Adsorption tower and pressure swing adsorption oxygen generator

Abstract

The utility model belongs to the technical field of oxygenerators, and discloses an adsorption tower and a pressure swing adsorption oxygenerator, the adsorption tower comprises a tower body, a shunting assembly and a supporting assembly, the tower body is internally provided with an adsorption cavity, two ends of the tower body are respectively provided with a gas inlet and a gas outlet which are communicated with the adsorption cavity, and the gas inlet and the gas outlet are communicated with the adsorption cavity. The flow dividing assembly is located in the adsorption cavity and located between the air inlet and the air outlet, the supporting assembly is located in the adsorption cavity and located at the bottom of the flow dividing assembly, the supporting assembly comprises an elastic ring and a sealing ring, and the elastic ring makes contact with the cavity wall of the adsorption cavity and the flow dividing assembly through the sealing ring; the elastic ring is used for applying extrusion force towards the outside of the adsorption cavity to the sealing ring, so that on one hand, a gap between the shunting assembly and the cavity wall of the adsorption cavity can be sealed by using the sealing ring so as to improve the oxygen production purity of the pressure swing adsorption oxygen generator, and on the other hand, the shunting assembly is supported so as to reduce the pulverization probability of a molecular sieve; therefore, the effect of reducing the use cost of the pressure swing adsorption oxygen generator is achieved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application belongs to the technical field of oxygen generators, specifically relating to an adsorption tower and a pressure swing adsorption oxygen generator. Background Technology

[0002] A pressure swing adsorption (PSA) oxygen generator is a device that uses the principle of pressure swing adsorption to separate and produce oxygen from the air. It primarily relies on the selective adsorption characteristics of molecular sieves and the PSA principle to produce oxygen. During operation, outside air is first compressed by an air compressor. The compressed air then enters a pretreatment system to remove impurities such as moisture, oil, and dust. The clean compressed air then enters an adsorption tower containing molecular sieves. Under higher pressure, the molecular sieves preferentially adsorb gases such as nitrogen and carbon dioxide, while oxygen is enriched in the gas phase. Unadsorbed oxygen flows out of the adsorption tower's outlet as product oxygen. When the molecular sieves in the adsorption tower reach saturation, the pressure in the tower is reduced, releasing the adsorbed nitrogen and other impurities, thus regenerating the molecular sieves. To achieve continuous and stable oxygen production, a PSA oxygen generator typically has at least two adsorption towers, controlled by a programmable logic controller (PLC) and a switching valve system to alternately perform adsorption and desorption operations.

[0003] The adsorption tower is the core component of a pressure swing adsorption (PSA) oxygen generator. It is mainly divided into three types: vertical, horizontal, and radial flow. For vertical adsorption towers, in order to fully utilize the molecular sieves to adsorb nitrogen and carbon dioxide from clean compressed air, a distribution plate is usually installed inside the tower to evenly distribute the clean compressed air, thereby achieving the desired adsorption effect of the molecular sieves. However, when the clean compressed air enters the tower through the inlet, it impacts the distribution plate. This causes the manifold to easily flip, and when the manifold flips, it applies compressive force to the molecular sieve, thereby increasing the probability of the molecular sieve pulverization. This affects the service life of the molecular sieve, shortens the replacement cycle, and increases the operating cost of the pressure swing adsorption (PSA) oxygen generator. At the same time, because there is a gap between the periphery of the manifold and the inner wall of the adsorption tower, clean compressed air will pass through the gap between the periphery of the manifold and the inner wall of the adsorption tower. This affects the adsorption effect of the molecular sieve on nitrogen and carbon dioxide in the clean compressed air, and thus affects the oxygen purity of the PSA oxygen generator. Utility Model Content

[0004] This application provides an adsorption tower to increase the stability of the flow divider, reduce the probability of molecular sieve pulverization, extend the replacement cycle of the molecular sieve, reduce the operating cost of the pressure swing adsorption oxygen generator, and at the same time improve the oxygen purity of the pressure swing adsorption oxygen generator.

[0005] The technical solution adopted in this application is as follows:

[0006] An adsorption tower, comprising:

[0007] The tower body has an adsorption chamber inside, and an air inlet and an air outlet communicating with the adsorption chamber are respectively provided at both ends of the tower body;

[0008] The flow splitting component is located in the adsorption chamber and between the air inlet and the air outlet. The flow splitting component includes a flow splitting plate with multiple through holes.

[0009] A support assembly is located in the adsorption chamber and at the bottom of the diversion assembly. The support assembly includes an elastic ring and a sealing ring. The elastic ring contacts the cavity wall of the adsorption chamber and the diversion assembly through the sealing ring, and the elastic ring is used to apply a squeezing force to the sealing ring toward the outside of the adsorption chamber.

[0010] By adopting the above technical solution, when assembling the pressure swing adsorption oxygen generator using the adsorption tower of this application, the outlet of the pretreatment system of the pressure swing adsorption oxygen generator is connected to the inlet of the adsorption tower by using an inlet pipe, so that the clean compressed air after being treated by the pretreatment system can enter the adsorption chamber through the inlet.

[0011] Since the support assembly is located in the adsorption chamber and at the bottom of the flow divider assembly, it can support the flow divider assembly, thereby increasing its stability. This prevents the clean compressed air from impacting the flow divider plate when it enters the adsorption chamber through the inlet of the adsorption tower, which could cause the flow divider plate to easily flip over. This also prevents the flow divider plate from applying pressure to the molecular sieve, which could lead to pulverization of the molecular sieve. As a result, the probability of molecular sieve pulverization is reduced, thus extending the service life of the molecular sieve and extending its replacement cycle. This reduces the operating cost of the pressure swing adsorption oxygen generator with the adsorption tower described in this application.

[0012] Because the support assembly includes an elastic ring and a sealing ring, the elastic ring contacts the cavity wall of the adsorption chamber and the flow distribution assembly through the sealing ring. The elastic ring applies a compressive force towards the outside of the adsorption chamber to the sealing ring. Firstly, the compressive force applied by the elastic ring to the sealing ring ensures that the sealing ring is pressed tightly against the cavity wall of the adsorption chamber, allowing the support assembly to remain stably at the bottom of the flow distribution assembly. This ensures the support effect of the support assembly on the flow distribution assembly, further increasing the stability of the flow distribution assembly and preventing the flow distribution assembly from flipping and compressing the molecular sieve. Firstly, it reduces the probability of molecular sieve pulverization; secondly, it can also use the sealing ring to seal the gap between the flow distribution component and the adsorption chamber wall, so that clean compressed air cannot pass through the gap between the flow distribution component and the adsorption chamber wall, thereby ensuring the adsorption effect of the molecular sieve on nitrogen and carbon dioxide in the clean compressed air, thus improving the oxygen purity of the pressure swing adsorption oxygen generator with the adsorption tower of this application; thirdly, when the clean compressed air moves to the position of the sealing ring, the sealing ring can also block the clean compressed air, so that the clean compressed air is turned back and directed towards the inlet. The clean compressed air flows in the direction of the inlet, while the clean compressed air that turns back towards the inlet will collide with the clean compressed air that is about to flow to the location of the sealing ring. This causes the clean compressed air that turns back to change its flow direction and flow towards the center of the adsorption chamber, thereby reducing the dynamic potential energy of the clean compressed air and reducing the impact of the clean compressed air on the distribution component. This further avoids the occurrence of the distribution component flipping, and thus further extends the replacement cycle of the molecular sieve. At the same time, it also improves the uniformity of the clean compressed air, so as to make full use of the molecular sieve to adsorb nitrogen and carbon dioxide in the clean compressed air, thus further improving the oxygen purity of the pressure swing adsorption oxygen generator. Fourthly, the sealing ring can also increase the friction between the elastic ring and the wall of the adsorption chamber, thereby further increasing the stability of the support component, thereby further improving the support effect of the support component on the distribution component, further avoiding the occurrence of the distribution component flipping, and further reducing the probability of molecular sieve pulverization. This further extends the service life of the molecular sieve and further reduces the operating cost of the pressure swing adsorption oxygen generator equipped with the adsorption tower of this application.

[0013] Optionally, the elastic ring has a deformation notch that penetrates the elastic ring radially.

[0014] By adopting the above technical solution, since the elastic ring has a deformation notch that penetrates the elastic ring radially, when pressure is applied to the elastic ring to reduce its diameter, the two ends of the elastic ring at the deformation notch can move towards each other, thus reducing the diameter of the elastic ring. This reduces the installation difficulty of the support assembly and improves the assembly efficiency of the adsorption tower. At the same time, compared to the elastic ring being a closed annular structure in its circumference, a material with relatively high rigidity can be used to manufacture the elastic ring. This increases the compressive force exerted by the elastic ring on the sealing ring towards the outside of the adsorption chamber, ensuring the sealing between the sealing ring and the adsorption chamber wall. It also increases the clamping force between the elastic ring and the adsorption chamber wall, increasing the stability of the support assembly and thus enhancing the support effect of the support assembly on the diversion assembly. This further prevents the diversion plate from flipping over and accelerating the pulverization of the molecular sieve.

[0015] Optionally, the sealing ring is a silicone ring fitted over the elastic ring.

[0016] By adopting the above technical solution, since the sealing ring is a silicone ring fitted outside the elastic ring, it improves the sealing performance between the sealing ring and the adsorption chamber wall, thereby enhancing the sealing effect of the sealing ring on the gap between the flow distribution component and the adsorption chamber wall. This further improves the adsorption effect of the molecular sieve on nitrogen and carbon dioxide in clean compressed air, thus further improving the oxygen purity of the pressure swing adsorption oxygen generator with the adsorption tower of this application. On the other hand, it increases the friction between the sealing ring and the adsorption chamber wall, thereby increasing the connection stability between the support component and the adsorption chamber wall. This further enhances the support effect of the support component on the flow distribution component, further preventing the accelerated pulverization of the molecular sieve due to the flipping of the flow distribution plate, and further reducing the operating cost of the pressure swing adsorption oxygen generator with the adsorption tower of this application.

[0017] Optionally, the inner circumferential surface of the sealing ring is provided with an annular groove, and the elastic ring is located in the annular groove;

[0018] Alternatively, the sealing ring has an internal mounting channel extending circumferentially therein, the elastic ring is located in the mounting channel, the mounting channel has a width D, and the elastic ring has a wall thickness H, where D and H satisfy: D > H.

[0019] By adopting the above technical solution, since the inner circumferential surface of the sealing ring is provided with an annular groove and the elastic ring is located in the annular groove, when assembling the support component, it is only necessary to place the elastic ring in the annular groove, thereby reducing the assembly and production difficulty of the support component, thus reducing the assembly and production cost of the support component, thereby improving the assembly efficiency of the adsorption tower and reducing the production and manufacturing cost of the adsorption tower.

[0020] Because the sealing ring has an installation channel extending circumferentially inside, and the elastic ring is located in the installation channel, the connection stability between the elastic ring and the sealing ring is increased, greatly reducing the possibility of the elastic ring separating from the sealing ring, thus ensuring the support effect of the support assembly on the diversion assembly. Furthermore, because the width D of the installation channel is greater than the wall thickness H of the elastic ring, the elastic ring can move relative to the sealing ring, ensuring the elastic ring's deformation capacity. This also reduces the resistance the elastic ring needs to overcome when applying a compressive force towards the outside of the adsorption chamber to the sealing ring, ensuring the elastic ring can apply sufficient compressive force to the sealing ring. This guarantees the connection stability between the support assembly and the adsorption chamber wall, ensuring the support effect of the support assembly on the diversion assembly. Additionally, it reduces the resistance needed when applying pressure to the elastic ring to reduce its diameter, thus facilitating the installation of the support assembly into the adsorption chamber.

[0021] Optionally, the adsorption tower further includes a uniform distribution component located in the adsorption chamber. The uniform distribution component includes a gas baffle plate and a connecting part for connecting the gas baffle plate and the tower body. The gas baffle plate and the gas outlet are arranged opposite to each other.

[0022] By adopting the above technical solution, since the gas baffle plate and the gas outlet are arranged opposite each other, when the adsorption tower is backflushed by air entering through the inlet, the gas baffle plate can block the gas entering the adsorption chamber through the outlet. The gas blocked by the gas baffle plate will turn back towards the direction of the outlet. At this time, the gas entering through the outlet will collide with the turning gas, so that the gas enters the adsorption chamber from the periphery of the gas baffle plate, thereby reducing the kinetic potential energy of the gas, reducing the impact of the gas on the molecular sieve, reducing the probability of molecular sieve pulverization, and further extending the replacement cycle of the molecular sieve, thus extending the service life of the molecular sieve, and further reducing the operating cost of the pressure swing adsorption oxygen generator with the adsorption tower of this application. Furthermore, since the connecting part is used to connect the gas baffle plate and the tower body, on the one hand, a gap is provided between the gas baffle plate and the outlet to allow gas to pass through, ensuring that the gas can enter the adsorption chamber through the outlet; on the other hand, the difficulty of fixing the gas baffle plate is reduced; and on the other hand, the stability of the gas baffle plate is also improved.

[0023] Optionally, multiple connecting portions are provided, and the multiple connecting portions are spaced apart along the circumference of the air baffle plate.

[0024] By adopting the above technical solution, since multiple connection parts are provided, and multiple connection parts are provided at intervals along the circumference of the air barrier plate, the number of connection points between the air barrier plate and the tower body is increased, thereby further increasing the stability of the air barrier plate.

[0025] Optionally, the diverter plate has a central region, an intermediate region surrounding the central region, and a side region surrounding the intermediate region. The through hole includes a first through hole in the central region, a second through hole in the side region, and a third through hole in the intermediate region. The diameter of the second through hole is larger than the diameter of the first through hole and smaller than the diameter of the third through hole.

[0026] By adopting the above technical solution, the clean compressed air entering the adsorption chamber through the air inlet will mainly concentrate in the center of the adsorption chamber and move along the central axis of the tower towards the air outlet. By setting the diameter of the second through hole to be larger than that of the first through hole and smaller than that of the third through hole, and setting the first through hole in the central region, the second through hole in the side region, and the third through hole in the middle region, the uniform distribution effect of the distribution plate on the clean compressed air can be improved, so as to make full use of the molecular sieve to adsorb nitrogen and carbon dioxide in the clean compressed air, thereby improving the oxygen purity of the pressure swing adsorption oxygen generator. On the other hand, it can appropriately reduce the occurrence of clean compressed air flowing from the side region of the distribution plate towards the air outlet, so as to ensure the adsorption effect of the molecular sieve on nitrogen and carbon dioxide in the clean compressed air, and further improve the oxygen purity of the pressure swing adsorption oxygen generator.

[0027] Optionally, at least two diversion plates are provided, and the diversion assembly further includes a filter screen and a nylon filter cloth located between the diversion plates. At least two filter screens are provided, and the aperture of each filter screen is smaller than the aperture of the first through hole. The nylon filter cloth is located between the filter screens, and the mesh count of the nylon filter cloth is greater than the mesh count of the filter screens.

[0028] By adopting the above technical solution, since the diversion component also includes a filter screen and a nylon filter cloth, the pore size of the filter screen is smaller than that of the first through hole, and the mesh size of the nylon filter cloth is larger than that of the filter screen. Therefore, on the one hand, the filter screen and nylon filter cloth can be used to evenly distribute the clean compressed air, further improving the uniformity of the clean compressed air. This allows for the full utilization of the molecular sieve to adsorb nitrogen and carbon dioxide in the clean compressed air, further improving the oxygen purity of the pressure swing adsorption oxygen generator. Simultaneously, it can further reduce the kinetic potential energy of the clean compressed air, reducing its impact on the molecular sieve and thus further slowing down its pulverization. On the other hand, during backflushing of the adsorption tower, the filter screen and nylon filter cloth can block the pulverized molecular sieve, increasing the difficulty of the pulverized molecular sieve entering the inlet pipe and causing blockage, thereby ensuring the pressure swing adsorption... The oxygen generator's operational stability is improved, and the failure rate of the pressure swing adsorption (PSA) oxygen generator is reduced. Furthermore, since at least two flow dividers are installed, with the filter screen located between the two flow dividers, the flow dividers can support and limit the filter screen, increasing its stability and ensuring the filter screen's effectiveness in filtering the pulverized molecular sieve and its uniform distribution of clean compressed air. Additionally, since at least two filter screens are installed, with the nylon filter cloth located between the two screens, the filter screens can support and limit the nylon filter cloth, increasing its stability and ensuring its effectiveness in filtering the pulverized molecular sieve and its uniform distribution of clean compressed air. Moreover, compared to replacing the nylon filter cloth with a screen of the same mesh size, this method also reduces the manufacturing difficulty and cost of the adsorption tower.

[0029] Optionally, the diversion assembly further includes a nonwoven fabric, the outer peripheral surface of which contacts the cavity wall of the adsorption chamber.

[0030] By adopting the above technical solution, since the distribution component also includes non-woven fabric, it increases the uniform distribution effect of the distribution component on clean compressed air, further fully utilizing the molecular sieve to adsorb nitrogen and carbon dioxide in the clean compressed air, thereby further improving the oxygen purity of the pressure swing adsorption oxygen generator. On the other hand, it also improves the filtration effect of the distribution component, further reducing the risk of the pulverized molecular sieve clogging the air inlet pipe during backflushing of the adsorption tower, thus further ensuring the working stability of the pressure swing adsorption oxygen generator and further reducing its failure rate. Furthermore, since the outer peripheral surface of the non-woven fabric is in contact with the cavity wall of the adsorption chamber, it can, to a certain extent, seal the gap between the distribution component and the cavity wall of the adsorption chamber, increasing the sealing performance between the distribution component and the cavity wall of the adsorption chamber, thereby reducing the phenomenon of clean compressed air passing through the gap between the periphery of the distribution component and the cavity wall of the adsorption chamber, and further improving the adsorption effect of the molecular sieve on nitrogen and carbon dioxide in the clean compressed air.

[0031] This application also provides a pressure swing adsorption (PSA) oxygen generator to extend the molecular sieve replacement cycle, reduce the operating cost of the PSA oxygen generator, and improve the oxygen purity of the PSA oxygen generator.

[0032] A pressure swing adsorption oxygen generator includes an adsorption tower as described above.

[0033] By adopting the above technical solution, since the pressure swing adsorption tower in this application uses the aforementioned adsorption tower, it achieves the use of support components to support the flow distribution components, thereby preventing the flow distribution components from overturning under the action of airflow. This avoids the overturned flow distribution components squeezing the molecular sieve and accelerating its pulverization, thus extending the service life of the molecular sieve and extending the replacement cycle of the molecular sieve, reducing the operating cost of the pressure swing adsorption oxygen generator. At the same time, the support components can also block the clean compressed air flowing along the cavity wall of the adsorption chamber towards the outlet, so that the clean compressed air flowing along the cavity wall of the adsorption chamber towards the outlet flows radially along the adsorption chamber under the blocking effect of the support components and the impact of subsequent clean compressed air, thereby improving the uniform distribution effect of the clean compressed air. This allows the molecular sieve to fully adsorb nitrogen and carbon dioxide in the clean compressed air, thereby improving the oxygen purity of the pressure swing adsorption oxygen generator.

[0034] Due to the adoption of the above technical solution, the beneficial effects achieved by this application are as follows:

[0035] 1. The adsorption tower of this application includes a tower body, a flow distribution assembly, and a support assembly. The tower body has an adsorption chamber inside, and an inlet and an outlet communicating with the adsorption chamber are respectively provided at both ends of the tower body. The flow distribution assembly is located in the adsorption chamber and between the inlet and the outlet. The flow distribution assembly includes a flow distribution plate with multiple through holes. The support assembly is located in the adsorption chamber and at the bottom of the flow distribution assembly. The support assembly includes an elastic ring and a sealing ring. The elastic ring contacts the cavity wall of the adsorption chamber and the flow distribution assembly through the sealing ring, and the elastic ring applies a compressive force towards the outside of the adsorption chamber to the sealing ring. Thus, the support assembly can seal the gap between the flow distribution assembly and the cavity wall of the adsorption chamber, preventing clean compressed air from passing through the gap between the flow distribution assembly and the cavity wall of the adsorption chamber. This ensures the adsorption effect of the molecular sieve on nitrogen and carbon dioxide in clean compressed air, thereby improving the oxygen purity of the pressure swing adsorption oxygen generator with the adsorption tower described in this application. On the other hand, the support components can also support the flow distribution components to increase the stability of the flow distribution components. This avoids the situation where the clean compressed air impacts the flow distribution plate when it enters the adsorption chamber through the air inlet of the adsorption tower, causing the flow distribution plate to easily flip over. This also avoids the flow distribution plate exerting extrusion pressure on the molecular sieve, which could lead to the pulverization of the molecular sieve. This reduces the probability of molecular sieve pulverization, thereby extending the service life of the molecular sieve and extending the replacement cycle of the molecular sieve, thus reducing the operating cost of the pressure swing adsorption oxygen generator with the adsorption tower described in this application.

[0036] 2. The elastic ring in this application has a deformation notch that penetrates the elastic ring in the radial direction. When pressure is applied to the elastic ring to reduce its diameter, the two ends of the elastic ring located at the deformation notch can move toward each other, thereby reducing the diameter of the elastic ring. This reduces the difficulty of installing the support components and improves the assembly efficiency of the adsorption tower.

[0037] 3. The sealing ring in this application is a silicone ring fitted outside the elastic ring. This improves the sealing performance between the sealing ring and the adsorption chamber wall, thereby enhancing the sealing effect of the sealing ring on the gap between the flow distribution component and the adsorption chamber wall. This further improves the adsorption effect of the molecular sieve on nitrogen and carbon dioxide in clean compressed air, thus further improving the oxygen purity of the pressure swing adsorption oxygen generator with the adsorption tower in this application. On the other hand, it increases the friction between the sealing ring and the adsorption chamber wall, thereby increasing the connection stability between the support component and the adsorption chamber wall. This further enhances the support effect of the support component on the flow distribution component, further preventing the accelerated pulverization of the molecular sieve due to the flipping of the flow distribution plate, and further reducing the operating cost of the pressure swing adsorption oxygen generator with the adsorption tower in this application. Attached Figure Description

[0038] The accompanying drawings, which are included to provide a further understanding of this application and form part of this application, illustrate exemplary embodiments and are used to explain this application, but do not constitute an undue limitation of this application. In the drawings:

[0039] Figure 1 This is a cross-sectional view of the adsorption tower described in one embodiment of this application;

[0040] Figure 2 for Figure 1 Enlarged view of part A in the middle;

[0041] Figure 3 for Figure 1 Enlarged view of part B in the middle;

[0042] Figure 4 for Figure 1 Enlarged view of section C;

[0043] Figure 5 This is a cross-sectional view of the support component described in one embodiment of this application;

[0044] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the flow divider described in one embodiment of this application;

[0045] Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the shunt component described in one embodiment of this application;

[0046] Figure 8 for Figure 7 Enlarged view of part E in the middle;

[0047] Figure 9 This is a cross-sectional view of the flow guiding component described in one embodiment of this application.

[0048] Figure label:

[0049] 1. Tower body; 11. Lower shell; 111. Air inlet; 112. Extension pipe; 113. Connecting flange; 12. Top cover; 121. Air outlet; 122. Spring; 2. Diverting assembly; 21. Diverting plate; 211. First through hole; 212. Second through hole; 213. Third through hole; 22. Filter screen; 23. Nylon filter cloth; 24. Non-woven fabric; 25. Fixing bolt pair; 3. Support assembly; 31. Elastic ring; 311. Deformation notch; 32. Sealing ring; 321. Installation channel; 4. Molecular sieve; 5. Uniform distribution assembly; 51. Air baffle plate; 52. Connecting part; 6. Ceramic ball; 7. Flow guiding assembly; 71. Flow guiding fluid; 711. Air equalization hole; 712. Blocking screen; 713. Silicone tube; 714. Snap ring; 72. Tube body; 721. First flange; 722. Second flange. Detailed Implementation

[0050] To more clearly illustrate the overall concept of this application, a detailed explanation is provided below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0051] Many specific details are set forth in the following description in order to provide a full understanding of this application. However, this application may also be implemented in other ways different from those described herein. Therefore, the scope of protection of this application is not limited to the specific embodiments disclosed below.

[0052] Furthermore, it should be understood in the description of this application that the terms "top", "bottom", "inner", "outer", "axial", "radial", "circumferential", etc., indicate the orientation or positional relationship based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings, and are only for the convenience of describing this application and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore should not be construed as a limitation of this application.

[0053] In this application, unless otherwise expressly specified and limited, the terms "installation," "connection," "linking," and "fixing," etc., should be interpreted broadly. For example, they can refer to a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral part; they can refer to a mechanical connection, an electrical connection, or a communication connection; they can refer to a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium; they can refer to the internal communication of two components or the interaction between two components. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms in this application according to the specific circumstances.

[0054] In this application, unless otherwise expressly specified and limited, the "above" or "below" of the second feature can mean that the first and second features are in direct contact, or that the first and second features are in indirect contact through an intermediate medium. In the description of this specification, references to terms such as "implementation," "example," "a particular embodiment," "example," or "specific example," etc., indicate that the specific feature, structure, material, or characteristic described in connection with that embodiment or example is included in at least one embodiment or example of this application. In this specification, the illustrative expressions of the above terms do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment or example. Furthermore, the specific features, structures, materials, or characteristics described can be combined in any suitable manner in one or more embodiments or examples.

[0055] Reference Figures 1 to 9An adsorption tower is disclosed, comprising a tower body 1, a flow distribution assembly 2, and a support assembly 3. The tower body 1 has an adsorption chamber inside, and an inlet 111 and an outlet 121 communicating with the adsorption chamber are respectively provided at both ends of the tower body 1. The flow distribution assembly 2 is located in the adsorption chamber and between the inlet 111 and the outlet 121. The flow distribution assembly 2 includes a flow distribution plate 21 with multiple through holes. The support assembly 3 is located in the adsorption chamber and at the bottom of the flow distribution assembly 2. The support assembly 3 includes an elastic ring 31 and a sealing ring 32. The elastic ring 31 contacts the cavity wall of the adsorption chamber and the flow distribution assembly 2 through the sealing ring 32, and the elastic ring 31 is used to apply a compressive force to the sealing ring 32 toward the outside of the adsorption chamber.

[0056] It is understood that one end of the tower body 1 is provided with an air inlet 111 communicating with the adsorption chamber, and the other end of the tower body 1 is provided with an air outlet 121 communicating with the adsorption chamber; after the support component 3 is installed in the adsorption chamber, the elastic ring 31 is in a deformed state, and the outer circumference of the elastic ring 31 applies a compressive force toward the outside of the adsorption chamber to the sealing ring 32; the adsorption chamber is filled with a molecular sieve 4 located between the air inlet 111 and the air outlet 121.

[0057] When assembling a pressure swing adsorption oxygen generator using the adsorption tower of this application, the outlet of the pretreatment system of the pressure swing adsorption oxygen generator is connected to the inlet 111 of the adsorption tower by means of an inlet pipe, so that the clean compressed air after being treated by the pretreatment system can enter the adsorption chamber through the inlet 111.

[0058] Since the support component 3 is located in the adsorption chamber and at the bottom of the diversion component 2, it can support the diversion component 2, thereby increasing the stability of the diversion component 2. This avoids the situation where the clean compressed air impacts the diversion plate 21 when it enters the adsorption chamber through the air inlet 111 of the adsorption tower, causing the diversion plate 21 to easily flip over. This also avoids the diversion plate 21 applying pressure to the molecular sieve 4, which could cause the molecular sieve 4 to pulverize. This reduces the probability of pulverization of the molecular sieve 4, thereby extending the service life of the molecular sieve 4 and extending the replacement cycle of the molecular sieve 4, thus reducing the operating cost of the pressure swing adsorption oxygen generator with the adsorption tower of this application.

[0059] Since the support component 3 includes an elastic ring 31 and a sealing ring 32, the elastic ring 31 contacts the cavity wall of the adsorption chamber and the flow distribution component 2 through the sealing ring 32. The elastic ring 31 is used to apply a squeezing force to the sealing ring 32 towards the outside of the adsorption chamber. Thus, firstly, the squeezing force applied by the elastic ring 31 to the sealing ring 32 can be used to make the sealing ring 32 press against the cavity wall of the adsorption chamber, so that the support component 3 can be stably stationed at the bottom of the flow distribution component 2, thereby ensuring the support effect of the support component 3 on the flow distribution component 2, thereby further increasing the stability of the flow distribution component 2, and further avoiding the situation where the flow distribution component 2 flips over and squeezes the molecular sieve 4, thereby further reducing the probability of the molecular sieve 4 pulverizing.

[0060] Secondly, the sealing ring 32 can be used to seal the gap between the diversion component 2 and the adsorption chamber wall, so that clean compressed air cannot pass through the gap between the diversion component 2 and the adsorption chamber wall, thereby ensuring the adsorption effect of the molecular sieve 4 on nitrogen and carbon dioxide in the clean compressed air, thereby improving the oxygen purity of the pressure swing adsorption oxygen generator with the adsorption tower of this application.

[0061] Thirdly, when the clean compressed air reaches the position of the sealing ring 32, the sealing ring 32 can also block the clean compressed air, causing it to turn back and flow towards the direction of the air inlet 111. The clean compressed air that turns back towards the direction of the air inlet 111 will collide with the clean compressed air that is about to flow to the position of the sealing ring 32, causing the turning clean compressed air to change its flow direction and flow towards the center of the adsorption chamber. This reduces the dynamic potential energy of the clean compressed air, thereby reducing the impact of the clean compressed air on the flow distribution component 2 and further preventing the flow distribution component 2 from flipping over. This further extends the replacement cycle of the molecular sieve 4 and improves the uniformity of the clean compressed air, so as to make full use of the molecular sieve 4 to adsorb nitrogen and carbon dioxide in the clean compressed air. Therefore, the oxygen purity of the pressure swing adsorption oxygen generator is further improved.

[0062] Fourthly, the sealing ring 32 can also increase the friction between the elastic ring 31 and the wall of the adsorption chamber, thereby further increasing the stability of the support component 3, and thus further improving the support effect of the support component 3 on the diversion component 2, so as to further prevent the diversion component 2 from overturning, and further reduce the probability of molecular sieve 4 pulverization, thus further extending the service life of molecular sieve 4, and further reducing the operating cost of the pressure swing adsorption oxygen generator equipped with the adsorption tower of this application.

[0063] This application does not specifically limit the structure of the elastic ring 31; preferably, refer to... Figure 5The elastic ring 31 has a deformation notch 311 that penetrates the elastic ring 31 radially. When pressure is applied to the elastic ring 31 to reduce its diameter, the two ends of the elastic ring 31 located at the deformation notch 311 move toward each other, thereby reducing the diameter of the elastic ring 31. This reduces the difficulty of installing the support assembly 3 and improves the assembly efficiency of the adsorption tower.

[0064] Meanwhile, compared to the elastic ring 31 being a closed annular structure in its own circumference, the elastic ring 31 can be made of a material with relatively high rigidity. This can increase the squeezing force exerted by the elastic ring 31 on the sealing ring 32 towards the outside of the adsorption chamber, thus ensuring the sealing between the sealing ring 32 and the adsorption chamber wall. On the other hand, it can increase the clamping force between the elastic ring 31 and the adsorption chamber wall, thereby increasing the stability of the support component 3 and thus increasing the support effect of the support component 3 on the diversion component 2. This further prevents the diversion plate 21 from flipping over and accelerating the pulverization of the molecular sieve 4.

[0065] This application does not specifically limit the material of the elastic ring 31. Preferably, the elastic ring 31 is made of spring steel to ensure its elastic deformation capability and increase the compressive force that the elastic ring 31 can apply to the sealing ring 32 in the direction towards the outside of the adsorption cavity, thereby increasing the stability of the support assembly 3 and the sealing performance between the sealing ring 32 and the wall of the adsorption cavity. In other embodiments, the elastic ring 31 can also be made of other metal materials, such as stainless steel or high carbon steel.

[0066] In other embodiments, the elastic ring 31 may also be a closed annular structure in its circumferential direction, that is, the design of the deformation notch 311 is omitted.

[0067] This application does not specify the material for the sealing ring 32; preferably, refer to... Figure 2 and Figure 5 The sealing ring 32 is a silicone ring sleeved on the outside of the elastic ring 31.

[0068] It is understandable that the sealing ring 32 is a ring structure made of silicone material.

[0069] Since the sealing ring 32 is a silicone ring fitted outside the elastic ring 31, it improves the sealing performance between the sealing ring 32 and the adsorption chamber wall, thereby enhancing the sealing effect of the sealing ring 32 on the gap between the flow distribution component 2 and the adsorption chamber wall. This further improves the adsorption effect of the molecular sieve 4 on nitrogen and carbon dioxide in clean compressed air, thus further improving the oxygen purity of the pressure swing adsorption oxygen generator with the adsorption tower of this application. On the other hand, it increases the friction between the sealing ring 32 and the adsorption chamber wall, thereby increasing the connection stability between the support component 3 and the adsorption chamber wall. This further enhances the support effect of the support component 3 on the flow distribution component 2, further preventing the accelerated pulverization of the molecular sieve 4 due to the flipping of the flow distribution plate 21, and further reducing the operating cost of the pressure swing adsorption oxygen generator with the adsorption tower of this application.

[0070] In other embodiments, the sealing ring 32 may be a rubber ring made of rubber material, or the sealing ring 32 may be an annular structure made of other materials that can perform a sealing function.

[0071] This application does not specify the connection method between the elastic ring 31 and the sealing ring 32, which can be any of the following embodiments:

[0072] In this embodiment, the inner circumferential surface of the sealing ring 32 is provided with an annular groove, and the elastic ring 31 is located in the annular groove.

[0073] Understandably, the annular groove extends circumferentially along the sealing ring 32.

[0074] Since the inner circumferential surface of the sealing ring 32 is provided with an annular groove, and the elastic ring 31 is located in the annular groove, when assembling the support component 3, it is only necessary to place the elastic ring 31 in the annular groove, thereby reducing the assembly and production difficulty of the support component 3, thus reducing the assembly and production cost of the support component 3, thereby improving the assembly efficiency of the adsorption tower and reducing the production and manufacturing cost of the adsorption tower.

[0075] In the second embodiment, the inner circumferential surface of the sealing ring 32 is provided with a receiving notch. The receiving notch extends circumferentially along the sealing ring 32 and is located at the bottom of the sealing ring 32. The elastic ring 31 is located in the receiving notch, and the outer circumferential surface of the elastic ring 31 contacts the wall of the receiving notch to apply a compressive force toward the outside of the adsorption chamber to the sealing ring 32 through the wall of the receiving notch. When assembling the support component 3, it is only necessary to place the elastic ring 31 in the receiving notch to reduce the assembly and production difficulty of the support component 3, thereby reducing the assembly and production cost of the support component 3, and thus improving the assembly efficiency of the adsorption tower and reducing the manufacturing cost of the adsorption tower.

[0076] Implementation Method 3: In this implementation method, refer to... Figure 2 and Figure 5 The sealing ring 32 has an internal mounting channel 321 extending circumferentially therein, and an elastic ring 31 is located in the mounting channel 321. The mounting channel 321 has a width D, and the elastic ring 31 has a wall thickness H. D and H satisfy: D > H.

[0077] Since the sealing ring 32 has an installation channel 321 extending circumferentially inside, the elastic ring 31 is located in the installation channel 321, which increases the connection stability between the elastic ring 31 and the sealing ring 32, thereby greatly reducing the possibility of the elastic ring 31 and the sealing ring 32 separating, so as to ensure the support effect of the support assembly 3 on the diversion assembly 2.

[0078] Furthermore, since the width D of the installation channel 321 is greater than the wall thickness H of the elastic ring 31, the elastic ring 31 can move relative to the sealing ring 32, thus ensuring the deformation capability of the elastic ring 31. At the same time, it can also reduce the resistance that the elastic ring 31 needs to overcome when applying a squeezing force towards the outside of the adsorption chamber to the sealing ring 32, so as to ensure that the elastic ring 31 can apply a squeezing force to the sealing ring 32, thereby ensuring the connection stability between the support assembly 3 and the adsorption chamber wall, so as to ensure the support effect of the support assembly 3 on the diversion assembly 2. It can also reduce the resistance that needs to be overcome when the elastic ring 31 is compressed to reduce its diameter, so as to facilitate the installation of the support assembly 3 into the adsorption chamber.

[0079] In a preferred embodiment, refer to Figure 1 and Figure 3 The adsorption tower also includes a uniform distribution component 5 located in the adsorption chamber. The uniform distribution component 5 includes a gas baffle plate 51 and a connecting part 52 for connecting the gas baffle plate 51 and the tower body 1. The gas baffle plate 51 and the gas outlet 121 are arranged opposite to each other.

[0080] It is understood that there is a gap between the baffle plate 51 and the outlet 121 so that gas can pass through the gap between the baffle plate 51 and the outlet 121.

[0081] Because the gas baffle plate 51 and the gas outlet 121 are arranged opposite to each other, when the adsorption tower is backflushed by air entering through the gas inlet 111, the gas baffle plate 51 can block the gas entering the adsorption chamber through the gas outlet 121. The gas blocked by the gas baffle plate 51 will turn back and move towards the direction of the gas outlet 121. At this time, the gas entering through the gas outlet 121 will collide with the gas flowing back, so that the gas enters the adsorption chamber from the periphery of the gas baffle plate 51, thereby reducing the kinetic potential energy of the gas, reducing the impact of the gas on the molecular sieve 4, reducing the probability of pulverization of the molecular sieve 4, and further extending the replacement cycle of the molecular sieve 4, thus achieving the effect of extending the service life of the molecular sieve 4, and further reducing the operating cost of the pressure swing adsorption oxygen generator with the adsorption tower of this application.

[0082] Furthermore, since the connecting part 52 is used to connect the gas baffle plate 51 and the tower body 1, it ensures that there is a gap between the gas baffle plate 51 and the gas outlet 121 for gas to pass through, so as to ensure that the gas can enter the adsorption chamber through the gas outlet 121. On the other hand, it reduces the difficulty of fixing the gas baffle plate 51 and also improves the stability of the gas baffle plate 51.

[0083] Furthermore, refer to Figure 3 Multiple connecting parts 52 are provided, and the multiple connecting parts 52 are arranged at intervals along the circumference of the air-blocking plate 51, thereby increasing the number of connection points between the air-blocking plate 51 and the tower body 1, so as to further increase the stability of the air-blocking plate 51.

[0084] This application does not specifically limit the structure of the connecting part 52. Preferably, the connecting part 52 is a sheet-like structure, with one end of the sheet-like structure fixedly connected to the gas barrier plate 51 and the other end of the sheet-like structure fixedly connected to the cavity wall of the adsorption chamber to increase the stability of the gas barrier plate 51. In other embodiments, the connecting part 52 can also be a rod-like structure or other structures that can connect the gas barrier plate 51 and the cavity wall of the adsorption chamber.

[0085] This application does not specify a particular number of the shunt components 2; preferably, refer to... Figure 1 The air inlet 111 is located at the bottom of the tower body 1, and the air outlet 121 is located at the top of the tower body 1. At least two sets of flow divider assemblies 2 are provided. One set of flow divider assemblies 2 is located at the bottom of the molecular sieve 4 and between the molecular sieve 4 and the air inlet 111. The other set of flow divider assemblies 2 is located at the top of the molecular sieve 4 and between the molecular sieve 4 and the air outlet 121. The number of support assemblies 3 is the same as the number of flow divider assemblies 2 and they are arranged one-to-one. The flow divider assemblies 2 located at the bottom of the molecular sieve 4 bear the weight of the molecular sieve 4 and are supported by the support assemblies 3 at their bottom. The flow divider assemblies 2 located at the top of the molecular sieve 4 are supported by the support assemblies 3 at their bottom. A spring 122 is provided in the adsorption chamber to apply downward pressure to it, so as to increase the stability of the flow divider assemblies 2 located at the top of the molecular sieve 4.

[0086] Furthermore, refer to Figure 1 The adsorption chamber is filled with ceramic balls 6, which are located between the molecular sieve 4 and the air outlet 121. A flow divider 2, located at the bottom of the molecular sieve 4, is positioned between the molecular sieve 4 and the ceramic balls 6. The flow divider 2 isolates the ceramic balls 6 from the molecular sieve 4 and also guides the clean compressed air entering the adsorption chamber. This improves the uniformity of the clean compressed air distribution, further maximizing the adsorption of nitrogen and carbon dioxide from the clean compressed air by the molecular sieve 4, thereby increasing the oxygen purity of the pressure swing adsorption oxygen generator. Furthermore, it also utilizes the clean compressed air… The impact of air on the ceramic ball 6 reduces the dynamic potential energy of the clean compressed air, thereby reducing the impact of the clean compressed air on the flow distribution component 2 and the molecular sieve 4. This further increases the stability of the flow distribution component 2 and further reduces the probability of molecular sieve 4 pulverization, thus extending the replacement cycle of molecular sieve 4. This further reduces the operating cost of the pressure swing adsorption oxygen generator. In addition, it can also reduce the flow velocity of clean compressed air when it flows through molecular sieve 4, so as to make full use of molecular sieve 4 to adsorb nitrogen and carbon dioxide in clean compressed air, thereby further improving the oxygen purity of the pressure swing adsorption oxygen generator.

[0087] Furthermore, the adsorption chamber is filled with alumina, which is located between the molecular sieve 4 and the ceramic balls 6. Three sets of flow divider components 2 are provided: one set is located at the top of the molecular sieve 4, another set is located between the molecular sieve 4 and the alumina, and a third set is located between the alumina and the ceramic balls 6. This allows the flow divider components 2 to isolate the alumina and ceramic balls 6 and support the alumina. The alumina also adsorbs moisture from the clean compressed air, achieving a drying effect and preventing the pores of the molecular sieve 4 from being blocked by water molecules. This extends the service life of the molecular sieve 4, further reducing its replacement cycle and thus lowering the operating cost of the pressure swing adsorption oxygen generator. Alternatively, in other embodiments, only two sets of flow divider components 2 may be provided, and a perforated baffle may be used to replace the flow divider component 2 located between the molecular sieve 4 and the alumina.

[0088] This application does not specifically limit the structure of the diverter plate 21; preferably, refer to... Figure 6 The diverter plate 21 has a central region, an intermediate region surrounding the central region, and a side region surrounding the intermediate region. The through holes include a first through hole 211 in the central region, a second through hole 212 in the side region, and a third through hole 213 in the intermediate region. The diameter of the second through hole 212 is larger than the diameter of the first through hole 211 and smaller than the diameter of the third through hole 213.

[0089] It is understandable that the first through hole 211 is evenly spaced in the central region, the second through hole 212 is evenly spaced in the side region, and the third through hole 213 is evenly spaced in the middle region.

[0090] Since the clean compressed air entering the adsorption chamber through the air inlet 111 will mainly concentrate in the center of the adsorption chamber and move along the central axis of the tower body 1 towards the air outlet 121, by setting the diameter of the second through hole 212 to be larger than the diameter of the first through hole 211 and smaller than the diameter of the third through hole 213, and setting the first through hole 211 in the central region, the second through hole 212 in the side region, and the third through hole 213 in the middle region, on the one hand, the uniform distribution effect of the distribution plate 21 on the clean compressed air can be improved, so as to make full use of the molecular sieve 4 to adsorb nitrogen and carbon dioxide in the clean compressed air, thereby improving the oxygen purity of the pressure swing adsorption oxygen generator. On the other hand, it can appropriately reduce the occurrence of clean compressed air flowing from the side region of the distribution plate 21 towards the air outlet 121, so as to ensure the adsorption effect of the molecular sieve 4 on nitrogen and carbon dioxide in the clean compressed air, and further improve the oxygen purity of the pressure swing adsorption oxygen generator.

[0091] Preferably, the diameter of the flow divider 21 is smaller than the diameter of the adsorption chamber, so as to facilitate the installation of the flow divider 21 into the adsorption chamber.

[0092] This application does not specify the number of diverter plates 21; preferably, refer to... Figure 7 and Figure 8 The flow divider 21 is provided with at least two pieces. The flow divider assembly 2 also includes a filter screen 22 and a nylon filter cloth 23 located between the flow dividers 21. There are at least two filter screens 22. The aperture of each filter screen 22 is smaller than the aperture of the first through hole 211. The nylon filter cloth 23 is located between the filter screens 22, and the mesh count of the nylon filter cloth 23 is greater than the mesh count of the filter screen 22.

[0093] It is understandable that the nylon filter cloth 23 is located between two adjacent filter screens 22, and the nylon filter cloth 23 is located between two adjacent diverter plates 21.

[0094] Since the diversion assembly 2 also includes a filter screen 22 and a nylon filter cloth 23, the pore size of the filter screen 22 is smaller than that of the first through hole 211, and the mesh size of the nylon filter cloth 23 is larger than that of the filter screen 22. Therefore, on the one hand, the filter screen 22 and the nylon filter cloth 23 can be used to evenly distribute the clean compressed air, further improving the uniformity of the clean compressed air. This further utilizes the molecular sieve 4 to adsorb nitrogen and carbon dioxide in the clean compressed air, further improving the oxygen purity of the pressure swing adsorption oxygen generator. Simultaneously, it can further reduce the kinetic energy of the clean compressed air, reducing the impact of the clean compressed air on the molecular sieve 4, and further slowing down the pulverization of the molecular sieve 4. On the other hand, when backflushing the adsorption tower, the filter screen 22 and the nylon filter cloth 23 can be used to block the pulverized molecular sieve 4, increasing the difficulty of the pulverized molecular sieve 4 entering the intake pipe and causing blockage. This ensures the working stability of the pressure swing adsorption oxygen generator and reduces its failure rate.

[0095] Since there are at least two flow dividers 21, and the filter screen 22 is located between the two flow dividers 21, the flow dividers 21 can be used to support and limit the filter screen 22, thereby increasing the stability of the filter screen 22, ensuring the filtration effect of the filter screen 22 on the pulverized molecular sieve 4 and ensuring the uniform distribution effect of the filter screen 22 on the clean compressed air.

[0096] Since there are at least two filter screens 22, and the nylon filter cloth 23 is located between the two filter screens 22, the filter screens 22 can be used to support and limit the nylon filter cloth 23, thereby increasing the stability of the nylon filter cloth 23, and thus ensuring the filtration effect of the nylon filter cloth 23 on the powdered molecular sieve 4 and ensuring the uniform distribution effect of the nylon filter cloth 23 on the clean compressed air.

[0097] In addition, compared with the solution of replacing the nylon filter cloth 23 with a screen with the same mesh size as the nylon filter cloth 23, it can also reduce the manufacturing difficulty and cost of the adsorption tower.

[0098] Preferably, two diversion plates 21 and two filter screens 22 are provided to reduce the manufacturing cost of the diversion component 2.

[0099] In other embodiments, the diverter 21 may be provided in only one or in other quantities.

[0100] In other embodiments, the diameters of the multiple through holes on the diverter plate 21 may also be equal.

[0101] In a preferred embodiment, refer to Figure 2 , Figure 7 and Figure 8The flow divider 2 also includes nonwoven fabric 24, which on the one hand increases the uniform distribution effect of clean compressed air by the flow divider 2, so as to further make full use of molecular sieve 4 to adsorb nitrogen and carbon dioxide in clean compressed air, thereby further improving the oxygen purity of the pressure swing adsorption oxygen generator. On the other hand, it can also improve the filtration effect of the flow divider 2, so as to further reduce the risk of molecular sieve 4 being pulverized and clogging the air inlet pipe during backflushing of the adsorption tower, thereby further ensuring the working stability of the pressure swing adsorption oxygen generator and further reducing the failure rate of the pressure swing adsorption oxygen generator. The outer peripheral surface of nonwoven fabric 24 contacts the cavity wall of the adsorption chamber, and to a certain extent, it can seal the gap between the flow divider 2 and the cavity wall of the adsorption chamber, thereby increasing the sealing between the flow divider 2 and the cavity wall of the adsorption chamber, thereby reducing the phenomenon of clean compressed air passing through the gap between the periphery of the flow divider 2 and the cavity wall of the adsorption chamber, and further improving the adsorption effect of molecular sieve 4 on nitrogen and carbon dioxide in clean compressed air.

[0102] This application does not specifically limit the positional relationship between the nonwoven fabric 24 and the diversion plate 21. For the diversion component 2 located between the outlet 121 and the molecular sieve 4, the nonwoven fabric 24 is located on the side of the diversion plate 21 away from the outlet 121, so as to improve the blocking effect of the nonwoven fabric 24 on the pulverized molecular sieve 4, thereby preventing the pulverized molecular sieve 4 from entering the outlet pipe through the outlet 121 along with the product oxygen and causing the outlet pipe to be blocked. For the diversion component 2 located between the ceramic ball 6 and the alumina, the nonwoven fabric 24 is located on the side of the diversion plate 21 facing the molecular sieve 4, so as to improve the filtering and blocking effect of the nonwoven fabric 24 on the pulverized molecular sieve 4, thereby preventing the pulverized molecular sieve 4 from entering the inlet pipe through the inlet 111 along with the gas and causing the inlet pipe to be blocked when the adsorption tower is backflushed.

[0103] Furthermore, refer to Figure 2 , Figure 7 and Figure 8 The diversion assembly 2 also includes a fixing bolt pair 25, which includes a bolt and a nut threaded onto the bolt. The diversion plate 21, non-woven fabric 24, filter screen 22, and nylon filter cloth 23 are all provided with holes for the bolt to pass through. The bolt passes through the diversion plate 21, non-woven fabric 24, filter screen 22, and nylon filter cloth 23, and the bolt heads of the nut and bolt are located on opposite sides of the diversion plate 21. Two washers are fitted on the outside of the bolt. The bolt head applies pressure to the non-woven fabric 24 through one of the washers, and the nut applies pressure to the diversion plate 21 through the other washer. The pressure of the bolt head and nut is used to fix the diversion plate 21, non-woven fabric 24, filter screen 22, and nylon filter cloth 23 together, thereby increasing the stability of the diversion assembly 2 and facilitating its installation.

[0104] In a preferred embodiment, refer to Figure 1 , Figure 4 and Figure 9 The adsorption tower also includes a flow guiding component 7 disposed on the tower body 1. The flow guiding component 7 includes a flow guiding fluid 71 located in the adsorption chamber and a tube 72 disposed on the flow guiding fluid 71 and extending out of the adsorption chamber through the air inlet 111. The flow guiding fluid 71 has a gas-containing chamber inside, and a plurality of gas equalization holes 711 communicating with the gas-containing chamber are provided on the periphery of the flow guiding fluid 71. The tube 72 is connected to the gas-containing chamber.

[0105] Understandably, the flow guiding component 7 is sealed to the tower body 1, and the air inlet 111 is connected to the pretreatment system's air inlet pipe, which is connected to the pipe body 72, so that the clean compressed air treated by the pretreatment system enters the air chamber through the air inlet pipe and the pipe body 72.

[0106] Because the guide fluid 71 has multiple equalization holes 711 communicating with the gas chamber, the clean compressed air entering the gas chamber through the pipe 72 will enter the adsorption chamber through the periphery of the guide fluid 71. This utilizes the equalization holes 711 to reduce the kinetic potential energy of the clean compressed air, thereby reducing the impact of the clean compressed air on the molecular sieve 4, reducing the probability of molecular sieve 4 pulverization, and thus improving the oxygen purity and working efficiency of the pressure swing adsorption oxygen generator with the adsorption tower of this application. It also extends the replacement cycle of the molecular sieve 4, thereby reducing the operating cost of the pressure swing adsorption oxygen generator. Furthermore, it reduces the flow rate of the clean compressed air entering the adsorption chamber, thus reducing the impact of the clean compressed air passing through the molecular sieve 4. The flow rate at that time improves the adsorption effect of molecular sieve 4 on nitrogen and carbon dioxide in clean compressed air, thereby further improving the oxygen purity of the pressure swing adsorption oxygen generator. It can also achieve uniform distribution of clean compressed air by using the guide fluid 71, so that the clean compressed air is evenly distributed in the adsorption chamber, thereby reducing the adsorption load of molecular sieve 4 located in the center of the adsorption chamber, ensuring the adsorption efficiency of molecular sieve 4 on nitrogen and carbon dioxide in clean compressed air, thereby further improving the oxygen purity of the pressure swing adsorption oxygen generator. On the other hand, it can make the wear of molecular sieve 4 in the adsorption chamber as uniform as possible, thereby further extending the replacement cycle of molecular sieve 4, and further reducing the operating cost of pressure swing adsorption oxygen generator.

[0107] Furthermore, compared to the scheme where the equalizing hole 711 is located at the end of the guide fluid 71 away from the tube body 72, the end wall of the guide fluid 71 away from the tube body 72 can also be used to block the clean compressed air. This causes the clean compressed air to be deflected by the end wall of the guide fluid 71 away from the tube body 72 and move towards the direction of the tube body 72. The clean compressed air that subsequently enters the gas chamber through the tube body 72 will collide with the deflected clean compressed air, thereby further reducing the dynamic potential energy of the clean compressed air. This further reduces the dynamic potential energy of the clean compressed air when it exits the gas chamber through the equalizing hole 711, thereby further reducing the impact of the clean compressed air on the molecular sieve 4, further slowing down the pulverization of the molecular sieve 4, further extending the replacement cycle of the molecular sieve 4, and further reducing the operating cost of the pressure swing adsorption oxygen generator. At the same time, it further reduces the flow velocity of the clean compressed air when it flows through the molecular sieve 4, thereby further improving the adsorption effect of the molecular sieve 4 on nitrogen and carbon dioxide in the clean compressed air, and further improving the oxygen purity of the pressure swing adsorption oxygen generator.

[0108] Furthermore, since the equalization pore 711 is located on the periphery of the guide fluid 71, it increases the difficulty for the pulverized molecular sieve 4 to enter the inlet pipe through the guide component 7 during backflushing of the adsorption tower, thereby greatly reducing the risk of the pulverized molecular sieve 4 clogging the inlet pipe, thus ensuring the working stability of the pressure swing adsorption oxygen generator and reducing the failure rate of the pressure swing adsorption oxygen generator.

[0109] Furthermore, backflushing the adsorption tower can reduce the kinetic potential energy of the gas discharged from the adsorption tower through the inlet pipe, thereby reducing the impact of the gas discharged through the pipe 72 on the silencer of the pressure swing adsorption oxygen generator, reducing the load on the silencer, and thus reducing the noise generated by the pressure swing adsorption oxygen generator when backflushing the adsorption tower.

[0110] Preferably, the diameter of the central region is larger than the diameter of the guide fluid 71, so that the central region can block the clean compressed air discharged through the air equalization hole 711, thereby further improving the uniformity of clean compressed air in the adsorption chamber and further improving the oxygen purity of the pressure swing adsorption oxygen generator.

[0111] This application does not specify the formation method of the uniform pores 711, which can be any of the following embodiments:

[0112] Example 1, in this example, refers to Figure 9 The air distribution holes 711 are arranged in multiple rows along the axial direction of the guide fluid 71, and each row of air distribution holes 711 is arranged in multiple rows along the circumferential direction of the guide fluid 71.

[0113] It is understandable that the air distribution hole 711 is a hole structure opened on the side of the fluid guide 71, or the air distribution hole 711 is a hole structure reserved on the side of the fluid guide 71.

[0114] Because the air distribution holes 711 are arranged in multiple rows along the axial direction of the guide fluid 71, and each row of air distribution holes 711 is arranged in multiple rows along the circumferential direction of the guide fluid 71, the formation difficulty of the air distribution holes 711 is reduced on the one hand, and the number of air distribution holes 711 is increased on the other hand. This further improves the uniform distribution effect of clean compressed air and further reduces the dynamic potential energy when clean compressed air enters the adsorption chamber. In turn, it further improves the oxygen purity of the pressure swing adsorption oxygen generator and further reduces the probability of molecular sieve 4 pulverization, thereby further extending the replacement cycle of molecular sieve 4 and further reducing the operating cost of the pressure swing adsorption oxygen generator.

[0115] Preferably, multiple rows of air distribution holes 711 are evenly spaced along the axial direction of the guide fluid 71, and multiple air distribution holes 711 in each row are evenly spaced along the circumferential direction of the guide fluid 71, so as to further improve the uniform distribution effect of the guide assembly 7 on clean compressed air.

[0116] In Example 2, the guide fluid 71 has an annular screen, and the sieve holes on the annular screen constitute the air distribution holes 711 of the guide fluid 71, thereby increasing the number of air distribution holes 711 to improve the uniform distribution effect of the guide fluid assembly 7 on the clean compressed air. At the same time, it reduces the dynamic potential energy when the clean compressed air enters the adsorption chamber, thereby further improving the oxygen purity of the pressure swing adsorption oxygen generator and further slowing down the pulverization of the molecular sieve 4, thereby further extending the replacement cycle of the molecular sieve 4, and further reducing the operating cost of the pressure swing adsorption oxygen generator.

[0117] This application does not specifically limit the structure of the guide fluid 71. Regarding Embodiment 1, the guide fluid 71 includes an annular structure and two end plates fixedly connected to both ends of the annular structure. The two end plates and the annular structure together form a gas-containing cavity. Gas distribution holes 711 are provided on the periphery of the annular structure. The tube body 72 is fixedly connected to one of the end plates, and this end plate has a perforated structure for communicating with the gas-containing cavity, thereby reducing the manufacturing difficulty of the guide fluid assembly 7. Regarding Embodiment 2, the guide fluid 71 includes two parallel, spaced-apart end plates and an annular screen located between the two end plates. The two ends of the annular screen are fixedly connected to the two end plates, and the two end plates and the annular screen together form a gas-containing cavity. The tube body 72 is fixedly connected to one of the end plates, and this end plate has a perforated structure communicating with the tube body 72.

[0118] In a preferred embodiment, refer to Figure 4A blocking screen 712 is provided on the outside of the guide fluid 71, and the sieve hole diameter of the blocking screen 712 is smaller than the pore diameter of the equalizing hole 711.

[0119] Understandably, the blocking screen 712 is wrapped around the outer periphery of the fluid guide 71.

[0120] Because the guide fluid 71 is equipped with a blocking screen 712, the pore size of the blocking screen 712 is smaller than that of the equalizing hole 711. On the one hand, the blocking screen 712 can be used to distribute the clean compressed air that is about to enter the adsorption chamber again, thereby improving the uniformity of the clean compressed air and reducing the dynamic potential energy of the clean compressed air when it enters the adsorption chamber. This further improves the oxygen purity of the pressure swing adsorption oxygen generator and extends the replacement cycle of the molecular sieve 4. On the other hand, it further increases the difficulty for the pulverized molecular sieve 4 to enter the inlet pipe through the guide component 7 when the adsorption tower is backflushed, thereby reducing the risk of the pulverized molecular sieve 4 clogging the inlet pipe. This further ensures the working stability of the pressure swing adsorption oxygen generator and reduces the failure rate of the pressure swing adsorption oxygen generator.

[0121] This application does not specify the method by which the blocking screen 712 is fixedly connected to the fluid guide 71. Preferably, the blocking screen 712 is bound to the outer circumferential surface of the fluid guide 71 with wire to reduce the difficulty of fixing the blocking screen 712 and thus improve the fixing efficiency of the blocking screen 712. In other embodiments, the blocking screen 712 can also be fixedly connected to the fluid guide 71 by means of adhesive, screws, etc.

[0122] This application does not specifically limit the connection method between the flow guiding component 7 and the tower body 1, or the connection method between the flow guiding component 7 and the air inlet pipe. Preferably, refer to Figure 4 and Figure 9 The pipe body 72 is provided with a first flange 721 and a second flange 722 spaced apart from the first flange 721. The first flange 721 is fixedly connected to the tower body 1, and the second flange 722 is used to connect the air inlet pipe. The diameter of the second flange 722 is smaller than the diameter of the first flange 721.

[0123] It is understood that the first flange 721 and the second flange 722 are both coaxially fixedly connected to the pipe body 72. The first flange 721 and the second flange 722 are both located outside the adsorption chamber, and the second flange 722 is located on the side of the first flange 721 away from the tower body 11. The first flange 721 is fixedly connected to the tower body 1 by bolt pairs, and the second flange 722 is fixedly connected to the air inlet pipe by bolt pairs.

[0124] Since the pipe body 72 is provided with a first flange 721 that is fixedly connected to the tower body 1, the connection difficulty between the pipe body 72 and the tower body 1 is reduced, thereby improving the assembly efficiency of the adsorption tower. At the same time, the connection stability between the flow guiding component 7 and the tower body 1 is increased, so as to ensure the working stability of the adsorption tower.

[0125] Furthermore, since the tube body 72 is equipped with a second flange 722 for connecting the air inlet pipe, the connection stability between the tube body 72 and the air inlet pipe can be increased and the connection difficulty between the tube body 72 and the air inlet pipe can be reduced, thereby ensuring the working stability of the pressure swing adsorption oxygen generator and improving the assembly efficiency of the pressure swing adsorption oxygen generator.

[0126] Furthermore, since the diameter of the second flange 722 is smaller than the diameter of the first flange 721, the diameter of the flange installed on the air inlet pipe can be smaller than the diameter of the first flange 721, thereby reducing the production cost of the pressure swing adsorption oxygen generator. At the same time, it also allows the bolt pair connected to the first flange 721 to avoid the bolt pair connected to the second flange 722, thereby reducing the assembly difficulty of the pressure swing adsorption oxygen generator and further improving the assembly efficiency of the pressure swing adsorption oxygen generator.

[0127] In other embodiments, the flow guide assembly 7 can be connected to the tower body 1 by welding the flow guide 71 to the air inlet 111, and the pipe body 72 can be connected to the air inlet pipe by using a pipe joint.

[0128] The better one is to refer to Figure 4 The diameter of the guide fluid 71 is larger than the diameter of the pipe body 72, and the diameter of the air inlet 111 is larger than the diameter of the guide fluid 71. An extension pipe 112 is provided on the outside of the tower body 1 at the air inlet 111. The inner diameter of the extension pipe 112 is larger than the diameter of the guide fluid 71. A connecting flange 113 is coaxially fixedly connected to the end of the extension pipe 112 away from the tower body 1. The guide fluid 71 extends into the adsorption chamber through the extension pipe 112 and the air inlet 111. A sealing gasket is provided between the first flange 721 and the connecting flange 113, and the two are fixedly connected by bolts to achieve a sealed connection of the guide fluid assembly 7 to the tower body 1.

[0129] To increase the sealing between the guide fluid 71 and the air inlet 111, and to prevent the pulverized molecular sieve 4 from entering the extension tube 112, any of the following embodiments can also be used:

[0130] Example 1: In this example, a sealant is applied between the outer peripheral surface of the guide fluid 71 and the inlet wall of the air inlet 111 to seal the gap between the guide fluid 71 and the air inlet 111, so as to prevent the pulverized molecular sieve 4 from entering the extension tube 112.

[0131] In Example 2, a sealing ring and a retaining ring are fitted around the outside of the guide fluid 71. Both the sealing ring and the retaining ring are located in the adsorption chamber. The retaining ring is located on the side of the sealing ring away from the extension tube 112. The outer diameter of the sealing ring is larger than the diameter of the air inlet 111. The inner circumferential surface of the retaining ring abuts against the outer circumferential surface of the guide fluid 71. The retaining ring can apply a squeezing force to the sealing ring in the direction of the extension tube 112 so that the sealing ring abuts against the cavity wall of the adsorption chamber. The sealing ring seals the gap between the guide fluid 71 and the air inlet 111, thereby preventing the pulverized molecular sieve 4 from entering the extension tube 112.

[0132] Implementation Example 3, in this implementation example, refer to Figure 4 The fluid guide 71 is surrounded by an annular silicone tube 713. A snap ring 714 is inserted inside the silicone tube 713. The snap ring 714 is elastic and has a notch in its circumferential direction. The elastic deformation of the snap ring 714 applies a squeezing force towards the inside of the fluid guide 713 to make the inner circumferential surface of the silicone tube 713 press against the outer circumferential surface of the fluid guide 71. Furthermore, by applying pressure to the silicone tube 713 towards the side where the extension tube 112 is located, the silicone tube 713 drives the snap ring 714 to move towards the direction of the extension tube 112. Finally, the silicone tube 713 presses against the wall of the adsorption chamber to seal the gap between the fluid guide 71 and the air inlet 111, thereby preventing the pulverized molecular sieve 4 from entering the extension tube 112.

[0133] In a preferred embodiment, refer to Figure 1 The tower body 1 includes a lower shell 11 and an upper cover 12. Both the lower shell 11 and the upper cover 12 are provided with flanges. The two flanges are fixedly connected by bolts. The air inlet 111 is located at the bottom of the lower shell 11, and the air outlet 121 is located at the top of the upper cover 12. The flow guiding assembly 7, the molecular sieve 4, and the flow splitting assembly 2 are all located inside the lower shell 11, and the uniform distribution assembly 5 and the spring 122 are all located inside the upper cover 12, so as to facilitate the assembly of the adsorption tower and the replacement of the molecular sieve 4.

[0134] It should be noted that the term "uniformly distributed" in this application refers to a uniform distribution.

[0135] A pressure swing adsorption oxygen generator includes an adsorption tower as described above.

[0136] It is understandable that the pressure swing adsorption oxygen generator also includes an air compressor, a pretreatment system, and a switching valve system for controlling the connection or disconnection between the adsorption tower and the pretreatment system. The pretreatment system is connected to the air compressor, and the pipe 72 is connected to the pretreatment system through the air inlet pipe. At least two adsorption towers are provided.

[0137] Since the pressure swing adsorption tower in this application adopts the above-mentioned adsorption tower, the support component 3 is used to support the diversion component 2 to prevent the diversion component 2 from flipping under the action of airflow. This avoids the situation where the flipped diversion component 2 squeezes the molecular sieve 4 and accelerates the pulverization of the molecular sieve 4, thereby extending the service life of the molecular sieve 4 and thus extending the replacement cycle of the molecular sieve 4 and reducing the operating cost of the pressure swing adsorption oxygen generator.

[0138] At the same time, the support component 3 can also be used to block the clean compressed air flowing along the cavity wall of the adsorption chamber toward the outlet 121, so that the clean compressed air flowing along the cavity wall of the adsorption chamber toward the outlet 121 flows radially along the adsorption chamber under the blocking effect of the support component 3 and the impact of the subsequent clean compressed air, thereby improving the uniform distribution effect of the clean compressed air. This allows the molecular sieve 4 to fully utilize the adsorption of nitrogen and carbon dioxide in the clean compressed air, thereby improving the oxygen purity of the pressure swing adsorption oxygen generator.

[0139] For any parts not mentioned in this application, existing technologies may be used or referenced.

[0140] The various embodiments in this specification are described in a progressive manner. The same or similar parts between the various embodiments can be referred to each other. Each embodiment focuses on describing the differences from other embodiments.

[0141] The above description is merely an embodiment of this application and is not intended to limit the scope of this application. Various modifications and variations can be made to this application by those skilled in the art. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, improvements, etc., made within the spirit and principles of this application should be included within the scope of the claims of this application.

Claims

1. An adsorption tower, characterized in that, include: The tower body (1) has an adsorption chamber inside, and the two ends of the tower body (1) are respectively provided with an air inlet (111) and an air outlet (121) communicating with the adsorption chamber. The flow splitting assembly (2) is located in the adsorption chamber and between the air inlet (111) and the air outlet (121). The flow splitting assembly (2) includes a flow splitting plate (21) with multiple through holes. The support assembly (3) is located in the adsorption chamber and at the bottom of the diversion assembly (2). The support assembly (3) includes an elastic ring (31) and a sealing ring (32). The elastic ring (31) contacts the cavity wall of the adsorption chamber and the diversion assembly (2) through the sealing ring (32). The elastic ring (31) is used to apply a squeezing force to the sealing ring (32) toward the outside of the adsorption chamber.

2. An adsorption tower according to claim 1, characterized in that, The elastic ring (31) has a deformation notch (311) that penetrates the elastic ring (31) radially.

3. An adsorption tower according to claim 1, characterized in that, The sealing ring (32) is a silicone ring fitted outside the elastic ring (31).

4. An adsorption tower according to claim 1, characterized in that, The inner circumferential surface of the sealing ring (32) is provided with an annular groove, and the elastic ring (31) is located in the annular groove; Alternatively, the sealing ring (32) has an interior mounting channel (321) extending circumferentially therein, the elastic ring (31) is located in the mounting channel (321), the mounting channel (321) has a width D, and the elastic ring (31) has a wall thickness H, where D and H satisfy: D > H.

5. An adsorption tower according to any one of claims 1-4, characterized in that, The adsorption tower also includes a uniform distribution component (5) located in the adsorption chamber. The uniform distribution component (5) includes a gas barrier plate (51) and a connecting part (52) for connecting the gas barrier plate (51) and the tower body (1). The gas barrier plate (51) and the gas outlet (121) are arranged opposite to each other.

6. An adsorption tower according to claim 5, characterized in that, The connecting part (52) is provided in multiple ways, and the multiple connecting parts (52) are arranged at intervals along the circumference of the air baffle plate (51).

7. An adsorption tower according to any one of claims 1-4, characterized in that, The diverter plate (21) has a central region, an intermediate region surrounding the central region, and a side region surrounding the intermediate region. The through hole includes a first through hole (211) in the central region, a second through hole (212) in the side region, and a third through hole (213) in the intermediate region. The diameter of the second through hole (212) is larger than the diameter of the first through hole (211) and smaller than the diameter of the third through hole (213).

8. An adsorption tower according to claim 7, characterized in that, The diversion plate (21) is provided with at least two pieces. The diversion assembly (2) also includes a filter screen (22) and a nylon filter cloth (23) located between the diversion plates (21). There are at least two filter screens (22). The aperture of each filter screen (22) is smaller than the aperture of the first through hole (211). The nylon filter cloth (23) is located between the filter screens (22), and the mesh count of the nylon filter cloth (23) is greater than the mesh count of the filter screen (22).

9. An adsorption tower according to any one of claims 1-4, characterized in that, The diversion component (2) also includes a nonwoven fabric (24), the outer peripheral surface of which contacts the cavity wall of the adsorption cavity.

10. A pressure swing adsorption oxygen generator, characterized in that, Including the adsorption tower as described in any one of claims 1-9 above.

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