Though, the gas generation used in industrial purposes can turn into a significant factor based on the types of equipment utilized. A mini nitrogen generator is a multi-purpose device that provides various applications of gases on the site, such as food processing, electronics industry and laboratory. But there are several technologies available and each technology will have its own advantages. Welcome to this blog post where I explain the primary differences between a PSA type nitrogen generator and an O2 PSA generator in order to help you know which is the most suitable for your needs.
What is a Mini Nitrogen Generator?
A mini nitrogen generator can be defined as a small scale apparatus for the generation of Nitrogen gas on site and in small volumes. It is suitable for use where space is a constraint or where the flow rate of nitrogen needed is not very high compared to other industrial uses. Mini nitrogen generators also offer a cheaper solution to gas cylinders or having to rely on bulk deliveries of nitrogen since you receive an endless supply of this gas.
Mini nitrogen generators are placed in food packaging industries to prevent oxidation of food stuffs, laboratories for making inert environment, and electronics industries to make environment free from oxygen to prevent soldering of the products. Mini generators are far more compact than standard models, this makes the implementation and installation process much easier as well as gives flexibility on where the generators can be set up.
Understanding PSA Type Nitrogen Generators
PSA type nitrogen generators are perhaps the most commonly used technologies for nitrogen generation at different sites. The Pressure Swing Adsorption (PSA) process rely on a molecular sieve or carbon molecular sieve (CMS) to filter nitrogen from the air. This material selectively gets penetrated by oxygen and other trace gases while let through nitrogen and thus collected in high purity.
The process takes place in two steps:
- Adsorption Phase: Compressed air supplied to the CMS bed has the option of adsorbing oxygen molecules, while nitrogen is allowed to pass through it.
- Desorption Phase: This pressure is then reduced enabling the CMS to release the oxygen molecules that had been adsorbed to it and which are eliminated from the PSA type nitrogen generators are well effective and the efficiency of the inert nitrogen ranges from 99.999%. They have a broad range of applications across virtually all sectors of industry since they are inexpensive, very dependable, and generally require little maintenance. Also, the PSA nitrogen generators can manufacture varied nitrogen levels depending on the requirements hence are appropriate for small (mini) and large uses.
What is an O2 PSA Generator?
An O2 PSA generator is quite similar to the PSA nitrogen generator but is customized to produce oxygen gas. Similar to the O2 PSA generator, the O2 PSA generator used the molecular sieve technology to expel the oxygen from the air. While oxygen is let through while the material adsorbs nitrogen hence separating the two gases naturally. Sulphur then removes the nitrogen molecules, and a later desorption process tension of oxygen readiness for the other round of the cycle.
O2 PSA generators are employed in medical to supply supplementary oxygen, water treatment for raising the oxygen concentration in water, and in various industries such as metal welding and glass blowing. The benefit of O2 PSA generators is the former’s capacity to deliver a steady stream of packaged oxygen.
Comparing PSA Type Nitrogen Generators and O2 PSA Generators
While PSA type nitrogen generator and O2 PSA generator both use the same basic technology they are designed for use in two different ways. This usually enables their preference depends on the particularity of the kinds of gasses needed in the program.
- Gas Purity Needs:
- However if you need a high purity nitrogen for application like food processing or for manufacturing electronics, then the PSA type nitrogen generator is more recommended for you. Each of these generators can generate nitrogen with a degree of purity that is higher that 0.999 percent with a low level of oxygen.
- If you require a source of high purity of oxygen for medical or industrial requirement, then an O2 PSA generator is ideal.
- Usage Context:
- The nitrogen generator suitable to produce nitrogen on-site is PSA type nitrogen generators which are suitable to those industries including food & beverage industry, pharmaceutical industry and electronics & electrical industry. They have advantages of being able to produce variable nitrogen flow rates; in addition, they are cheaper to run than having to purchase liquid nitrogen or gas cylinders.
- O2 PSA generators are commonly fitted in healthcare facilities or an industrial application that requires continuous supply of oxygen.
- Cost Considerations:
- The PSA nitrogen generators can help organizations save these costs as nitrogen cylinder deliveries may be expensive and handling gas supply can cause equipment down time.
- While O2 PSA generators also present cost advantages over classical cylinder-based systems, those savings are fully realized in medical facilities or metalworking companies, which require more oxygen.
The Benefits of Using a Mini Nitrogen Generator
As it stands, a mini nitrogen generator has a number of benefits, especially if the business that is using it is not going to need a lot of gas. Here are some of the key benefits:
- Cost Efficiency: Disposing with the need for acquiring gas cylinders since mini nitrogen generators are self-producing, operating costs are greatly reduced. They also offer customers’ savings on transportation fees and cylinder rental charges.
- Space Saving: Mainstream mini nitrogen generators are not bulky hence suitable to be installed in laboratory, small production house and any other small area.
- On-Demand Supply: This means mini generators are conveyed that they are able to produce nitrogen locally so that the gas is never exhausted and hence they will always be available for use.
- Easy Maintenance: They are also simple maintenance systems, which means that an organization cannot be bogged down by complex maintenance procedures while undertaking its main business.
How to Choose the Right Nitrogen Generation System
Comparing between the PSA type nitrogen generator and the O2 PSA generator would really come down to the requirement of your company. Here are some factors to consider:
- Application Requirements: As will readily be understood by those of skill in the art, the level of nitrogen or oxygen used in a particular application must be established, along with the level of purity required for the inert gas used in the various applications. For example, whilst food packaging applications require nitrogen that has very low concentration of oxygen, medical purposes demand oxygen that is one hundred percent.
- Volume and Purity Needs: The use of generator should match your capacity and size since the generator’s size determines its capacity. Portable nitrogen generators are suitable for small scale uses; however, high capacity PSA systems can meet the industrial needs.
- Budget: Although both of them are beneficial in terms of costs in the long run, the capital expenditure may be different. The cost implication of installating, operating and maintainance should also be taken into consideration.
- Space Constraints: Small nitrogen generators are built to fit in compact spaces and may not require any modifications of the existing configuration. If this is a problem, it is advantageous to select a small system.
Conclusion
In the following two types of PSA nitrogen generators: one is the PSA type nitrogen generator, another one is the O2 PSA generator which is mainly used in the demanding fields and takes important roles in many sectors because of their advantages in producing high quality and stable gas supplies. Depending on your particular gaseous needs, financial status, and the available space, you get to decide which system to employ.
A mini nitrogen generator is much better for a variety of applications which require a baseline of nitrogen at a certain pressure as well as related costs of nitrogen supply are substantially lower in comparison with larger concentrations:, while an O2 PSA generator is potentially acceptable for applications where a constant focus of oxygen is needed in immense amount from the generator. To clarify these technologies it is possible to make the comparison between of them so if you want to have right system for your business, you can do that.
For more information on nitrogen and oxygen generation systems please visit Berg Gasetech. They provide various types of gas generation systems which meet the specific needs of a particular industry for quality and performance.
