How Long Does It Take for a PSA Nitrogen Generation System to Reach Qualified Purity from Startup?

PSA (Pressure Swing Adsorption) nitrogen generation systems consist of multiple pieces of equipment working collaboratively, such as air compressors, dryers, filters, and nitrogen generation main units. The time required for these systems to produce nitrogen with qualified purity after startup is influenced by various factors and relies on proper startup procedures.

A PSA nitrogen generation system is composed of a series of equipment that work in coordination. It requires professional startup operations and takes a certain amount of time to obtain qualified product gas (mainly reaching the set purity and flow rate).

When using a PSA nitrogen generator for the first time, in addition to correct operation, it takes time for the finished nitrogen to reach the expected purity and flow rate. This time period depends on multiple influencing factors, such as the level of purity, system performance, and the equipment's operating environment.

Generally speaking, the time for different manufacturers to produce qualified gas varies, roughly ranging from 30 minutes to 2 hours. If the operation is accurate and smooth, but the time to generate qualified gas is still too long, it is probably that the equipment performance is not good, and the rationality of the system design and the quality of the equipment need to be reviewed. However, if the equipment fails to produce qualified gas for a long time after being used for a period and then restarted, it can be judged that the performance of the equipment has declined, meaning that equipment maintenance needs to be strengthened. For nitrogen that fails to reach the preset purity after startup, it will be discharged by the system.

• Start the refrigerated air dryer: Let the refrigerated air dryer run.
• Turn on the air compressor: For water-cooled models, first open the cooling water pipe valve to ensure the cooling water is unobstructed; turn on the power switch according to the instruction manual to make the compressor run.

• Wait for the buffer pressure after the air dryer to rise to 0.3Mpa, slowly open the drain valve at the bottom of the buffer tank for 5-10 seconds, and then close the drain valve.
• When the pressure of the air buffer tank reaches the maximum pressure set by the air compressor, adjust the pilot air pressure reducing valve (lift the pressure reducing valve cover knob and rotate it in the + direction), and observe the pressure gauge of the pressure reducing valve. When the pressure rises to 0.3Mpa, turn the pressure reducing valve knob downward to close it.Open the air inlet valve, then turn on the operation button on the electric control cabinet, and the nitrogen generator starts to enter the adsorption process.
• After the nitrogen generator works for about 10 minutes, slowly open the nitrogen production valve to let the pure nitrogen enter the nitrogen storage tank.When the pressure of the nitrogen buffer tank rises to 0.3Mpa, open the nitrogen tank purge drain valve and let it drain for about 20 minutes to replace the nitrogen tank; then close the drain valve and wait for the nitrogen pressure to rise.
• After the pressure of the nitrogen storage tank reaches 0.4 MPa, open the flowmeter ball valve.Adjust the nitrogen pressure reducing valve (lift the pressure reducing valve cover knob and rotate it in the + direction), and observe the pressure gauge of the pressure reducing valve to make the outlet pressure reach the set value.
• Observe the nitrogen purity of the control cabinet. If it does not meet the requirements, the circular light strip of the electric control cabinet will emit yellow light and flash. First, slowly open the vent valve to empty the unqualified nitrogen.
• While slowly opening the vent valve, observe the numerical value of the flowmeter until the value reaches the specified flow rate.
• The nitrogen generator empties unqualified nitrogen until the purity is qualified. At this time, the circular light strip of the control cabinet emits green light and does not flash. Close the vent valve and open the nitrogen production valve.

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In addition to PSA Nitrogen Generator, we also produce VPSA Oxygen Generators,PSA Oxygen Generators, storage tanks, heat exchangers and other products. If you are interested in psa nitrogen Systems or other products, please feel free to send an email to sales@gneeheatex.com. We will be very happy to serve you.