Membrane nitrogen generators play a crucial role in the petrochemical industry by providing a reliable and efficient source of high-purity nitrogen. This nitrogen is essential for various processes including purging, blanketing, and inerting, which help maintain safety and quality standards.
Purging: Nitrogen is used to purge pipelines, vessels, and tanks, effectively removing hazardous gases and contaminants. This ensures a safe environment for maintenance and reduces the risk of explosions.
Blanketing: In storage tanks and containers, nitrogen blanketing creates an inert atmosphere that prevents oxidation and contamination of sensitive materials such as chemicals and hydrocarbons. This process is vital for maintaining product integrity and extending shelf life.
Inerting: During production and processing, nitrogen is used to displace oxygen and other reactive gases. This minimizes the risk of fire and explosion, particularly in environments with flammable substances. Inerting also helps in controlling chemical reactions to achieve desired outcomes.
Membrane nitrogen generators offer several advantages over traditional methods of nitrogen supply, including on-site production, cost-effectiveness, and the ability to produce nitrogen with consistent purity levels tailored to specific industrial requirements. Their compact design and low maintenance make them an ideal choice for the dynamic and demanding environments of the petrochemical industry.
By ensuring safety, improving product quality, and enhancing operational efficiency, membrane nitrogen generators are indispensable tools in the petrochemical sector.
Model Selection
Working Principle
Membrane technology is based on the use of hollow fibers with a permeable structure. Thousands of these small, straw like plastic fibers are packed together in a tube of stainless steel 316 or coated aluminium. The process of gas separation starts when pressurized air is fed to one end of this tube. The quality of compressed air is important in order to maintain the efficiency of the nitrogen membranes and the purity of the nitrogen. Therefore the compressed air will be filtered. Solids, aerosol, liquid and vapour will be removed by coalescing, active carbon and dust filters. The filtration quality complies with customers’ requirements. The permeation rates of water vapour, CO2, and oxygen contained in the air stream are faster than nitrogen and argon and will rapidly diffuse through the fiber walls (permeate). The slower diffused nitrogen molecules remain in the fiber bore and are collected as the nitrogen product gas (retentate). The air flow rate will determine how much undiffused oxygen remains with the nitrogen gas. The membranes act like a filter with no moving parts and continuously generate nitrogen at selected flow and purity. The number of membrane modules, the compressed inlet air pressure and the temperature determine the capacity and purity of the nitrogen produced. The higher the feed air pressure the higher the nitrogen flow, this increase is more or less linear The produced nitrogen at the requested purity is now free for use in various applications or can be stored in a buffer vessel. The enriched oxygen is exhausted via the permeate outlet to a safe location. The nitrogen generator packages are provided with an oxygen analyzer which measures the quality of the produced nitrogen. In case the produced nitrogen does not meet the requested specification, the off-spec mixture will be vented outside or the package will shut-down completely. Each of our nitrogen generation packages is pre-tested in our workshop to make sure the package meets the requested specification of the client.
Purities up to 99,5%
Membrane nitrogen generator packages are available for purities from 95% up to 99,5%, different pressures and capacities, including air compressors, filters, instrumentation, automatic valves, control panels, buffer vessels, gas boosters for cylinder charging and nitrogen bottle racks. The packages can be installed in safe areas as well as hazardous areas.
The benefits
• safe use
• high purity (up to 99,5%)
• small membrane modules
• operating at lower compressed air pressure
• minimum energy consumption
• no heater required
• quick start up and stable N2 production
• pre-aged: no loss of performance
• simple design
• low investment
Comparison of PSA and Membrane Nitrogen Generator
| Item | Membrane | Psa |
| Achievable Purity | Efficiently Up To 99.9% | Efficiently Up To 99.999% |
| Efficiency | High | Higher |
| Performance Vs. Temp. | Higher At High Temp.* | Lower At High Temp. |
| System Complexity | Low | Medium |
| Service Intensity | Very Low | Low |
| Pressure Stability | Stable | Fluctuating In/Outlet |
| Flow Stability | Stable | Fluctuating In/Outlet |
| Start-Up Speed | Seconds | Minutes/Hours** |
| Water (Vapour) Sensitivity | No Iquid Water | P dp Max 8°c (Generally) |
| Oil Sensitivity | Not Allowed (< 0,01Mg/M³) | Not Allowed (< 0,01Mg/M³) |
| Noise Level | Very Low | High (Blow-Off Peaks) |
| Weight | Low | Medium |
Factory
With more than 1,000 systems built worldwide since 1998, CANGAS ® Systems win the respect of all with their reliability, cost-effectiveness, convenience and our excellent services.
A family of CANGAS ® Systems has been used in a wide range of industries: Chemical and Refining, Oil and gas production, Electronics, Aeronautics and aerospace, Pharmaceutical/Health care, Foods, Metallurgical, Glass, Coal-mine, and Aquaculture.
CANGAS ® Systems are the embodiment of the synthesis of the state-of-the-art technology and the perfect manufacturing techniques.
Our goal is to provide
CANGAS ® air separation systems and more professional services.
ISO9001 Certification
Workshop
The Guarantee/Warranty Period shall be a period of twelve (12) months after on-site startup &
commissioning or eighteen (18 ) months after shipment, whichever occurs first.
If any trouble or defect, originating with the design, material, workmanship or operating characteristics of any Goods, arises at any time during GUARANTEE/WARRANTY period, shall, at his own expense and as promptly as possible, make such alterations, repairs and replacements as may be necessary to permit the Goods to function in accordance with the specifications and to fulfill the foregoing guarantees.
Site service
can do paid services of on-site startup, commissioning, installation supervision, training, by providing purchaser with the services of qualified English-speaking engineers at users site, by sending English-speaking engineer to users site.
Certifications & compliance
CE
Complies with EU standards
