A modular PSA nitrogen generator including a housing including a bracket and defining an interior space, a flow path having an inlet adapted to receive compressed air and an outlet in fluid communication with a storage tank, an inlet manifold, an outlet manifold, and a modular membrane canister supportable on the mounting bracket within the interior space and positioned along the flow path between the inlet manifold and the outlet manifold to receive compressed air from the inlet manifold, extract nitrogen from the compressed air, and deliver the nitrogen to the outlet manifold.
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to nitrogen generator utilizing modular membrane canisters to separate nitrogen from compressed air and to a method of operating the same. Specifically, the present invention relates to nitrogen generators that are expandable by adding additional modular membrane canisters.
SUMMARY
In one embodiment, the Nitrogen generator for coal mine provides a modular psa nitrogen generator including: a housing including a bracket and defining an interior space, a flow path having an inlet adapted to receive compressed air and an outlet in fluid communication with a storage tank, an inlet manifold, and an outlet manifold. The inlet manifold and the outlet manifold extend through the housing and can be positioned along the flow path between the inlet and the outlet. The modular psa nitrogen generator further includes a modular membrane canister supportable on the mounting bracket within the interior space and positioned along the flow path between the inlet manifold and the outlet manifold to receive compressed air from the inlet manifold, extract nitrogen from the compressed air, and deliver the nitrogen to the outlet manifold.
In another embodiment the PSA oxygen generator provides a method of operating a modular psa nitrogen generator. The method includes the acts of: providing the VPSA oxygen generator
with a housing including a bracket and defining an interior space, an inlet manifold, an outlet manifold, an outlet, and a first modular membrane canister connected between the inlet manifold and the outlet manifold, The method further includes supplying compressed air to the first modular membrane canister through the inlet manifold, separating nitrogen from the compressed air as the compressed air flows through the first modular membrane canister, directing the separated nitrogen from the first modular membrane canister to the outlet manifold.
