A passive valve for use as a fixed leak valve. The valve includes a body having an internal chamber, first and second body ports in fluid communication with the chamber with the first port configured for fluid communication with a patient connection and the second body port configured for fluid communication with a ventilator, a body passageway in fluid communication with the chamber and with ambient air exterior of the body, and a check valve seal positioned to seal the body passageway to permit the flow of gas within the chamber through the body passageway to the exterior of the body and to prevent the flow of ambient air exterior of the body through the body passageway into the chamber. In alternative embodiments, the valve is incorporated into the patient connection or constructed as a separate part connectable to the patient connection.

One embodiment of the present invention sets forth a technique for operating an oxygen concentrator. The technique includes measuring a product gas within an oxygen concentrator to produce a product gas measurement, and determining that an output of the oxygen concentrator is fluidly connected to a respiratory ventilation device based on the product gas measurement. The technique further includes, in response to determining that the oxygen concentrator is fluidly connected to the respiratory ventilation device, determining that the output of the oxygen concentrator does not meet a supply gas requirement of the respiratory ventilation device and, in response to determining that the output of the oxygen concentrator does not meet the supply gas requirement, adjusting a control output in the oxygen concentrator to modify operation of the oxygen concentrator.

Provided is a system for adsorbing a gaseous component comprising nitrogen from a pressurized flow of air containing the gaseous component. The system comprises a first adsorption bed, and a second adsorption bed. Each of the adsorption beds are suitable for selectively adsorbing the gaseous component from the flow of air to produce a product gas having a higher oxygen concentration than that of the air. The system includes an adjustable feed gas supply which alternately supplies the first adsorption bed and the second adsorption bed with the air. The first adsorption bed is supplied with air during a first half cycle of operation of the system, and the second adsorption bed is then supplied with air during a second half cycle of operation of the system. The feed gas supply enables adjustment of at least one parameter relating to the amount or respective amounts of air being supplied to the first adsorption bed in the first half cycle and/or to the second adsorption bed in the second half cycle. A connection and valve assembly is provided between the first and second adsorption beds. The connection and valve assembly diverts a portion of the product gas, produced from the respective absorption bed being supplied with the flow of air during the respective half cycle, to the other adsorption bed. This causes previously adsorbed gaseous component to be released from latter. The released gaseous component then escapes from the system, e.g. to the atmosphere, via a vent. A sensor system determines a measure of the flow rate of waste gas, including the released gaseous component, escaping from the system via the vent. The at least one parameter can be adjusted based on the measure in order to tune the performance of the system. Further provided is a method for operating the system.

A method for regulating the regeneration time of an adsorption dryer, the method including the steps of: subjecting the adsorption dryer to an adsorption cycle; stopping the adsorption cycle after a preset adsorption time interval; and subsequently subjecting the adsorption dryer to a first regeneration cycle during a preset time interval. The method further includes maintaining the first regeneration cycle for an additional regeneration time interval if the measured pressure dew point or relative humidity is higher than a predetermined pressure dew point or relative humidity threshold; and/or stopping the first regeneration cycle if the outlet temperature is higher than or equal to a predetermined temperature threshold, and, if the time frame in which the adsorption dryer is subjected to the first regeneration cycle is greater than a minimum heat regeneration time interval.

Provided is an oxygen concentrator provided with a control means for recovering an oxygen concentration to a level suitable for treatment in an extremely short period of time by selecting an optimum purge time corresponding to the deterioration state of an adsorbent, wherein judgment of moisture-absorption deterioration is performed when the detected value of the oxygen concentration sensor is equal to or less than a control value of the oxygen concentration in the oxygen-enriched gas and the detected value of the pressure sensor is equal to or more than an adsorption pressure at which the oxygen concentration increases significantly before and after the control to reduce the purge time, and control of reducing a time for the purge step shorter than a preset time is performed.

An air purification device for a vehicle includes: a sorption device provided with a sorbent; an air intake duct for sucking air in a vehicle cabin; an outlet-side three-way valve connected to the sorption device; an air supply duct for blowing air into the cabin; an exhaust duct for discharging air to outside of the cabin; a blower; a heater; and a controller. The controller selectively executes a purification mode in which air in the cabin is sent into the sorption device at a purification temperature, and purified air from which moisture and carbon dioxide have been removed by the sorbent is blown into the cabin, and a first regeneration mode in which air heated to a first regeneration temperature is sent into the sorption device, and exhaust air containing moisture and carbon dioxide released from the sorbent is discharged to the outside of the cabin.

A pressure swing adsorption (PSA) system and methods for controlling each PSA cycle performed by the PSA system to produce oxygen enriched gas during productive portions of a user breathing cycle, and to cease production of oxygen enriched gas during non-productive portions of the user breathing cycle, is provided. The PSA system synchronizes PSA cycle phases including adsorption and desorption phases with a user's individual inhalation and exhalation phases, on a breath by breath basis, such that each PSA cycle can be dynamically varied from a succeeding PSA cycle, in real time in response to variations in the user's breathing cycle. An oxygen delivery device including a breathing cycle sensor provides breathing cycle inputs to a controller for use with at least one algorithm to detect breathing flow phases during each user breath, and to synchronize each PSA cycle to the user's breathing flow phases, on a breath-by-breath basis.

Method(s) and apparatus provide a controlled release of enriched gas such as the gas produced by an oxygen concentrator (100) using adaptive triggering. Release of a bolus may be responsive to a generated trigger signal. The trigger signal may be generated by an evaluation of a trigger threshold. The trigger threshold may be derived from or calculated from a pressure signal, such as an adjusted pressure signal, from a pressure sensor. The pressure sensor may be pneumatically coupled with an airway of a user such that the pressure signal may be representative of airway pressure, or changes in airway pressure, attributable to the user. The trigger signal may be generated from a comparison between the pressure signal and the trigger threshold. The trigger threshold may be derived with an activity signal, such as one computed from the pressure signal, so as to adapt trigging sensitivity.

A piece of equipment commonly used in many petrochemical and refinery processes is a pressure swing adsorption (PSA) unit. A PSA unit may be used to recover and purify hydrogen process streams, such as from hydrocracking and hydrotreating process streams. Aspects of the present disclosure are directed to monitoring PSA unit processes for potential and existing issues, providing alerts, and/or adjusting operating conditions to optimize PSA unit life. There are many process performance indicators that may be monitored including, but not limited to, flow rates, chemical analyzers, temperature, and/or pressure. In addition, valve operation may be monitored, including opening speed, closing speed, and performance. The system may adjust one or more operating characteristics to decrease the difference between the actual operating performance in the recent and the optimal operating performance.

A method for managing a pressure swing adsorption gas treatment unit, the unit having at least N adsorbers, N being a number greater than or equal to 6. Wherein, when a first group and a second group each comprise at least one operational adsorber and at least one defective adsorber. A method including a) shutting down the unit, b) isolating the defective adsorbers from the unit, c) configuring the connections to swap the instrumentation means of the defective adsorber of the first group with the instrumentation means of the operational adsorber of the second group, so that the first group once again, so far as the control device is concerned, comprises n operational adsorbers, and d) setting the control device so that it controls the unit by running the downgraded cycle, excluding the second group.