Oxygen
COVID PATIENTS
Hypoxia is a condition in which the amount of oxygen reaching the tissues is insufficient to meet the body’s total energy requirements. This is precisely the situation that occurs in ‘a Covid patient as a result of virus infection, and it has been a leading factor in the current crisis.
Need
Pressurised oxygen at 150 bars
In 1000 crore wonders can be done.
We always consider Average case scenario, not the peak case scenario
INDIA’S OXYGEN EXPORTS
India had exported 9,301 metric tonnes of oxygen across the world between April 2020 and January 2021. In comparison, the country had exported only 4,502 metric tonnes of oxygen in 2020. The oxygen supplied was in liquid form and can be used for both industrial and medical use.
However, the demand for oxygen in India was not as high during the aforementioned period. During the first wave, the demand for liquid medical oxygen (LMO) increased from 700 metric tonnes per day (MTPD) to 2,800 MTPD.
But during the second wave, it has skyrocketed to 5,000 MTPD. It was only in the second week of April when demand for medical oxygen in India witnessed a five-fold jump.
While many are blaming the government over India’s FY21 oxygen exports, the fact that the country produces over 7,000 metric tonnes of liquid oxygen per day indicates that the problem lies somewhere else.
At the moment, India produces more than 7,000 metric tonnes of liquid oxygen per day, which is enough to support the current requirement of medical oxygen. However, uneven supply and logistical issues have led to an oxygen crisis in some states.
Potential and issues
NAVY HAS O2 ACCESS FOR SUBS
India’s Navy can use its plants, docklands, steel and shipbuilding to provide oxygen.
Welding machines used in ship building
DRDO and ISRO both have liquid oxygen expertise. ISRO, DRDO BEST AT CRYO
Fighter aircrafts use it flying very high
Industrial oxygen is the best source can be obtained from Steel Plants
Logistics
Army can take over. GET ARMY CHOPPERS & TRUCKS
Centre installs DRDO-Tata Sons oxygen generation plants at state-run hospitals
On-Board Oxygen Generating System (OBOGS) centric Life Support System to provide enhanced physiology protection to aircrew of high altitude and high speed fighter aircrafts.
OBOGS replaces Liquid Oxygen System (LOX) by utilizing bleed air from the aircraft engine and separating its components using molecular sieve (Zeolite) Pressure Swing Adsorption (PSA) technology. The system consists of two molecular sieve beds with oxygen plenum to provide breathing gas to aircrew continuously.
The Tejas light combat aircraft’s “On-Board Oxygen Generation System (OBOGS)” has been transplanted into a civilian-use oxygen generation plant, which will be set up in the DRDO makeshift hospital in Lucknow to treat Covid-19 patients.
The industry has been given a 1,000 litre per minute capacity oxygen generation plants technology,
In an attempt to make up for the massive shortage of oxygen gas cylinders, the DRDO has developed SpO2 (Blood Oxygen Saturation) supplemental Oxygen Delivery System which can be used by soldiers posted at extreme high-altitude areas and also help Covid patients.
OTHER METHODS
There are ways to separate oxygen from air through fractional distillation
Simply defined, fractional distillation is the separation of a mixture into its component parts. Using this process oxygen can be separated from other components in the air such as dust particles, nitrogen, and carbon dioxide.
Problems
For Liquid Oxygen it is Cryogenic container
Thawing of liquid oxygen needed if transported in cryogenic manner
Way ahead
German Chancellor statement
India will keep experiencing
oxygen concentrator machine
lifestyle changes
in house logistics