A complete gas separation system will include the following components: air compressor, compressed air purification components, air storage tank, oxygen generator, oxygen buffer tank; if filling cylinders, oxygen booster and filling stations are installed at the end device. Their division of labor is in turn, the air compressor obtains the air source, the purification component purifies the compressed air, the oxygen generator separates and produces oxygen, and the filling is optional. Among them, the role of the oxygen buffer tank in the system is also very important. It is not just a vessel, but can balance the pressure and purity of the oxygen separated by the oxygen generator to ensure a continuous and stable supply of oxygen.

To understand the importance of the buffer tank, we need to start with the working principle of the PSA oxygen generator; PSA oxygen generator uses zeolite molecular sieve as adsorbent to carry out pressure adsorption and decompression desorption of purified and dried compressed air.Since nitrogen is preferentially adsorbed by zeolite molecular sieves, oxygen is enriched to form finished oxygen. Then, after decompressing to normal pressure, the adsorbent desorbs nitrogen and impurities to achieve regeneration. Because the adsorption tower is switched about once every minute, the single boost time is only 1-2 seconds. If there is no air storage tank with a buffering effect, it will cause the compressed air that is too late to be processed to carry moisture and oil directly into the system. In the oxygen machine, the molecular sieve is poisoned, the gas production rate is reduced, and the service life of the molecular sieve is shortened.

Another reason is because PSA oxygen production is not a continuous process, an oxygen buffer tank is needed to balance the purity and pressure of oxygen separated from the two adsorption towers to ensure continuous and stable supply of oxygen.

In addition, the oxygen buffer tank can also fill part of its own gas back into the adsorption tower after the adsorption tower is switched to help the adsorption tower pressurize and protect the bed.

Therefore, the buffer tank has an important process auxiliary role in the oxygen production system.