Energy efficient oxygen concentrator

1. A method for controlling the energy efficiency of a pressure swing oxygen concentrator having a compressor which provides a flow of pressurized feed gas, a plurality of gas separation elements which pass a flow of oxygen while blocking the flow of nitrogen, said oxygen concentrator having an operating cycle in which at least one element separates nitrogen from pressurized feed gas from the compressor to produce oxygen rich gas and in which nitrogen is purged from at least one other gas separation element, and at least one valve for switching the elements between the gas separating mode and the purge mode, said method comprising the steps of:

a) selecting a desired oxygen enriched gas flow rate from said oxygen concentrator;

b) providing a rotary valve for switching the elements between the gas separating mode and the purge mode, said rotary valve having a feed gas inlet port, an exhaust port, a first port connected to an inlet side of a first one of the gas separation elements, a second port connected to the inlet side of a second one of the gas separation elements, and a motor controlled by a controller to sequentially move said rotary valve between a first position wherein said inlet port is connected to the first port and said exhaust port is connected to the second port, a second position wherein the inlet port is connected to the first and second ports, a third position wherein the inlet port is connected to the second port and said exhaust port is connected to the first port, and a fourth position wherein the inlet port is connected to the first and second ports; and

c) controlling the cycle time for the gas separation elements at a rate inverse to the desired oxygen flow rate, whereby as the desired oxygen enriched gas flow rate is decreased below a maximum flow rate for the oxygen concentrator, the gas separation elements are cycled between a gas separation mode and a purge mode at an increased rate by controlling the motor to rotate the rotary valve at a controlled rate.

2. A method for controlling the energy efficiency of a pressure swing oxygen concentrator, as set forth in claim 1 , wherein the motor is a stepper motor, and further including the step of incrementally operating said stepper motor to rotate said valve from said first position to said second position, from said second position to said third position, from said third position to said fourth position and from said fourth position back to said first position.

3. A method for controlling the energy efficiency of a pressure swing oxygen concentrator, as set forth in claim 2 , and further including the steps of sensing when the stepper motor fails to rotate the rotary valve, and increasing the output torque of the stepper motor in response to sensing when the stepper motor fails to rotate the rotary valve.

4. A method for controlling the energy efficiency of a pressure swing oxygen concentrator, as set forth in claim 2 , and further including the steps of sensing when the stepper motor fails to rotate the rotary valve, and reversing the direction of the stepper motor in response to sensing that the stepper motor fails to rotate the rotary valve.

5. A method for controlling the energy efficiency of a pressure swing gas separator which includes an feed gas compressor, first and second gas separating elements which pass a first gas while blocking a flow of a second gas between an inlet port on each element and an outlet port on each element, said method comprising the steps of:

a) providing a valve having at least a first position in which pressurized feed gas from said compressor is applied to the inlet port of said first element and the inlet port of said second element is vented, a second position in which pressurized feed gas from said compressor is applied to the inlet port of said second element and the inlet port of said first element is vented, and a third position in which pressurized feed gas from said compressor is applied to the inlet port of said first element and the inlet port of said second element, whereby a flow of product gas rich in said first gas is available at an outlet port from the element connected through said valve to said compressor;

b) alternately cycling said valve between said first position and said second position by rotating said valve; and

c) controlling the rate of rotation of said valve at a higher speed to increase the cycle rate when a lower product gas flow rate is required and at a lower speed to decrease the cycle rate when a higher product gas flow rate is required, whereby energy consumed by said compressor is reduced as the product gas flow rate decreases.