Pressure Swing Adsorption (PSA) Nitrogen Generators — NITROBERG®
NITROBERG® PSA nitrogen generators produce nitrogen on site from compressed air, at purities between 97 % and 99.999 % and flow rates from 1.2 to 1,141 Nm³/h across 18 sizes. You replace tank deliveries and long-term supply contracts with a skid that runs on your own air supply — and you keep purity, flow and uptime under your own control. Engineered and manufactured in Krefeld, Germany, with standard wear parts on the open market, three years warranty standard and up to five years with a service contract.
What is a Pressure Swing Adsorption (PSA) Nitrogen Generator?
A Pressure Swing Adsorption nitrogen generator is an on-site machine that separates nitrogen from compressed air without using any chemical reaction or cryogenic cooling. Compressed air at 5 to 10 bar passes through a bed of Carbon Molecular Sieve — an engineered adsorbent with pore openings tuned to a few Ångström. The slightly smaller oxygen molecules are retained by the sieve, while the slightly larger nitrogen molecules pass through and are collected in a buffer tank. The sieve is not a consumable in the everyday sense: under properly treated compressed air, it stays effective for years rather than weeks. The only continuous input is compressed air; the only continuous output is industrial-grade nitrogen at the purity you set, anywhere from 97 % up to 99.999 %.
PSA sits in the middle of the on-site nitrogen technology stack. Hollow-fibre membrane systems cover the lower end of the purity range, up to about 99.5 %, and are the right answer where short start-up times and a small footprint matter more than purity. Cryogenic air separation units cover the high end, but they only pay back at very large demands of several thousand Nm³/h and where liquid nitrogen is needed as a co-product. Everything in between — food and beverage, pharmaceutical, laboratory, chemical, laser cutting, plastics and packaging, electronics and soldering — is PSA territory. See the cycle in detail in the section below, and the full NITROBERG® model matrix further down. This page is the technology-deep complement to the broader nitrogen generator overview.
NITROBERG® PSA Nitrogen Generators — Technical Specifications
Adjustable Purity Control
Purity is set in the controller and changed as the application changes. The compressed-air factor follows — running at 97 % instead of 99.999 % cuts air consumption by roughly two thirds.
Scalable Across 18 Sizes
NITROBERG® 500 to 2000 covers the full industrial demand range, from a single laboratory line to a process plant drawing more than a thousand Nm³/h.
Standard Wear Parts
Filters, valves and Carbon Molecular Sieve are off-the-shelf and available on the open market. No proprietary lock-in once the generator is installed.
Cycle Engineered for CMS Life
Cycle timing and pressure equalisation are tuned to protect the sieve. Wear-part replacements stay on planned, predictable intervals rather than emergency calls.
Pick the NITROBERG® for your purity and flow target.
Why Generate Nitrogen On-Site with PSA
Independence from Liquid-Gas Supply
End annual price increases, multi-year tank-supply contracts and delivery interruptions. A PSA generator runs on compressed air you already produce, and a typical site replaces liquid nitrogen within two to three years of payback.
Tunable to the Application — Not Over-Engineered
Run the generator at the purity the application actually needs, not at the highest grade the data sheet allows. A NITROBERG® at 97 % consumes roughly two thirds less compressed air than the same unit at 99.999 %. The bigger lever on operating cost is rarely the equipment — it’s specifying purity honestly.
Audit-Ready Purity Consistency
A PSA controller logs purity, pressure and cycle data continuously, ready for GMP and HACCP audits. There are no evaporation losses from a stored tank, and no contamination risk from refill cycles — the gas is produced on demand and used immediately.
Right-Sized to Your Demand
The 18-size NITROBERG® family covers 1.2 to 1,141 Nm³/h. As demand grows, you step up inside the family rather than re-engineering the supply logistics from scratch.
How does Pressure Swing Adsorption work?
A PSA generator runs two adsorber towers in alternation. While one tower is under pressure and producing nitrogen, the other is at atmospheric pressure regenerating. The cycle typically completes every 60 to 120 seconds per tower, so the buffer tank downstream sees a continuous nitrogen flow rather than a pulsing one.
The five steps of the cycle:
- Adsorption (Tower A). Treated compressed air enters the adsorber at 5 to 10 bar. The Carbon Molecular Sieve retains oxygen, carbon dioxide and residual water vapour. Nitrogen passes through the top of the tower and fills the buffer tank.
- Pressure Equalization (A → B). Before Tower A is switched offline, part of its high-purity nitrogen stream is routed into Tower B. This pre-pressurises the second tower, saves compressed air and speeds up the changeover.
- Desorption (Tower B). Tower B is depressurised to atmospheric pressure. The oxygen released from the sieve is vented to atmosphere — no chemicals, no waste stream to process.
- Purge (Tower B). A small nitrogen back-flow sweeps Tower B clean of residual oxygen, preparing the sieve for the next adsorption cycle.
- Switch. Tower B takes over nitrogen production, Tower A begins its regeneration. The cycle repeats — day after day, year after year, for the life of the generator.
NITROBERG® PSA Models — 18 Sizes, 8 Purity Grades
Compressed-air demand rises with purity — roughly a factor of 2.3 m³ of air per m³ of nitrogen at 97 %, climbing to 6.4 at 99.999 %. The matrix below shows the trade-off across the full range. For a personal sizing against your application, use the quote request above.
| Model | Nitrogen Purity | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 97% | 98% | 99% | 99.5% | 99.9% | 99.99% | 99.995% | 99.999% | |
| NITROBERG® 500 | N₂10.7Comp. Air24.6 | N₂8.6Comp. Air19.8 | N₂7.1Comp. Air18.5 | N₂6.2Comp. Air18.0 | N₂4.1Comp. Air13.9 | N₂2.2Comp. Air10.1 | N₂1.7Comp. Air8.8 | N₂1.2Comp. Air7.7 |
| NITROBERG® 600 | N₂19.3Comp. Air44.3 | N₂15.5Comp. Air35.6 | N₂12.8Comp. Air33.2 | N₂11.2Comp. Air32.4 | N₂7.4Comp. Air25.1 | N₂4.0Comp. Air18.2 | N₂3.1Comp. Air15.9 | N₂2.2Comp. Air13.8 |
| NITROBERG® 700 | N₂30.0Comp. Air68.9 | N₂24.1Comp. Air55.4 | N₂19.9Comp. Air51.7 | N₂17.4Comp. Air50.3 | N₂11.5Comp. Air39.0 | N₂6.2Comp. Air28.3 | N₂4.8Comp. Air24.8 | N₂3.4Comp. Air21.5 |
| NITROBERG® 800 | N₂42.8Comp. Air98.4 | N₂34.4Comp. Air79.1 | N₂28.4Comp. Air73.8 | N₂24.8Comp. Air71.9 | N₂16.4Comp. Air55.8 | N₂8.8Comp. Air40.5 | N₂6.8Comp. Air35.4 | N₂4.8Comp. Air30.7 |
| NITROBERG® 900 | N₂65.9Comp. Air151.6 | N₂53.0Comp. Air121.8 | N₂43.7Comp. Air113.7 | N₂38.2Comp. Air110.8 | N₂25.3Comp. Air85.9 | N₂13.6Comp. Air62.3 | N₂10.5Comp. Air54.5 | N₂7.4Comp. Air47.3 |
| NITROBERG® 1000 | N₂89.9Comp. Air206.7 | N₂72.2Comp. Air166.2 | N₂59.6Comp. Air155.1 | N₂52.1Comp. Air151.0 | N₂34.4Comp. Air117.1 | N₂18.5Comp. Air85.0 | N₂14.3Comp. Air74.3 | N₂10.1Comp. Air64.5 |
| NITROBERG® 1100 | N₂117.7Comp. Air270.7 | N₂94.6Comp. Air217.6 | N₂78.1Comp. Air203.1 | N₂68.2Comp. Air197.8 | N₂45.1Comp. Air153.3 | N₂24.2Comp. Air111.3 | N₂18.7Comp. Air97.2 | N₂13.2Comp. Air84.5 |
| NITROBERG® 1200 | N₂145.5Comp. Air334.7 | N₂117.0Comp. Air269.0 | N₂96.6Comp. Air251.1 | N₂84.3Comp. Air244.5 | N₂55.8Comp. Air189.6 | N₂29.9Comp. Air137.6 | N₂23.1Comp. Air120.2 | N₂16.3Comp. Air104.4 |
| NITROBERG® 1300 | N₂205.4Comp. Air472.5 | N₂165.1Comp. Air379.8 | N₂136.3Comp. Air354.4 | N₂119.0Comp. Air345.2 | N₂78.7Comp. Air267.6 | N₂42.2Comp. Air194.3 | N₂32.6Comp. Air169.7 | N₂23.0Comp. Air147.5 |
| NITROBERG® 1400 | N₂286.8Comp. Air659.5 | N₂230.5Comp. Air530.1 | N₂190.3Comp. Air494.7 | N₂166.2Comp. Air481.9 | N₂109.9Comp. Air373.6 | N₂59.0Comp. Air271.2 | N₂45.6Comp. Air236.9 | N₂32.2Comp. Air205.8 |
| NITROBERG® 1500 | N₂402.3Comp. Air925.3 | N₂323.4Comp. Air743.7 | N₂267.0Comp. Air694.1 | N₂233.1Comp. Air676.0 | N₂154.2Comp. Air524.1 | N₂82.7Comp. Air380.5 | N₂63.9Comp. Air332.4 | N₂45.1Comp. Air288.8 |
| NITROBERG® 1600 | N₂494.9Comp. Air1,138.2 | N₂397.7Comp. Air914.8 | N₂328.4Comp. Air853.7 | N₂286.7Comp. Air831.5 | N₂189.6Comp. Air644.7 | N₂101.7Comp. Air468.0 | N₂78.6Comp. Air408.8 | N₂55.5Comp. Air355.2 |
| NITROBERG® 1700 | N₂579.3Comp. Air1,332.5 | N₂465.6Comp. Air1,071.0 | N₂384.4Comp. Air999.5 | N₂335.7Comp. Air973.5 | N₂222.0Comp. Air754.8 | N₂119.1Comp. Air547.9 | N₂92.0Comp. Air478.6 | N₂65.0Comp. Air415.8 |
| NITROBERG® 1800 | N₂792.6Comp. Air1,822.9 | N₂637.0Comp. Air1,465.1 | N₂525.9Comp. Air1,367.4 | N₂459.2Comp. Air1,331.8 | N₂303.7Comp. Air1,032.6 | N₂163.0Comp. Air749.6 | N₂125.9Comp. Air654.8 | N₂88.9Comp. Air568.9 |
| NITROBERG® 1900 | N₂974.9Comp. Air2,242.2 | N₂783.5Comp. Air1,802.1 | N₂646.9Comp. Air1,681.9 | N₂564.9Comp. Air1,638.1 | N₂373.5Comp. Air1,270.1 | N₂200.4Comp. Air922.0 | N₂154.9Comp. Air805.4 | N₂109.3Comp. Air699.7 |
| NITROBERG® 2000 | N₂1,141.3Comp. Air2,625.0 | N₂917.3Comp. Air2,109.8 | N₂757.3Comp. Air1,969.0 | N₂661.3Comp. Air1,917.8 | N₂437.3Comp. Air1,486.9 | N₂234.7Comp. Air1,079.4 | N₂181.3Comp. Air942.9 | N₂128.0Comp. Air819.2 |
| NITROBERG® 3000 | N₂1,459.8Comp. Air3,357.6 | N₂1,173.3Comp. Air2,698.6 | N₂968.7Comp. Air2,518.5 | N₂845.9Comp. Air2,453.0 | N₂559.4Comp. Air1,901.9 | N₂300.1Comp. Air1,380.7 | N₂231.9Comp. Air1,206.1 | N₂163.7Comp. Air1,047.8 |
| NITROBERG® 4000 | N₂1,709.1Comp. Air3,930.8 | N₂1,373.6Comp. Air3,159.4 | N₂1,134.0Comp. Air2,948.5 | N₂990.3Comp. Air2,871.9 | N₂654.9Comp. Air2,226.6 | N₂351.4Comp. Air1,616.4 | N₂271.5Comp. Air1,412.0 | N₂191.7Comp. Air1,226.7 |
| All flow values in Nm³/h. N₂ = product gas; Comp. Air = required compressed-air supply. | ||||||||
Values per cell: N₂ output / compressed-air demand, both in Nm³/h. Operating pressure: 5–10 bar.
Why Choose BERG for PSA Nitrogen Generators
20+ Years of PSA Experience
Two decades of building, sizing and servicing PSA air separation. Sieve selection, cycle tuning and redundancy planning are answered by the team that has done it across food and beverage, pharmaceutical, laboratory, chemical, laser cutting and electronics soldering.
Made in Germany — Engineering Substance
PSA design and skid manufacturing happen in Krefeld, Germany. The price level holds up internationally — without relocating engineering or after-sales overseas, and without compromising on certification depth.
Standard Wear Parts, No Lock-in
Filters, valves and Carbon Molecular Sieve are off-the-shelf and available on the open market. There is no proprietary supplier dependency once the generator is installed, and your service costs stay predictable over the life of the unit.
Direct Engineering + Worldwide Service
You reach engineering, not a call centre. Warranty is three years standard and up to five with a service contract.
Where PSA Nitrogen Generators Are Used
PSA is the default on-site nitrogen technology wherever the application needs 99 % purity or higher with stable continuous supply — across food and beverage, pharmaceutical lines, laboratory carrier gas, chemical inertisation, laser cutting and electronics soldering. The pages below show typical purity targets and integration patterns per industry.
Engineering, Service & OEM Support
Engineering on Request. Sizing for an unusual flow profile, a non-standard purity target, redundant skids for a critical line, or a footprint that has to fit a specific plant room — these are handled by the engineering team in Krefeld, not by a request form that ends in a generic call-back. Talk to engineering about the requirement before the quote stage.
System Integration and Worldwide Service. A PSA generator is part of a larger compressed-air installation, and the integration matters as much as the generator itself. Berg Kompressoren — the system-integration and service entity of the BERG Group — handles installation, commissioning and the worldwide service network, with a direct line back to the engineering team in Krefeld. See the full integration scope at berg-kompressoren.de.
OEM Programme. NITROBERG® generators are available under your branding, with your RAL colour, logo, operator manual, HMI screens and an application-specific configuration. The technology stays the same, the visible product becomes yours. Details on the OEM programme.
Frequently Asked Questions about PSA Nitrogen Generators
PSA and membrane are complementary, not competing, technologies. Membrane nitrogen generators reach purities up to roughly 99.5 %, start up in under five minutes and have a small footprint — the right choice for tyre inflation, food packaging, fire protection or laser cutting at the lower purity end. PSA reaches up to 99.999 %, takes 15 to 30 minutes from cold start to in-spec output, and is the right choice for food and beverage, pharmaceutical, laboratory, chemical and electronics-soldering applications. The cut-off in practice is around 99 % purity: below that, membrane is usually more economical; above that, PSA is the default. A membrane nitrogen generator from Berg is in preparation and will sit alongside this PSA range as a second technology choice.
The NITROBERG® range covers 97 %, 98 %, 99 %, 99.5 %, 99.9 %, 99.99 %, 99.995 % and 99.999 % — corresponding to Quality Grades 2.0 through 5.0 (10,000 ppm down to 10 ppm residual oxygen). 99.999 % is the upper limit of the family; six-nines purity (99.9999 %) is not within the NITROBERG® specification and is not the right target for PSA in this size class. For applications that genuinely need six nines, the right technology is cryogenic air separation rather than PSA — a different size class of installation, typically chosen at very high continuous demands.
Compressed-air demand rises sharply with purity. Across the NITROBERG® family the ratio of compressed air to nitrogen runs from about 2.3 at 97 % purity to about 6.4 at 99.999 %. As a concrete example, a NITROBERG® 1000 delivers 89.9 Nm³/h of nitrogen at 97 % and consumes 206.7 Nm³/h of compressed air, while the same machine at 99.999 % delivers 10.1 Nm³/h and consumes 64.5 Nm³/h. Sizing the compressed-air system honestly to the required purity is the single biggest lever on operating cost — running at 97 % when the application allows it cuts air consumption by roughly two thirds compared with 99.999 %.
Under properly treated compressed air — dried, filtered, free of oil — Carbon Molecular Sieve typically remains effective for 8 to 12 years before replacement is considered. The dominant failure mode is upstream contamination: liquid water, oil carry-over from the compressor or particulate breakthrough from a worn filter shorten sieve life dramatically. The standard NITROBERG® compressed-air treatment chain (water separator, refrigeration or adsorption dryer, fine filter, super-fine filter, activated-carbon tower, dust filter) is designed to protect the sieve over the long service interval.
No. Filters, valves and the Carbon Molecular Sieve itself are off-the-shelf components available on the open market. There is no Berg-exclusive spare-parts business after the initial purchase. The choice is deliberate — proprietary wear parts mean rising service costs and supplier lock-in over the life of the generator, and Berg’s position is that the value should sit in the engineering and the service, not in restricted spare parts.
NITROBERG® generators are CE-certified under the Pressure Equipment Directive (CE2912 / PED 2014/68/EU, Module B/D) and built in an ISO 13485 quality management system, with an EU Type Examination — Production Type (Module B) on file. The 99.999 % grade (Quality Grade 5.0, 10 ppm residual oxygen) covers laboratory mass-spectrometry and pharmaceutical inertisation requirements at the top end of the range. For application-specific validation documentation, engineering provides the relevant data package on request.