 is a zeolite having a phagesite structure containing lithium ions present in site III, which has excellent nitrogen adsorption ability and is a structure in which nitrogen desorption by oxygen is easy.

Specifically, the first zeolite included in the first region 3011 may be LiLSX having a pausigsite structure in which a Li/Al molar ratio (Li/Al) is in the range of 0.65 to 0.95.

In another example, the first zeolite may be LiLSX having a pausigsite structure in which a Li/Al molar ratio (Li/Al) is in the range of 0.70 to 0.95 or 0.75 to 0.95.

The LiLSX is formed by ion-exchanging lithium ions with LSX (Low Silica X), in which LSX (Low Silica X) is a synthetic zeolite with a molar ratio of Si and Al close to 1, and hexagonal faces are overlapped in Sodalite. It refers to a zeolite having a phagesite structure combined by forming a hexagonal ring.

The method of ion-exchanging lithium ions to LSX (Low Silica X) may include, for example, performing ion-exchange of LSX using salts 1 to 3M such as LiCl, but is not limited thereto.

The second region 3012 is a region located at the rear end of the first region 3011, and includes zeolite having a higher nitrogen adsorption rate compared to the first region 3011 located at the front end of the first adsorption bed 301 . This is a region that plays a role in improving the oxygen purity of the tip.

Specifically, the second region 3012 is formed by ion-exchanging calcium ions with the first zeolite and is filled with a second zeolite having a Ca/Al molar ratio (Ca/Al) in the range of 0.25 to 0.45.

The second zeolite is a zeolite having a phagesite structure in which calcium cations capable of adsorbing nitrogen are located not only at site III, which has a relatively large pore size, but also at sites I and II, and has excellent nitrogen adsorption ability compared to the first zeolite Eggplant is a zeolite.

More specifically, the second zeolite ion-exchanges calcium ions into LiLSX having a pausigsite structure in which the molar ratio (Li/Al) of Li and Al, which is the first zeolite, is in the range of 0.65 to 0.95, 0.70 to 0.95, or 0.75 to 0.95. It may be LiCaLSX in which the molar ratio of Ca and Al (Ca/Al) is in the range of 0.25 to 0.45.

In a more specific example, the second zeolite may be LiCaLSX having a pausigsite structure in which a Ca/Al molar ratio (Ca/Al) is in the range of 0.25 to 0.40 or 0.25 to 0.35.

The first zeolite and the second zeolite included in the first region 3011 and the second region 3012, respectively, are spherical, hemispherical, oval or semi-elliptical having a predetermined diameter, and may be porous particles having detailed pores therein. . On the other hand, as the adsorption bed having a large number of zeolites having small particle diameters and large micropores is located, the nitrogen adsorption capacity can be maximized due to the increase of nitrogen adsorption sites according to the relative increase in specific surface area, and the second zeolite is the first zeolite. By having a relatively large specific surface area, it may have a relatively small diameter and relatively large micropores at the same time.

In one example, the first zeolite may have a larger diameter than the second zeolite, and may have smaller pores than the second zeolite.

As described above, by including the first zeolite having relatively excellent nitrogen desorption efficiency and the second zeolite having relatively excellent nitrogen adsorption capacity in the first region 3011 and the second region 3012, respectively, a small flow rate of oxygen for nitrogen desorption Even if you use , high-purity oxygen can be discharged, and ultimately, the desired high-purity oxygen can be discharged without reducing the flow rate.

On the other hand, the first region 3011 may occupy a smaller area in the adsorption bed compared to the second area 3012, which is when the area contributing to the improvement of nitrogen desorption efficiency is designed to be wider than the area contributing to nitrogen adsorption. , because it is not preferable because the object of the present invention of generating high-purity oxygen without reducing the flow rate cannot be achieved.

More specifically, the first region 3011 may occupy an area corresponding to 20% to 45% or 20% to 40% of the total length of the first adsorption bed 301 .

A zeolite-based membrane 3013 that physically separates each region is positioned between the first region 3011 and the second region 3012 .

The zeolite-based membrane 3013 physically partitions the first region 3011 and the second region 3012 , but the first zeolite positioned in the first region 3011 moves to the second region 3012 or The second zeolite located in the region 3012 serves to control the movement of the second zeolite to the first region 3011 .

The zeolite-based membrane 3013 controls the mutual movement of the zeolite present in each of the first region 3011 and the second region 3012 of the first adsorption bed 301 , and at the same time allows oxygen or nitrogen in the air gas to freely flow. It may be a mesoporous membrane having enough pores to pass through.

In one example, the zeolite-based membrane 3013 may be a mesoporous membrane including any one component selected from the group consisting of FAU zeolite, MFI zeolite, CHA zeolite, DDR zeolite, and MWW zeolite.

The second adsorption bed 302 is configured to perform a role of adsorbing nitrogen from external air introduced through the second solenoid valve 202 and discharging oxygen during automatic mode operation. A third zeolite having a structure in which nitrogen is easily desorbed by oxygen purging is charged.

Specifically, the second adsorption bed 302 is formed by ion-exchanging potassium ions with NaX zeolite having a molar ratio of Si and Al (Si/Al) in the range of 1.20 to 1.50, and a molar ratio of K and Al (K/Al) The third zeolite is charged with a value in the range of 0.60 to 0.90.

Compared to the first and second zeolite, the third zeolite has a somewhat lower discharging ability of high-purity oxygen due to nitrogen adsorption, but it is possible to discharge oxygen at the flow rate and purity required in the automatic mode, and nitrogen desorption by oxygen purging is performed in the first and second zeolite. It is an excellent zeolite compared to the second zeolite.

In another example, the second adsorption bed 302 is formed by ion-exchanging potassium ions with NaX zeolite having a molar ratio of Si and Al (Si/Al) in the range of 1.20 to 1.50, and a molar ratio of K to Al (K/Al) A third zeolite having Al) in the range of 0.65 to 0.85 or 0.70 to 0.80 may be charged.

By filling the second adsorption bed 302 with the third zeolite having the same properties as described above, oxygen in a purity and flow rate range suitable for the automatic mode can be effectively discharged, and also according to the characteristics of the automatic mode that operates for a longer time compared to the manual mode. It is possible to prevent problems of deterioration of long-term usability due to nitrogen overload in the bed and reduction in nitrogen desorption efficiency that may be caused.

The third adsorption bed 303 is configured to perform a role of adsorbing nitrogen from external air introduced through the third solenoid valve 203 and discharging oxygen during power saving mode operation. The fourth zeolite having a structure in which nitrogen desorption is very easy by oxygen purging is charged.

Specifically, the third adsorption bed 303 is formed by ion-exchanging potassium ions with NaX zeolite having a molar ratio of Si and Al (Si/Al) in the range of 1.20 to 1.50, and a molar ratio of K and Al (K/Al) A fourth zeolite in which is in the range of 0.30 to 0.60 is charged.

The fourth zeolite has lower oxygen discharge ability due to nitrogen adsorption compared to the first to third zeolites, but it is possible to discharge oxygen at the flow rate and purity required in the power saving mode, and nitrogen desorption by oxygen purging is the first to third zeolite. It is an excellent zeolite.

In another example, the third adsorption bed 303 is formed by ion-exchanging potassium ions with NaX zeolite having a molar ratio of Si and Al (Si/Al) in the range of 1.20 to 1.50, and a molar ratio of K to Al (K/Al) A fourth zeolite having Al) in the range of 0.35 to 0.55 or 0.40 to 0.50 may be charged.

By filling the third adsorption bed 303 with the fourth zeolite having the same properties as above, oxygen in a purity and flow rate range suitable for power saving mode can be effectively discharged, and also in power saving mode that operates for a longer time compared to manual mode and automatic mode. It is possible to prevent problems of deterioration of long-term usability due to nitrogen overload in the bed and reduction in nitrogen desorption efficiency, which may be caused by characteristics.

The first to fourth zeolites charged in the first to third adsorption beds 301 , 302 , and 303 may have predetermined particle diameters and pore pore diameters.

In one example, the first to fourth zeolites may each have a diameter in a range of 1.5 mm to 5.0 mm, and micropores in a range of 3 Å to 10 Å.

When the external air passes through the first to third adsorption beds 301, 302, and 303, oxygen from which nitrogen has been removed is discharged, which together with the nitrogen discharged from the first to third adsorption beds 301, 302, and 303 by the nitrogen desorption process. (400) is aspirated.

4 and 5 are one block diagram for explaining in more detail the structure and air flow in the oxygen generating device according to the present invention, the air compressor 400, as shown in Figures 4 and 5, An oxygen discharge unit 401 that sucks oxygen from the first to third adsorption beds 301,302,303 and discharges it to the outside, and a nitrogen discharge unit that sucks in nitrogen desorbed from the first to third adsorption beds 301,302,303 and discharges it to the outside ( 402).

The air compressor 400 includes an oxygen discharging unit 401 and a nitrogen discharging unit 402 , respectively, inhaling oxygen and nitrogen, and then discharging the oxygen and nitrogen to the outside.

Specifically, the oxygen discharging unit 401 sucks in high-purity oxygen from each of the first to third adsorption beds 301 , 302 , and 303 , mixes it with external inlet air appropriately, and discharges oxygen at a predetermined flow rate and a predetermined concentration to the outside.

On the other hand, in order to change the degree of mixing of external air in accordance with the target oxygen flow rate and purity, the indoor oxygen generating device according to the present invention controls the flow rate of oxygen provided from each of the first to third adsorption beds 301, 302, and 303. It may further include a flow rate control unit 1100 and an external inflow air flow rate control unit 1200 for adjusting the flow rate of the external inflow air.

More specifically, as shown in FIG. 5, the oxygen generating apparatus according to the present invention includes an oxygen flow control unit 1100 for controlling the flow rate of oxygen provided from the first to third adsorption beds 301, 302, and 303; and an external inflow air flow rate control unit 1200 for controlling a flow rate at which external inflow air flows into the oxygen discharge unit 401 of the air compressor 400 . The oxygen flow control unit 1100 and the external air flow control unit 1200 control the flow rate of oxygen and the flow rate of external inflow air that have passed through the first to third adsorption beds 301 , 302 and 303 , respectively, under the control of the processor 1000 . can

The nitrogen discharge unit 402 sucks nitrogen desorbed from the first to third adsorption beds 301 , 302 , and 303 and discharges it to the outside. At the rear end of the nitrogen discharge unit 402 of the air compressor 400, for example, a silencer (not shown) for reducing noise generated by the discharged nitrogen may be located.

In addition, at the rear end of the oxygen discharge unit 401 of the air compressor 400, an oxygen flow branch valve ( 500) is located.

The oxygen flow branch valve 500 is configured to branch the oxygen discharged from the oxygen discharge unit 401 into oxygen for nitrogen desorption and oxygen for external discharge, and is operated under the control of the processor 1000 to determine the branch time and Branch flow rate and the like can be adjusted.

Oxygen for external discharge branched from the oxygen flow branch valve 500 is discharged to the outside of the oxygen generator, and oxygen for nitrogen desorption is provided to the first to third adsorption beds 301 , 302 , and 303 via the vacuum pump 600 .

The vacuum pump 600 is a configuration that serves to provide pressurized oxygen for nitrogen desorption branched by the oxygen flow branch valve 500 in the direction of the first to third adsorption beds 301, 302, and 303, and the control of the processor 1000 pressure and driving conditions can be set under

Oxygen for nitrogen desorption pressurized through the vacuum pump 600 is provided only to any two of the first to third adsorption beds 301 , 302 , and 303 , which is implemented by the oxygen flow control valve 700 .

Specifically, the oxygen flow control valve 700 provides oxygen for nitrogen desorption pressurized through the vacuum pump 600 to only any two of the first to third adsorption beds 301 , 302 , and 303 Control the flow of oxygen for nitrogen desorption perform the role

The nitrogen desorption process by oxygen for nitrogen desorption should be performed in any two beds in which oxygen discharging does not proceed among the first to third adsorption beds 301 , 302 , and 303 .

In a specific example, when oxygen is discharged from the first adsorption bed 301 according to the manual mode operation, the oxygen flow control valve 700 provides nitrogen desorption so that oxygen for nitrogen desorption is provided only to the second and third adsorption beds 302 and 303 . It is possible to control the flow of worn oxygen, and when oxygen is discharged from the second adsorption bed 302 according to the automatic mode operation, the oxygen flow control valve 700 is for nitrogen desorption only to the first and third adsorption beds 301 and 303 . It is possible to control the flow of oxygen for nitrogen desorption so that oxygen is provided, and when oxygen is discharged from the third adsorption bed 303 according to the power saving mode operation, the oxygen flow control valve 700 operates the first and second adsorption beds ( 301 and 302) can control the flow of oxygen for nitrogen desorption so that only oxygen for nitrogen desorption is provided. Therefore, the oxygen flow control valve 700 consists of an oxygen flow control valve corresponding to each of the first to third adsorption beds 301, 302, and 303 to control the flow of oxygen for nitrogen desorption flowing into the first to third adsorption beds 301, 302, and 303. can do.

In one example, the oxygen flow control valve 700 may include first to third oxygen flow control valves to provide oxygen for nitrogen desorption only to any two of the first to third adsorption beds according to the driving mode. have. In this case, the processor 1000 may control the first to third oxygen flow control valves to provide oxygen for nitrogen desorption to only any two of the first to third adsorption beds 301 , 302 , and 303 according to the driving mode.

The oxygen generating device 1 according to the present invention also includes a sensor unit 800 including a plurality of sensors for detecting external environmental conditions to implement an automatic mode.

The sensor unit 800 may include various types of sensors for detecting external environmental conditions when the automatic mode is implemented, and may specifically include a temperature sensor, a humidity sensor, and an oxygen concentration sensor.

The oxygen generator 1 according to the present invention also includes a communication unit 900 that receives the driving mode, the discharge oxygen purity, and the flow rate setting signals provided from the remote controller 2 . A communication method between the communication unit 900 and the remote controller is irrelevant as long as any one of short-range wireless communication methods is used, and a specific communication method is not particularly limited.

On the other hand, the oxygen generator 1 according to the present invention is designed to automatically switch to the power saving mode when a predetermined time elapses after the communication unit 900 receives the automatic mode driving signal from the remote controller. Automatic switching can be designed to occur.

Specifically, the indoor oxygen generator may be designed to automatically switch to the power saving mode when a preset time elapses after the communication unit 900 receives the automatic mode driving signal from the remote controller 2 . The automatic switching to the power saving mode may be canceled by, for example, a driving mode switching signal.

Each component of the oxygen generating device 1 according to the present invention is operated and implemented under the control of the processor 1000 .

Specifically, the processor 1000 includes a branch valve 100 for switching the driving mode, first to third solenoid valves 201, 202, 203, an air compressor 400, an oxygen flow branch valve ( 500), the vacuum pump 600 and the oxygen flow control valve 700 are designed to control the operation.

The processor 1000 is a component that controls each component of the oxygen generating device 1 according to the present invention, and is connected to each component by an electrical signal to control the operation and driving of each component.

The processor 1000 is also located at any one end of the first to third adsorption beds 301, 302, and 303, and according to the nitrogen desorption efficiency measurement result obtained from a sensor capable of measuring the nitrogen desorption efficiency, the adsorption bed ( 301,302,303) may be designed to provide a replacement cycle notification. The replacement cycle notification may be implemented as, for example, an LED lamp or a voice notification, and each notification component may be driven and operated under the control of the processor 1000 .

Oxygen generator 1 according to the present invention, together with the above-described configuration, when implementing the automatic mode, the discharge oxygen purity and flow data corresponding to the external environmental conditions sensed by the sensor unit 800, and oxygen purity according to the power saving mode and a memory unit (not shown) in which a preset value of flow data is stored.

In one example, the oxygen generating device 1 according to the present invention may further include a memory unit for storing the discharge oxygen purity and flow rate data corresponding to external environmental conditions. In addition, when the communication unit 900 receives the automatic mode driving signal from the remote controller, the processor 1000 discharges oxygen to the discharge oxygen purity and flow rate data corresponding to the external environmental conditions obtained by the sensor unit 800 . branch valve 100 for driving mode switching, first to third solenoid valves 201, 202, 203, air compressor 400, oxygen flow branch valve 500, vacuum pump 600 and oxygen flow control valve 700 ) can be controlled.

The memory unit may additionally store oxygen purity and flow rate data discharged in the power saving mode. In this case, when the communication unit 900 receives a power saving mode driving signal from the remote controller or is switched to a power saving mode after a preset time has elapsed after driving in an automatic mode, the preset stored in the memory unit The branch valve 100 for switching the driving mode, the first to third solenoid valves 201, 202, 203, the air compressor 400, the oxygen flow branch valve 500, the vacuum pump 600 so that oxygen can be discharged with oxygen purity and flow rate ) and the operation of the oxygen flow control valve 700 can be controlled. Meanwhile, the oxygen purity and flow rate data stored in the memory unit during the power saving mode may be changed by the user.

The above-described oxygen generating device 1 is controlled by a remote controller 2 providing the manual mode, automatic mode or power saving mode switching signal under the control of the user.

In the above, the oxygen generating system including the oxygen generating device according to the present invention and the remote controller for controlling the same has been described in detail with reference to the detailed description and drawings, but this is only an example according to the present invention, and the examples are Of course, the technical spirit or scope of the invention is not limited, and a person of ordinary skill in the art can make various changes and modifications based on the above examples within the scope without departing from the technical spirit of the present invention.

1: Oxygen generator
2: remote controller
100: branch valve for driving mode switching
200: solenoid valve
201,202,203: 1st, 2nd, 3rd solenoid valve
300: adsorption bed
301,302,303: first, second, and third adsorption beds
3011: first area
3012: second area
3013: zeolite-based membrane
400: air compressor
500: oxygen flow branch valve
600: vacuum pump
700: oxygen flow control valve
800: sensor unit
900: communication department
1000 : processor
1100: oxygen flow control unit
1200: external inflow air flow control unit

Claims (10)

An oxygen generating system comprising an oxygen generating device receiving a signal provided from a remote controller via a communication unit, and a remote controller providing a signal to the oxygen generating device,
The oxygen generator is
It is designed to discharge oxygen by selectively filtering nitrogen from external air, and it is a manual mode in which the oxygen discharge flow rate and purity can be adjusted according to the signal provided from the remote controller. Selective operation of automatic mode to control or power saving mode operated with preset oxygen discharge flow rate and purity is possible,
a branch valve for switching the driving mode that branches externally introduced air that has passed through an air filter that filters moisture from externally introduced air to any one of the first to third solenoid valves according to the operating mode;
first to third solenoid valves respectively controlling the flow rate of external air introduced into the first to third adsorption beds;
As a first adsorption bed that selectively adsorbs nitrogen in external air introduced through the first solenoid valve, lithium in low silica X (LSX) having a molar ratio of Si and Al (Si/Al) in the range of 0.90 to 1.10 a first region filled with a first zeolite formed by ion exchange of ions and having a molar ratio of Li and Al (Li/Al) in the range of 0.65 to 0.95; a second region located at the rear end of the first region and filled with a second zeolite formed by ion-exchanging calcium ions with the first zeolite and having a Ca/Al molar ratio (Ca/Al) in the range of 0.25 to 0.45; and physically partitioning the first region and the second region, wherein the first zeolite positioned in the first region moves to the second region or the second zeolite positioned in the second region moves to the first region a first adsorption bed comprising a zeolite-based membrane for controlling movement to;
As a second adsorption bed that selectively adsorbs nitrogen in external air introduced through the second solenoid valve, potassium ions are ion-exchanged into NaX zeolite having a molar ratio of Si and Al (Si/Al) in the range of 1.20 to 1.50 a second adsorbent bed formed by the above and filled with a third zeolite having a K to Al molar ratio (K/Al) in the range of 0.60 to 0.90;
As a third adsorption bed that selectively adsorbs nitrogen in external air introduced through the third solenoid valve, potassium ions are ion-exchanged into NaX zeolite having a molar ratio of Si and Al (Si/Al) in the range of 1.20 to 1.50 a third adsorption bed formed by the above and filled with a fourth zeolite having a K to Al molar ratio (K/Al) in the range of 0.30 to 0.60;
an air compressor including an oxygen discharging unit receiving oxygen from the first to third adsorption beds and discharging to the outside, and a nitrogen discharging unit receiving nitrogen desorbed from the first to third adsorption beds and discharging to the outside;
an oxygen flow branch valve designed to branch oxygen discharged from the oxygen discharge unit of the air compressor into oxygen for nitrogen desorption and oxygen for external discharge;
a vacuum pump that pressurizes oxygen for nitrogen desorption branched by the oxygen flow branch valve in the direction of the first to third adsorption beds;
An oxygen flow control valve for controlling the flow of oxygen for nitrogen desorption so that oxygen for nitrogen desorption provided in the direction of the first to third adsorption beds from the vacuum pump is provided only to any two beds of the first to third adsorption beds ;
a sensor unit including a plurality of sensors for detecting external environmental conditions to implement an automatic mode;
a communication unit receiving the driving mode, the discharge oxygen purity, and the flow rate setting signals provided from the remote controller; and
Controls the operation of the branch valve for switching the driving mode, the first to third solenoid valves, the air compressor, the oxygen flow branch valve, the vacuum pump, and the oxygen flow control valve according to manual mode, automatic mode or power saving mode a processor designed to
The remote controller is
An oxygen generating system that provides the manual mode, automatic mode, or power saving mode switching signal to the oxygen generator under the control of a user. The method of claim 1,
The processor is
When the manual mode operation signal is received from the remote controller, the branch valve for switching the drive mode is controlled so that external air flows into the first solenoid valve,
When the automatic mode operation signal is received from the remote controller, the branch valve for switching the drive mode is controlled so that external air flows into the second solenoid valve,
Oxygen generation system that controls the branch valve for switching the drive mode so that external air flows into the third solenoid valve when receiving the power saving mode operation signal from the remote controller. 3. The method of claim 2,
The first to fourth zeolites are each,
An oxygen generating system having a diameter in the range of 1.5 mm to 5.0 mm and micropores in the range of 3 Å to 10 Å. 3. The method of claim 2,
The first zeolite is
An oxygen generating system having a relatively larger diameter and smaller micropores than the second zeolite. The method of claim 1,
The zeolite-based membrane,
A mesoporous membrane oxygen generating system comprising any one component selected from the group consisting of FAU zeolite, MFI zeolite, CHA zeolite, DDR zeolite and MWW zeolite. The method of claim 1,
The oxygen flow control valve,
Consists of first to third oxygen flow control valves to provide oxygen for nitrogen desorption only to any two of the first to third adsorption beds according to the driving mode,
The processor is
An oxygen generating system for controlling the first to third oxygen flow control valves to provide oxygen for nitrogen desorption to only any two of the first to third adsorption beds according to a driving mode. The method of claim 1,
The sensor unit,
An oxygen generation system comprising a temperature sensor, a humidity sensor and an oxygen concentration sensor. The method of claim 1,
The oxygen generator is
Further comprising a memory unit for storing the discharge oxygen purity and flow rate data corresponding to external environmental conditions,
The processor is
When the communication unit receives the automatic mode driving signal from the remote controller, the branch valve for switching the driving mode so that oxygen can be discharged with the discharge oxygen purity and flow rate data corresponding to the external environmental conditions obtained by the sensor unit; An oxygen generating system for controlling operations of the first to third solenoid valves, the air compressor, the oxygen flow branch valve, the vacuum pump, and the oxygen flow control valve. 9. The method of claim 8,
The oxygen generator is
Oxygen generating system designed to automatically switch to the power saving mode when a preset time elapses after the communication unit receives the automatic mode driving signal from the remote controller. 10. The method of claim 9,
The memory unit,
It additionally stores the oxygen purity and flow rate data discharged during power saving mode,
The processor is
When the communication unit receives a power saving mode driving signal from the remote controller or is converted to a power saving mode after a preset time has elapsed after driving in an automatic mode, oxygen may be discharged at a preset oxygen purity and flow rate stored in the memory unit. An oxygen generating system for controlling the operation of the branch valve for switching the driving mode, the first to third solenoid valves, the air compressor, the oxygen flow branch valve, the vacuum pump, and the oxygen flow control valve.

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