Do NOT run this instrument without an adequate DRY Nitrogen Supply. The instrument is powered by pneumatics that are not compatible with moisture, commonly found in compressed air. Nitrogen is also recommended as an extra precaution when handling ethanol. For these reasons Compressed Air is NOT recommended.
Amount of Nitrogen
A typical TDF run requires approx. 1400L (50cu.ft.) nitrogen gas. The nitrogen supply should be 6.9 bar (100 psi). During the run, the nitrogen is used to operate pressure cylinders and also to facilitate bag filtering. During the filtering stage, the nitrogen is regulated to .3 bar (4 psi) and flow rate is approx. 15L/min (.5cu.ft.).
Nitrogen Purity
A key issue associated with the gas used in the TDF instrument is moisture content. The TDF instrument can suffer damage if moisture is introduced through the gas line. ANKOM recommends the use of nitrogen with a 99.998% purity rating. Theoretically, less pure nitrogen should work if the impurities do NOT include moisture.