OXYGEN SYSTEMS

• The mixture of gases that make up the earth’s

atmosphere is commonly called air. It is composed
principally of 78 percent nitrogen and 21 percent
oxygen. The remaining 1 percent is made up of
various gases in smaller quantities.
• As altitude increases, the total quantity of all the
atmospheric gases reduces rapidly. However, the
relative proportions of nitrogen and oxygen remain
unchanged up to about 50 miles above the surface of
the earth. The percentage of carbon dioxide is also
fairly stable.
• Nitrogen is an inert gas that is not used directly
by man for life processes; however, many
compounds containing nitrogen are essential to
all living matter.
• The small quantity of carbon dioxide in the
atmosphere is utilized by plants during
photosynthesis. Thus, the food supply for all
animals, including man, depends on it.
• Carbon dioxide also helps control breathing in
man and other animals.
• There are several scenarios that can result in hypoxia.
• During aircraft operations, it is brought about by a
decrease in the pressure of oxygen in the lungs at high
altitudes.
• The air contains the typical 21 percent of oxygen, but the
rate at which oxygen can be absorbed into the blood
depends upon the oxygen pressure.
• Greater pressure pushes the oxygen from the lung into
the bloodstream. As the pressure is reduced, less oxygen
is forced into and absorbed by the blood.
 Aircraft Oxygen Systems
• The negative effects of reduced atmospheric
pressure at flight altitudes, forcing less oxygen
into the blood, can be overcome. There are two
ways this is commonly done.
• Increase the pressure of the oxygen
• Increase the quantity of oxygen in the air mixture.
• Large transport-category and high performance
passenger aircraft pressurize the air in the cabin.
• Pressurized aircraft utilize oxygen systems as a means of
redundancy should pressurization fail.
• Portable oxygen equipment may also be aboard for first aid
purposes.
 OXYGEN SYSTEM

• Basic Components
• There are three components on most oxygen
systems, whether they are portable or installed
systems.
• A storage system (containers)
• A delivery system
• Mask or nasal cannula
 A storage system (containers)
Forms of Oxygen and Characteristics
• Gaseous Oxygen
• Oxygen is a color less, odorless, and tasteless gas at normal
atmospheric temperatures and pressures.
• It transforms into a liquid at –183 °C.
• Oxygen combines readily with most elements and numerous
compounds. This combining is called oxidation.
• Typically, oxidation produces heat.
• When something burns, it is actually rapidly combining with
oxygen.
• But, pure oxygen combines violently with petroleum products
creating a significant hazard when handling these materials in close
proximity to each other.
• Nevertheless, oxygen and various petroleum fuels combine to
create the energy produced in internal combustion engines.
• Gaseous aviator’s breathing oxygen (ABO).
• Storing oxygen as a gas has the major advantage of
being more economical.
• It can be stored in high-pressure (1800-2200 psi)
containers or low-pressure (400-450 psi) containers.
• The major disadvantage is the weight and bulk of the
storage containers, which may become an issue in
smaller aircraft.
• Pure gaseous oxygen is stored and transported
in high-pressure cylinders that are typically
painted green.
• Technicians should be cautious to keep pure
oxygen away from fuel, oil, and grease to
prevent unwanted combustion.
• Aviator’s breathing oxygen is tested for the
presence of water. This is done to avoid the
possibility of it freezing in the small passage
ways of valves and regulators. Ice could
prevent delivery of the oxygen when needed.
• Oxygen may also be produced by the electrolysis
of water.
• Passing electric current through water separates
the oxygen from the hydrogen.
• One further method of producing gaseous
oxygen is by separating the nitrogen and oxygen
in the air through the use of a molecular sieve.
• This membrane filters out nitrogen and some of
the other gases in air, leaving nearly pure oxygen
for use.
• Use of portable pulse oximeters has become more common in
aviation.
• These devices measure the oxygen saturation level of the blood.
With this information, adjustments to the oxygen flow rates of
onboard oxygen equipment can be made to prevent hypoxia.
• Liquid aviators breathing oxygen (LOX).
• Oxygen can be serviced to the aircraft in a liquid state. The
advantage of LOX is that it has a 900 to 1 expansion ratio.
• In other words, one liter of LOX will expand into 900 gaseous
liters of ABO.
• This will afford a 3 to 1 space and a 5 to 1 weight savings
over gaseous ABO.
• The major disadvantages are that LOX is stored at its critical
temperature of minus 197º F and its volatile nature when it
come in contact with petroleum products.
• If LOX comes in contact with exposed skin, severe frostbite
may occur.
• Liquid Oxygen
• Liquid oxygen (LOX) is a pale blue, transparent liquid.Oxygen
can be made liquid by lowering the temperature to below –
183 °C or by placing gaseous oxygen under pressure.
• A combination of these is accomplished with a Dewar
bottle.
• This special container is used to store and transport liquid
oxygen.
• It uses an evacuated, double-walled insulation design to
keep the liquid oxygen under pressure at a very low
temperature.
 Sodium chlorate candles (solid-state oxygen)

• Sodium chlorate is a chemical that, when heated to 350º F,

will thermally decompose and release oxygen.
• This can be filtered and delivered through a hose to a mask
that can be worn and breathed directly by the user.
• Sodium chlorate candles have the advantage of saving
weight and space over ABO because it provides a 600 to 1
expansion ratio.
• The major disadvantage is that once the chemical reaction
(the candle is activated) has started, it can’t be easily
stopped. Additionally, the candle produces a great deal of
heat, and precautions must be taken to avoid a fire hazard.
• Once lit, a sodium chlorate oxygen generator cannot be
extinguished. It produces a steady flow of breathable
oxygen until it burns out, typically generating 10–20
minutes of oxygen
 Molecular sieve oxygen generators
(MSOG)
• The air that we breathe contains basically 21%
oxygen, and the remainder is inert gases that
play no major physiological role in the body.
MSOGs take ambient air and separates oxygen
from inert gases, using that to supply oxygen
to the aircraft.
• The military has used this system for many
years, as well as medical patients who need a
portable oxygen system.
 Oxygen Delivery Systems
• Continuous flow. This system delivers a continuous flow of
oxygen from the storage container.
• It is a very economical system in that it doesn’t need
complicated masks or regulators to function. But it is also
very wasteful—the flow of oxygen is constant whether you’re
inhaling, exhaling, or pausing in between breaths.
• The flow of high-pressure oxygen passes through a section of
the regulator that reduces the pressure of the oxygen, which
is then fed into a hose attached to a mask worn by the user.
Once the valve is opened, the flow of oxygen is continuous.
• This system is typically used at 28,000 feet and lower.
• On some systems, fine adjustment to the flow
can be made with an adjustable flow indicator
that is installed in the hose in line to the mask.
• A more sophisticated continuous-flow oxygen
system uses a regulator that is adjustable to
provide varying amounts of oxygen flow to
match increasing need as altitude increases.
• These regulators can be manual or automatic
in design.
• Many continuous-flow systems include a fixed
location for the oxygen cylinders with permanent
delivery plumbing installed to all passenger and
crew stations in the cabin.
• In large aircraft, separate storage cylinders for crew
and passengers are placed.
• A pressure relief valve is also typically installed in
the system, as is some sort of filter and a gauge to
indicate the amount of oxygen pressure remaining
in the storage cylinders.
• Larger diameter orifices are usually used in crew
masks to provide greater flow than that for
passengers.
• Special oxygen masks provide even greater flow
via larger orifices for passengers travelling with
medical conditions requiring full saturation of
the blood with oxygen.
• Allowing oxygen to continuously flow from the
storage cylinder can be wasteful.
• Lowest sufficient flow rates can be accomplished
through the use of rebreather apparatus.
• Oxygen and air that is exhaled still contains
usable oxygen.
• By capturing this oxygen in a bag, or in a cannula
with oxygen absorbing reservoirs, it can be
inhaled with the next breath,reducing waste.
• Diluter demand. The diluter demand system is designed
to compensate for the short-comings of the continuous
flow system.
• It gives the user oxygen on-demand (during inhalation)
and stops the flow when the demand ceases(during
exhalation). This helps conserve oxygen.
• Additionally, the incoming oxygen is diluted with cabin air
and provides the proper percentage of oxygen, depending
on the altitude.
• This system is typically used at altitudes up to 40,000 feet.
• Demand-flow systems are similar to continuous-flow systems in
that a cylinder delivers oxygen through a valve when opened.
• The tank pressure gauge, filter(s), pressure relief valve, and any
plumbing installed to refill the cylinder while installed on the
aircraft are all similar to those in a continuous flow system.
• The high-pressure oxygen also passes through a pressure reducer
and a regulator to adjust the pressure and flow to the user.
• But, demand-flow oxygen regulators differ significantly from
continuous-flow oxygen regulators.
• They work in conjunction with close-fitting demand-type masks
to control the flow of oxygen.
• The diluter-demand type regulator holds back the flow of oxygen
until the user inhales with a demand-type oxygen mask.
• The regulator dilutes the pure oxygen supply
with cabin air each time a breath is drawn.
• With its control toggle switch set to normal, the
amount of dilution depends on the cabin
altitude.
 Pressure demand oxygen systems
• As altitude increases, an aneroid allows more oxygen and less cabin air to be
delivered to the user by adjusting flows through a metering valve.
• Pressure-demand oxygen systems operate similarly to diluter demand
systems, except that oxygen is delivered through the individual pressure
regulator under higher pressure.
• When the demand valve is unseated, oxygen under pressure forces its way
into the lungs of the user.
• The demand function still operates, extending the overall supply of oxygen
beyond that of a continuous-flow system.
• Dilution with cabin air also occurs if cabin altitude is less than 34,000 feet.
• Pressure-demand regulators are used on aircraft that regularly fly at 40,000
feet and above.
• They are also found on many airliners and high-performance aircraft that may
not typically fly that high.
• Forcing oxygen into the lungs under pressure ensures saturation of the blood,
regardless of altitude or cabin altitude.
 Oxygen Masks and Cannulas
• When considering an oxygen mask, you must
ensure that the mask you are using is compatible
with the delivery system you are using.
 Nasal cannulas
• These are continuous-flow devices and offer the
advantage of personal comfort.
• They are restricted by federal aviation regulations
to 18,000 feet service altitude because of the risk
of reducing oxygen-blood saturation levels.
• if one breathes through the mouth or talks too
much.
Nasal cannulas
Airline drop-down units (Dixie cup)