Three Types of Nitrogen Generation Units
2021.02.02
Cryogenic Air Separation for Nitrogen Production
Cryogenic air separation is a traditional nitrogen production method with a history of several decades. It uses air as raw material, which is compressed, purified, and then liquefied into liquid air through heat exchange. Liquid air is mainly a mixture of liquid oxygen and liquid nitrogen. By utilizing the difference in boiling points between liquid oxygen and liquid nitrogen (−183°C for the former and −196°C for the latter at 1 atm), nitrogen is obtained through rectification and separation of liquid air.
Cryogenic nitrogen generation equipment is complex, covers a large area, and involves high infrastructure costs. It requires large upfront investment, high operating costs, slow gas production (12–24 hours), high installation standards and long installation cycles. Considering equipment, installation and civil engineering factors, for units below 3500 Nm³/h, the investment of PSA units of the same specification is 20%–50% lower than that of cryogenic air separation units. Cryogenic nitrogen generation units are suitable for large-scale industrial nitrogen production, but are uneconomical for medium and small-scale applications.
Molecular Sieve Air Separation for Nitrogen Production (PSA)
Compared with traditional nitrogen production methods, it features simple process flow, high automation, fast gas production (15–30 minutes), low energy consumption, and adjustable product purity over a wide range according to user requirements. It also offers convenient operation and maintenance, low operating costs and strong adaptability. Therefore, it is highly competitive in nitrogen equipment below 1000 Nm³/h and increasingly popular among small and medium-sized nitrogen users. PSA nitrogen production has become the preferred method for small and medium-scale applications.
Membrane Air Separation for Nitrogen Production
Using air as raw material, oxygen and nitrogen are separated under certain pressure based on their different permeation rates through the membrane. Compared with other nitrogen generation equipment, it has a simpler structure, smaller size, no switching valves, less maintenance, faster gas output (≤3 minutes) and easy capacity expansion. It is especially suitable for small and medium-sized users requiring nitrogen purity ≤98%, offering the best cost-performance ratio. When nitrogen purity exceeds 98%, its price is more than 15% higher than that of PSA nitrogen equipment of the same specification.
The above information is compiled and released by Suzhou Jiarui Gas, a supplier of PSA nitrogen generation units.
Suzhou Jiarui Gas System Co., Ltd. is a technology-oriented enterprise specializing in the research and development of gas separation and purification technologies. The company is equipped with a R&D building and a gas separation equipment assembly workshop. It provides customers with services including PSA hydrogen, nitrogen and oxygen production, as well as carbon dioxide purification and removal. We look forward to win-win cooperation with you.