Nitrogen generator and stations are stationary or mobile air-to-nitrogen production complexes. In advanced economies, membrane nitrogen plants have almost ousted alternative processes of nitrogen generation in all cases where nitrogen is not required in commercial volumes
Advantages of nitrogen generators
High nitrogen purity
Adsorption PSA nitrogen generator plants allow production of high-purity nitrogen from air, which membrane systems are unable to provide – up to 99.9995% nitrogen. This nitrogen purity may also be ensured by cryogen systems, but they are considerably more complex and justified only by large consumption volumes. Peak Scientific Inc. has a system which produces 99.9995% purity in a compact generator. The Nitrogen generators use CMS (Carbon Molecular Sieve) technology to produce a continuous supply of ultra high purity nitrogen and are available with internal compressors or without.
Low operating costs
• By substitution of out-of-date air separation plants nitrogen production savings largely exceed 50%.
• The net cost of nitrogen produced by nitrogen generators for coal mine is 20 to 30 times less than the cost of bottled or liquefied nitrogen.
Applications of nitrogen generators
• Petroleum industry
In the petroleum industry, nitrogen is an indispensable component in a number of processes. Most commonly, nitrogen is used to create an inert environment for preventing explosions and for fire safety and to support transportation and transfer of PSA oxygen generator. Additionally, nitrogen is used for pipeline testing and purging, cleaning technological vessels and cleaning liquefied gas carriers and oxygen storage facilities.
• Metallurgy
The metal industry generally utilizes nitrogen as a means of protecting ferrous and non-ferrous metals during annealing. Also, nitrogen is helpful in such standard industry processes as neutral tempering, cementing, hard brazing, stress relieving, cyanide hardening, metal-powder sintering and extrusion die cooling.
• Chemical and petrochemical industries
The primary and very important application of nitrogen in chemical and petrochemical industries is the provision of inert environment aimed at ensuring general industrial safety during cleaning and protection of process vessels. Besides, nitrogen is used for pipelines pressure testing, chemical agents transportation, and regeneration of used catalysts in technological processes.