For years, businesses requiring nitrogen really only had one option to fuel their applications: bottled nitrogen supplied by gas companies. This reliance on gas companies to supply bottled nitrogen came with a few sticking points including long-term contracts and ever-rising gas prices, not to mention the prevalence of dewars laying all around the facility floor.
But now there’s another option: on-site nitrogen generation.
While it may sound daunting, generating your own nitrogen is not only a straight-forward process, but provides numerous benefits for a variety of applications and industries.
Common industries who take advantage of on-site nitrogen generation include:
- Metal fabrication and laser cutters
- Food and beverage packagers
- Breweries, distillery, and wineries
Just to name a few. Generating nitrogen on-site can safely and reliably provide lower overall costs and guaranteed purity with no wait times.
So how does nitrogen generation work?
The answer: Nitrogen generators. However, they don't necessarily work the way you think.
Nitrogen generators don’t create nitrogen. Rather they use the nitrogen already present in the air and remove the extra molecules to deliver the purity you require.
By taking a standard compressed air system, we can generate the necessary amount of air needed before utilizing a nitrogen generator to strip aware the unwanted molecules to deliver the nitrogen purity you require.
Types of Nitrogen Generation Methods
There are two main methods for removing these extra molecules from the air.
- Pressure Swing Adsorption (PSA) technology
- Membrane nitrogen generators
PSA Nitrogen Generators
The first is Pressure Swing Adsorption (PSA) technology, which filters out unwanted molecules through a carbon-molecular sieve (CMS). The CMS has numerous tiny pores across its surface that are just the right size to catch oxygen molecules, leaving only nitrogen at the purity you require. PSA technology can produce up to 99.999% pure nitrogen.
Membrane Nitrogen Generators
The second method to generate nitrogen is through membrane generators. These membrane generators include a bundle of small, polymer hollow fibers with small pores across the entire surface. Oxygen molecules pass through these pores in a process called permeation, eventually leaving only nitrogen molecules. Membrane technology can produce up to 99.5% pure nitrogen.
Nitrogen Purity
The nitrogen purity you require will help in determining the best technology for your process in producing nitrogen. However, PSA technology can get the purest of the two methods above.
Food-grade nitrogen, usually used in modified atmospheric packaging (MAP) applications, requires very strict purity standards with nitrogen that is extremely clean, dry, and free of contaminants. These applications require purity levels of 99% to 99.999% to prevent oxidation, microbial growth, and a change to the intended flavors.
On top of using updated, high purity nitrogen technology, you can also include equipment such as filtration systems, dryers, dew point monitors, microbial-barrier filters, and regular audits to ensure your nitrogen purity is at its purest level.
Nitrogen Applications
Food & Beverage
One of the most common nitrogen uses is in food preservation in the food and beverage industries. Nitrogen is used in modified atmospheric packaging (MAP) where nitrogen is inserted into the packaging to preserve the quality and increase the shelf life of the product. Because the nitrogen comes in direct contact with the food or beverage that will be consumed, it needs to be extremely clean and dry. Utilizing nitrogen that abides by the strict compliance requirements in food and beverage operations helps prevent oxidation, protects flavor and coloring, reduces spoilage and mold growth, and reduces microbial activity.
Nitrogen is also frequently used for beverage blanketing, which is the process of covering the liquid beverage with nitrogen, leaving space at the top of the container as a protective layer to prevent oxygen from combining with and spoiling the product. Nitrogen offers similar benefits to beverage blanketing as it does to MAP.
Distilleries, Breweries, & Wineries
Distilleries, breweries, and wineries are a unique aspect to the food and beverage industry that all heavily rely on nitrogen for high quality alcoholic beverages. Common applications include tank blanketing, line purging, headspace filling & management, sparging, inerting, nitrogen brew production, packaging, filling, and bottling.
Like general food and beverage operations, alcoholic beverage processes require strict purity standards> Nitrogen following these standards helps control oxygen exposure to the liquids, protects color and flavor of the product, and extends its shelf life.
Metal Fabrication
Metal fabricators also rely on pure nitrogen to complete many important tasks such as laser cutting, heat treating, degassing, laser beam assists and path purges, and other laser processes. Nitrogen is also frequently used for process and product cooling. Utilizing nitrogen in the metals world helps prevent oxidation and preserve coloring of the products. It also helps to assist with precision finishes and accurate cuts, an essential aspect to high quality metal fabrication.
Benefits of Onsite Nitrogen
Having your nitrogen ready on-site, rather than delivered, offers many benefits including the following:
- Consistent purity
- Overall cost savings vs. paying continuous delivery fees
- Full control over usage and supply
- Increased safety and efficiency
- Flexibility in usage, upgrades, and changes
- Extensive list of options and technologies for a proper solution unique to your operations
- Easy maintenance and support from Zorn Compressor & Equipment
Talk to us about your nitrogen generation system needs.
Nitrogen delivery and storage can be expensive, unreliable, and a safety concern, so nitrogen generators allow users to produce nitrogen in-house simply and inexpensively using an existing compressed air system.
Do you have questions when it comes to nitrogen generation and what you need at your facility? Reach out to us directly and discuss your options with one of our local compressed air and nitrogen experts.
Zorn is the Midwest leader of custom, engineered compressed air and vacuum solutions. We provide the best customer experience by understanding your applications and needs and offering an unparalleled commitment to customer satisfaction.
Our comprehensive product and service solutions keep you running 24/7.
- Reliable equipment
- Trusted brands
- Seamless, easy installation
- Post-sales support
- Local, 24/7 service
Our compressed air experts look forward to meeting you to discuss your equipment and support needs. Please contact us directly at (262) 695-7000 with any questions or to schedule service for your system moving forward.
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