| Title | Comparisons of Molecular Sieve Oxygen Concentrators for potential medical use aboard commercial aircraft. |
|---|---|
| Record ID | 39611 |
| Personal Name Creator |
England, H.M.; Wilcox, B.C.; McLean, G.A. |
| Corporate Creator | Civil Aeromedical Institute |
| Corporate Contributor |
United States. Office of Aviation Medicine |
| Publisher | Civil Aerospace Medical Institute |
| Publication Date | 19920600 |
| Language | English |
| Abstract | Medically-impaired air travelers requiring supplemental oxygen must depend on airlines to provide oxygen cylinders. Performance, space, and cost are considerations in providing this service. Tests were conducted in an altitude chamber to assess the viability of Molecular Sieve Oxygen Concentrators (MSOC) as an alternative. Five different MSOC were placed in the altitude chamber, and connected to a mass spectrometer outside. Gas concentration was digitized at one sample-per-second and stored on line via a microcomputer. Tests at ground level showed four of the five MSOC produced oxygen at 95% purity at 2 liters per minute flow, which was maintained until 13,000 feet. Increasing altitude resulted in graded reductions of oxygen levels. At 25,000 feet, only two MSOC withstood sudden decompression. Results of this study indicate that some MSOC indeed have the potential to provide oxygen for the medically-impaired air traveler. |
| Rosap ID | dot:21389 |
| Rosap URL | https://rosap.ntl.bts.gov/view/dot/21389 |
| TRT Terms | Oxygen equipment; Commercial transportation; Respiratory system; Altitude; Test chambers; Flow measurement; Decompression; Performance tests |
| General Subjects | Airplanes--Oxygen equipment--Testing; Respiration; Molecular sieves; Altitude, Influence of; Flow meters; Decompression (Physiology); Zeolites |
| Classification | NTL - AVIATION - AVIATION |
| Geographical Coverage |
United States |
| Report Number | DOT/FAA/AM-92/22 |
| Resource type | Tech Report |
| URL | https://ntlrepository.blob.core.windows.net/lib/39000/39600/39611/AM92-22.pdf |
| Format | |
| Database | NTL Digital Repository |