The air we breathe in generally contains 21% of Oxygen, 78% of Nitrogen, and other trace gases. Oxygen generation systems primarily separate this oxygen from compressed Air through a very unique process called Pressure Swing Adsorption (PSA).

The Pressure Swing Adsorption process that is utilized for generation of enriched oxygen gas from ambient air, uses the ability of adsorbents (synthetic Zeolitic Molecular Sieve) to absorb primarily nitrogen. While nitrogen gets concentrated in the pore system of the Zeolitic Molecular Sieve, Oxygen is enriched as a product.

A PSA Oxygen generator works like this, two vessels are filled with Zeolitic Molecular sieve as the adsorbers. Compressed Air is allowed to pass through the first adsorber. The molecular sieve is able to selectively adsorb Nitrogen. Which allows the remaining Oxygen to pass on through the next adsorber and make its exit as a product gas.

As the adsorber is fully saturated with Nitrogen, the inlet airflow is subsequently switched to the second adsorber. The first adsorber is again regenerated by desorbing the nitrogen by depressurisation and then purging it with the product oxygen. The cycle goes on and the pressure continually swings in between a higher level-adsorption (Production), and in the lower level - desorption (Regeneration).