Nitrogen for Renewable Energy

Nitrogen for Renewable Energy

    Nitrogen gas offers a variety of uses for many manufacturers in the industrial world but transporting nitrogen generators to your facility can bring a host of challenges, added costs, and safety issues. 

     By setting up onsite nitrogen generation, you displace the requirement of having to purchase the gas and bypass many of the challenges that come with transporting the gas to your facility.

Here’s what you need to know about the benefits of onsite nitrogen generators, and how this valuable gas is vital for renewable energy applications like wind turbine operation and refinery co-processing.

Nitrogen Applications for Renewable Energy

Wind Turbine Operation
One of the most well-known sources of renewable energy is the use of wind turbines. They generate electricity as wind blows and turns giant blades.

       The spinning blades turn an electrical generator and activate a hydraulic system and the accumulator, which create energy that can be stored and used as needed. The accumulator consists of two compartments: one filled with gas, and the other full of fluid.

Refinery Co-Processing

Nitrogen gas is also involved in the bioenergy process of turning forest and agricultural waste products into fuel. This application, known as refinery co-processing, requires the use of biowaste (e.g. wood chips) as raw material and converts it to ASTM (American Society for Texting and Materials) specification renewable gasoline and diesel. 

Reduces Costs

      The cost of having liquid nitrogen delivered to your facility depends on factors like market costs and your delivery location. Not only do you have to consider actual nitrogen costs but there are also tank rental fees, delivery charges, hazmat charges, 

PSA Nitrogen Generators

     Pressure Swing Absorption (PSA) Nitrogen Generators use two towers full of carbon molecular sieve (CMS). As compressed air enters the bottom of the “online” tower and flows up through the CMS, oxygen and other trace gases are adsorbed, allowing nitrogen to pass through. After a pre-set time, the online tower will automatically switch to regenerative mode and will vent contaminants from the CMS.

      Since CMS has a much narrower range of pore openings, small molecules like oxygen can penetrate and separate the oxygen molecules from nitrogen molecules as nitrogen molecules are too large to be adsorbed by the CMS. The larger nitrogen molecules bypass the CMS and enter into the process stream as nitrogen gas.

These nitrogen generators can be used for nitrogen purity ranges from 95% to 99.999%+ but are most often used in applications where the nitrogen purity requirement is greater than 98%.

siam water flame
Nitrogen Gas Genertor