The application basis of the principle of PSA oxygen generator in industrial cutting and welding
PSA (Pressure Swing Adsorption) oxygen generator produces oxygen based on the difference in the adsorption capacity of adsorbents for different gas components in the air. It mainly uses molecular sieve adsorbents. Under a certain pressure, the molecular sieve preferentially adsorbs impurity gases such as nitrogen in the air, while oxygen is enriched and collected. NEWTEK PSA oxygen generator can produce high-purity oxygen, and the purity can generally reach about 90% - 95%. In the field of industrial cutting and welding, high-purity oxygen is an important combustion-supporting gas.
NTK93 Series PSA Oxygen Plant Model Selection |
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No. |
Models |
Capacity (Nm3/hr) |
Purity |
Power consumption of 1Nm3 oxygen produced (kw/h) |
Number of bottles filled in 12 hours (pcs) |
Operator needed |
| 1 | NTK-5P | 5 | 93%+-3% | 3.54 | 10 | 2 |
| 2 | NTK-10P | 10 | 93%+-3% | 2.52 | 20 | 2 |
| 3 | NTK-15P | 15 | 93%+-3% | 2.31 | 30 | 2 |
| 4 | NTK-20P | 20 | 93%+-3% | 2.13 | 40 | 2 |
| 5 | NTK-25P | 25 | 93%+-3% | 2.01 | 50 | 2 |
| 6 | NTK-30P | 30 | 93%+-3% | 2.09 | 60 | 2 |
| 7 | NTK-40P | 40 | 93%+-3% | 1.81 | 80 | 2 |
| 8 | NTK-50P | 50 | 93%+-3% | 1.94 | 100 | 2 |
| 9 | NTK-60P | 60 | 93%+-3% | 1.62 | 120 | 2 |
| 10 | NTK-80P | 80 | 93%+-3% | 1.92 | 160 | 2 |
| 11 | NTK-100P | 100 | 93%+-3% | 1.83 | 200 | 2 |
| Design basis: Altitude：≤500m;RH：≤80%;Temperature：0℃-38℃;Filling pressure: 150Bar 40L Type Standard Cylinder | ||||||
Application in cutting
Increasing cutting speed: In flame cutting, oxygen and fuel gas (such as acetylene, propane, etc.) are mixed and burned to produce a high-temperature flame. When using high-purity oxygen provided by PSA oxygen generators, the flame temperature can be significantly increased. For example, when using 93% pure oxygen mixed with acetylene to burn, the flame temperature can be hundreds of degrees higher than when using ordinary air for combustion. This high-temperature flame can quickly melt metal materials such as steel, thereby greatly speeding up the cutting speed. Taking the cutting of carbon steel with a thickness of 10-20mm as an example, the cutting speed can be increased by 30%-50% compared with cutting with air by using oxygen provided by PSA oxygen generator.
Improve cutting quality: High-purity oxygen can make the oxidation reaction in the cutting process more complete, so that the cut surface is smoother. When cutting alloy steels such as stainless steel, since these materials have strong thermal conductivity and oxidation resistance, the use of high-purity oxygen can help overcome these problems and reduce burrs and dross on the cut. For example, when cutting stainless steel plates with a thickness of 5-10mm, the use of oxygen provided by PSA oxygen generator can reduce the roughness of the cut by about 20%-30%.
Application in welding
Improve welding strength: In some welding processes, such as gas shielded welding (such as carbon dioxide gas shielded welding), appropriately increasing the oxygen content can improve the quality of the weld. Although CO2 gas shielded welding mainly uses CO2 as the shielding gas, adding a certain proportion (such as 2% - 5%) of oxygen produced by PSA oxygen generator can make the arc more stable and the droplet transition more uniform. This helps to improve the strength and toughness of the weld and reduce welding defects. For example, when welding high-strength alloy steel, the tensile strength of the weld can be increased by 10% - 15% after adding an appropriate amount of oxygen.
Expand the scope of application of welding materials: For some welding materials that are sensitive to oxygen, such as aluminum alloys and magnesium alloys, PSA oxygen generators can accurately control the supply and purity of oxygen. When welding aluminum alloys, by using oxygen with precisely controlled purity mixed with argon as a shielding gas, the oxidation of the welding area can be effectively prevented, so that these materials that were originally difficult to weld can be welded smoothly and the welding quality is guaranteed. For example, when welding aluminum alloy plates with a thickness of 3-8mm, the porosity of the weld can be reduced to less than 1% using a suitable oxygen-argon mixed shielding gas.
Economic and environmental benefits
Cost savings: From the perspective of long-term operating costs, NEWTEK PSA oxygen generators, although with a higher initial investment, can significantly reduce the cost of oxygen use compared to bottled oxygen in large-scale industrial cutting and welding applications. For example, for a factory that requires a large amount of oxygen for cutting and welding operations every day, the unit cost of using PSA oxygen generators to produce oxygen may be only 50% - 70% of bottled oxygen.
Environmental advantages: The process of producing oxygen with PSA oxygen generators is relatively clean, reducing energy consumption and environmental pollution during the production, transportation and storage of bottled oxygen. Moreover, during the cutting and welding process, it can improve combustion efficiency and reduce exhaust emissions, meeting environmental protection requirements. For example, after using PSA oxygen generators, the emission of harmful gases such as carbon monoxide in cutting and welding operations can be reduced by about 30% - 40%.