Benefits of Onsite Nitrogen Gas Generation
In a matter of days, many laboratories that depend on nitrogen gas for their research can go through a cylinder of nitrogen causing a project to be interrupted while switching out an empty cylinder. In some situations, research may be paused waiting for a new batch of nitrogen gas cylinders to be delivered. Nitrogen gas cylinders can also provide an inconsistent purity once they reach the lower end of their capacity. Contaminants can enter a cylinder causing impurities leading to inconsistent delivery of nitrogen gas. These impurities can react with a sample.
Only if there was an alternative method of having a consistent delivery of purified nitrogen gas available without interrupting an experiment. Wait, there is!
On-site Nitrogen Gas Generator provides laboratories with a convenient method of producing their own nitrogen gas. This shift lets labs modernize their facilities with an efficient method of supplying nitrogen gas for their projects. This simple change brings other benefits of on-site nitrogen generation that everyone will be beneficial to everyone.
How do nitrogen gas generators work?
Before we dive into the benefits of a nitrogen gas generator, let us go over how a nitrogen gas generator works. There are two types of nitrogen generators available on the market, Membrane generators and PSA (Pressure Swing Adsorption) generators.
Membrane generator starts its process by passing compressed air through a bundle of small fibers that are permeable to oxygen, but not nitrogen, allowing oxygen to be purged from the system. Nitrogen continues through a set of filters where water vapor is removed, through a heater where nitrogen is purified and into the membrane technology to remove any additional oxygen and water vapor.
A PSA generator starts by passing compressed air into an air tank that is pressurized containing carbon molecular sieves. This caused oxygen to bind to the compressed air, allowing nitrogen to pass through to an adsorption tank and into a nitrogen gas holding tank. The process is repeated until the storage tank is full.
Benefits of On-Site Nitrogen Generators vs Nitrogen Gas Cylinders
Staff Safety
A laboratory’s first priority is the safety of its staff members. On-site nitrogen generation removes the hazard of having lab personnel lug heavy gas cylinder around the laboratory. If not done properly this can lead to injuries and damage to lab equipment.
Cost Saving
Gas prices fluctuate throughout the year, this can become an issue when a budget must be adhered to. On-site nitrogen generators reduce the cost of purchasing gas cylinders, shipping, time spent ordering and time waiting on a delivery to arrive.
Environmental Impact
A tremendous amount of energy is used to produce the cylinders used to store nitrogen. And releases large amounts of carbon dioxide into the air. By generating nitrogen on-site, energy can be conserved and the release of carbon dioxide can be reduced. This will also eliminate delivery trucks reducing their carbon footprint.
Laboratory equipment such as cell incubators, IVF incubators, dry boxes, and glove boxes require a controlled atmosphere provided by nitrogen gas. If this source is interrupted it can damage highly sensitive equipment and applications. If your lab is still using nitrogen gas delivered in cylinders, it might be time to upgrade to an on-site nitrogen gas generation system.
