Everyone around has been hearing and talking about oxygen. Now we all know what oxygen is, but this oxygen is the liquid oxygen required for corona patients whose oxygen inhaling capacity is reduced.
In this second wave of corona around the world, everyone needs oxygen. The major difference in this second wave is that the coronavirus is mutated, and the infected person needs oxygen, which has increased six to seven-fold.
Most of the hospitals have their liquid oxygen, which supplies oxygen to the patients in need. In normal times, it required oxygen beds only for emergency cases which were quite low.
But today with such a huge demand hospitals are not equipped as well a supply of oxygen is not available.
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Oxygen Requirement for the Human Body
Human lungs consume almost five to six millimetres of oxygen gas per minute. The whole of the human body consumes almost 250 ml/min. The consumption of oxygen may vary and increase almost four times for a diseased lung.
What is the use of Liquid Oxygen
Liquid oxygen has become a crucial treatment for corona during this second wave. The mutated virus is affecting the lungs’ function. Shortness of breath or difficulty in breathing is one of the most common symptoms in patients.
The malfunctioning of the lungs also hampers the oxygen supply to various parts of the body. To cope with the oxygen demand for the patient, hospitals require liquid oxygen to be supplied.
Oxygen has a low melting and boiling point and is in a gaseous state at room temperature. Liquefaction of oxygen helps to store it in large volumes and makes it easier for transportation.
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Government Initiative in Processing Liquid Oxygen
Many of the centres have increased medical oxygen supply almost by 20%. Also, 551 plants will be set up at pub health facilities across district headquarters.
These plants shall be set up by using funds from PM-Cares. The government has ordered most of the industries to restrict the use of liquid oxygen, including the existing stock.
They have also asked to divert the stock to medical facilities. This initiative would add almost 1550 tomes of daily supply. Many other countries are helping India with oxygen in the form of oxygen cylinders.
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Liquid oxygen Production
Despite everything, liquid oxygen is in high demand. To meet the demands of liquid oxygen, many have started to put up liquid oxygen plants. The most common production method is the separation of oxygen by Air Separation Units.
These plants separate large volumes of gases. These plants use a method called fractional distillation to produce pure oxygen from atmospheric air.
As per this method, gases from the air are separated into various components after cooling them into a liquid state. In this liquid state liquid oxygen is extracted from it.
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The mixture contains oxygen and argon, which is further drained, decompressed and passed through a low-pressure vessel for further purification. The final product is purified liquid oxygen.
This liquid oxygen is transported using cryogenic containers. Cryogenic liquid containers are specially designed containers. These containers follow a high level of safety.
These containers also provide economic transportation and storage of liquid gasses. These cryogenic vehicles can transport liquid gases stored at temperatures as low as -90 Deg C.
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Advantages Of Liquid Oxygen
Oxygen, when in liquid form, takes less space than oxygen in gas form. Thus, it becomes easier to carry around. Apart from volume, liquid oxygen can be stored at much lower pressure.
Thus, liquid oxygen tanks are much safer than gaseous oxygen, which is generally under high pressure.
Reservoirs are used to fill liquid oxygen portable tanks. These portable tanks can be kept at home. Liquid oxygen is easier to fill than concentrated oxygen tanks. Additionally, liquid oxygen lasts longer than concentrated oxygen.
A small quantity of oxygen can last for almost a full day. Thus, it is a great choice to take with you while leaving your house.
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Disadvantages Of Liquid Oxygen
The small portable tanks need to be filled from large reservoirs. Hence you need to keep a large storage filled with oxygen in your home. The storage of a large reservoir in the home can take up a lot of space.
The recurring oxygen deliveries can get pricey. Another important thing is that liquid oxygen needs to be used within a week or two; otherwise, it will evaporate.
The liquid oxygen is used for a greater number of hours in a week. This implies that you would need more oxygen. The equipment for liquid oxygen is not simple and many users have also indicated that the equipment used is confusing and difficult.
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How To Establish A Liquid Oxygen Plant
1. Warm End Process
A compressor filters and pressurises atmospheric air. The compressor provides the product with pressure to deliver to the customer. The air receiver provided collects the condensate and minimises pressure drop. The air leaves the refrigerant at 10 degrees C and is dry and compressed in nature.
To clean the process air further, first of all, more condensate is removed, then a coalescing filter acts as a gravity filter and finally, an adsorber filled with activated carbon removes some hydrocarbons. The thermal Swing absorber (TSA) is the last unit process in the warm end container.
Any residual water vapour, carbon dioxide and hydrocarbons are removed from the compressed air during the Air purification unit. The process has two vessels, valves and exhaust to allow the changeover of vessels.
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2. Cold Box Process
The process air enters the main heat exchanger in the cold box where it is cooled in counterflow with the waste gas stream. The process air from the main heat exchanger has a temperature of about –112°C and is partly liquefied. The cooled liquid oxygen is liquified through evaporation. The process is done in a boiler.
The air leaving the boiler passes through the purity control process post which the air enters the distillation column. The air flows in a downward direction through the packing material in the distillation column.
The steam of evaporated oxygen vapour in the shell of the boiler vents back into the distillation column and the liquid air descending the column loses nitrogen.
3. Storage and Vaporising Process
With a cryogenic liquid pump, the liquid from the tank is compressed to high pressure. Gaseous oxygen is produced once it is vaporised in an ambient air evaporator. Gas manifolds are used to fill the high-pressure gas in the cylinders or customer product pipeline.
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Approvals & Cost– Things You Need to Know
The approvals are granted by the Petroleum and Explosive Safety Organization (PESO). They have given up the requirement of physical inspection of the production units of these global manufacturers and these approvals will be virtual.
The manufacturers need to upload the necessary documents on the PESO website.
Before this emergency, approvals for global manufacturers of oxygen cylinders and cryogenic tankers used to take more than six months but now it comes within a few days.
PESO still insists on all reports necessary from a safety point of view, including third-party inspection, ISO certification and design specifications being shared, to see if they match the Indian requirements.
This plant can provide 24 cylinders per day which costs approximately INR 33 lakh to set up and can be completed in a couple of weeks.
Liquid Oxygen: FAQ
Oxygen, when in liquid form, takes less space than oxygen in gas form. Thus, it becomes easier to carry around. Apart from volume, liquid oxygen can be stored at much lower pressure. Thus, liquid oxygen tanks are much safer than gaseous oxygen, which is generally under high pressure.
liquid gases stored at temperatures as low as -90 Deg C.
Liquid form oxygen is easy to carry from one place to another. Liquefaction of oxygen helps to store it in large volumes and makes it easier for transportation. You can breath a air form of any substance only.
If you drink a liquid oxygen the it is not good for your health. Liquid oxygen is only for medical purpose. if you drink liquid oxygen this won`t go well.
Oxygen is a air form.
Liquid oxygen is made from these steps:
1. Warm End Process
2. Cold Box Process
3. Storage and Vaporising Process
Blue
Oxygen, when in liquid form, takes less space than oxygen in gas form. Thus, it becomes easier to carry around. Apart from volume, liquid oxygen can be stored at much lower pressure. Thus, liquid oxygen tanks are much safer than gaseous oxygen, which is generally under high pressure.
–90°C
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