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Introduction
Pressure Swing Adsorption (PSA) is a nitrogen gas generation method with a specially designed adsorbent. This adsorbent is called a Carbon Molecular Sieve (CMS) having micro pores in its surface to adsorb O2, CO2 and H2O molecules when under a certain pressure. After the adsorption process, the adsorbent is regenerated by depressurizing the vessel containing the adsorbent. PSA can produce the nitrogen gas continuously by repeating above adsorption and regeneration. The use of the PSA process has seen immense growth during the last few decades, mainly due to its simplicity and low operating costs. Major applications outside of nitrogen have been the recovery of high purity hydrogen, methane and carbon dioxide and oxygen. The number and size of the CMS will dictate the purity of the nitrogen produced and the flow rates possible. PSA has been successfully used to produce nitrogen from a rate of 5,000 CFH to 60,000 CFH with purities ranging from 95% - 99.9995%.
Associations
(NFPA)
69:
Standard
Explosion Prevention Systems. In this guideline it can be seen that sometimes the purity required can be below 95%. During the course of a day the demand for nitrogen can vary. This is bad news for PSA as PSA works Figure 2 Effect of Purity on cost1 most efficiently when working at its full design capacity.
very easily and constantly work at full capacity. When the loading pattern contains instantaneous peaks and troughs a PSA system
will struggle. Sizing for the lower demand will mean that a buffer tank will be required and sizing for peak demand will mean the PSA system is working at part capacity or idle, bringing high operating costs. An erratic flow pattern can usually be handled by a combination of a PSA system and liquid nitrogen supplements. PSA systems are usually aimed at having a utilisation of 90% or higher.
Figure
For the purpose of explanation and clarity, from figure 5 the vessel on the left will be referred to as vessel 1 and the vessel on the left will be referred to as vessel 2. The first
Step 3 is known as Equalisation. As the name suggests all that is happening during this time is that the pressure in Figure 7 vessels 1 and 2 are being equalised. During this step no nitrogen is produced and no gases from regeneration are released to the atmosphere as regeneration and absorption will have ceased. After this step the whole cycle is repeated but with vessel 2 doing the adsorption and vessel 1 doing the regeneration.
Equalisation3
During operation Nitrogen generators such as PSA system can produce oxygen rich and nitrogen rich atmospheres. This is particularly dangerous when the system is housed within a building. It is important that the area the system is housed in is well ventilated and provided with adequate fire protection. This is because if an oxygen rich atmosphere is produced there is a significantly increased risk of fire. It is recommended that the oxygen concentration within the building should not exceed 23.5%. As there is also a possibility of nitrogen rich atmospheres being produced, hence a reduction in the oxygen level, the oxygen level should be monitored to ensure it stays above 19.5% as lower than this constitutes hazardous working conditions.
Safety Considerations
When installing the PSA it is vital to install proper ventilation, always ensure the nitrogen exhaust and the waste gases are piped
out of the building. Sensors for the oxygen level should also be linked in with an alarm system, and signs should be posted to warn personnel of a possible oxygen deficient area.
An important note would be to consider having an oxygen level alarm in rooms where tools are powered by gases other than oxygen, as leakages from pipes and tools can also result in an oxygen deficient area. If it is not possible to maintain an oxygen level that is adequate then the correct breathing apparatus should be provided. As previously mentioned that it is possible to have an oxygen enriched area, in which fire hazards are increased, it is recommended that personnel working in the building where the PSA is housed should wear flame retardant clothing such as NOMEX,
and that the building and directly surrounding area be kept free of hydrocarbons and other
combustible materials.
Installation 1
The first part of installation is site selection. One of the primary factors in site selection is the quality of air. Many PSA systems are located in or near industrial areas, resulting in the air quality be fairly low. It is likely the air will be contaminated with hydrocarbons, acid gases and particulate matter. This will have a negative affect on the operation of the PSA system and in the case of hydrocarbons and other flammable particles could have a serious impact on the safety of the operation of the PSA system. In industrial areas some level of contamination is to be expected, and the manufacturer should be consulted to determine acceptable levels of contamination. When selecting a site, survey of the surrounding area should be performed. The survey should include but not be limited to, looking at how future development might affect the air quality and investigations into potential fire hazards. It is important to ensure that around the PSV there will be enough space for other operations and maintenance to continue. As noted in the Safety Considerations section the ventilation of the building that houses the PSA is of paramount importance. It is recommended that a minimum of 6 air changes an hour are performed. The release of the oxygen rich waste gas should be funnelled away from any possible sources of ignition (i.e. road traffic). Materials used for the construction of the PSA and interconnecting pipework are usually carbon steel or copper. When selecting materials the presence of high velocity, oxygen rich gases should be considered. Any non metallic material will react with oxygen, so
when routing exhaust gases, contact the manufacturer for suitable materials of seals
and gaskets are required.
Installation 2
Before the installation is completed and the PSA turned on, pipework needs to be cleaned, especially in the waste gas routing. The removal of rust, dirt, weld slag and oils is vital for minimising the fire risk and maximising the life and performance of the PSA. Under EN60079 Nitrogen generators are not thought to be a hazard to electrical equipment, so it is acceptable to use general purpose wiring depending on if the location in in or out doors. All equipment must be grounded. The fire protection that would need to be installed for the PSA system is very simple. A large, readily available supply of water is usually sufficient if in the form of a number of fire hydrants or hoses. The fire protection system should allow the fire to be approached from all angles. It common practice to have an emergency shut down system on a PSA, and on larger installation there may be more than one place to trigger the system. Something that is sometimes overlooked is the noise produced by compressors and high gas velocities, this should be considered if placing near a residential area. Also the venting of the building should be directed away from personnel and exhaust from pressure relief valve should directed away from personnel. Waste gases from nitrogen generators are typically high in water content, so drainage and freezing protection should be considered. When reviewing hazards with in PSA supplier dusting (deterioration of the adsorbent) should be taken into account. The particle produced are not normally hazardous but are frequently a low level irritant and the particle can cause measuring instruments to provide inaccurate readings.
Installation 3
PSA systems will have air compression systems that will generate water condensation via processes such as drying. The condensate stream do sometimes contain small quantities of oil, glycol and molecular sieve dust. Provisions should be made
for the disposal of such solids or fluids, that comply with all
national and local environmental practices. Finally before installation is started, a hazard review should be performed to reduce any possible hazards. It is preferable that more than one person performs this.
Storage - Gaseous
As mentioned in the Cryogenic storage section nitrogen is only a treat to life because it is a gas that does not support life. This means when storing nitrogen on site in cylinders, as gas form, the treats are that it may be compressed in a cylinder, therefore likely to explode when heated and it is an asphyxiant stored in a high concentration. This means it is important to keep the nitrogen cylinders in a cool, well ventilated area. The cylinders should not be allowed to reach temperatures above 50oC. The cylinders should be stored in a vertical orientation and should be secured to prevent them from falling over. Frequent inspections of
Maintenance
Performing maintenance on these system can be very dangerous. The tanks containing the adsorbent are usually stored in cabinets. This means the creation of a nitrogen or oxygen enriched atmosphere is likely in these areas. Also it means that work may have to carried out in confined areas. If repairs are necessary and require piping or vessel to be opened or have hot repairs done, the pipe work or vessels concerned should be purged with clean air until an oxygen concentration of 19.5% - 23.5% is achieved and can be maintained. After new equipment has been installed, before restarting the PSA a good cleaning process to remove any contaminants should be performed. For further guidance see EIGA Doc 149/10 section 10.
References
1) http://www.airproducts.com/~/media/Files/PDF/products/producing-nitrogen-via-psa-CEP-Article_20120638.pdf [online] Accessed 12/09/2013 2) http://www.gastec.com.my/Nitrogen/N2%20PSA/GasTec%20PSA%20N2%20Gen%20Systems%20Presentation.pdf [online] Accessed 13/09/2013 3) http://www.atlascopco.com/nitrogenus/products/nitrogen_generators/psa_nitrogen/ [online] Accessed 13/09/2013
Useful Documents
1) 2) 3) 4) 5) 6) BCGA CODE OF PRACTICE CP36 BCGA CODE OF PRACTICE CP30 BCGA CODE OF PRACTICE CP25 BULK LIQUID OXYGEN, NITROGEN AND ARGON STORAGE SYSTEMS AT PRODUCTION SITES IGC Doc 127/13/E BOC gases Datasheet (Nitrogen oxygen free) SAFE INSTALLATION AND OPERATION OF PSA AND MEMBRANE OXYGEN AND NITROGEN GENERATORS IGC Document 149/10/E 7) BULK LIQUID OXYGEN, NITROGEN AND ARGON STORAGE SYSTEMS AT PRODUCTION SITES AIGA 031/06