Are unattended nitrogen plants becoming safer and more reliable?

In recent years, the rise of new energy, new materials, automotive, electronics, semiconductor, and food industries has significantly reshaped China’s industrial gas supply landscape. Notably, the demand for nitrogen and specialty gases such as argon, krypton, and xenon has become increasingly diverse and widespread. The number of small-to-medium-scale nitrogen users continues to grow, while rising labor costs and users’ heightened requirements for nitrogen purity have made the modernization of traditional nitrogen generation equipment an urgent priority. Auto-site’s unmanned nitrogen generation equipment, developed to address these market needs, holds promising prospects.

The unmanned remote monitoring system comprises three main components:

1. Front-end monitoring devices (audio/video surveillance, environmental variable monitoring, access control, etc.), integrated monitoring hosts, and monitoring software;
2. Network transmission infrastructure (broadband, wireless networks, ADSL, or industry-specific networks);
3. Central management platform, including unmanned servers, monitoring terminals, and MIS network terminals.

With frequent safety incidents in chemical plants recently, is unmanned nitrogen generation equipment safer and more reliable? Gas industry experts offer the following recommendations for ensuring operational safety:

First, mitigate external risks.

• Implement regular inspection protocols for unmanned equipment and ensure the reliability of automatic alarm systems and remote monitoring connectivity.
• Install voice prompt systems on unmanned nitrogen generators to alert users via sensors to check for abnormalities in or around the equipment and remind operators to prioritize safety.
• Strengthen safety training for operators to enhance their awareness of protective measures.

Second, address internal risks.

• Establish robust internal control mechanisms for unmanned equipment, including staffing qualified managers and organizing regular training. This ensures backend staff can proficiently handle routine emergencies and respond effectively to anomalies.
• Enforce strict compliance with protocols: maintain 24/7 real-time monitoring, adhere to confidentiality policies, and require on-site inspections at least twice monthly with detailed documentation. Safety managers should conduct random reviews of surveillance footage and related data.

Finally, mitigate intermediate risks.

1. Conduct regular equipment inspections. Managers should test hardware stability per guidelines to ensure normal operation.
2. Deploy network data transmission monitoring systems to promptly identify data loss or connectivity issues and resolve them swiftly.
3. Implement safety reporting protocols. Any identified risks or suspicious activities during operation must be reported immediately to management, triggering predefined emergency response plans.