Gas laws & Compressed

gases

Dr.Carmel Wijesekera MD.

FRCA
 Ideal Gas ( Perfect Gas)
Attractive forces between molecules is
neglegible

The volume of the molecules is v.small

compared to the space they occupy

Obey the perfect gas laws

 1 perfect gas law
st

Also called Boyles law.

At a constant t0 , the volume
of a given mass of a gas
changes inversely with the
T constant absolute pressure.

PV = k

A rectangular hyperbolic curve

2 nd
perfect gas law

Also called Charles

law.
At a constant
pressure, the volume
of a given mass of gas
varies directly with the
absolute
temperature.
V /T = k
3 rd
perfect gas law

When the volume is constant,

the absolute pressure of a
given mass of a gas varies
directly with the absolute
temperature.
P/T=k
The volume of a given mass
of a gas at constant P
increases by 1/273 of its
value at 0 degree C for every
degree C rise in temp.
 Absolute (Kelvin)
temperature
Absolute zero = - 273 degree C

Theoretically the volume of a gas

should be zero at this temp.

But gases liquify before that.

 Avagadro hypothesis
Equal volumes of gases at the same
temperature and pressure contain equal
number of molecules.

1 mole of any gas at STP occupies 22.4 l.

( STP = 273 K and 1 bar )

Eg;
A N2O cylinder is filled with 3.4 kg of liquid N 2O
44g of N2O occupies 22.4l at STP
3.4kg occupies 22.4/44 x 3400 =1730 l at STP
 Avagadro Number
( Constant)
The number of molecules per mole is same
for all substances

6.02 x 1023
Mole = amount of a substance which contains
as many elementary units as 12g of carbon
 Conditions of expressing gas
volumes
STP (273 K & 760 mmHg)
STP D
STP S

ATP D
ATP S
BTP S
 Universal gas constant
From the 1st 3 laws
PV / T = k
For 1 mole of any gas, this k is known as
universal gas constant ( R ).
PV = RT (for 1 mole)
For n number of moles PV = nRT
N2O cylinder of 3.4 kg has 3400/44 moles. So at
room temperature (200 C)
and ambient pressure (1 bar), the volume would
be
3400/44 x R x 293
 Van der Wall equation
Real gases behave slightly different from ideal
gases
because of actual volume of molecules &
intermolecular forces
Ideal gas equation is modified by Van der Wall
( P + a/V2) ( V-b) + RT
a = constant for the gas b = factor depend
on the actual volume of the molecule
But for practical purposes this
modification is not required
 Gas content of a cylinder
Cylinder volume (V), T and R are
constant.
(P = nRT / V)
Therefore pressure must be directly
proportional to the gas content in moles.
However,
cylinder must contain an ideal gas.
Pressure gauge must indicate the absolute
pressure.
 At the beginning of the case, O2
cylinder pressure was 137 bar. At the
end it was 37 bar. Cylinder volume is
5 l. How much O2 had been used?

P1V =n1RT 1
P2V= n2RT . 2
 Critical Temperature &
Pressure
Critical Temperature - The
temperature above which a gas can
not be liquefied by applying pressure.
Critical Pressure - The pressure
required to liquefy a gas at its critical
temperature
A gas at a temperature above its
critical temperature is a true gas
A gas at a temperature below its
critical temperature is a vapour
 vapours
A gas cannot be liquefied at a temperature
above its critical temperature regardless of
the pressure applied.
Vapours are gases in room temperature and
ambient pressure, but their critical
temperature is above the room temperature.
So increase in pressure would condense
them in to liquid phase without obeying
Boyles law.
N20 cylinder
Critical T0 is 36.50 C.
Critical pressure 73 bar.
At 36.50 C,
As its pressure increases the
volume decreases,. Liquid
formation starts only at 73
bar.
At 200 C,
Liquid formation at 520 C
Further decrease in volume
does not alter the pressure
until all the vapor is liquefied.

(At 400 C, it is a gas. )

 Filling ratio
As the liquids are less compressible, the pressure
inside a full cylinder would markedly rise with
temperature.
High risk of explosion.
Therefore liquid containing cylinders are always
partially filled.
FR = weight of liquid in kg
weight of the water required to fill cylinder
(OR volume of the cylinder in liters )
Temperate climates - 0.75
Tropical climates - 0.67
Pseudo critical temperature
Is applicable only for gas mixtures.
Is the temperature at which the mixture
may separate in to its constituents
(lamination).
For entonox, it is -5.50 C ( at 137 bar.)

Entonox can be sent through pipe lines

at 4 bar as pseudocritical temperature
at that pressure is -300C
 How does gauge pressure of a N2O
cylinder pressure vary when the
cylinder is emptied ?
 Compressed gas cylinders
Different sizes A - J
Size E ,( 4.7 litres water
capacity) for anaesthetic
machine
Size J (47 litres) for
manifolds
Size A & H not for medical
gases.
Colour coded.
Made to withstand high
pressures (.60-70% above
the working pressure. )
Made of Mb steel. Now
aluminium alloy and Mn
steel also
 Cylinder valves
Pin index valves are used in
size E and smaller cylinders.

For larger cylinders bull

nose (O2) and hand wheel
(N2O) valves are used. A
pressure gauge and a flow
Hand wheel
Pin index meter could be
incooperated.
All these operate on
needle valve principle.

Bull nose
 Cylinder storage
In a dry, well ventilated and fire proof room.
Not near flammable material (oil / grease).
Should not be exposed to dampness,
corrosive chemicals or fumes.
Full cylinders must be separated from
empties. Valves of empty cylinders should be
kept closed to prevent entry of impurities
Large ones stored upright to avoid damage to
valves. Small ones & entonox horizontal.
Pressures when full -
O2, Entonox, Air, = 137 bar
N2O = 52 bar CO2 = 50 bar
Pin index
O2,- 2, 5
N2O 3,5
CO2 - 1,6
Air, - 1,5
, Entonox - central
Vacuum insulated
evaporator
Commonly known as liquid
oxygen tank.
Fire hazard. Housed outside the
main building. Giant vacuum
flask containing liquid O2 below
its critical t0 (-1180c) at 160 -180
C
Additional insulation in the
vacuum
Latent heat of evaporation
absorbed from the liquid; helps
to maintain the t0 .
Internal pressure is 7 bar (safety
valve set) and t0 is -1600 c.
VIE
Super heater is a copper coil
exposed to outside t0 . Vapor
goes through it for heating.
When the demand is v. high,
liquid is absorbed into super
heater.
When the demand is low, t0
rises & pressure increases
causing safety valve to
open.
So not economical for a
smaller hospital.
To assess the content
weighing
2 differential pressure gauges
at top & bottom
Cylinder manifold
Normally for O2 , N2O
and entonox.
2 banks of size J
cylinders ( 1ry & 2ry
banks), number of
cylinders depending
on the demand.
All are connected to
a common line via
nonreturn valves.
 Cylinder manifold
Housed outside.
All the cylinders are fully opened to
allow simultaneous emptying.
When the one bank empties, the other
must automatically take over. This is
done by a pressure sensor, which
activates the alarm at the same time.
Empties must be replaced immediately.
A pressure reducing valve in the
manifold reduces the pressure to 4 bar.
 Entonox
A 50 % mixture of O2 & N2O.
Blue cylinder with alternate blue
and white quarters neck.
Cylinder pressure 13700 kpa.
(137 bar)
Is administered via a 2 stage
valve.
Poyinting effect (lamination)
Separation into liquid N2O
and gases rich in O2 AT -5.50
C.
incidence reduced by
Horizontal storing
Rewarming to more than
50 c
2 stage valve Shaking the cylinder
 Compressed air
Normally by air
compressors
(economical).
Pipeline supply some
times via cylinders.
Separate supplies for
clinical use (4 bar)
and for power tools
(7 bar; impurities +)
CO2
Earlier used in anaesthetic
machines.
Now mainly for
laparoscopy.
Black body and gray neck
in Sri Lanka.
Liquid CO2 ; pressure 5000
kpa.
Usually given via a pin
index valve. So no
pressure gauge or
reduction valve.
 Adiabatic changes
When a state of a gas changes without allowing
the gas to exchange heat energy with the
surrounding.
During the process when there is a sudden
change of P, both the volume and the T change.
So gas laws can not be applied to such a
change.
Sudden compression of a gas causes an
increase in P whereas a sudden decompression
causes T to drop. ( cryoprobe )