Minnuo Nitrogen Generator: Safety and Quality in Biodiesel Plants

I. Why Biodiesel Plants Cannot Do Without Professional Nitrogen Generators? — A Full-Process Necessity from Production to Storage

Raw materials (animal and vegetable oils), intermediates (fatty acid methyl esters), and finished products of biodiesel are prone to oxidation when exposed to oxygen, leading to increased acid value, darker color, quality deterioration, and even safety risks. With adjustable purity ranging from 90% to 99.9995%, Minnuo Nitrogen Generator provides inert protection solutions for biodiesel plants, covering the entire production process. It is a key equipment to ensure product quality and reduce potential safety hazards.

II. Core Application Directions and Usage Methods of Minnuo Nitrogen Generator in Biodiesel Plants

(I) Four Core Application Scenarios, Precisely Matching Production Needs

• Application Goal: Prevent oxidation and rancidity of oils and biodiesel, extend storage period (raw materials can be stored for an additional 3-6 months, and the shelf life of finished products is increased by more than 50%).
• Usage Method: Connect the nitrogen output from the generator to the top of raw material storage tanks (animal and vegetable oil tanks) and finished product storage tanks through pipelines. Fill with nitrogen in a “continuous micro-positive pressure” mode (maintain tank pressure at 0.02-0.05MPa) to displace air inside the tanks, ensuring the oxygen concentration is below 2% (recommended purity ≥99.5%). Regularly monitor the gas inside the tanks with an oxygen content detector to ensure protection effectiveness.
• Suitable Purity: 90%-99% for raw material storage; 99.5%-99.99% for finished product storage.

2. Inert Protection During Reactions (Transesterification/Hydrogenation Reactions)

• Application Goal: Avoid contact between the reaction system and oxygen to prevent raw material oxidation and product deterioration, while reducing the risk of combustion and explosion during the reaction (most biodiesel reactions are carried out under high temperature and pressure, and the presence of oxygen can easily cause dangers).
• Usage Method: Before starting the reactor, displace the air inside the reactor with nitrogen (purity ≥99.9%) from the generator at least 3 times to ensure the oxygen content ≤1%; continuously inject a small amount of nitrogen during the reaction (maintain micro-positive pressure of 0.03-0.08MPa inside the reactor) as a protective gas to isolate air.
• Suitable Purity: 99.9%-99.99% for transesterification reactions; 99.99%-99.9995% for hydrogenation reactions.

3. Carrier Gas and Protection in Distillation/Rectification Processes

• Application Goal: During the biodiesel purification stage (removal of impurities such as glycerol and methanol), materials are prone to oxidative decomposition at high temperatures. Nitrogen, as a carrier gas, can improve separation efficiency while protecting materials from oxidation.
• Usage Method: Uniformly inject nitrogen (purity ≥99.9%) into the bottom of the distillation tower to mix with the rising material vapor, carrying impurity components to be discharged from the top of the tower; at the same time, inject nitrogen into the interlayer of the tower body to form an inert atmosphere, avoiding oxidation of high-temperature materials inside the tower.
• Suitable Purity: 99.9%-99.99%.

4. Equipment Purging and Displacement (Shutdown Maintenance/Production Line Switching)

• Application Goal: Remove residual biodiesel or raw materials in pipelines, reactors, and storage tanks to prevent oxidative deterioration of residual materials or formation of explosive mixtures when mixed with air.
• Usage Method: After shutdown, inject nitrogen (purity ≥99%) into the equipment through the purge port at a flow rate of 5-10m/s for 15-30 minutes continuously until the oxygen content in the discharged gas is ≥90% (i.e., residual oxygen ≤10%) before conducting maintenance or switching materials.
• Suitable Purity: 90%-99%.

(II) Exclusive Advantages of Minnuo Nitrogen Generator: Adapting to Core Needs of Biodiesel Plants

• Adjustable Purity: Full range coverage from 90% to 99.9995%. One device meets multiple scenarios from raw material storage to high-precision reactions, eliminating the need for additional equipment and reducing procurement costs.
• High Efficiency and Energy Saving: Adopting new molecular sieve adsorption technology, nitrogen recovery rate is increased by 15%, and energy consumption is 8%-12% lower than traditional nitrogen generators, saving a lot of electricity costs during long-term operation.
• Stability and Reliability: Core components (molecular sieve, compressor, control system) have undergone 1000 hours of continuous operation testing, with a failure rate ≤0.5%, ensuring 24/7 uninterrupted gas supply for biodiesel production lines.

III. Key Notes for Using Nitrogen Generators in Biodiesel Plants (Must Read!)

(I) Installation Environment Requirements: Laying the Foundation for Stable Operation

1. Placement Location: Choose a well-ventilated, dry, and clean indoor area (avoid outdoor exposure to rain and direct sunlight). Keep a distance of at least 1.5 meters from walls and other equipment to ensure sufficient heat dissipation space.
2. Environmental Conditions: Temperature controlled at 5-35℃ (consistent with the common environment of biodiesel plants), relative humidity ≤85%, free of dust and corrosive gases (such as methanol vapor and fatty acid vapor) to prevent moisture absorption and corrosion of molecular sieves.
3. Floor Requirements: The floor should be flat with a bearing capacity ≥500kg/㎡ (the weight of conventional Minnuo Nitrogen Generator models is about 300-800kg) to prevent equipment displacement due to vibration during operation.

(II) Connection and Pipeline Specifications: Avoiding Leakage and Safety Hazards

1. Pipeline Material: Prioritize stainless steel (304/316 material) or corrosion-resistant PU pipes. Do not use ordinary carbon steel pipes (prone to rust and nitrogen contamination).
2. Sealing Requirements: Use PTFE tape or special seals for all joints and valves. Conduct airtightness testing after installation (maintain pressure at 0.1MPa, pressure drop ≤0.005MPa within 30 minutes) to prevent nitrogen leakage (nitrogen leakage may cause local oxygen deficiency).
3. Pipeline Layout: The pipeline should be as straight as possible to reduce elbows and dead ends. Install a blowdown valve at the lowest point to regularly discharge condensed water (avoiding moisture entering equipment or storage tanks and affecting biodiesel quality).

(III) Operation and Usage Notes: Ensuring Safety and Quality

1. Purity Monitoring: Install online oxygen content detectors at the nitrogen generator outlet and key gas usage points (such as finished product storage tanks and reactors) to monitor nitrogen purity in real time. Immediately shut down and inspect if the purity is lower than the set value (e.g., oxygen content ≤0.5% for finished product storage).
2. Pressure Control: Adjust the output pressure according to different scenarios (0.02-0.05MPa for storage scenarios, 0.03-0.08MPa for reaction scenarios). Excessively high pressure may cause overpressure of storage tanks and pipelines, while excessively low pressure cannot effectively displace air.
3. Moisture Prevention: Water vapor is easily generated during the production process of biodiesel plants. Install high-efficiency filters (filtration precision ≤1μm) and dryers at the air inlet of the nitrogen generator to avoid moisture entering the molecular sieve, which affects adsorption efficiency and equipment service life.

(IV) Personnel Training and Maintenance: Extending Equipment Life and Avoiding Operational Errors

1. Necessary Training: Operators should master the basic principles of the nitrogen generator, start-stop procedures, purity/pressure adjustment methods, and reading and judgment of oxygen content detectors. Focus on training “prevention of oxygen deficiency risks” (nitrogen is colorless and odorless, and leakage may cause personnel suffocation; portable oxygen content alarms should be equipped).
2. Regular Maintenance:

• Daily: Check equipment operation status, pressure/purity display, and discharge condensed water from the air storage tank.
• Weekly: Clean the equipment’s heat dissipation port and check for pipeline joint leaks.
• Annual: Replace the molecular sieve (generally every 1-2 years depending on usage frequency) and filter elements, and conduct comprehensive disassembly and maintenance.

IV. Comprehensive Support from Minnuo: Co-building Safe and Efficient Production Lines with Biodiesel Plants

As a professional gas equipment manufacturer, Minnuo not only provides high-quality nitrogen generators but also offers full-process services from model selection to after-sales to help customers use the equipment with peace of mind:

1. Precise Model Selection: Customize exclusive nitrogen generator solutions according to the customer’s production scale (e.g., daily output of 10 m³ / 10,000 m³), gas usage scenarios (storage/reaction/distillation), and purity requirements, avoiding the problems of “overcapacity” or “insufficient gas volume”.
2. On-site Installation: Dispatch a professional technical team for on-site installation and commissioning to ensure seamless connection between the equipment and the customer’s existing production line, and compliance of pipeline connections with safety standards.
3. Personnel Training: Provide on-site operation training, including equipment operation, daily maintenance, and emergency handling (such as substandard purity and leakage treatment), ensuring operators can work independently.
4. After-sales Guarantee: National 24-hour after-sales hotline, on-site maintenance within 48 hours of receiving fault notifications; provide lifelong technical consulting services, regular return visits to equipment operation status, and timely optimization of gas supply solutions.

Conclusion

The quality and safety of biodiesel start with precise protection in every production link. With adjustable purity of 90%-99.9995% and efficient and reliable operation performance, Minnuo Nitrogen Generator provides full-process inert protection for biodiesel plants from raw material storage to production and processing. It is a core equipment to reduce losses, improve quality, and ensure safety. Choosing Minnuo means choosing a professional gas solution tailored to the needs of the biodiesel industry.