Dry nitrogen generator NITROBERG®

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Overview
NITROBERG® PSA nitrogen generators produce on-site process nitrogen from compressed air with configurable purity from 97 % up to 99.999 %. They serve pharmaceutical manufacturing needs such as inerting, blanketing, purging, drying, powder transfer, vial backfill and headspace control in packaging. The PSA system uses alternating carbon molecular sieve beds to remove oxygen and moisture while maintaining continuous supply.

Key performance and certification

• Configurable nitrogen purity: 97 % to 99.999 %
• Residual oxygen: down to ≤10 ppm at 99.999 % (quality grade 5.0)
• Range: 1.2 to 1,709.1 Nm³/h across 18 sizes
• Air factor (compressed air per Nm³ N₂) varies with purity (see section below)
• Conformity: PED 2014/68/EU (notified body NB 2912)
• Manufacturing/engineering: Made in Germany

Applications in pharmaceutical production
NITROBERG® is specified as a process-gas source for tasks that require oxygen and moisture displacement: reactor inerting, solvent blanketing, vessel and line purging after cleaning, drying and powder transfer, lyophilisation and vial backfill prior to stoppering, and headspace control in blisters, bottles and pouches. These systems are for process requirements and are not intended as patient-administered medical gases.

Purity requirements by process

• Reactor inerting, API synthesis — 99.9 % to 99.99 % — inert atmosphere for oxygen‑sensitive chemistry (driver: purity)
• Solvent storage and handling — 99.9 % — headspace blanketing to stay below limiting oxygen concentration (driver: volume)
• Purging vessels and lines after cleaning — 99.9 % — remove residual air and moisture before next batch (driver: volume)
• Drying and powder transfer — 99.9 % — carrier and drying gas without oxidising atmosphere (driver: volume)
• Lyophilisation, vial backfill before stoppering — 99.99 % and above — inert headspace in closed vial (driver: purity)
• Blister, bottle and pouch headspace — 99.9 % to 99.99 % — displace oxygen at sealing point (driver: volume)
• QC laboratory instruments — up to 99.999 % — carrier/collision/evaporation gas (driver: purity)

Compressed air demand (air factor)

• 97 % → air factor 2.3
• 98 % → air factor 2.3
• 99 % → air factor 2.6
• 99.5 % → air factor 2.9
• 99.9 % → air factor 3.4
• 99.99 % → air factor 4.6
• 99.995 % → air factor 5.2
• 99.999 % → air factor 6.4

Sizing methodology

• List consumers individually (reactors, dryers, packaging lines, transfer systems, laboratories). Separate continuous draws from short peaks.
• Set purity to the most demanding process, and decide whether that purity must be shared or segregated.
• Define buffer and reserve strategy: size storage to cover the longest tolerable interruption and specify backup feed if required.
• Check compressed air supply: required flow = N₂ demand × air factor; required quality: ISO 8573-1:2010 Class 1.4.1 at 7 bar(g) to protect sieve life.

On-site generation versus cylinder/bulk supply
On-site generation replaces deliveries and logistics of cylinders or liquid supply with capital and electricity costs. Payback versus bulk supply depends on consumption profile and energy price; many installations report 2–3 year payback. On-site systems support continuous quality monitoring at point of use rather than batch certificates per delivery.

Product range examples (pharmaceutical duty)

• NITROBERG® 1000 — N₂ at 99.9 %: 34.4 Nm³/h | 99.99 %: 18.5 Nm³/h | 99.999 %: 10.1 Nm³/h
• NITROBERG® 1100 — 45.1 Nm³/h | 24.2 Nm³/h | 13.2 Nm³/h
• NITROBERG® 1200 — 55.8 Nm³/h | 29.9 Nm³/h | 16.3 Nm³/h
• NITROBERG® 1300 — 78.7 Nm³/h | 42.2 Nm³/h | 23.0 Nm³/h
• NITROBERG® 1400 — 109.9 Nm³/h | 59.0 Nm³/h | 32.2 Nm³/h
• Range continues up to 1,709.1 Nm³/h across 18 sizes; smallest duties (example NITROBERG® 500) deliver 1.2 Nm³/h at 99.999 % for a single filling line or laboratory bench.

FAQ highlights

• Purity range: configurable between 97 % and 99.999 % (at 99.999 % residual O₂ ≦ 10 ppm).
• Is on-site nitrogen a medicinal gas? No — these systems supply industrial process gas, not gases for patient administration.
• GMP environment: the operator must define sampling/measurement points, continuous vs periodic monitoring, piping layout to avoid dead legs, and qualification/documentation during design.
• What if the generator stops? A buffer vessel covers short interruptions; reserve supply and buffer sizing follow process tolerance.
• Compressor needed: yes — generator runs on compressed air; amount depends on chosen purity (use air factor).
• Wear parts: standard off‑the‑shelf filters and consumables; warranty typically 3 years, extendable to 5 with service contract.

Technical specifications

• Product family: NITROBERG®
• Nitrogen purity: configurable 97 % to 99.999 % (grade 5.0 ≦ 10 ppm O₂)
• Nitrogen output range: 1.2 to 1,709.1 Nm³/h
• Air factor: 2.3 (97–98 %) up to 6.4 (99.999 %)
• Required compressed air quality: ISO 8573-1:2010 Class 1.4.1 at 7 bar(g)
• Technology: PSA with alternating carbon molecular sieve beds
• Pressure equipment conformity: PED 2014/68/EU (NB 2912)
• Maintenance: standard filters and consumables
• Warranty: 3 years standard; up to 5 years with service contract
• Manufacturing origin: Made in Germany