Advance Riken (President: Yasuhiko Tsuji) is developing an N2 generator of membrane-separation type intended for export to China and Taiwan.

Placing targets at universities and the research institutions of private companies, the company assumes to supply nitrogen to the users of high performance liquid chromatograph-mass spectrometer (LC/MS). After the product is commercialized, it will be sold out through Tung Ju Electric Company of Taiwanese trading company.

The biggest feature is that the generator is structured to warm the membrane module with the heat of compressor. The loaded membrane module made by U.S. Permea has a property to enhance separation efficiency by means of heating.

A membrane-separation N2 generator generally needs a heater inside the unit to warm the membrane module, but the developed product had associated the membrane module into the waste heat duct of compressor for warming, which required no heater resulting in the substantial saving of power consumption and the consequent realization of cost reduction. The membrane module is said to warm the module up to an atmospheric temperature plus 10℃.

The air compressed by oil-free compressor is cooled by the heat exchanger which also functions as a surge tank, and the dried air which is dehydrated by a trap is heated through the heat exchanger again for the subsequent supply to the membrane module. It has not only upgraded the separation performance, but also prevented a dew condensation in the membrane module. In addition, the use of oil-free compressor has realized a longer life expectancy.

The prototype model has a generating capacity of 30 liter per minute, a purity of 97%, a discharge pressure of 0.7Mpa and a noise of 60db or less. The power consumption is 1000W contributing to a 40% labor saving comparing with the one equipped with a heater. As for the size of generator, it has been made so much compact as W470 x D840 x H700 (mm) which could be put down under a desk of laboratory accomplishing a substantial cost reduction. Furthermore, an inverter is going to be built in this series to respond to a voltage of 100/200V, single/three phase and a frequency wave of 50/60 Hz.

President Tsuji said, “We would like to decide pricing and when to start selling while carrying out making our market research in China”.