Getting prepared for the fresh COVID19 wave:

Abstract

Regular supply of pure oxygen is the need of the hour to be prepared for the fresh waves of COVID-19. The cost of such oxygen supplies should be economical to reach out to the masses & avoid unwelcome burden on the national economy. A requirement has always been felt to identify an alternate source of oxygen generation with readily available raw materials which can ensure its cost effectiveness and last mile oxygen availability through independent generation capabilities.Chemical generation of oxygen has been the go-to technology for portable oxygen generation. However, the cost of production and controlling the reaction has generally been uneconomical for commercial applications. The authors undertook a task to build up a prototype of chemical oxygen generator which did not require compressed gas. It on the principle of dissociation of Sodium per carbonate (SPC) into sodium carbonate and hydrogen peroxide. Hydrogen peroxide so produced interacts with catalyst MnO which further decomposes to produce oxygen. A cast iron tank with a reaction chamber at the bottom is fabricated where upper tank consists of water and space for storing gases. The flow of the water is regulated to control the speed of the reaction.The chemical mixture of sodium percarbonate and manganese dioxide is tightly packed in a cloth bag.Oxygen release valve is kept at the top of the tank which is connected via a pipe to the standard to check the quantity of oxygen as well as the oxygen mask for the patient.This equipment, has a to be the in the fight against COVID especially in remote and difficult to access areas as well as areas without electricity.