text:
An oxygen concentrator is utilized in combination with a compressor, preferably a radial compressor, to provide a highly enriched and compressed oxygen gas in a mobile container such as a gas cylinder. The combination and method of production provides for the facile preparation of an enriched source of oxygen for use by an ambulatory or wheelchair-confined patient. The oxygen concentrator utilizes two or more molecular sieves to provide a breathable gas of at least about 85% or 90% oxygen from atmospheric air. The oxygen-enriched gas can be stored in a buffer tank and prioritized so as to supply a patient with a proper amount and concentration of oxygen and secondarily to supply an amount of the enriched oxygen to a compressor. The radial compressor utilizes multiple stages to produce the highly compressed oxygen-enriched gas and has radially arranged pistons. The radial compressor is compact and lightweight.
1. An apparatus for compressing and storing an oxygen-enriched gas, comprising:
a concentrated oxygen source having oxygen-enriched gas therein, wherein said oxygen enriched gas contains at least about 50% oxygen by volume;
a radial piston compressor operatively connected to said oxygen source to receive the at least 50% oxygen by volume gas therefrom, said radial compressor being capable of compressing said oxygen-enriched gas to a high pressure; and
a high-pressure storage container for portable storage of said high-pressure oxygen-enriched gas;
wherein said oxygen-enriched gas is prioritized by a portion thereof being capable of being fed to a person and a portion thereof being capable of being fed to said radial compressor, said prioritization includes a determination of a minimum oxygen concentration of said oxygen enriched gas by an oxygen sensor and the operation of said radial compressor being terminated when said enriched oxygen gas is below a predetermined oxygen level.
2. An apparatus for compressing and storing an oxygen-enriched gas, comprising:
a concentrated oxygen source having oxygen-enriched gas therein, wherein said oxygen enriched gas contains at least about 50% oxygen by volume;
a radial piston compressor operatively connected to said oxygen source to receive the at least 50% oxygen by volume gas therefrom, said radial compressor being capable of compressing said oxygen-enriched gas to a high pressure; and
a high-pressure storage container for portable storage of said high-pressure oxygen-enriched gas;
including a buffer tank, said buffer tank operatively connected to said oxygen source and to said radial compressor, wherein said oxygen-enriched gas is prioritized by a portion thereof being capable of being fed from said buffer tank to a person and a portion thereof being capable of being fed from said buffer tank to said radial compressor, said prioritization includes a determination of the oxygen concentration of said oxygen enriched gas by an oxygen sensor and the operation of said radial compressor being terminated when said enriched oxygen gas is below a predetermined oxygen level.
3. An apparatus according to
4. An apparatus according to
5. An apparatus according to
6. An apparatus for compressing and storing an oxygen-enriched gas, comprising:
a concentrated oxygen source having oxygen-enriched gas therein, wherein said oxygen enriched gas contains at least about 50% oxygen by volume;
a radial piston compressor operatively connected to said oxygen source to receive the at least 50% oxygen by volume gas therefrom, said radial compressor being capable of compressing said oxygen-enriched gas to a high pressure; and
a high-pressure storage container for portable storage of said high-pressure oxygen-enriched gas;
wherein said oxygen-enriched gas is prioritized by a portion being capable of being fed to a person and a portion being capable of being fed to a compressor, wherein said prioritization includes termination the flow of said oxygen-enriched gas to said high-pressure storage container when said enriched oxygen gas is below a predetermined oxygen level.
7. An apparatus according to
8. An apparatus according to
9. An apparatus as set forth in
10. An apparatus as set forth in
11. An apparatus as set forth in
12. An apparatus as set forth in
13. An apparatus as set forth in
five cylinders;
five pistons located one in each one of said five cylinders;
five connecting rods, each one of said pistons being connected by a respective one of said connecting rods to said crankshaft;
said crankshaft having a single throw;
said connecting rods being connected to and driven by said single throw of said crankshaft so that said five pistons reciprocate in one radial plane.
14. An apparatus as set forth in
15. An apparatus as set forth in
16. An apparatus according to
17. A process for filling a high-pressure portable container with concentrated oxygen under high pressure, comprising the steps of:
providing a concentrated oxygen source of at least about 50% oxygen by volume,
transferring said concentrated oxygen to a radial compressor at an initial pressure,
compressing said concentrated oxygen transferred to said compressor to a high pressure; and
transferring said high pressure concentrated oxygen from said radial compressor to a portable container for subsequent use by a patient;
wherein said radial compressor contains a plurality of cylinders each having a piston therein, wherein said pistons are radially arranged around a crankshaft, wherein said oxygen-enriched gas is sequentially compressed by each piston, and wherein each sequential piston compresses said concentrated oxygen to a higher pressure than the previous piston;
wherein the concentration of said concentrated oxygen is at least 90% by volume, and including compressing said concentrated oxygen to a pressure of from about 500 to about 4,000 psi in said portable container; and
including prioritizing said concentrated oxygen by feeding a portion of said oxygen to a conduit capable of supplying said oxygen to a person and feeding a portion of said oxygen to said radial compressor.
18. A process according to
This application is a continuation-in-part of U.S. Ser. No. 09/154,442, filed Sep. 16, 1998 now U.S. Pat. No. 6,302,107 for "Apparatus and Method for Forming Oxygen-Enriched Gas and Compression Thereof for High Pressure Mobile Storage Utilization", which in turn is a continuation-in-part of U.S. Ser. No. 08/942,063, filed Oct. 1, 1997, now U.S. Pat. No. 5,988,165 for "Apparatus and Method for Forming Oxygen-Enriched Gas and Compression Thereof for High Pressure Mobile Storage Utilization".
The present invention relates to an apparatus and process for conserving enriched oxygen which is subsequently collected under high pressure in a portable container for ambulatory patient use and to permit facile patient mobility. A multi-stage radial compressor is utilized to pressurize the desired gas. The radial compressor is compact and light and can be housed in a relatively small unit.
Heretofore, oxygen concentrators have been utilized to supply patients with a gas having a high oxygen concentration for extended periods of time. Oxygen concentrators typically produce a breathable gas containing from about 80 percent to about 96 percent oxygen from atmospheric air and thus have been widely utilized in the home health care field.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,627,860, to Rowland, relates to a microprocessor and cooperating means for monitoring or sensing functions and performance of various components of the concentrator. A test apparatus having means for selecting any of the functions monitored by the microprocessor is connected to the concentrator and displays the selected monitored functions for diagnosing performance levels and component problems or failures.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,071,453, to Hradek et al. relates to an oxygen concentrator which is intended for aircraft use. A booster compressor is used to increase the pressure of the product gas from the concentrator in order to increase the amount of the gas which can be stored in a plenum. The booster includes two moving pistons which are rigidly linked together and a series of check valves which control the flow of gases through the compressor. One of the pistons is driven by air from the rotary valve in the concentrator, and the other piston compresses the product gas for delivery to the plenum. A small sample of concentrator product gas is monitored by an oxygen sensor for oxygen concentration. Once the oxygen concentration has reached an acceptable level, the booster compressor fills the plenum with product gas. Thereafter, if the oxygen concentration of product gas delivered to the crew from the concentrator falls below the concentration which is required at a particular altitude, the product gas stored in the plenum is delivered to the crew. The oxygen sensor monitors the concentrator output product gas to the breathing regulator when the stored plenum gas is not being used.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,354,361, to Coffield, relates to a pressure-swing adsorber system including a pneumatically driven booster compressor to increase the pressure of the output product gas. A pair of inlet valves controls feed air flow to the sieve beds and the drive cylinder of the booster compressor and are cycled so that one valve opens to pressurize one sieve bed before the other valve closes to allow the other sieve bed to vent to atmosphere. During the time that both valves are open, the pressure in the two sieve beds and on opposite sides of the drive cylinder equalize and a portion of the gas in the pressurized sieve bed and drive cylinder side is captured rather than being vented to ambient. System efficiency is increased by selecting whether captured gas from the last pressurized sieve bed or drive cylinder side reaches the next to be pressurized sieve bed first.
It is an aspect of the present invention to provide a method and apparatus for storing high-pressure, high-purity oxygen in a pressure vessel for use in the home health care or related-fields as for ambulatory patients, persons confined to wheelchairs, and those who are bedridden.
In accordance with the invention there is provided a method and apparatus for producing from air an oxygen-enriched gas and initially storing the same in a concentrator product tank. At least a portion of the oxygen-enriched gas is fed by different methods as to an optional but desired compressor buffer tank where it is stored. After reaching a predetermined pressure, the gas is fed to a compressor where it is compressed to a high pressure and stored in a mobile or portable high-pressure container. A patient can thus have increased mobility through use of the portable, one or more high-pressure oxygen containers, which can be filled in one's own home.
It is a further aspect of the invention to provide circuitry to assure prioritization of the flow rate and concentration of the enriched gas to a patient. The excess gas, when available, is simultaneously delivered to an independent, multi-stage compressor.
In accordance with another aspect of the invention there is provided a home health care oxygen concentrator for physically separating molecules of oxygen from air with oxygen in a subsequent operation being fed to a high-pressure vessel. The concentrator comprises one or more molecular sieve beds containing a physical separation material, a first (i.e., feed stock) compressor to provide a feed source of compressed air, control means which regulate the product gas flow through the beds to a concentrator product tank, a second enriched-gas storage tank (e.g., a buffer tank), and a second compressor, e.g., multi-stage, which is not operated by the first compressor but operates independently thereof and enables the oxygen-enriched gas to be compressed and fed to a high-pressure vessel or container.
In a further embodiment, a radial compressor can be utilized to compress oxygen from an optional but desired buffer tank connected to an oxygen source. The radial compressor has pistons radially arranged around a central drive shaft and compresses the oxygen to a high pressure and stores the same in a compact storage cylinder. This design is more compact and less bulky than typical linear designed compressors, and allows the compressor to be housed in a relatively small unit which is thus more easily transportable. An oxygen sensor determines whether a required minimum oxygen concentration is being supplied to a patient and if not, terminates the flow of compressed oxygen to the cylinder, while maintaining the flow to the patient.
While a preferred embodiment of the invention is described hereinbelow, it is to be understood that the various aspects and parameters of the present invention can vary and be different such as the pressure and purity of the oxygen-enriched gas exiting from a concentration product tank, the pressure at which the enriched gas is fed to the patient and its flow rate, the pressure maintained in a buffer tank, the pressure at which the compressor initially draws enriched gas from the buffer tank, the buffer tank pressure at which the compressor shuts off, and the like. Moreover, while reference is made to a particular oxygen concentrator as set forth immediately below, generally any type of oxygen concentrator can be utilized which yields a source of enriched air containing anywhere from about 50 percent oxygen up to about 99 percent by volume.
With reference to
A cross-over valving means 20, which preferably includes a four-way valve 21, selectively and cyclically connects the inlet end of two beds, one at a time, during a production phase with a source of the gas mixture, e.g., air under pressure supplied from a first compressor 22 (i.e., the feed compressor), while the other bed is vented to atmosphere during a purge phase. Specific to the preferred embodiment, the cross-over valving means selectively connects one of the beds in fluid communication with an air pump or compressor 22 which supplies air from about 15 to about 21 psi. As used herein, "fluid communication" refers to means allowing flow of the appropriate gases. Of course, vacuum can also be used during the purge phase with the present invention to enhance evacuation. Compressor 22, which receives air from inlet 23, is connected to a first drive motor 25, in the preferred embodiment about a �-horsepower electric motor. A solenoid (not shown) or other cross-over valve actuating means selectively causes the cross-over valving means to move alternately between first and second positions. In the first position, the first bed 10 is connected with compressor 22 to cause nitrogen adsorption and oxygen enrichment in the product gas, and the second bed 12 is vented to atmosphere to allow evacuation. In the second position, the first bed is vented to atmosphere to allow evacuation and the second bed is connected with the air compressor to cause nitrogen adsorption.
The invention is described with specific reference to a pressure-swing control. However, it is equally applicable to other methods of sequencing the gas flow through the sieve beds such as a timing-based system.
The composition of the gas in the voids of the zeolite varies from substantially pure primary-product gas at the outlet end, to the ambient gaseous mixture composition at the inlet end. As the gas mixture is introduced through a bed inlet to an adsorbed, gas-free or regenerated bed, an adsorption zone of finite, relatively large size is formed. This adsorption zone is a region of the bed in which the full capacity of the adsorbent to hold the adsorbable components has not been reached. This adsorption zone moves from the bed inlet toward a bed outlet with a velocity significantly less than the superficial gas velocity in the bed. When the adsorption zone reaches the outlet end of the bed, adsorbable components begin to flow through the bed outlet into the nonadsorbable primary product stream. This time is hereinafter referred to as the "breakthrough." For a given gaseous composition, the breakthrough is defined by the size and configuration of the bed container as well as the packing configuration of the molecular sieve and the flow rate and bed gas pressure. The configuration of the bed is generally cylindrical and the output volume rate can vary from about 0.1 to 6 liters per minute. The breakthrough is the time required for the diffusion reaction as the nitrogen saturates and is weakly bonded to the sieve bed. When breakthrough occurs, primary product-enriched bed gas in the zeolite voids varies from a higher primary product gas concentration at the bed outlet to a lower concentration at the bed inlet. In the preferred embodiment, the primary product-enriched bed gas is about 80 percent primary product at breakthrough. While adsorption is occurring in one bed, the adsorbable components adsorbed by the separation medium of the other bed are purged from the other bed because of the drop in pressure due to atmospheric venting and because of exposure to relatively pure product gas from the first tank.
The first bed 10 is connected with a reservoir or product tank 30 by way of a first check valve 32 or other unidirectional valving means. The first check valve 32 permits the primary product gas from the first bed 10 to flow into the reservoir or product tank 30 via line 46 when the product gas pressure in the first bed 10 exceeds the pressure of product gas in the reservoir or product tank 30. The first check valve prohibits the product gas from flowing from the reservoir or product tank 30 when the pressure in the first bed 10 is lower than the reservoir or product tank. More specific to the preferred embodiment, the check valve imposes a 1.5 psi bias such that flow is only permitted when the pressure in the first bed exceeds the pressure in the reservoir or product tank by 1.5 psi. The second bed 12 is connected with the reservoir or product tank 30 by way of a second check valve 34 or other unidirectional valving means. The second check valve 34 again provides for unidirectional flow of the primary product gas from the second bed 12 to the reservoir or product tank 30.
A pressure equalization flow path 40 extends between outlets of the first and second beds. A concentration equalization valve 42 is either open or closed to selectively permit or prevent gas flow through the flow path between the first and second beds. A control means 50 cyclically causes the cross-over valve actuating means (i.e., two solenoids) and the concentration equalization valve 42 to be operated. The control means periodically and cyclically enables a concentration equalization valve actuator which is also a solenoid.
Oxygen sensor 43 registers the oxygen concentration of the product gas and can be located in the product tank 30. The sensor 43 communicates a sensed value to the microprocessor (i.e., control means). Similarly, a pressure sensor 45 registers the pressure in the product tank and communicates the same to the microprocessor.
The control means causes the cross-over valving means 20 to alternate between its first and second positions for the appropriate period during each cycle segment. A cycle segment can be either the product gas generation cycle or the purge cycle. The cycle duration is selected such that each bed is connected with the source of air for a period of time which is equal to or less than the breakthrough time. The mechanism which triggers the cross-over valving can be based on the pressure, such as a pressure set point or set point range, in the bleed line from the product tank as is used in a pressure-based control cycle, or it can be based strictly on a residence time from the product-producing bed, such as in a timing cycle-based control cycle. In accordance with another embodiment of the invention, the control cycle can utilize variable pressure in order to achieve a residence time within a defined range based upon a projected breakthrough time. In the preferred embodiment, the beds are 3.5 inches in diameter, 15 inches in length, and each contains 6.5 pounds of 5A zeolite.
The gas mixture is supplied at up to 21 psi of pressure to the first bed. Concurrently, the second bed (i.e., a "used" bed) is vented to atmosphere to cause purging of the nitrogen-enriched molecular sieves.
Before the breakthrough time, the concentration equalization valve is opened allowing primary product-enriched gas from the first bed to flow into the evacuated second bed. During the concentration equalization period, one bed is evacuated and the other has just reached the pressure set point which drives flow between the beds. The flow is of high oxygen content so that the first product to pass into the product tank via line 46 is essentially product gas produced by the oxygen beds. The second bed pressure is product-enriched gas to purge the sieve bed. Before the primary product-enriched gas from the first bed is evacuated through the second bed, the cross-over valving means 20 is actuated to reverse its position. Actuating the cross-over valving means discontinues supplying of the gaseous mixture to the first bed and commences evacuating it and concurrently discontinues evacuating the second bed and commences supplying it with the gaseous mixture.
Subsequent to the actuation of the cross-over valving means, the concentration equalization valve 42 remains open to continue allowing a purge supply of product-enriched gas to flow into the second bed. This equalizes the concentration of gas which is supplied to the product tank since the cycling is sequenced so that the product gas proceeds from the breakthrough zone to flow into the product tank. Subsequently, the concentration equalization valve closes and terminates the flow of primary-product gas between the beds. In the second segment of the cycle, the pressure in the second bed increases approaching the gas mixture source pressure. Concurrently, the pressure in the first bed decreases approaching atmospheric pressure. Before the secondary product molecules have traversed the second bed, the concentration equalization valve 42 is opened allowing the primary product-enriched gas in the zeolite voids of the second bed to flow to the first bed. While the primary product-enriched gas is flowing to the first bed, the cross-over valving means is actuated. Actuating the cross-over valving means discontinues the evacuation of the first bed and commences supplying the gaseous mixture and concurrently discontinues supplying the gaseous mixture to the second bed and commences evacuating it. Subsequent to actuating the cross-over valving means, the concentration equalization valve is closed terminating the pressure equalizing flow of the primary product-enriched gas between the beds. The steps are cyclically repeated to provide continuing fractionating of the primary product gas from the mixture.
Referring again to
In accordance with other concepts of the present invention, oxygen-enriched gas from an oxygen concentrator such as that described hereinabove can be fed in any variety of methods to a compressor where it is compressed to very high pressure and stored in a portable or mobile container such as a gas cylinder.
In the embodiment of
Referring to the embodiment of
The embodiment of
While the above description, as exemplified by
Referring now to the compressor assembly 100 as shown in
Through the utilization of the two large gears 110 and 116, a double-reduction is obtained such that the rotational speed of crankshaft 130 is a desirably low speed such as approximately 50 rpm. Both drive belts 109 and 122 desirably have a spring-loaded idler arm 125 and 127, respectively, which applies a small amount of tension. The actual pull tension of the first belt can be about 20 pounds, whereas the tension on the second belt can be about 100 pounds.
The multi-stage compressor of the present invention can have any number of pistons, but in the present embodiment has three. As shown in
The compressor of the present invention has three pistons, i.e., piston #1 (131), piston #2 (133), and piston #3 (135). Each piston is contained within a separate cylinder and thus piston #1 is contained within the first cylinder (132), the second piston is contained the second cylinder (134), and the third piston is contained within the third cylinder (136). While the diameter of the head 140 of the first piston is approximately equal to the diameter of the base portion of the piston as shown in
Regardless of the size of the piston head, it has two rings as generally indicated in
Connecting rod 148 connects the piston head to piston base 150. The piston bases of all three pistons are the same diameter and accordingly engage a mating cylinder of essentially the same diameter. The piston base contains an upper base annulus 151 and a lower base annulus 155, both of which have a glide ring therein similar to if not identical to glide ring 145 of piston head annulus 144. Thus, upper base annulus 151 has a glide ring 152 therein which is forced radially outward by coil spring 153. Similarly, lower base annulus 155 has a glide ring 156 therein which is radially forced out by coil spring 157. Although three glide rings have been shown and described as being identical, they can be different and use different material, and the like. Piston base 150 contains bore 158 which extends laterally therethrough. Bore 158 receives wrist pin 159. The wrist pin and coil spring both serve to maintain glide ring 156 in a radially outward position so as to bear against the cylinder wall.
The two-part piston assembly of the present invention contains bottom connecting rod 160 as shown in
The net result of the two-part piston ring assembly of the present invention is that bearing 164 of connecting rod 160 can freely rotate with the crankshaft in a rotary or circular motion whereas top bore 161 moves in only a linear or reciprocal motion allowing piston rod 148 with the piston head and base thereon to move only in a linear reciprocating direction. The same thus prevents lateral forces from being applied to the cylinder wall which often results in wear and can create an oval-shaped cylinder wall. The two-part piston ring assembly of the present invention thus promotes long life of the piston and cylinder wall.
Although each piston serves to compress the gas admitted therein to a higher pressure, a desirable aspect of the present invention, as noted above, is that each subsequent piston head has a smaller area. For example, piston #1 (131) can have a diameter of approximately 1� inches, whereas piston #2 has a diameter of approximately 1� inches, and piston #3 can have a diameter of approximately � inch, which can be the diameter of essentially piston rod 148. Desirably, the increase in pressure from each stage or piston is proportional to the others. The compression ratio of each piston can vary, but generally is the same. Although compression ratios of up to 10 can be utilized, the desirable pressure range is from approximately 6 to about 8.
Inasmuch as heat is built-up during compression of the oxygen-enriched gas, the flow lines between the pistons can be extended so that they are long enough to permit the heat of compression to be absorbed by ambient air and thus cool the enriched pressurized gas therein. As shown in
The operation of the compressor portion of the apparatus is as follows. Electric motor 105 which operates independently of the compressor feeding air to the molecular sieves in the oxygen concentrator portion of the apparatus, through drive belts 109 and 122, rotates crankshaft 130 thereby causing piston #1, #2, and #3 (131, 133, 135) to reciprocate and compress air in their respective chambers. More specifically, enriched oxygen gas from the compressor buffer tank is fed to the first piston. Piston 131 contains an inlet check valve 172, which permits air to enter the cylinder head space above the piston, and outlet check valve 173, which permits the compressed gas to exit from the first piston. The check valves permit flow of the gas in one direction so that once the gas is admitted to the first piston, during the compression stroke thereof it cannot be forced back out to the buffer tank. Similarly, once forced out of the first piston, outlet check valve 173 prevents the gas from being sucked in during the intake stroke of the first piston. In a similar manner, second piston 133 has an inlet check valve 175 which permits the compressed air from piston #1 to be drawn into the head space above piston 133, but prevents it from being forced back into the first piston. Outlet check valve 176 prevents the gas compressing the second piston from being drawn back into the piston once it has been expelled therefrom. In a similar manner, the gas which has been further compressed in piston #2 is fed into piston #3 (135) through inlet check valve 178 where it is further compressed. The compressed gas is then fed through outlet check valve 179 into enriched oxygen gas storage cylinder 500. Outlet check valve 179 thus prevents the highly compressed stored gas in the cylinder from being admitted back into the third piston.
During the operation of the compressor, the gas in portable cylinder 500 which is initially at ambient pressure, is gradually built up to desired pressure. One such suitable pressure is approximately 2,250 psi. Of course, different cylinders can accept either higher or lower gas pressures and readily maintain the same. Rupture disk 180 is a safety feature designed to rupture at a pressure in excess of the desired storage pressure of the gas cylinder. Thus, in the present embodiment, such a pressure can be approximately 2,800 psi. Although not shown, rupture disks can also be provided in the flow lines from the exit of the first and second cylinders to prevent undue build-up in these lines. A pressure regulator 181 serves to emit the oxygen-enriched gas at a pressure of about 5 psi to a patient via a flow meter (not shown) at any desired rate, such as from about 0.1 to about 6 liters per minute.
As previously noted, the buffer tank contains oxygen-enriched gas at a pressure of generally from about 7 or 14 psi to about 21 psi. The compressor is designed to commence compression generally when the pressure in the tank is generally at a maximum until it drops to a predetermined pressure, e.g., 7 or 8 psi. In general, the pressure is electrically controlled by various switches, sensors, relays and the like.
Briefly, a master ON/OFF switch emits power to compressor motor 105 which in turn causes the crankshaft to rotate and compress air. Two pressure-sensitive switches exist: a low pressure sensor which detects pressure below a predetermined value, e.g., 7 to 12 psi, and a high pressure sensor which detects pressure above 2,250 psi. When the low pressure sensor detects pressure below the predetermined level, it will turn off motor 105 through a relay switch. This allows oxygen inflow from the concentrator to be built-up in the buffer tank to a desired pressure. The low pressure sensor is a solid-state relay. Should the relay fail, it will fail closed and allow the motor to continue to run. Accordingly, this relay switch is connected in series with the high pressure sensor mechanical relay switch which will shut the motor off when the pressure in the cylinder reaches approximately 2,250 psi.
One of these closed switches passes the power to high pressure switch 650 which is normally closed when the output pressure of the compressor is under 2,250 psi. The output of the high pressure switch is fed back to the start relay coil to keep the coil energized without the start switch being depressed, but will cut power to the coil when high pressure is reached. (This occurs when a tank has been filled.) The output of the high pressure switch is also connected to the common of low pressure switch 660. While the input pressure from the concentrator is above the predetermined value, e.g., 7 psi, the low pressure switch is closed and the normally closed contact has power. This power signal is fed to the drive contact of the solid-state relay which, in turn, allows the solid-state output to be "turned on." The output of the high-pressure switch is also connected to the run indicator 670 which then lights up.
The second closed switch of the start relay is connected to the "input" of the solid-state relay. When the solid-state relay is turned on by the signal from the low pressure switch, power is passed to motor 105 and its start capacitors through the solid-state output. A common line is connected to the other side of the motor to complete the circuit. An hour meter 690 is wired in parallel to the motor to monitor motor run time.
When the above occurs, the motor beings to run and remains running until one of two conditions occur. The first condition would be the input pressure to the compressor falls below a predetermined value, e.g., 7 psi. This will cause low pressure switch 660 to open and solid-state relay 695 to turn off, which in turn shuts off motor 105. If the input pressure to the compressor rises above a desired predetermined pressure, low pressure switch 660 will close and once again turn on the solid-state relay and start the motor. This is a normal occurrence that is dependent upon concentrator efficiency and may be repetitive.
The second condition that will shut off the motor occurs when an oxygen tank has been filled. The output pressure will rise above 2,250 psi and therefore cause high pressure switch 650 to open. This cuts the power to the start relay coil which causes both switches to open and cuts the power to both the input of the high pressure switch and the input to the solid-state relay thereby shutting off the motor. To start the motor after this condition is reached requires start switch 620 to be depressed. If greater than 2,250 psi remains, the high pressure switch will remain open and no signal will be fed back to the start relay coil to keep it energized therefore causing the motor to remain off. While the high pressure switch is open, run indicator 670 remains off.
Any direct shorts between power and common or any condition that draws more than 8 amps of current will cause resettable breaker 600 to pop open.
As apparent from the above, the operation of compressor 100 is completely independent of the oxygen concentrator as well as utilization of gas compressed thereby as a power or energy source for the compressor. In other words, the pressure accumulated in the oxygen concentrator is not utilized to drive or operate a pressure intensifier.
A distinct advantage of the apparatus and method for forming oxygen-enriched gas and compression thereof according to the present invention is the creation of a mobile or portable source of gas containing high purity oxygen. Patients who require oxygen-enriched gas, as from about 80 to about 98 percent, are no longer confined to the vicinity of an oxygen concentrator as for example a bed, home, hospital, or a wheelchair. Rather, the patient can carry the mobile gas cylinder in any convenient manner, such as in a backpack, and thus can take trips via wheelchair, an automobile, and even planes and trains. Depending upon the pressure and size of the storage cylinder, the oxygen supply can be anywhere from about 2 to about 24 hours or even longer.
A further embodiment of the present invention relates to an electromechanical oxygen distribution device or system as for use in a home to supply a patient with concentrated oxygen and also to concurrently supply pressurized and concentrated oxygen to a storage cylinder as for a patient's personal ambulatory use. The device is designed to be utilized in association with an oxygen source capable of supplying oxygen at a preferred concentration of at least 85% or 90% by volume at various pressures such as generally from about 2 to about 20 psig, and desirably from about 2.5 or about 4 to about 10 psig. Sources of concentrated oxygen include an oxygen concentrator as set forth herein above, or, conventional or commercially available oxygen concentrators, such as for example, but not limited to, Mallinckrodt-Aeris 590; Russ Products—Millienum; Sunrise; and the like. Such concentrators can have various oxygen concentration outputs, pressures, and a desirable flow rates such as at least about 3, 5 or 6 liters per minute.
The oxygen distribution system or device 800 has housing 810 as well as oxygen test mode inlet 815, oxygen normal operation inlet 820 for receiving oxygen from a concentrated oxygen source, oxygen outlet 825 for feeding oxygen to a patient, oxygen flow meter 830 for regulating the flow of oxygen to a patient, pressure gauge 835, power switch 840 for turning the compressor unit or device on and off, and fill connector 845 for connecting the compressed gas to gas storage cylinder 1000.
Considering the radial compressor, as seen in
The radial multi-stage compressor of the present invention can have any number of pistons, such as from 2 to about 12, desirably from about 3 to about 8 or 10, with about 5 being preferred. As shown in
The radial compressor is designed so that the volume of gas is reduced, desirably proportionally, in each succeeding piston/cylinder assembly. Thus, as can be seen in
The operation of the radial compressor generally is as follows: Drive motor 905 through, drive belt 909, and pulley 910 rotates crankshaft 911 and thus operably causes first through fifth pistons 915–919 to reciprocate and compress a source gas in their respective chambers. More specifically, a gas, which is preferably enriched oxygen gas is fed to the first piston 915. The gases which are fed or supplied to the radial compressor can be supplied from various sources, herein incorporated by reference, such as molecular sieve oxygen concentrator, a product tank or a buffer tank. Alternatively, gases from liquid or a high pressure oxygen cylinder which is typically too large and heavy to be easily moved, can serve as a source gas which is fed to the compressor. These large cylinders contain a wide range of oxygen therein, such as typically from about 800 to about 900 cubic feet of compressed or liquified oxygen therein.
The piston/cylinder assemblies in each cylinder head contain conventional check valve members such as ball and spring assemblies such as those set forth in
In yet a similar manner, third piston 917 has an inlet check valve 944 which permits the compressed gas from the second piston/cylinder assembly to be drawn into the third compressible area 937, but prevents it from being forced back into the second piston. Outlet check valves 945 prevents the gas compressed in the third piston/cylinder assembly from being drawn back into the same once it has been expelled therefrom.
In a similar manner, fourth piston 918 has an inlet check valve 946 which permits the compressed gas from the third piston/cylinder assembly to be drawn into the fourth compressible area 938, but prevents it from being forced back into the third piston. Outlet check valves 947 prevents the gas compressed in the fourth piston/cylinder assembly from being drawn back into the same once it has been expelled therefrom.
Finally, in a similar manner, fifth piston 919 has an inlet check valve 948 which permits the compressed gas from the fourth piston/cylinder assembly to be drawn into the fifth compressible area 939, but prevents it from being forced back into the fourth piston. Outlet check valves 949 prevents the gas compressed in the fifth piston/cylinder assembly from being drawn back into the same once it has been expelled therefrom. As shown in
As shown in
As concentrated oxygen is fed to the radial compressor, the first cylinder will gradually build up a pressure, with the second cylinder gradually building up a higher pressure, etc. until a desirable pressure is reached in storage cylinder 1000. While the ranges in each cylinder can vary widely, the desired range from the concentrator or other oxygen source as from about 2 to about 20 psig is approximately 34 psig. The second compressor will gradually build up to a pressure of approximately 110 psig with a third compressor gradually building up to a pressure of approximately 300 psig. The fourth compressor will gradually build up to a maximum pressure of about 800 psig whereas the last or fifth compressor will build up to a maximum pressure of approximately 2,000 psig. The above pressures are generally relative for a desired pressure of about 2,000 psig and of course will vary proportionally for a five stage compressor with regard to any other desired end pressure such as about 1,500 psig, 2,500 psig, 3,000 psig, etc. Generally, cylinder 1000 can accept pressures in a range generally from about 500 to about 4,000 psig, desirably from about 1,500 psig to about 3,000 psig, and preferably from about 1,900 psig to about 2,100 psig.
The compressed gas is then fed through connector check valve 950 into a gas storage cylinder 1000 through appropriate tubing, connectors, valves, and the like. These storage cylinders can generally be of any conventional size with standard sizes such as M6, C, D, and E, being suitable. Typically, the gas cylinder can hold a volume of compressed gas in a range generally from about 10 to about 650, desirably from about 50 or 100 to about 400 or 500, and preferably from about 150 to about 250 liters. Desirably, the cylinder has a built in pressure gauge of from about 0 to about 3,000 psig, and is equipped with a self-contained release valve as well as a high pressure rupture disk set for any desirable pressure such as about 6,000 psig. It can also have a hose barb outlet for connection to a patient cannula.
As stated above, the radial compressor 900 can be substituted directly for compressor assembly 100, that is in association with an oxygen concentrator, and with various flow schemes, designs, etc., whether preferably prioritized to insure that a patient receives a required amount of oxygen enriched gas, or not prioritized. Accordingly, the flow diagram of
The oxygen distribution system or device of the present invention containing the radial compressor is diagrammically shown in
Once the level of oxygen concentration from the oxygen concentrator, etc., has been determined by the test mode system to meet the predetermined, minimum requirement or level, the oxygen source such as a concentrator is attached to oxygen inlet 820. From there a small portion is fed to oxygen sensor 860 which continuously monitors the oxygen concentration. The remaining great majority of the oxygen is fed to a reservoir or buffer tank 875 whereafter it is channeled into two flow streams with a selected or predetermined portion of oxygen such as from about 1 to about 3, 4, or 5 and preferably about 2 liters per minute being fed to the compressor and with a selected or predetermined portion such as from about 0.1 to about 6, desirably from 1 to about 0.5 to about 5, and preferably from about 1 to about 3 liters per minute, flowing to a patient. These two portions naturally add up to the total amount or flow of oxygen from the reservoir of buffer tank 875; that is one flow stream such as that to the patient is the difference of the flow stream going to the compressor based upon the total flow or amount of oxygen exiting from the buffer tank. The oxygen distribution system of the present invention is prioritized in that the radial compressor will only run when oxygen sensor 860 determines that the oxygen concentration is at or above a minimum predetermined level, for example 90% by volume. Thus, should the oxygen concentration drop below the predetermined level during operation of the compressor, sensor 960 will shut off the compressor until the concentration reaches the predetermined level. However, while the compressor is shutoff to build up the oxygen level, the enriched oxygen is continuously fed to the patient. As apparent from
The oxygen being fed to the compressor, as previously indicated, goes through a series of compression stages or cylinders with each subsequent stage pressurizing the gas to a higher pressure until finally the last stage achieves the desired indicated pressure whereupon cylinder pressure switch 880 will turn off compressor motor 905. As a safety backup, burst disk 884 is provided to prevent an undue buildup of pressure within the storage cylinder.
Generally, the only requirement required by the patient in operating the oxygen distribution device of the present invention is to turn on power switch 840 and to set flow meter to desired rate as determined by a medical person or the like.
Referring to
A test pressure switch 852 senses the pressure of gas applied to the test mode inlet 815. The switch 852 provides an indication that pressurized gas is being applied to the test mode inlet 815. The switch 852 may, for example, be actuated by a gas pressure of 2.1 psi or greater.
Upon indication of pressurized gas being applied to the test mode inlet 815, the compressor 900 is disabled and the oxygen sensor 860 is then used to test the oxygen level or concentration of the gas applied to the test mode inlet 815.
Referring to
The controller 1100 receives inputs from the oxygen sensor 860, the high pressure switch 880 and the test pressure switch 852 and provides outputs to the compressor 900 and the indicators 1102, 1104, 1106, 1108, 1110. The controller 1100 may also, for example, incorporate the previously mentioned control means 50. The indicators 1102, 1104, 1106, 1108, 1110 may be, for example LEDs, light bulbs, an LCD screen, or other suitable indicators, including, for example, audible indicators.
When the power switch 840 is first turned on, the FULL indicator a 1102, the WAIT indicator 1104, the FAULT indicator 1106 and the TEST indicator 1108 will come on for a short time (e.g., 1 second) to provide an indication that these indicators are functioning. Then the indicators 1102, 1106, 1008 will go off.
The WAIT indicator 1104 will remain on long enough for the oxygen sensor 860 to reach operating temperature (e.g., 3.0 minutes).
The controller 1100 also monitors the heater current and voltage and the output current voltage of the oxygen sensor 860 whenever the device 800 is turned on. If a fault in the oxygen sensor 860 is detected at any time, the WAIT indicator 1104 is flashed at a one second rate, the FAULT indicator 1106 is activated and all other indicators are deactivated. In this state, the compressor 900 and the test mode function will not operate.
If no gas pressure is detected by the test pressure switch 852, the device 800 will operate in normal mode. That is, if there is an acceptable level of oxygen as sensed by the oxygen sensor 860 in the gas applied to the normal mode inlet 820 (e.g., greater than 91 percent) the compressor 900 will run and the FILLING indicator 1110 will be activated. If the high pressure switch 880 is activated, the FULL indicator 1102 will be activated, the FILLING indicator 1110 will be deactivated and the compressor 900 will be deactivated by the controller 1100.
If the high pressure switch 880 is activated during the warm up period (e.g., a full bottle (e.g., 2,000 psi) already attached to the oxygen outlet 825), the FAULT indictor 1106 will be flashed at a one second rate by the controller 1100 and the device 800 must be reset to operate.
If the test pressure switch 852 detects gas pressure at the test mode inlet 815, the device 800 will operate in test mode. If the gas pressure at the inlet 815 is removed, the device 800 will again operate in normal mode.
Whenever the device 800 enters or leaves test mode, the controller 1100 will suspend the operation of the device 1100 for a period of time (e.g., 30 seconds) and activate the WAIT indicator 1104 to allow the oxygen sensor 860 time to stabilize with a new input gas.
In test mode, the controller 1100 will disable the compressor 900, activate the TEST indicator 1108 and use the oxygen sensor 860 to test the oxygen level of the gas applied to the test mode inlet 815. If there is an acceptable level of oxygen, the controller 1100 will activate the FULL indicator 1102. Otherwise, the controller 1100 will activate the FAULT indicator 1106.
The test mode of operation permits a user to conveniently check the oxygen content of a cylinder or concentrator output without activating the compressor of the device. The user activates the test mode by merely connecting a gas source to the test mode inlet. Normal operation resumes when the gas source is removed. The user is not required to perform any other operation. This is particularly advantageous for impaired, unsophisticated or technology intimidated users.
The radial compressor and assembly comprising connecting tubing etc. is compact and light, approximately � the size of compressor assembly 100 shown in
While in accordance with the patent statutes the best mode and preferred embodiments have been set forth, the scope of the invention is not limited thereto, but rather by the scope of the attached claims.
Patent Citations
Non-Patent Citations
Referenced by
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2-up? what's the appeal?
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Bill 310
Poser Emeritus
Joined: Dec 2002
Location: Hopefully Upright
Oddometer: 3,254
Originally Posted by
I keep reading the solo riders mentioning the "added responsibility" of having a passenger vs. each riding their own bike. I'd rather rely on my 30 years of riding experience to keep us safe
I think perhaps that you are misreading the concept of added responsibility and how some of us are defining what it means to us. My wife and I are both experienced long distance riders and it was only because we were deciding whether or not to ship one or two bikes to leave in Europe that the concept of riding two (beyond out for dinner two up at the end of a long day touring 700 + miles) even entered our minds.
Every rider has had a very close call riding when circumstances, rider actions combine to test both our riding skills and our situational awareness. When that happens and you are riding solo it is far easier to slough it off, add it to your road skills dictionary and press on. When it happens and you are riding two up, the after incident thinking is quite different. In any close event one's reptilian brain takes over and it is post event that the thoughts and what ifs come into play.
I have hit a large animal (moose) been knocked down by anther rider at a track day and had other freaky close calls but a two up event is much more difficult post accident.
Risk management and accident mitigation begins before you step on the motorcycle and each of us has choices to make that can effect the outcome of an accident or the total avoidance of an accident. You read about it all the time in the Faceplant forum.
It begins I believe with Motorcycle choice and farkeling.
ABS Brakes
Night riding HID and aux lights
Adding protective electronics such as after market horn, flashy brake light/ turn signal bars , mirror arm extenders
Reflective tape, suspension designed for the weight of the bike and rider(s)
Correct ergonomics and in my case that means custom brake levers, handlebars brake and shift levers to accommodate my physical size
Then we have rider education
Advanced riding schools and lessons
Reading face plant and David Hough's books
Riding often keeps good skills sharp, When we started to ride we rode whenever possible bad weather or good. Knowing what the roads will be like from experience and practice on your terms is better than doing your first night ride in the rain on day four of a ill planned trip.
Taking lessons to ride two up. I can't recommend the street-masters school enough. Riding with and being critiqued by Walt Fulton as you do laps of the Horse Thief Mile is simply an amazing experience.
Walt Fulton is a recognized name in motorcycling. A former three-time winner at Daytona and team racer for Harley-Davidson, Kawasaki and Suzuki, he was a featured rider in the documentary "On Any Sunday." He is a BMW Legends racer, a professional motorcycle accident reconstruction expert, motorcycle journalist and a private riding instructor. He has worked as an editor for Cycle Guide, Cycle World and Motorcyclist magazines and a contributor and the performance tester for Motorcycle Consumer News. He has logged over a million miles on the road and track.
I have also completed the first 40 hours of the basic motor officer school as taught here.
So let me tell you about my onerous responsibility event.
It was a nice summer Saturday evening in Vancouver and the annual fireworks shows were on. I am extremely uncomfortable around loud spontaneous explosions due to past experiences and since we live quite close to the beach and the fireworks are on barges we tend to get out of town for those evenings if we are not away on vacation.
We decided to ride two up that night, the privacy of the intercom system makes riding and chatting a nice experience. We left the house and rode to Squamish for the best indian food in the lower mainland
Riding back down the Sea -to- Sky in the setting sun we decided to bypass the city and zip down to Blaine WA and get our mail. Our route took us over the Port Mann Bridge and down 160th Street to the order. 160th is not my favorite road and looking back it was an error to ride that road two up or solo. By now it was getting into deeper twilight (9:30 pm ) and the road traffic had that irrational feel to it. Construction crews on the way home from a big day of OT, Seniors returning from dinner, teenagers in cars and off course in Surrey the ever present gravel dump trucks .
We were riding on my Tenere (ABS) brakes, with custom suspension set for our weight (Ohlins and Traxxion Dynamics) and HID conversions in the lights. The road had the annoying tar strips running parallel with the direction of travel and as you approach the border the road gets into some rolling hills with limited visibility.
The road speed is 70 kmh I am riding about 10 over 80K. I just get the spiddy sense tingles and as we crest the next roll I have already started to roll of the gas and cover the brakes. The HID's pick up a flash of chrome directly ahead of me and I start braking hard. Of course the road is a mass of tar snakes and I can now see that the flash of chrome was from the rear window moulding of a beat up blacked out late 90's Lexus LS 400 that has been left abandoned (I think) in the left lane.
I am now into maximum braking Susan expects we are about to centre punch a deer she can't see around me
and the ABS is pulsing like crazy due to the tar snakes , I check to see if I can swerve ( the right lane is clear and no one is tight behind me) but make the calculation that I can't steer and turn the bike at the braking level I am at without the front end sliding out on the still warm tar snakes and patches. I know that if that happens we are going to hit the abandoned car sideways and I decide to keep braking because I believe I can get us into the safest position by getting us slowed as much as possible before a potential impact. All of this take probable less thna 5 seconds but it seemed to take a week in head. I get us stopped about 10 feet from the trunk of the Lexus upright and then begin to go right to get around the car and when the car starts up does a qick u turn and race off with lights on. I ride away thinking wtf and then I realize I have my wife still sitting quietly on the back. She pats my side and says "nice riding, thanks"
We stopped for coffee and I began to write/sketch out the whole event and what I could have done better. I made numerous mistakes on that ride but a lucky combination of events avoided me killing or injuring my wife.
I would never have taken the post event review so seriously if I had been riding solo. This is the onerous responsibility that I am speaking of.
"It's a rough place, son. In fact, you have to puke twice and show your razor just to get in. Better grow some whiskers if you wanna go to Canada."
Ronnie Hawkins when asking Levon Helm to join his band and play in Canada.
Bill 310
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Luxand Video Essentials for Adobe After Effects
Add an echo effect to your video in Adobe After Effects! Luxand Echo FX gives producers the ability to add advanced echo effects to a video. Available with multiple options, the plug-in can produce artistic clips and stylish animations.
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A patented complex designed to support the collagen production of your skin. Collagen is the most integral part of the skin's fabric' giving your skin and your complexion the elasticity and glow of youth. Collagen' a mesh-like structure is the most abundant protein found in the skin. It naturally forms a system to support the skin as well as encourage new cellular growth. As we age our production of collagen declines and the internal supportive mesh weakens' leaving our skin flaccid and lackluster. Collagen Booster ensures that your skin has the premium nutritional support to restore itself so that it looks radiant and is soft and silky to the touch.
These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). These products are not meant to diagnose' treat or cure any disease or medical condition. Please consult your doctor before starting any exercise or nutritional supplement program or before using these or any product during pregnancy or if you have a serious medical condition.
Serving Size: 2 Veggie Capsules
Servings per Container: 30
Amount per Serving / % Daily Value
Pro-Longevity Resveratrol Blend™ 200 mg / *
Organic French Red Grape & Vine (Vitis vinifera (Full Spectrum Polyphenol Profile))' Muscadine USDA Certified Organic Red Grape & Seed (Vitis rotundifolia (Grape Pomace)).
Resveratrol 200 mg / *
Organic French Red Grape & Vine (Vitis vinifera) and wild natural Japanese Knotweed (Polygonum Cuspidatum) standardized to contain a minimum of 50% (100 mg) of the Trans-resveratrol isomer.
BioCell Collagen II® 1000 mg / *
Hydrolyzed Collagen type II 600 mg / *
Chondroitin Sulfate 200 mg / *
Hyaluronic Acid 100 mg / *
*Daily Value not established
Other Ingredients: Vegetable cellulose (capsule)' rice bran' silica.
2 Veggie Capsule
Consult your healthcare professional before use.
Allergy / Dietary Needs
- Artificial Color Free
- Artificial Flavor Free
- Corn Free
- Egg Free
- Fish Free
- Gluten Free
- Lactose Free
- Milk Free
- Preservative Free
- Salt Free
- Soy Free
- Starch Free
- Sugar Free
- Wheat Free
- Yeast Free
- Citrus Free
Ratings & ReviewsReview This Item
Overall Rating for Reserveage Collagen Booster - 60 Capsules
Displaying reviews 1-3 of 3
By FR
from Washington DC
Reserveage Collagen Booster by Reserve Life Nutrition is very expensive but it works!
√ I would recommend this item to a friend.
By Joy Jewels
from USA
AMAZING! BEST WAY to fight Anti-Aging!
I used Reserveage Collagen Booster by Reserve Life Nutrition with the Collagen Replenish. I didn't take it daily but rotated between this and another. I am completely satisfied and have already recommended this to my friends and family! I am starting early enough before I see to much aging but without it, I am already very aware that it has improved those fine lines and prevented the aging sag. We loose collagen, and moisture. This line helps so much! Get it now!
I like the combined ingredients. But I would prefer if in a powder form to mix with the Replenish as one item in my OJ.
The collagen could be more so that I was not combining or rotating the item with the Replenish but I am glad the company has made some other items to use with this one. Would like that also with the current price. It would make me feel better about the price otherwise, I think it's a tiny bit much. Any more and I would keep searching for the right combination at the right price.
√ I would recommend this item to a friend.
By Tiffany
from VA
Reserveage Collagen Booster by Reserve Life Nutrition really works well you just have to stick with it.
√ I would recommend this item to a friend.
Displaying reviews 1-3 of 3
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If you have any general questions regarding orders or our policies and programs, please contact our Customer Happiness Team @ 1.800.383.6008
If you are pregnant, nursing, taking any medications or have any medical condition, consult your doctor before use. Your healthcare professional is the best source for guidance before beginning an exercise or nutritional supplement program.


text:
YIELD: Serves 4
Whisk oil, 1 tablespoon vinegar, 2 teaspoons garlic, rosemary and pepper in 13 x 9 x 2-inch glass baking dish. Add steaks; turn to coat. Let stand 1 hour. Heat heavy large skillet over high heat. Remove steaks from marinade; sprinkle with salt. Place in skillet; sauté to desired doneness, about 4 minutes per side for medium-rare. Transfer to plates. Add peppers, 1 1/2 tablespoons vinegar and 1 teaspoon garlic to skillet. Stir until heated through, about 1 minute. Spoon peppers and pan juices over steaks.


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Enterprise IT, Featured, News - Written by Renai LeMay on Wednesday, May 1, 2013 16:06 - 38 Comments
Linux option $100k more than Windows,
claims Members Equity Bank
news Small Australian bank Members Equity Bank (ME Bank) has issued a joint statement with Microsoft claiming that using Linux as its core operating system underpinning its new core banking platform would cost $100,000 more than using a platform based on Windows Server 2012, but without providing any evidence for its claim.
In a statement issued overnight by Microsoft, ME Bank, which is a small bank based in Melbourne, noted that historically it had depended on two core banking systems — a Windows–SQL-based product called NTBS that managed all savings and deposits; and a Solaris-based product called ULTRACS for loans and transactions products.
"Updating our legacy banking systems was becoming increasingly difficult," said Jem Richards, Enterprise Architect, ME Bank. "Any level of change required custom development, which meant bringing in specialists from outside. This cost us tens of thousands of dollars a year, caused delays and stymied innovation."
According to the bank, its IT staff were eager to support business goals and reclaim their agility and ability to deliver turnkey solutions in a timely manner. This led to the search for a single, integrated core banking system. "The IT environment is diverse and constantly changing and it was challenging for our team to keep up as they were always immersed in tactical and reactive tasks. We realised that if we consolidated our IT skills on one technology, we could build our in-house expertise to enable us to make strategic changes more easily and quickly," said Richards.
Consequently, in late 2011, according to the statement, ME Bank selected a new, platform-agnostic banking software system, Temenos T24, to manage all its core banking operations. It then began a review process to look at which operating system would be the most cost effective for its needs. There were two equally viable options to deploy it on Windows Server 2012, with the SQL Server 2012 database, or a Linux-based solution. The statement did not note which database software would be used on the Linux platform; the most common options are usually open source solutions such as MySQL or proprietary options such as Oracle's database packages, or IBM's DB2 solution.
"We conducted extremely rigorous comparisons on costs, the availability of technical support and scope for in-house IT skills consolidation. Although one operating system option was essentially free to deploy, based on our past experience, we knew that it would cost more to support than Windows. In addition, Microsoft and Windows community specialists were readily available to help us configure Temenos T24, whereas finding the relevant skills for the alternative platform with Temenos was proving to be a lot more difficult, "said Richards.
ME Bank said that it found the running costs of a Microsoft database versus the competition also differed substantially, which would affect its future growth plans.
"At present growth rates, we would soon need to upgrade the alternate platform solution, which would cost over $100,000 more," said Richards. "In contrast, our existing Microsoft licence will allow us to grow without additional cost. When we analysed all the costs over a five year period, it was clear that if we deployed our core banking systems on Windows-SQL, the total cost of ownership would be substantially less than if we chose the alternative."
ME Bank made the decision to purchase Insight, Temenos' business intelligence software, which used SQL-based reporting and analysis tools. This, according to Microsoft's statement, has allowed the team to grow their IT skills and capabilities on one technology to ensure increased agility which has enabled them to make changes to their environment themselves and introduce new customer services faster.
"Selecting Windows–SQL enabled us to consolidate internal IT skills on a single technology, and build our in-house capabilities in line with the business," said Richards. "Ultimately, this means we are more in control of our banking platform and reporting capabilities."
By deploying a new core banking system using Windows and SQL Server, ME Bank said it could "avoid major future upgrade costs", and "consolidate IT skills in a way that promises maximum scope for agility in the future". It said it has decommissioned a mixed Windows-Solaris environment and consolidated its core banking system to one technology, reducing the dependence on external consultants, boosting in-house capabilities, and saving tens of thousands of dollars each year.
According to Microsoft's statement, ME Bank is also confident that deploying Temenos T24 on the Windows Server platform will maximise development choices over the life of the core banking system. In addition, the bank believes the all-Windows platform should give it greater flexibility. "With the core banking system on an all-Windows platform, we will be able to standardise the infrastructure more easily. This means we will encounter fewer issues if and when we move those systems to the cloud," said Richards.
Look, I'm not going to go all-out here and claim that ME Bank's view, as stated in Microsoft's press release, is complete bullshit. The bank wouldn't be putting its name to this kind of statement if it wasn't willing to back up its (somewhat audacious) claims.
However, there are a few things here which do appear a little dubious, and which I'll ask ME Bank if I can organise an interview with them. For starters, we're not precisely comparing apples with apples here. Microsoft is providing Windows Server and SQL Server here, but it's extremely suspicious that this media release doesn't mention either which variant of Linux ME Bank evaluated (Red Hat? SUSE? Ubuntu? Slackware?) or which database it evaluated. I'd be extremely surprised to see something like MySQL used in this kind of core banking environment — it'd be more normal to see an Oracle or an IBM database here. Could this account for some of the cost?
Secondly, this sentence just doesn't make any sense: "At present growth rates, we would soon need to upgrade the alternate platform solution, which would cost over $100,000 more," said Richards.
Is ME Bank really saying there is a cost difference in upgrading a Linux platform which you don't see with a similar Microsoft platform? In my experience it's usually the opposite — Linux licences come cheap and the platform tends to make great use of available server hardware, whereas Microsoft's software, up until a few years ago, was known for being more of a server hog. Plus, Microsoft licences don't precisely come cheap … a few copies of Windows Server 2012 may be available through ME Bank's existing Microsoft enterprise agreement, but it's common knowledge that those agreements are often re-negotiated on an annual basis. Microsoft doesn't give away anything for free, and I wouldn't be surprised to see ME Bank's Microsoft-related costs rise as it grows its operations.
To be honest, I had thought that the days of Microsoft using selective material from favourable case studies to generate one-sided attacks on the Linux world were over by now. I mean, frankly, Windows Server is a huge property now; it and Linux have singlehandedly wiped out the traditional Unix and Novell server worlds, and from what I have been able to see, Windows Server has been making in-roads into the Linux server market as well. I don't see many organisations at all making a big song and dance out of deploying Linux any more, whereas I see plenty deploying Windows Server, and increasingly, Hyper-V.
Issuing this kind of statement kind of makes Microsoft look a little silly. It draws attention to the fact that Linux is still a viable competitor to Windows Server, and implies that Microsoft is afraid of that threat. The reality is that in enterprise IT circles, the Microsoft stack is already dominant and getting more dominant every day, and I doubt that Redmond has much to fear at this point from the barbarian Linux hordes. Feel free to provide evidence in the comments below that I'm flat-out wrong; it's been a while since we've had a decent Linux versus Windows debate on Delimiter.
Image credit: Ian Burt, Creative Commons
38 Comments
Solaris isn't linux, Renai. It's a commercial unix OS. Commercial, meaning a paid product.
If they looked at IBM DB2, or Oracle, clearly they're going to pay for that. Both would likely only be officially supported on a commercial Linux Distribution, that also would carry costs.
Without knowing what the actual alternative solution was, it's scale and components, it's a bit obviously one sided.
Remember, if this is a financial business, they won't be installing Ubuntu, MySQL and crossing their fingers. :)
So there are going to be commercial costs, for a commercially supported linux based OS, running a commercial DB back end. That will always carry a cost.
I think people have forgotten that Linux was originally based on Minux, which itself was originally based on Unix.
I guess they all have a similar command prompt though.
Linux was never *based* on anything. It was originally a Minix clone, but was written from scratch (because of the licensing restrictions of using Minix's code). Torvolds used the GNU userspace with his kernel because licensing issues meant he also couldn't use the UNIX userspace.
This is unlike, say, BSD, which is a descendent of UNIX and contains UNIX code.
Being a bit pedantic don't you think?
From: firstname.lastname@example.com (Linus Benedict Torvalds)
Newsgroups: comp.os.minix
Subject: What would you like to see most in minix?
Summary: small poll for my new operating system
Date: 25 Aug 91 20:57:08 GMT
Organization: University of Helsinki
Hello everybody out there using minix –
I'm doing a (free) operating system (just a hobby, won't be big and
professional like gnu) for 386(486) AT clones. This has been brewing
since april, and is starting to get ready. I'd like any feedback on
things people like/dislike in minix, as my OS resembles it somewhat
(same physical layout of the file-system (due to practical reasons)
among other things).
I've currently ported bash(1.08) and gcc(1.40), and things seem to work.
This implies that I'll get something practical within a few months, and
I'd like to know what features most people would want. Any suggestions
are welcome, but I won't promise I'll implement them
Linus (firstname.lastname@example.com)
PS. Yes – it's free of any minix code, and it has a multi-threaded fs.
It is NOT protable (uses 386 task switching etc), and it probably never
will support anything other than AT-harddisks, as that's all I have.
Is it just me, or does that Torvolds quote just say exactly what I said – Linux was an OS that resembled Minix but was free from any Minix code.
When a programmer says something is "based on X", they generally mean that it's built on X's code. Linux, being free of Minix code, was not based on Minix (or UNIX – which was completely separate from Minix again).
You might say "based on" in that it was "based on some of the concepts" Minix was, but that's not even really broadly correct – the OS resembled Minix but under the hood is quite different – Minix being a microkernel and Linux being monolithic/hybrid.
I repeat, you're being pedantic.
I personally thought his point was valid. Misconceptions or errors that go uncorrected is the reason we have to put up with Americans saying 'aluminum'.
I hate using wikipedia as a source, but …
MINIX is a Unix-like computer operating system based on a microkernel architecture created by Andrew S. Tanenbaum for educational purposes; MINIX also inspired the creation of the Linux kernel.
When Linus Torvalds first started writing his Linux operating system kernel (1991), he was working on a machine running MINIX, so the initial releases based a lot of functionality on Minix subsystems.[2] Until the April 1992 introduction of the Extended file system, Linux used the MINIX file system.[3] The format is still used by some Linux distributions for bootable disks and other situations where a simple and compact file system is needed.
So Minix inspired Linux, and the original versions of Linux used the Minux file system (the source for that statement is a book by Torvolds too by the way), and yet when I say Linux was based on Minix, I'm wrong? Seriously?
Solaris isn't linux, Renai. It's a commercial unix OS. Commercial, meaning a paid product.
Oracle will happily sell you Solaris, and/or Linux, and/or MySQL and/or Oracle-Database. All of those are commercial, meaning a paid product. All are sold by Oracle Corp.
If you are a bank, especially a small bank that can't carry the support burden internally, you are going to be buying a support contract regardless of the product.
1. $100k *increase* in license fee more likely to be from DB than Linux (RedHat or SuSE/Novell).
2. Oracle is still increasing its revenues. Big in the Enterprise.
Typically, I believe, on "mid" platforms between Mainframe & WIntel servers – ie Unix & Linux, though on all platforms.
3. If you can lineup an interview, ask the Oracle view. They lost a Solaris and prob. DB account.
Share Price movement since Feb-2000:
NASDAQ -14% (fallen)
Apple +1650%
MSFT -33% (fallen)
.. or Microsoft went in with loss-leading pricing on this run, just to ensure vendor lock by looking initially cheaper.
OEL, RHEL and the DB2/ODB products, while not free, are not that expensive on the Linux platform. As for skills, I think Microsoft just threw them some free consulting, I'm sure the talent would have been there for the deployment if they looked rather being told by Microsoft.
"joint statement with Microsoft" oh yeah this couldn't be slanted at all now could it!
(disclosure – I work for Red Hat, but about as far from sales and marketing as you can get)
I suspect the key is actually earlier in the article: "historically it had depended on two core banking systems — a Windows–SQL-based product called NTBS that managed all savings and deposits; and a Solaris-based product called ULTRACS for loans and transactions products."
So, if they were looking to migrate to a consolidated system, it seems plausible that migrating *just* the Solaris systems to Windows could be cheaper than migrating from a mixture of Solaris and Windows to purely Linux.
And then once you look at http://www.temenos.com/partners/technology-partners/, it seems likely that the competing Linux solution was Oracle-on-Linux. If the real story is "Running Microsoft's SQL Server is cheaper than running Oracle's database", that would surprise exactly no-one…
Unless of course you were looking at total cost of ownership against capability offered – there's a reason there are so many Unix/Linix Oracle shops out there in the corporate finance world. It's because it's a serious , proven and reliable solution that scales.
I find the extra cost claim very vague. Extra $100k over what period? Comparing what, exactly, with the selected solution? How were the extra costs divided between licenses, expert technical implementation and support fees, additional delivery overhead, what?
Look, I completely agree that Linux experts are far rarer and cost top dollar compared with the far more common MS certified professionals, but that doesn't mean you can't find an IT company to deliver and support a Linux environment for a similar annual cost to a Microsoft alternative (particularly if you're making use of GUIless Windows Server, which tends to confuse a lot of lower pay grade techs, but is the best 'apples to apples' alternative to Linux).
There's a reason that Linux skills are more expensive that Windows. Linux admins have to know what they're doing. You can't BS your way through Linux administration.
For many Microsoft MSCEs that I've met over the years, this is the sum of their problem-solving skills:
1. Restart the application
2. Restart the OS/reboot the box.
3. Deinstall/reinstall the application
4. Deinstall/reinstall the OS and all of its applications
5. Log a call with Microsoft support and wait.
Good Linux person would be claiming top $, so is MS person.
also lack of wide Linux distribution means lower number of person on the market, that leads to higher costs of hiring.
Its NOT because of lack of knowledge on either platform.
For many Microsoft MSCEs…
You have a tyop there.
It's MCSE – Minesweeper Consultant and Solitaire Expert.
No no no. That's not funny.
It stands for Must Consult Someone Else……
I thought that was Must Consult Someone Experienced.
(But it amounts to the same joke)
@Renai: "…[Windows Server] and Linux have singlehandedly wiped out…"
Perhaps dual-handedly then? #nitpick
Haha I went there too, but had a rare moment of etiquette over accuracy ;-)
$100k over 5 years?
Even for a small bank that is a rounding error in the IT budget.
Not saying that it isn't worth having, but it wouldn't have taken much for the other option to come in cheaper, especially when you consider internal staff costs are probably budgeted at $100+ per hour (including all employment costs)
Wow it's been a while since I have seen one of these fine examples of
hmm "Marketing"
Why would you even mention MySQL in the article? PostgresSQL is where the comparison should have been if we're talking about competitors to MS SQL on the open source side of things.
Postgres… you just made me cringe a little
I really like postgres, very solid solution vs mysql and extremely cost effective.
Oh dear. If anyone tells you they can cost a major software platform over five years to $100k they are lying to you and possibly themselves. This is 20% of a support engineer or part of the upgrade cost when the thing starts to clag due to added functionality or unanticipated requirements. No one would actually prove this kind of crazy claim – they just put some estimated component costs in a spreadsheet and kowtow before it. Five years down the track, a whole bunch of scope changes have been made that render the original calculations moot. You can bet all your limbs that Microsoft and BE Bank won't be releasing a nice joint presser in five years saying that their cost estimates were correct. A "good decision" was made and they've moved on.
"Although one operating system option was essentially free to deploy, based on our past experience, we knew that it would cost more to support than Windows."
Since they use Windows/Solaris in-house I was wondering where this apparent past experience with Linux comes in?
as mentioned above, most MCSE's use google as their primary source of troubleshooting information, and cross their fingers that something serious doesn't happen. however they are widely available, compared to experienced Linux admins, and retraining ME Banks' existing support team may account for the relatively trivial amount of $100K.
also, bear in mind the shortage of skilled IT staff which is pushing more outsourced labour and 457 visas into our corporate sector — this may influence the decision rather than rough cost estimates — local admins with Linux skills are going to become increasingly difficult to come by, so Windows is probably a safer option, albeit vastly more expensive.
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Super funds close to dumping $250m IT revamp
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Strawberry Mousse
|Unflavored gelatin
|1⁄4 Ounce (1 envelope)
|2 Tablespoon
|2 Cup (32 tbs) (Fresh or Frozen)
|Artificial liquid sweetener
|2 Tablespoon
|Vanilla extract
|1⁄2 Teaspoon
|Evaporated skim milk
|1 Cup (16 tbs)
1) Pour the milk in the freezer tray and freeze it until semi frozen.
2) Place a large bowl in the refrigerator to chill.
3) In a small bowl, soak gelatine in water until soft.
4) In a saucepan, mix together strawberries with sweetener and simmer for 10 minutes until berries are soft.
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6) Stir strawberry mix into gelatine mixture until gelatine is dissolved.
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8) In a chilled bowl, whisk the semi frozen milk until stiff peak consistency.
9) Gradually fold the strawberry mixture into whipped milk.
10) Beat the mixture and spoon in 6 dessert glasses.
11) Refrigerate until chilled.
12) Serve chilled, garnished with whole strawberry on each glass if desired.


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Anson-Stoner continues to grow, which means it's hiring time. We're currently looking for a copywriter and an art director. Here are the details:
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After four months of restoration, a bar inside the Memorial Union will reopen Monday.
Der Stiftskeller, originally opened in 1962, has had its murals restored, pool tables moved in and the serving bar reborn out of a Terrace tree, those managing the the University of Wisconsin-Madison project said Wednesday at a sneak preview of the restaurant.
In addition to its interior upgrades, the Stiftskeller will add a second window serving the Terrace.
Murals first painted in 1978 were restored, recreated, or in the case of the "Battle of Beer and Wine" painting, relocated from the west wall to the south wall, the UW-Madison said.
The renovations are part of phase one of the university's Memorial Union Reinvestment project, which kicked off in the summer of 2012.
Der Stiftskeller shares the bar with neighbor pub Der Rathskeller.
An official announced Friday afternoon that Madison Metropolitan School District Schools would be closed Monday.
MMSD spokeswoman Rachel Strauch-Nelson said just before 5 p.m. that all school buildings would be closed Monday due extreme weather conditions.
The Madison School and Community Recreation department activities, athletics and other extra-curriculars scheduled Monday were also canceled.
The district said said a decision about school Tuesday had not yet been made, and families with children attending MMSD schools should monitor local media and email for Tuesday's status.
For additional area announcements, visit the cold weather announcements page on Channel3000.com.
Live blog: Brutal bitter cold
For video on this story, visit http://video.channel3000.com or the video section of our app
Slippery conditions and long, slow drives were all too common stories at this year's University of Wisconsin - Madison winter graduation ceremony.
"We actually drove up today. It was pretty slushy and slippery, we had to take our time," one graduate said.
With Madison getting over a half foot of snow, staff said they weren't expecting such a large turnout for the usually smaller ceremony. But it was something graduate Devin Schlapbach said no student or family would have missed.
"After you go to school for four or five years, you put a lot of time and effort into it," Schlapbach said. "Nothing is really going to stop anyone from seeing their kids graduate."
Another graduate concurred, acknowledging how important the day was for family.
More than 40 people showed up to watch the documentary "Bully" downtown at the Madison Central Library on West Mifflin Street Wednesday.
"Bully" is a powerful and provocative film that follows the lives of five kids who are bullied every day. Its message is that the culture of our schools is broken and needs to change.
The film resonated with many viewers, bringing some close to tears, who discussed the film after the 6:30 p.m. showing. The dialogue was moderated by News 3 Anchor Susan Siman as part of WISC-TV's year-long "Time for Kids Buddy Project" to fight bullying.
Eleven-year-old Terriana Brown said the movie hit close to home for her.
""I might cry right now," Brown said. "It feels like it's me that is on the screen."
The Department of Public Instruction released school-funding numbers Tuesday, and 183 districts will see an increase in state aid. Another 239 districts, including the Madison Metropolitan School District, will see a decrease in state aid.
Total aid given to districts has increased by a total of $47.9 million from the last school year bringing the total school funding budget to $4.342 billion, according to a release.
Funding for Madison will drop 14.5 percent compared to last year. The district will get $49.9 million from the state, which is about $9 million less than last year.
University of Wisconsin-Madison students do a better job than most at repaying student loans, according to the U.S. Department of Education's federal student aid figures.
UW-Madison students had a 1.11 percent default rate on federal Perkins Loans in 2012 compared to the national average of about 11 percent.
Perkins Loans are normally for students with high financial need.
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