What are the benefits of using Nitrogen Gas in the Aerospace Industry?

In the aviation sector, the safety and dependability of aircraft components and systems hold utmost importance. Many aircraft parts are prone to catch fire, especially the jet fuel tanks. In 1996, an electric spark in an aircraft’s fuel tank triggered an explosion when it came into contact with air and fuel vapor. This incident led to the death of 230 passengers, including the service crew. To reduce the risk of this hazard, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has recommended the manufacturers of aircraft use fuel inerting devices to reduce the flammability of gases in the fuel tanks.

In the method- Fuel inerting, chemically inert material is used to prevent combustion in a compact environment. The element that is widely used to maintain safety is Nitrogen gas. Because its inert properties prevent combustion and/or explosion in sensitive processes, especially those that operate at high temperatures at pressure. Another reason that makes Nitrogen the most in-demand gas for inerting is that it does not leak through popular materials like rubber and seals.

Role of Nitrogen in the Aviation industry

Here are some instances of specialized aerospace applications that are fueled by nitrogen gas and nitrogen generation:

Aircraft tyres inflation

Many regulatory authorities require the use of nitrogen gas while inflating aircraft wheels. It creates a stable and inert environment while also removing moisture from the wheel’s cavity. N2 gas is useful in preventing oxidative damage to the rubber wheels. Nitrogen gas also helps prevent any explosion or fires, wheel corrosion and fatigue caused by brake heat transfer.

Fuel Tank Blanketing of Aircraft

Fire is a significant problem in aviation, particularly in the tanks that transport jet fuel. Manufacturers must use fuel inerting devices to lower the risk of flammability exposure in these aircraft fuel tanks in order to reduce the chance of a fire. This method includes using a chemically inert substance such as nitrogen gas to inhibit combustion.

Maintenance of Oleo Strut

An oleo strut is a hydraulic shock absorber used in the aircraft landing gear. It is made up of an oil-filled cylinder with a hollow, perforated piston into which oil is gently pumped when a compressive force is applied to the landing gear. Many shock absorbers incorporate compressed nitrogen, which improves the undercarriage’s damping efficacy. When a large aircraft lands, the oleo strut generates so much heat that if oxygen is present, it could cause ‘dieseling’ of the hydraulic oil under extreme temperature and pressure. Other advantages of nitrogen include that it is a pure, dry gas with no moisture to promote corrosion. Secondly, when compared to air containing 21% oxygen, the potential of nitrogen infiltration via seals is reduced. As a result, nitrogen is the most effective compressed gas for oleo struts, and gas replenishing is an essential element of the maintenance procedure.

Escape Slide Inflation Systems

Nitrogen gas is used in escape slides and life rafts for inflation systems since it is inert and non-explosive. The FAA demands a 90-second evacuation of the entire aircraft using half of the available evacuation exits. The inflation system commonly includes a pressurized cylinder, a regulating valve, two high-pressure hoses, and two aspirators. The cylinder can be anything between 100 and 1000 cubic inches in size, and it must be filled to a pressure of around 3000 psi with either gaseous nitrogen or a mixture of gaseous CO2 and nitrogen. CO2 is utilized to slow down how quickly the valve releases gases.

Benefits of generating your own nitrogen

Manufacturers and airline operators benefit significantly from using on-site Nitrogen plants. Here is a list of benefits the aircraft manufacturer gets when they use Nitrogen in the Aviation Industry.

1. Cost-effective

These systems manufacture nitrogen gas at a low cost because the source material is air, assuring a consistent supply of nitrogen at the place of use. MVS provides a number of alternatives for lowering your nitrogen generating system’s total cost of ownership.

2. Convenient Supply

With the MVS nitrogen systems, nitrogen is available on-demand, 24 hours a day, eliminating the risks of gas running out. In addition, as gas is produced airside, it eliminates any security concerns relating to moving cylinders on and off the airfield through security.

3. Reliable

With the automated operation, Aircraft NGS systems have longer service lives. In addition, maintenance costs are often cheaper than with traditional methods, with part replacements being rare.

4. Eco-friendly

The traditional method of delivering nitrogen in industry, liquefying or compressing nitrogen into cylinders for sale, is an energy-intensive operation with negative environmental consequences.

Since big chillers and compression units are not required, on-site nitrogen generating solutions save energy for industrial customers. Toxic emissions are reduced through low-power operation and non-hazardous storage.

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MVS Engineering has been a significant Nitrogen Generator Manufacturer for about 45 years, with countless systems sold. We offer nitrogen generators that can be customized to meet the needs of industrial aerospace applications. We’re known for providing the purification, filtration, and separation technologies you need to keep up with your aerospace operation’s everyday demands. To save you time and money, our entire systems are intended to produce a continuous stream of high-purity gas on demand. We are dedicated to providing high-quality nitrogen generation devices backed by industry-leading service and guarantees.

Last year, we supplied & installed a 200 Nm3/hr Nitrogen gas plant at an Aircraft’s components/manufacturer’s site in Bangalore. The customer was facing a short supply of Nitrogen gas and got in touch with our team for an ideal solution. After 2 years of operations, our customer is delighted and satisfied with the working of the plant and our services.

If you, too, are facing problems regarding Nitrogen gas supply or related issues, please contact us. Our team will get back to you with the best solution.

You can drop your query at sales@mvsengg.com or call us at +91 (11) 4999 7000.