IIT Bombay, CSIR - CMERI come forward with solutions to ramp up Oxygen production

#MedicalOxygen #Techsupport #Coronavirus

Source: PIB

IIT Bombay shows how to convert Nitrogen plants to Oxygen while CSIR-CMERI transfers technology to ramp up production

The technology developed by CSIR-CMERI provides in-house enrichment of Oxygen and offers independence from external parties as well as eliminates the risks and difficulty of handling bulky cylinders. CSIR-CMERI developed OEU can help patients to recover faster. CSIR-CMERI has transferred the license for production, marketing and service to four industries and he is confident that the all four parties are able to manufacture the product by the 2nd week of May 2021.

Managing Director of M/s Jyoti CNC Automation Ltd, Rajkot confirmed that within a week they would manufacture the prototype and try to ramp up the production capacity as per the demand as they have their own capability for manufacturing the compressor also. He also said that as the requirement is very high presently they would try to manufacture more than 1000 pieces per day and they are planning to convert the metal sheet body into plastic body considering the aesthetic, portability and cost aspects.

The Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Bombay also has come up with a creative and ingenious solution to addressing the shortage of medical oxygen for the treatment of COVID-19 patients in the country. The pilot project which has been tested successfully relies on a simple technological hack: conversion of PSA (Pressure Swing Adsorption) Nitrogen Unit to PSA Oxygen Unit.

Initial tests done at IIT Bombay have shown promising results. Oxygen production could be achieved at 3.5 atm pressure, with a purity level of 93% - 96 %. This gaseous oxygen can be utilised for COVID-related needs across existing hospitals. It has been done by fine-tuning the existing Nitrogen Plant setup and changing the molecular sieves from Carbon to Zeolite" says Prof. Milind Atrey, Dean (R&D), IIT Bombay, who led the project.

"Such nitrogen plants, which take air from the atmosphere as raw material, are available in various industrial plants across India. Therefore, each of them could potentially be converted into an oxygen generator, thus helping us tide over the current public health emergency", he added. The pilot project is a collaborative effort between IIT Bombay, Tata Consulting Engineers and Spantech Engineers, Mumbai, who deal with PSA Nitrogen & Oxygen plant production.

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