Patent ID: 7846236

Claim:
A method for producing oxygen or an oxygen-enriched gas from air or from an oxygen-lean gas, comprising the steps of: continuously operating an oxygen generator having an inlet and outlet, wherein the air or oxygen-lean gas is introduced at the inlet and the oxygen is generated at the outlet; storing the generated oxygen in at least first and second buffer tanks placed in parallel, each of the first and second buffer tanks having an inlet communicating with the generator outlet and having at outlet communicating with an application consuming the oxygen; and adjusting at least a flow rate and/or a pressure of the generated oxygen in response to a demand from the application in oxygen flow rate and/or oxygen pressure, said step of adjusting being controlled by a control system comprising at least one module that is adapted to perform the following functions: maintaining a nominal amount of oxygen in the first tank sufficient for maintaining for a nominal oxygen outlet pressure and a nominal oxygen outlet flow rate for a nominal period of time; maintaining a peak amount of oxygen in the second tank sufficient for maintaining a peak oxygen outlet pressure and a peak oxygen outlet flow rate for a peak period of time, the peak oxygen outlet pressure being higher than or equal to the nominal pressure, the peak oxygen outlet flow rate being higher than or equal to the nominal oxygen outlet flow rate, said functions of maintaining nominal and peak amounts being performed according to the oxygen flow rate and/or the oxygen pressure demanded by the application, the demanded oxygen pressure being higher than or equal to the nominal oxygen outlet pressure and lower than or equal to the peak pressure, the demanded oxygen flow rate being higher than or equal to the nominal oxygen flow rate and lower than or equal to the peak oxygen flow rate.