The pressure and volume per minute delivered from the central hospital oxygen supply are which of the following?

The pressure and volume per minute delivered from the central hospital oxygen supply are which of the following?

• A. 2100 psi and 650 L/min
• B. 1600 psi and 100 L/min
• C. 75 psi and 100 L/min
• D. 50 psi and 50 L/min

Answer: (D)

A hospital’s central oxygen supply uses a pipeline system that delivers gas at a steady, regulated pressure so multiple outlets can draw gas without the pressure dropping. The standard pressure for this central pipeline is about 50 psi, not the high cylinder pressures you see on tanks. The flow capacity of the trunk line is typically described around 50 L/min, which represents a practical maximum for supplying the building’s outlets while maintaining the set pressure. The numbers in the thousands of psi come from oxygen cylinders, not the central pipeline, and 75 psi is not the standard pipeline pressure. Large flow rates like 650 or 100 L/min imply demands not typical for the central trunk. So 50 psi and 50 L/min best describe the central hospital oxygen supply.

A hospital’s central oxygen supply uses a pipeline system that delivers gas at a steady, regulated pressure so multiple outlets can draw gas without the pressure dropping. The standard pressure for this central pipeline is about 50 psi, not the high cylinder pressures you see on tanks. The flow capacity of the trunk line is typically described around 50 L/min, which represents a practical maximum for supplying the building’s outlets while maintaining the set pressure. The numbers in the thousands of psi come from oxygen cylinders, not the central pipeline, and 75 psi is not the standard pipeline pressure. Large flow rates like 650 or 100 L/min imply demands not typical for the central trunk. So 50 psi and 50 L/min best describe the central hospital oxygen supply.