How PSA Nitrogen Generators Work

Nitrogen makes up 79% of the air we breathe, so there is an unlimited source right at your fingertips waiting to be tapped to save you 80% to 90% of your current annual nitrogen costs. A Pressure Swing Adsorption Nitrogen Generator simply separates the nitrogen molecules out of your compressed air stream to a usable purity, flow and pressure, based on your required specification. Unlike other nitrogen separation technologies, PSA nitrogen generators give you the ability to achieve extremely high purities to 99.9995% or 5 PPM. The PSA process is a physical process and uses no chemicals, therefore the annual consumables costs are extremely low. PSA nitrogen generators also put very little strain on the equipment and filter media so units often last 20+ years with very little maintenance costs. It is not uncommon for a PSA nitrogen generator to exceed 40,000 hours of service.

PSA Nitrogen Generator Purity Requirements and ROI

When developing your specification for a nitrogen generator, it is important to understand that the size and cost of the equipment is mainly based on the purity and flow rate required. With PSA generators, it is key to identify your maximum peak flow requirement at any given point during your operation. It is also important to identify the minimum purity that you require to maximize your savings potential. Most applications do not require the “one size fits all” purity supplied by your gas company. For example, many food-packaging applications require 99.5% purity. 99.5% is considered a low purity for PSA generation leading to extremely low cost equipment and very efficient compressed air to Nitrogen ratios. There are many applications where high purities of 99.999%+ offer tremendous savings as well.

Liquid Dewars Versus PSA Nitrogen Generators

Many of our electronics and lab customers are not candidates for bulk cryogenic tanks based on volume so they are forced to use expensive liquid nitrogen dewars. In most cases, liquid nitrogen dewars are roughly 50% more expensive than PSA generators. There are also many inherent dangers in using liquid dewars that just don’t exist when using a PSA generator. With a PSA nitrogen generator there are no deliveries, no rolling heavy wheeled pressurized canisters through the plant and no venting and boil off your product.
Please contact On Site Gas Systems to discuss your flow requirement, your purity requirement and your pressure requirement. We will then work with you to design a nitrogen generation system to maximize your savings potential. We will also provide you with a Return on Investment profile that will outline the “real” savings achieved using our Pressure Swing Adsorption technology.