Membrane Air Separation System From Dow Produces Gaseous Nitrogen On-Site, Economically
The Dow Chemical Company has announced a modular air separation system based on its advanced membrane technology. The new GENERON ® systems produce 95-99 percent nitrogen and, according to Dow, are simple and safe to operate.
As a consistent source of enriched nitrogen, the systems are expected to fill a broad range of industrial and commercial applications. This type of nitrogen is used extensively in the chemical process industry (CPI), metal producing and metalworking industries, and food processing.
On-site production of gaseous nitrogen via the GENERON system can yield significant cost savings compared with alternative sources of nitrogen.
Compared with previous methods of on-site nitrogen generation, the GENERON air separation system is a compact, self-standing unit that can operate unattended. With no moving parts, it is basically simple to maintain. The system requires no flame source, and its nitrogen product contains fewer contaminants than nitrogen generated via conventional inert gas generators (IGG).
The system also produces an oxygen- enriched stream that is properly vented or may be used for a variety of in-plant purposes.
System capacities typically range from 300 to 15,000 SCFH (standard cubic feet per hour). As a modular unit, it is a simple matter to tailor a system to current and changing needs. The entire system, including basic instrumentation, is skidmounted and is easily positioned with a forklift. The skid-mounting also facilitates relocation of the system if process needs or plant layouts change. The compact design permits a system to be installed within tightly confined spaces.
In the GENERON system, the separation of nitrogen and oxygen constituents of air depends on their relative permeability through hollow fiber membranes. Each module contains millions of these membranes wijthin a pressure case.
Gases such as oxygen exhibit a high permeability compared to nitrogen and pass readily through the membrane. Nitrogen, on the other hand, has an appreciably lower permeability rate and so a significantly smaller proportion is able to permeate the membrane. In effect, a large portion of the nitrogen is swept past the hollow fiber membrane, while all but a small percentage of the oxygen passes through.
Plant air, typically at 75-90 psi, provides the required driving force for the separation process. The pressurized air can be supplied from an existing plant air system or from a built-in auxiliary air compressor.
The compressed air enters the module through a perforated tube running lengthwise down its center.
The feed tube distributes the compressed air uniformly to the fiber bundle.
Thus, the incoming air stream is separated into an oxygen-enriched "permeate" stream and a nitrogenenriched "non-permeate" stream.
Water vapor also permeates the membrane rapidly, thus producing a dry nitrogen-enriched product stream. This stream exits the unit via a connection on the side of the module. The oxygen-enriched stream exits through the end caps to connections on each end of the module.
The GENERON air separation system consists of a number of membrane modules, connected in parallel. Installation of a unit requires only piping for compressed air feed and for outing the nitrogen to its end-use destination.
In addition to the membrane modules, a GENERON system includes an oxygen analyzer, appropriate flow meters and pressure gauges as well as a coalescing filter for removing oil droplets from the compressed air feed. No desiccant dryer is needed.
The GENERON air separation system provides a high degree of operating flexibility. If required, the system can be operated either on a continuous basis or intermittently.
For complete details on the GENERON air separation system from Dow Chemical, Circle 24 on Reader Service Card
Other stories from April 1985 issue
Content
- M A R I T I M E R E P O R T E R P u r c h a s es N e w a n d L a r g e r W o r ld H e a d q u a r t e r s O f f i c es page: 4
- Signet Awards Wartsila Design Contract For Two Cruise Vessels page: 5
- Propeller Polishing Guide Offered By Lips Propellers page: 6
- Kockums Delivers Big Vehicle Carrier To Wallenius Lines page: 7
- Red Fox Negotiating Licensing Agreement With John G. Kincaid page: 7
- Ocean Studies Conference Slated For June 16-19 At University Of Rhode Island page: 8
- Nor-Shipping '85 page: 10
- Pyramid Pump Division Offers N e w Catalog On Rotary Pump Lines page: 13
- Haggett Named Board Chairman For Shipbuilders Council Of America page: 13
- Valmet Specializing In Meeting Requirements Of The Offshore Industry page: 14
- New Diagnostic Kit From Aeroquip Corp. page: 14
- Marine Machinery Association Issues Invitation To Attend May 1, Meeting In D.C. page: 15
- Fincantieri To Build Huge Offshore Workship For Micoperi page: 18
- Stork-Powered Tug/Supply Vessel Launched By Quality Shipyards page: 20
- Robertson Introduces New Small Commercial Autopilot page: 20
- Halter Launches Rocket Booster Recovery Vessel 'Independence7 page: 22
- Radio Technical Commission For Maritime Services Annual Meeting page: 24
- Tug Fleet Owner And Operator Bart Turecamo Dies At Age Of 64 page: 25
- New Product Brochures Offered By Armco page: 25
- Fibergrate Introduces New Fibertred FRP Stair Tread Panels page: 26
- Promotions Announced By Woodward-Clyde page: 27
- Allied Introduces New Super-Strength Fiber page: 28
- ASNE DAY '85 page: 30
- Marinette Marine Offers Brochure On Shipbuilding Facilities And Capabilities page: 40
- MarAd Awards Contracts Totaling $2.7 Million For Repairs To RRF Ships page: 41
- Stanford Study Shows That Oceanrouting Reduces Casualties page: 42
- Marathon Introduces Semisubmersible For Gulf Of Mexico Environment page: 43
- T-AKX Prepositioning Ship Delivered By Bethlehem's Sparrows Point Yard page: 44
- "No-Leak" Seal From Falk Keeps Oil In And Dirt Out page: 45
- National Marine Study On PowerLube 750® Now Available page: 45
- Constant-Tension Winch Now Available From W.W. Patterson Company page: 46
- Capacity of Cockatoo Dockyard's Vickdock® Expanded To 1,000 Tons page: 46
- OTC-'85 SPECIAL PREVIEW page: 49
- Ship Financing Reforms Announced By Secretary Of Transportation Dole page: 76
- 'Silver Anniversary' For Atlas Freshwater Generator And Knutsen Vessel page: 76
- Gulf Coast Shipyards page: 78
- DAMPA Continuous Ceiling Approved By U.S. N a v y page: 97
- Norcontrol Revamps Its U.S. Operations — H o g a n Named President Of Authorized Agent page: 97
- Scanner Gives Peterson Builders Edge In Navy Shipbuilding Project page: 98
- Saab Introduces New Level-Gauging System page: 99
- Daewoo Names New Shipbuilding President page: 101
- Saab Purchases Salwico page: 101
- Perry Offshore Announces Expansion Through Tritech International Network page: 101
- Sonatech Announces New Expendable Doppler Soil Penetrometer page: 102
- TeleSystems Introduces Advanced Transportable Satellite Earth Station page: 102
- Membrane Air Separation System From Dow Produces Gaseous Nitrogen On-Site, Economically page: 103
- Work On Hopper Dredge 'Ouachita' For Gulf Coast Trailing Co. Is On Schedule At Twin City —Launching Set For End Of May page: 104
- New Worldwide Directory Available From Manville page: 104
- Larsson Appointed N e w Chief Executive of MacGregor-Navire page: 105
- BMV Maskin A.S. Introduces New Engine page: 106
- New Waterways Rope By Columbian Rope page: 109
- New Monitoring/Alarm System By Siemens AG page: 110
- Allison Gas Turbines Will Power World's Fastest Patrol Boat page: 111
- Contecco Appointed Exclusive Sales Agent For Swedish Firm page: 111
- Moss Point Marine Delivers Giant Freezer/Stern Trawler page: 112
- London Is Site For First International Cruise Shipping Conference June 19-20 page: 112
- McDermott Upgrades M / V Enterprise For Offshore Logistics page: 116
- New Marine Overcoat Sea-Slide™ Increases Speed, Saves Fuel page: 116
- Emulsion Fuels International Announces Supply Agreement With Exxon Chemical page: 118
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- NcNab Now American Supplier Of Aquacatch® Speed Through Water Log page: 119
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- Baldt 'Engineering Innovations Bulletin Highlights Moor-Free"" Rapid Release System page: 124
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- Shipboard Computer Distributed By Magnavox Displays Detailed Charts, Automates Navigation page: 125