PSA Generator Oxygen vs. Industrial Oxygen Generator: Key Differences
In the industrial world there has always been a need of gases such as oxygen and nitrogen for a number of uses in health sector, manufacturing activities among others. Various methods exist for the generation of these gases among them being PSA technology. PSA generators have risen in popularity due to their cheapness, efficiency, and ability to generate the gases within the site they are required. However, important to be distinguished between PSA generator oxygen system and the other oxygen generator types when choosing the equipment.
In this article, the author will look at the distinguishing factor between generator oxygen systems and industrial oxygen generator as well as when PSA nitrogen generator should be used. The purpose of this article is to give you enough information to make a wise choice for your industrial gas needs.
What is a PSA Generator Oxygen System?
A PSA oxygen system is based on the Pressure Swing Adsorption technology to develop oxygen. The process is as follows: air which is 79% Nitrogen, 21% oxygen, and other smaller components within traces are drawn into the reactor. To be specific, the PSA generator put pressure on the air and then removes the nitrogen out of the air at the same time increases the concentration of the oxygen highly.
The oxygen generated can be in varying degrees of purity – between 90% and up to 99% depending with the design and use of the generator. Some of the PSA oxygen generator applications include; healthcare for medical oxygen use, metabolism to metal processing, waste water treatment and fish farming.
Industrial Oxygen Generators: An Overview
Industrial oxygen generators by definition refer to the systematic ways through which oxygen can be produced in industrial quantities. This include cryogenic distillation, membrane separation and pressure swing adsorption technology. A Table comparing the various types of generators shows that each type has its advantage and disadvantage as per oxygen purity, production rate, or cost.
While cryogenic oxygen generators are the most significant kind employed in large scale industrial applications that require the use of very high purity oxygen of at least 99.5%. This process entails the reduction of air pressure and fractionation of the gaseous components and the liquefaction of at least one of these fractions. However, cryogenic systems can be expensive, and the systems call for frequent maintenance or replacement as compared to PSA generator systems, which are most preferred for large scale production.
Another optic-turbulence industrial oxygen generator is known as Membrane separation where semi-permeable membranes are utilized to separate oxygen from nitrogen. While they are helpful in generating low to medium purity of oxygen, the membrane systems do not generate the same degree of purity of the product as PSA or cryogenic system.
Key Differences Between PSA Generator Oxygen and Other Industrial Oxygen Generators
- Purity Levels
PSA Generator Oxygen:The PSA generator can produce oxygen in a purity of between 90% and 99%. Owing to the ability to manipulate the level of oxygen purity the devise can be used in a number of industries.
Cryogenic Systems: Provide even the highest standard of purity, which may go up to a 0.1% purity scale. This makes cryogenic oxygen generators suitable for specialized application in industries which include the manufacturing of semiconductor.
Membrane Systems: In general offer a lower purity oxygen between 30% and 40% which is adequate for uses such as fire prevention or inerting but not for medical purposes.
- Production Volume
PSA Generators: It can be used well in at least small to medium-scale production needs. They are capable of producing enough amount of oxygen used on the site and hence do not need very large storage spaces.
Cryogenic Oxygen Generators: Suitable for industrial use and for massive production of oxygen as well as mAss oxygen for sale. These are popular in use in production facilities in which high turnover is desired.
Membrane Generators: Designed for stepless, low to moderate oxygen consumption applications but not suitable for applications that require high flow rates of oxygen.
- Installation and Operational Costs
PSA Generator Oxygen: PSA technology is proven to be relatively inexpensive as compared with other gas separation technologies that require minimal amount of money to install and maintain.
Cryogenic Systems: They demand large initial investments and high costs of maintenance because of the sophistication of the apparatus. They also use more power because of the liquefaction process.
Membrane Systems: Usually analyses cost less than cryogenic generators, but can be less economic than PSA systems where higher specification oxygen is wanted.
The Role of PSA Nitrogen Generators
Apart from generating oxygen, PSA technique is also applied in the generation of Nitrogen. A PSA nitrogen generator is very similar to a PSA oxygen generator in its function; that is, it is designed to sort nitrogen from the rest of the components of air. Nitrogen generators are employed in food processing, electronics and electrical appliances production as well as in the oil and gas production since they can generate high purity nitrogen.
Comparing the necessity of nitrogen and oxygen generation many companies came to the conclusion that it is rather useful to have both PSA oxygen and PSA nitrogen. For instance the metal fabrication industries utilize oxygen for cutting and welding while nitrogen is utilized in inerting and blanketing. If businesses generate PSA on site both gases then, it will reduce the operational cost as well as make the operation far much efficient.
Which One Should You Choose?
When deciding between a generator oxygen system and other types of industrial oxygen generators, consider the following factors:
- Oxygen Purity Requirements
Cryogenic systems are probably your best solution if you require oxygen of more than 99.5% purity. generator oxygen systems are suitable to meet applications’ requirement, which requires 90-99% oxygen purity.
- Production Scale and Demand
For low to medium production levels or for applications where the oxygen generator will be used sporadically, PSA generators provide the best solution. Cryogenic oxygen systems will be useful when there is need for bulk production because large scale continuous production leads to the use of systems.
- Budget Constraints
PSA oxygen and nitrogen generators are generally cheaper than cryogenic systems in areas of capital cost, power utilization and avoidable costs.
- Need for Multiple Gases
If your facility needs both nitrogen as well as oxygen,the use of PSA generators for the two can be much convenient and less cumbersome.
Conclusion
To make the right choice of the equipment to meet your business needs, you should make a distinction between the cryogenic industrial oxygen generators and generator oxygen systems and membrane –based solutions. Every kind of generator has its benefits that count for some uses and the advantages may include; Attaining purity oxygen for medical application or collection immense industrial gases.
In terms of its cost-efficiency, a generator oxygen system is generally considered to provide the best of both worlds in terms of purity, size and cost. Moreover, PSA nitrogen generator for the generation of nitrogen gas in the site is also helpful to enhance the strategies of industrial gas supplies.
