Nitrogen gas can be obtained in several different ways, but it will depend on the needs of the user. It can be generated on-site from nitrogen generation systems and by vendors off-site.
Onsite
nitrogen generation allows for benefits to a variety of applications that
includes food and drink manufacturers and the pharmaceutical and electronic
industry. Generating nitrogen onsite has advantages instead of getting nitrogen
tanks and bottle in. there is a lower cost, guaranteed purity and no wait
times.
exactly how does the nitrogen generation work? The nitrogen generators are not
really creating nitrogen. They are simply suing the nitrogen that is already
present in the air and then concentrating it by removing the extra molecules.
The air is often about 78% nitrogen and 21% oxygen. There are other molecules
like water, argon and carbon dioxide.
There are different methods for how the extra molecules can be removed. A few nitrogen generators use what is called pressure swing adsorption within equipment such as industrial air compressors which will filter them out. when the air is drawn into the valve it goes to the carbon molecular sieve. There are tiny pores on the surface that are the right size for the oxygen molecules. As nitrogen molecules are larger than the oxygen ones they don’t get absorbed into the material.
Another way that can separate the nitrogen is via a membrane nitrogen generation. The membranes are small and hollow fibres that have pores also across the surface. As the oxygen is small than nitrogen it will pass through leaving only the nitrogen sitting in the gas stream. This can produce up to 99.5% of nitrogen.
Onsite nitrogen generation technology can offer more benefits for their end-users.
The cost savings
Generating nitrogen on site is very cost-effective and is better than buying the has from the vendors due to what you will save on transportation. When moving the nitrogen gas between different places in the country trucking companies are required and they charge quite a fair price for the load. The industrial operators most likely need to also provide the storage space within the site to hold the containers. There is a possibility of a loss of some product during transportation.
Time savings
Nitrogen generators will save the users from downtime on the most important operations that need nitrogen. Some operational downtime will be due to the logistic issues with the trucking nitrogen from different locations will incur a huge loss for the industrial uses every year. Having generators on standby will ensure you have a 24-hr supply of gas for your processes.
Reliability and safety
Onsite nitrogen generation systems are safer than getting liquid or gaseous nitrogen from the cylinder. Nitrogen can leak out of cylinders that are damaged which is toxic to humans, especially in very confined spaces. Using membrane filtration systems or PSA for the nitrogen gas can eliminate the need for nitrogen gas cylinders that can expose the workers to large levels of inert bases.
There are many benefits to using nitrogen generators and it seems to be a growing trend. With the benefits outweighing the downfalls it seems that all businesses need to get on board and get on-site nitrogen generators to start reaping in the advantages and to see just what they can do for your business.
