Nitrogen Purging Systems: What They Are & How They Work

Nitrogen purging is an important industrial process that impacts many industries, from brewing to shipping. If your business requires nitrogen purging systems, knowing what they are and what the process looks like can help you determine if it’s needed at your plant or business.

If you need to set up a nitrogen purge system, it’s important to buy from a reputable company, like On Site Gas Systems, that creates high-quality products.

What Is Nitrogen Purging?

Nitrogen purging is a process that removes the environment of unwanted gasses using nitrogen. As an inert gas, nitrogen can be used to displace other gasses without setting off a chemical reaction. During nitrogen purging, nitrogen may be used to displace oxygen and other gasses that contribute to oxidation.

There are many reasons for purging with nitrogen, but the most obvious benefit is the removal of gasses that lead to the chemical alteration of products. Purging with nitrogen can prevent moisture-related damage to equipment and products.

How Does Nitrogen Purging Work?

There are four ways to purge with nitrogen:

Pressure-hold vacuum method. The pressure-hold vacuum method involves pressurizing a vessel using nitrogen. When the contents of the vessel are combined with nitrogen, the original gas becomes diluted. The combination of gasses is vented and then the vessel is re-pressurized with nitrogen. This process is repeated as many times as necessary until the contents of the vessel have an acceptable level of nitrogen. This works on vessels with only one opening.

Pressure transfer of liquids. Pressurizing the headspace within a vessel allows for the transfer of liquids without a pump. Doing this significantly reduces the risk of oxidation, which can occur while transferring liquid from one tank to another.

Displacement purging. This process works in pipelines and in vessels shaped like pipes. The process works when a scraping piston, called the “pig” is propelled by the nitrogen pressure. The pig pushes through the line and purges the line of contents that are not nitrogen. Sometimes, the pig is replaced with an inert fluid.

Dilution purging. Dilution purging works by mixing nitrogen with the gas to be purged. This works in vessels with two openings. The nitrogen gas is pushed into the vessel and mixed with the other gas in the vessel and then is effectively purged through the outlet.

When deciding which type of nitrogen purging is right for your industrial process, it’s important to consider factors like the vessel’s shape and how many inlets and outlets are available. No matter what method you choose, you’ll need a steady supply of nitrogen to make this process work. For this, you’ll need a nitrogen generator.

Nitrogen generators come in different types and can produce different levels of purity. On Site Gas Systems makes PSA (pressure swing adsorption) generators and membrane nitrogen generators for businesses that need a steady supply of nitrogen for their manufacturing and other processes. We also make custom generators to ensure that businesses can find the right type of generator no matter what their needs. To find out which type of nitrogen generator is right for your business, contact On Site Gas Systems.

Who Needs Nitrogen Purging?

Many types of businesses use nitrogen purging for their processes. Some examples include breweries, shipping, petrochemicals, food production, and welding.

Buy Your Nitrogen Generator for Nitrogen Purging Today

Nitrogen generation is an essential part of nitrogen purging. To create nitrogen of the correct purity, you’ll need a generator of the right kind. Buy your nitrogen generator for use in your nitrogen purging process today. Contact On Site Gas Systems to describe your needs and learn more about which type of nitrogen generator is right for your business. Our customer service representatives are available to help you choose the right generator.