INNOVATIVE NON CRYOGENIC AIR SEPARATORS FOR OXYGEN NITROGEN ON SITE GENERATION (1ø) AQUACULTURE (2ø) GLASS INDUSTRY

Projektinformationen

ID Finanzhilfevereinbarung: BRE21021

Projekt abgeschlossen

Startdatum 1 April 1994

Enddatum 31 März 1996

Finanziert unter

• Specific programme (EEC) of research and technological development in the field of industrial and materials technologies, 1990-1994

Gesamtkosten Keine Daten

EU-Beitrag € 900 215,00

Koordiniert durch

Resource Group Integrator Srl
Italy

Exploitable results

On-site atmospheric gas generation

Three prototypes of innovative noncryogenic on site oxygen generators, based on the application of the Pressure Swing Adsorption (PSA) technique have been developed. Two end user applications, the aquaculture industry and the glass making industry, were explored. According to the experimental results, in the first case the application of oxygen on site generators increases the amount of dissolved oxygen (DO) in the water improving the water quality and subsequently the fish density in the rearing units. Moreover the choice of the noncryogenic way showed a positive effect on cost. The second application consists of a conversion to oxygen-fuel combustion of a scaled furnace for glass smelting; this inhibits nitrogen oxide emissions by replacing the air with oxygen, thus eliminating the nitrogen from the combustion atmosphere. The design of the absorption beds and generators was carried out with a computer code developed and implemented for the project. A time dependent lagrangian-eulerian technique was used to study the fluid dynamic evolution of the system. For the application in the glass industry, an integrated strategy was developed to predict the combustion of a fuel in oxygen. Particular attention was paid to oxygen and nitrogen oxide during the experiments. An innovative polarographic sensor for oxygen monitoring was designed and manufactured: 3 electrodes were adopted to prevent the phenomena of polarization. Since the intensity of the polarographic current increases with temperature, a proper termistor was inserted to compensate the effect. The nitrogen oxide monitoring system consisted of an air exhauster which was linked with a diffusion collar to 2 electrochemical capillary diffusion barrier gas sensors. The polluting exhausts pass through a filter in order to prevent contamination or damage to the sensors. The nitrogen oxide sensors were connected with a digital controller. This technology is now applied in several museums to preserve antique objects and protect them from insect pests.