At the time of second wave of COVID-19 Pandemic, which institute had demonstrated the conversion of nitrogen generator into oxygen generator ?
- (a)IISc, Bengaluru
- (b)IIT, Bombay
- (c)IIT, Madras
- (d)IIT, Kanpur
Correct — B, IIT Bombay. During the second wave of COVID-19 (April 2021), IIT Bombay demonstrated that an existing PSA (Pressure Swing Adsorption) nitrogen-generation plant could be converted into an oxygen generator by swapping the adsorbent molecular sieves — carbon molecular sieves for zeolite — producing oxygen at about 93-96% purity. The pilot, led by Prof. Milind Atrey with Tata Consulting Engineers and Spantech Engineers, offered a quick, low-cost way to boost hospital oxygen supply during the shortage.
- (a)IISc, Bengaluru — Wrong — IISc did other COVID-era oxygen work, but the nitrogen-generator-to-oxygen-generator conversion demonstrated in April 2021 was by IIT Bombay.
- (c)IIT, Madras — Wrong — IIT Madras was not the institute credited with this specific nitrogen-to-oxygen conversion.
- (d)IIT, Kanpur — Wrong — IIT Kanpur was not the institute credited with this conversion pilot.
PSA (Pressure Swing Adsorption) plants separate gases from ordinary air using adsorbent 'molecular sieves'. A nitrogen PSA plant uses a carbon molecular sieve (which holds back oxygen and releases nitrogen); swapping in a zeolite molecular sieve makes the same skid adsorb nitrogen and deliver oxygen instead. This meant idle industrial nitrogen units could be repurposed to make medical oxygen during the shortage.
The trap is attributing the innovation among four premier institutes. Anchor the specific idea — converting a nitrogen generator into an oxygen generator by changing the molecular sieve — to IIT Bombay in April 2021.
- IIT Bombay (April 2021) converted a PSA nitrogen plant into an oxygen plant by swapping molecular sieves.
- The switch was from a carbon molecular sieve to a zeolite molecular sieve, giving ~93-96% oxygen purity.
- PSA (Pressure Swing Adsorption) separates gases from air using adsorbents at differing pressures.
- The project (Prof. Milind Atrey) aimed to ease the medical-oxygen shortage during the second COVID wave.
- Attributing the conversion to the wrong IIT or to IISc
- Confusing PSA with cryogenic (fractional distillation) oxygen production
Current-affairs / science-and-technology recall linking an institution to a specific COVID-era innovation, or the principle behind PSA oxygen plants.
No directly related past PYQ was found.
- practice — not a real PYQ
PSA plants used to produce medical oxygen work on the principle of:
- (a)Fractional distillation
- (b)Pressure Swing Adsorption
- (c)Electrolysis
- (d)Reverse osmosis
Answer(b) Pressure Swing Adsorption — separating oxygen from air using an adsorbent (zeolite) sieve.
- practice — not a real PYQ
In IIT Bombay's nitrogen-generator-to-oxygen-generator conversion, the key change was in the:
- (a)Compressor
- (b)Molecular sieve (adsorbent)
- (c)Cooling tower
- (d)Storage tank
Answer(b) Molecular sieve — swapping the carbon sieve for a zeolite sieve makes the plant output oxygen.