Production of oxygen-enriched air via desorption from water: Experimental data, simulations and economic assessment

•Oxygen enriched air was obtained by water degassing in a bench-scale plant.•A simulation model was successfully developed.•Both CAPEX and OPEX were evaluated varying the main operative parameter.•The process can be economically competitive with EA market.•The necessary T and P degassing conditions are dependent from H2O flow.

Oxygen enriched air with a composition of oxygen till 35% can be produced by water desorption by simple water degassing. This work reports the simulation of a small bench-scale plant for the continuous production of oxygen-enriched air by simple water degassing. The basic thermodynamic principle involved is the higher water solubility of oxygen compared to the one of nitrogen. Different experiments were performed in a continuous small bench-scale plant changing the main operating parameters, i.e. water temperature, degasser pressure and the water flowrate in order to develop rigorous and reliable simulations with suitable software (PRO/II 9.3 by SIMSCI-Schneider Electric). The results obtained showed a good fitting between the experiments and the simulations and demonstrated the possibility for the production of enriched air using this new technology. Moreover, the calculation of the economic potentials of this new process were carried out, and the results compared to the already existing technologies.