Sizing a medical oxygen vessel for a Saudi hospital
A practical method for converting bed count and peak flow into cryogenic vessel capacity, reserve duration and refill frequency.
Sizing a bulk medical oxygen installation starts with demand, not with a tank.
1. Establish peak demand
Estimate simultaneous outlets, average flow per outlet and a diversity factor. For most general hospitals the peak flow sits well below the theoretical sum of all terminal units.
2. Convert to liquid
One litre of liquid oxygen expands to roughly 850 litres of gas at normal temperature and pressure. Daily gaseous consumption divided by that expansion ratio gives the daily liquid draw.
3. Set the reserve
Saudi practice is to hold enough liquid for continuous supply between scheduled refills, plus a documented reserve for supply interruption. Reserve duration drives the vessel size more often than peak flow does.
4. Check evaporation and pressure
Static evaporation rate matters when consumption is low: an oversized vessel on a small site vents product. Working pressure must match the pipeline regulator train downstream.
5. Confirm the site
Access for the tanker, separation distances, foundation loading and fire protection are decided at this stage, not after ordering.
Our technical team reviews these inputs on every enquiry before a configuration is quoted.
- medical oxygen
- sizing
- vessels