Saturday, January 24, 2015

Benefits Of Nitrogen Membrane Systems

By Janine Hughes


Scientists have for a long time been researching and testing various methods of gas separation. There have been several successful breakthroughs. Among them is the use of an artificial membrane to act as a sieve for various particles in the air. This serves to increase the velocity of the more concentrated particles left, hence actively separating the gases. This is known as nitrogen membrane system in some circles and nitrogen separation in others.

Nitrogen generators have become increasingly important and the procedure of nitrogen separation is key in their operation. In the systems that make use of membranes, the membrane itself is crucial in the efficient production of nitrogen. A material high in fibre or purely fibre may is highly recommended as it maintains pressure difference for longer periods.

The systems operate on the basis of difference in pressure on either side of the membrane. Natural air is allowed to flow through the entry tube. The lighter oxygen particles pass through the membrane and therefore leave a higher concentration of the gas. This high concentration causes their velocity to increase and hence it pushes out through the exit. It is then directed to storage and further purification if need be.

This procedure of this Membrane system has been found to have some advantages over other similar systems. This include having both cost and energy savings of up to 50%. This is in comparison to other cylinders, liquefied, adsorption and cryogenic systems. This savings are mainly attributed to the simplicity of this systems.

Membrane systems also have their shortcomings. They have a limited volume by which they can produce. These systems are rarely used on large scale due to this limitation. The level of purity of this gas is another limitation. This systems do not have the capacity to produce totally pure nitrogen and especially at higher air flow rates.

Other nitrogen separation systems with the same capability as the membrane systems include Pressure Swing Adsorption Generators. These are seen as the nearest competitors in terms of similar capacities of production and structural simplicity. Other competitors in the same playing field are cryogenic systems which have the advantage of being built, assembled and used on site. Furthermore, there are newer portable systems.

The systems have been adopted in various industries and for many uses. These include in food and beverage preservation, filling up aircraft and motor vehicle tires, as an antioxidant in electronics, a cooling agent in glass industry. In the petroleum industry, it is used as a cleaning agent and to create an inert environment to prevent explosions of flammable petroleum.

The systems have various uses. They are well known and documented. The main one being production of nitrogen, which is then used in various industries and companies. The process of producing the pure nitrogen gas may be different and use various different procedures. The uses of the gas are also several and cannot be disregarded. The systems have however risen above the rest and proven more efficient in terms of resource usage. There is nothing to fear regarding the effectiveness of this system.




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