What are the main components of PSA Nitrogen Generator for Chemical Industry?

Air compressors are the power source of PSA Nitrogen Generator for Chemical Industry, responsible for compressing ambient air to the required pressure. Common types of compressors include screw and piston types, which can continuously provide high-pressure air. Since the compression process generates heat, the compressed air temperature is high, so subsequent cooling and purification treatment is required to avoid damage to downstream equipment.

The main function of the air storage tank is to stabilize the pressure of compressed air and reduce the pressure fluctuations caused by the operation of the air compressor. As a buffer device, it can store a certain amount of compressed air and provide replenishment when the gas consumption suddenly increases, thereby reducing the impact on the air compressor and subsequent purification system. In addition, the storage tank can also help separate some liquid water and oil mist to improve air quality.

Compressed air contains impurities such as oil, water, and dust. If not treated, it will seriously affect the performance of the molecular sieve in the adsorption tower. Therefore, the pretreatment system usually includes three stages of filtration: the primary filter removes large particles of dust, the fine filter removes liquid water and oil mist, and an activated carbon filter is equipped to adsorb residual oil vapor when necessary. In addition, refrigeration or adsorption dryers will reduce the air dew point to below -40°C to prevent moisture from condensing in the molecular sieve and ensure adsorption efficiency.

The adsorption tower is the core part of the PSA nitrogen generator. It usually adopts a double-tower structure to achieve continuous nitrogen supply through alternating adsorption and desorption. The tower is filled with carbon molecular sieves, whose microporous structure preferentially adsorbs oxygen, carbon dioxide and water vapor, while nitrogen can pass through. Compressed air enters from the bottom of the adsorption tower and flows out from the top. This flow design helps to improve adsorption efficiency. The life of the molecular sieve is generally 3 to 8 years, depending on air quality and operating conditions.

The control system is responsible for regulating the PSA cycle process to ensure stable operation of the equipment. PLC is the core control unit, which sets the switching time of the adsorption tower, monitors parameters such as pressure, flow, purity, and automatically adjusts the operating status. In addition, pneumatic or electric valves accurately control the direction of the air flow, complete the steps of adsorption, desorption, and pressure equalization, and make the entire nitrogen production process automatic.

The nitrogen buffer tank is used to store the produced nitrogen, balance the intermittent gas production of the PSA system, and ensure that the subsequent gas-using equipment obtains nitrogen with stable pressure. Since PSA nitrogen production is a periodic operation, the buffer tank can reduce the fluctuation of nitrogen purity and pressure and improve the stability of gas supply. Some systems are also equipped with pressure regulating valves to meet the nitrogen pressure requirements of different processes.