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IntoN2 manufactures a line of high pressure, high purity nitrogen generators in their factory located in Minden, Nevada. These nitrogen generators are primarily used for laser cutting and specialized manufacturing, but are used in other industries requiring up to 5 nines (0.99999%) of high-purity nitrogen.

Because they generate nitrogen, I was curious when IntoN2 began purchasing our TR250Z 25% oxygen sensors, and decided to give them a call. I spoke with Charlie Winans, a control engineer at IntoN2, and asked why they needed an oxygen sensor in a nitrogen generator?

Charlie explained that one of the features IntoN2 has incorporated into their generators is an oxygen sensor to detect if trace amounts of oxygen are present in the final N2 gas. This additional feedback loop is a “double check” that further verifies the purity of the gas generated.

I asked Charlie how he found us.

“I googled oxygen sensors,” he said. “I was looking for a sensor that ran on 24 VDC, and output an industry-standard 4-20mA signal to make it easy to integrate into our system.”

Additional requirements were that the oxygen sensor would be maintenance free, and did not corrode or expire like traditional chemical cell sensors.

“And you had the oxygen sensor in stock for immediate shipment,” Charlie added.

After completing his research, Charlie and his team chose our TR250Z 25% oxygen sensor with tube sampling. They have been integrated into IntoN2’s full line of generators, and are performing as required.

I asked Charlie how they got into the nitrogen generator business.

“Our company couldn’t find the right nitrogen generator for our laser cutters, so we built one,” he said. When they discovered there was a market for high-purity nitrogen generators, they began to manufacture them under the IntoN2 brand name.

According to Charlie, stand-alone nitrogen generators reduce costs between 75-90% compared to delivered gas services.

“Our nitrogen generators are high pressure. They can boost up to 4,300 psi, a unique feature in the industry,” he added.

Nitrogen is considered an assist gas in the laser cutting industry. Using an assist gas allows material like steel or aluminum to be cut faster with a cleaner edge. In addition, high-pressure gas also blows material out of the cut (called the kerf) to maintain a cleaner cut edge.

Reading CO2 and oxygen levels in remote areas can be challenging. That's why we were excited to see CO2Meter’s S8 CO2 sensor and UV Flux oxygen sensor installed on a drone for high-altitude atmospheric testing.

The project is the brainchild of RYF Technologies.  Last year, they began testing CO2 sensors to create a handheld CO2 monitor for the Chilean market. A requirement for the new monitor was that it used a built-in barometric sensor to automatically adjust the CO2 level for extreme changes in altitude in the Andes Mountains. The monitor uses a built-in micro pump to quickly change the air around the sensor and improve response time as measurements are taken.

Once the prototype was complete, RYF decided to change to our low-power S8 CO2 Sensor. The S8 is one of the smallest non-dispersive infrared (NDIR) sensors on the market, and is able to measure CO2 levels up to 5% in a very small and low-power package.

In addition to measuring CO2, the monitor was upgraded to measure oxygen using our UVFlux Oxygen Sensor. This low-power sensor is specifically designed for battery powered applications. Temperature and relative humidity sensors were also installed.

The final step in the project was to install the complete package in an off the shelf drone. In field testing, the package has been successfully proven to record CO2, oxygen, temperature, humidity and barometric pressure in real time up to 500 meters (1,640 feet) from the controller. This will make the new drone useful for scientific environmental analysis and studies in cities, fires, volcanos, factory chimneys, or anywhere not easily accessible for field air quality testing.

All sensor data is collected, processed and stored using custom software developed and prototyped on an Arduino microprocessor.

The completed drone package is still a prototype. New case designs are being created and tested at RYF Technologies using their in-house 3D printer.

For more information on this project, visit the RYF Technologies page.

How Does It Work? 

The next time you see a beer commercial or drink a cold draft, take the time to appreciate the importance of carbon dioxide in the brewing process.

In The Beginning

Beer starts out as wort, a mix of water and natural grains. When Brewer’s yeast (a fungi) is added to the mix, it "eats" the starches and sugars in the wort while giving off alcohol and carbon dioxide (CO2) gas.

It is the infinitely variable combinations of water, grains, yeast, alcohol levels and the amount of carbonation which give each beer its unique color and taste.

Fermentation

During fermentation, the CO2 given off by the yeast was typically vented into the air. However, modern breweries now use CO2 capture systems. Once fermentation is complete, the brewing vats are sealed to build pressure and give the beer natural carbonation.

To measure the CO2 levels before and during production, brewers use our Multi Gas Sampling Data Logger. These meters may also be used to spot check CO2 levels inside vats before workers go inside to clean them.

Bottling

During bottling, CO2 gas is used to pre-fill each bottle before the beer is added. This process minimizes exposure to oxygen, reduces foam, and maintains the CO2 in the beer before it is capped. In commercial breweries, even the head-space (air below the cap in the bottle) is replaced with CO2 to keep out oxygen so that the bottled beer can last longer in non-refrigerated stores. In order to test CO2 during bottling, a high-speed sensor like our SprintIR Fast CO2 sensor is used, which can measure CO2 levels 20 times per second.

One of the questions we get asked is "Do you have a sensor you can put INTO the beer to measure the CO2 concentration?

The short answer is that it does not exist. The longer answer is that several companies make devices or systems that measure the pressure differential in carbonated beer to calculate CO2. But they don't measure CO2 directly.

Our ambient air CO2 sensors use Henry’s Law, which states:

“The principle that at a constant temperature the concentration of a gas dissolved in a fluid with which it does not combine chemically is almost directly proportional to the partial pressure of the gas at the surface of the fluid.”

Using Henry’s Law, you can measure the CO2 level in a liquid by measuring the CO2 in the head space above the liquid, then compute the actual CO2 level. Since the bottles are filled with CO2 before they are filled with liquid - and because CO2 is heavier than air - a high-speed sensor testing each empty bottle is full of CO2 before filling is a perfect solution.

For most beer sold in kegs, CO2 from pressurized storage tanks are used to force the beer out of the tap. To protect customers and employees that work around pressurized CO2, breweries use our Carbon Dioxide (CO2) Fixed Gas Detector w/ Remote Sensor (0-5%). Because of the increasing use of high-pressure CO2 systems, it has become one of the most popular products we sell.

More Than CO2

Interestingly, not every beer relies on CO2 for bubbles. The secret of Guinness Stout's creamy taste is its mix of nitrogen and carbon dioxide rather than pure CO2. The smaller nitrogen bubbles produce a smoother head. At taverns that serve Guinness on tap, they use a special nozzle that aerates the stout with nitrogen as it's poured.

In cans of Guinness this is duplicated by inserting a capsule that releases pure nitrogen when the can is opened.

CO2Meter Supports CO2 Safety In Breweries

CO2Meter has many different options available to brewers in regards to CO2 safety, whether it be a personal safety device, or a wall mounted/fixed devices, we have many products available to brewers in order to keep themselves, employees and patrons safe, while also staying compliant to the local fire codes, standards and regulations. Contact Us Online today or call us at 877.678.4259 to make your establishment CO2 safe. 

In this article, we outline 5 reasons why you may consider turning off the CO2 supply at night via your CO2 monitor and controller.