In this article we examine the use of vacuum swing adsorbtion (VSA) oxygen generator producing 95.4% purity in cutting applications in the scrap industry. Typically, cylinder oxygen with 99% purity is used. However, this practice can quickly add up to higher expenses due to cylinder renting fees, higher costs of oxygen, and high delivery fees due to working in more remote locations.
With VSA oxygen produced from a deployable oxygen concentrator system (DOCS), there is always a constant flow of oxygen at a pressure of 50-100 psi. It has been noted that when cutting with VSA oxygen, the speed of the cut decreases when compared to cutting with cylinder oxygen.
To better understand this observation, a series of trials were conducted with a total of four fuels and were tested with the different oxygen purities: acetylene, propane, gasoline, and diesel. Typically when acetylene prices are high, other gases are used in place in order to lower overall operating costs. Some customers in South America have also utilized diesel and are successfully cutting their steel material.
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