PSA nitrogen generator working principle

PSA Nitrogen Generator working principle

PSA nitrogen generator is a machine producing high purity nitrogen by separating nitrogen from air. It adopts the principle of PSA(pressure swing adsorption).

Pressure swing adsorption processes rely on the fact that under pressure, gases tend to be attracted to solid surfaces, or "adsorbed". The higher the pressure, the more gas is adsorbed; when the pressure is reduced, the gas is released, or desorbed. PSA processes can be used to separate gases in a mixture because different gases tend to be attracted to different solid surfaces. When air is passed under pressure through a vessel containing an adsorbent(Carbon molecular sieve) bed that attracts oxygen more strongly than it does nitrogen, part or all of the oxygen will stay in the bed, and the gas coming out of the vessel will be enriched in nitrogen. When the bed reaches the end of its capacity to adsorb oxygen, it can be regenerated by reducing the pressure, thereby releasing the adsorbed oxygen. It is then ready for another cycle of producing nitrogen enriched air. In this way, high purity nitrogen is produced.