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View Full Version : Anyone making their own oxygen at home??



Mathuranatha
13th Mar 2008, 12:59 PM
Hey all .Read an article [quote follows]about people making their own oxygen at home , for medical use. Renting oxygen bottles adds up + if you live out of town ,and the drive way is cut when the river is up etc---would be really good to make my own oxygen --does anyone do it for braising and cutting etc?


>>>>>>>>>>>>>>Let me first describe a typical home setting for a person who needs oxygen 24/7. It is one of stringent limits. Most home oxygen set ups start with an Oxygen Generator which is powered by house current. It produces up to 6 liters per minute of enriched air (oxygen) using a compressor and other elements. It is normally piped to a patient via a plastic tube. Anything over 100 feet is a concern since additional length in a fixed size tube causes a reduction in flow. So you can get about 200 feet from the generator if you crank up the setting to about twice what the doctor prescribed. For example, if the prescription is for 2 liters, then crank it up to 4 and at the end of the 200 foot run you will get about 2. So if the patient like to garden, you can snake the plastic tube outside and into the garden. That allows the patient to enjoy the joys of gardening for example.
The next piece of equipment is a liquid oxygen tank that can hold for 21 liters to 41 liters of liquid oxygen. The tanks are heavy because of the insulation and regulators. A 31 liter tank weights about 130 lbs so it is not easily transportable. It is about 18 inches in diameter and about 40 inches tall. This tank is provided in the home as a primary source to decant liquid oxygen into portable (about 3 lbs total) tanks that the patient can carry about. It also acts as a backup oxygen source, if the house current should fail like in a power outage. <<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<



If thousands of people are doing it for breathing , someone must have rigged it up to their cutter.Lets hope some one in this forum has done it.

Mat:)

phelum
13th Mar 2008, 04:48 PM
The next piece of equipment is a liquid oxygen tank that can hold for 21 liters to 41 liters of liquid oxygen. The tanks are heavy because of the insulation and regulators. A 31 liter tank weights about 130 lbs so it is not easily transportable. It is about 18 inches in diameter and about 40 inches tall.
Lots of people with breathing problems have the oxygen machine you talk of. I think it has a name with "Devo" in it which was pretty funny years ago. There are some second-hand machines around (expensive) but most people rent because they are on a terminal trip.

But this talk about a liquid oxygen tank sounds wrong to me because I don't think oxygen liquifies easily and the pressure required would be immense. A tank 18" diameter would have to be awfully thick steel and weigh a lot more than 130 pounds. There are trucks that transport liquid oxygen so it can be done.

If you want some info about oxygen try http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oxygen and also check the liquid oxygen page referenced there.

What I have just found is that oxygen can be kept as a liquid in an insulated tank. The normal pressure is about 350 psi and the tank has a pressure relief valve so when the pressure rises some gas escapes and this cools the tank. This sounds like liquid nitrogen that most doctors have in their surgery. The link for this info is http://www-safety.deas.harvard.edu/services/oxygen.html.

If I am spouting rubbish here and anybody can enlighten me then please do so.

scooter
13th Mar 2008, 09:27 PM
Math, my brother has an engineering business in Orbost, East Gippsland Vic, and he did some mucking around with an oxygen generator a few years ago.

From memory he found it OK for heating stuff but not pure enough for cutting, if I have it right.

PM me if you're interested in further info & I can give you his contact details.


Cheers...................Sean

Grahame Collins
13th Mar 2008, 09:45 PM
If I had seemed seemed brusque or rude in the previous post it was only because I fear someone will read something on this forum and be harmed or die as a result.

Perhaps the post about medical oxygen more correctly should be posted under health than in the welding column.

Myself and others had assumed the oxygen decanting was from industrial gas cylinders and reacted accordingly
.
As far as my comments about LPG decanting I stand by them, but have have sought expect advice and when a reply is available I will post it.

I would like to make the distinction between Industrial Oxygen and Medical Oxygen.

Industrial Oxygen is made by stripping it from the atmosphere under pressure and removing the other gases some of which end up as welding shield gases.

Contained in the industrial oxygen are mineral oil vapors from the compressor.Inhalation of oxygen containing these vapors can do you great harm or perhaps kill you..

This is why compressors for Medical air,Scuba refill and Rescue rebreathing aparatus cylinders run on a vegetable oil.
They are specific compressors made for this purpose.
Dreager is a company involved .A google search will reveal this.

Grahame

Mathuranatha
13th Mar 2008, 10:32 PM
Looks like there are plenty of industrial oxygen generators 4 sale but they cost more than a plasma cutter. So if I,m going to splash out I might go in that direction .

prozac
14th Mar 2008, 11:26 AM
One point of safety. DO NOT use a conventional grease on any oxygen fittings. Oxygen and grease are not good bed partners, and can be an explosive mix.

prozac

Mathuranatha
15th Mar 2008, 11:39 AM
Knew that about the grease and oil but thanks.Looks like I,m destined to lug around oxygen bottles weighing more than I do till I have a hernia and then buy a nice neat little plasma cutter .

Mat

Grahame Collins
16th Mar 2008, 09:12 PM
I,m destined to lug around oxygen bottles weighing more than I do till I have a hernia and then buy a nice neat little plasma cutter .

Why not use an oxy trolley? Not hard to buy or make.

Grahame

Grahame Collins
17th Mar 2008, 07:35 AM
If thousands of people are doing it for breathing , someone must have rigged it up to their cutter.Lets hope some one in this forum has done it.

Medical Oxygen is very different from Industrial Oxy. The purity of Medical Oxy is far higher than Industrial Oxy.

Medical oxy has none of tiny traces of oil vapors.This vapour found in Industrial Oxy will kill you or do you great harm.
http://english.peopledaily.com.cn/200606/14/eng20060614_273875.html

Go to BOC or Air Liquide and find out what you should know.They are suppliers of both Oxygen types. Your health and and well being is at stake should you get it wrong. At least talk to your doctor and I m sure he /she will give you the correct advice.

Grahame

Mathuranatha
17th Mar 2008, 05:40 PM
It was just an idea . People are making high quality grade oxygen in their own homes , and also storing liquid oxygen in their homes for decanting into small bottles for when they go out.

So I just thought well if its safe and easy enough for those with a medical condition to make oxygen at home and decant , then why not do the same for the oxy .

Anyway probably just one of the millions of dumb ideas I;ve had over the years as my dear wife is always so kindly pointing out .:C

mat