Can Nitrogen Be Used as Fuel?
Can Nitrogen Be Used As Fuel?
A gasoline vehicle generates 4.6 metric tons of carbon dioxide emissions every year. This is under the assumption that a gallon of gasoline can fuel up to 22 miles and burns roughly 8,887 grams of carbon dioxide, and a vehicle is used to drive 11,500 miles yearly.
But imagine a world where the typical passenger vehicle no longer emits greenhouse gases. European countries, such as Germany, have been promoting the use of electric vehicles to bring this idea closer to reality. This isn’t the only option, though. The industry is exploring the use of nitrogen as a more eco-friendly substitute to fuel.
In our efforts to help you Forge Forward, we dive into the question, “Can nitrogen be used as an alternative to fuel?” Keep reading to learn more.
How can nitrogen be used as a fuel substitute?
Nitrogen serves countless purposes. Gaseous nitrogen can be used for drying, inerting, packaging, and stripping. It may be used as a carrier, diluent, or nebulization gas. Meanwhile, liquid nitrogen helps with freezing and preserving cord blood, bone marrow, cell lines, heat valves, sperm, and other biological materials. Liquid nitrogen is also used with various lab equipment, such as NMR and MRI instruments.
Nitrogen is not limited to laboratory use, though. Studies suggest that it can act as a substitute for fuel. In fact, the nitrogen economy is a proposed system wherein nitrogen-based fuels are used for energy storage and gas generation.
The idea of using liquid nitrogen as a substitute fuel for car engines, therefore, is not unheard of. Liquid nitrogen runs at a very low temperature. If you fill your tank with it and let it flow into your engine, the heat from the external air can transform the liquid nitrogen into a high-pressure gaseous substance that expands and creates thrust.
However, keep in mind that the conversion of liquid nitrogen into gaseous nitrogen should be regulated. Pressure can build up too fast and cause the fuel tank to explode. That being said, liquid nitrogen isn’t actually harmful. It’s not combustible or corrosive.
Why consider liquid-nitrogen fuel for cars?
Liquid nitrogen is capable of making an engine run without carbon emissions. While that’s good news and brings us closer to using vehicles with liquid-nitrogen engines, car manufacturers are still studying the efficiency and practicality of this option. One of the most pressing matters is the cost, especially since the infrastructure is currently limited.
We’re still far from the normalization of using cars with liquid-nitrogen engines, but the idea is there. And if we want to prioritize a greener, healthier environment, it would be wise to use nitrogen as a substitute for gasoline.
Exploring the Various Purposes of Nitrogen
The automotive industry is looking into the possibility of using liquid nitrogen as an environmentally friendly substitute for gasoline. But this is only one of many ways to utilize nitrogen; it still remains unexplored for other purposes.
Contact nexAir for inquiries about high-purity nitrogen gas. Our products meet all industry standards and we take your research to the next level through our technical and expert KnowHow™. Shop Nitrogen here.
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Manufacturing downtime costs American companies billions annually. When production lines halt due to gas supply issues, every minute translates to lost revenue, missed deadlines, and frustrated customers. At nexAir, we've spent decades developing solutions that keep manufacturing operations running smoothly.
The Hidden Costs of Gas-Related Downtime
When manufacturers calculate downtime costs, they typically focus on labor and lost production. However, gas supply disruptions create cascading effects that multiply these losses:
- Production rescheduling that disrupts carefully optimized sequences
- Rush shipping fees to meet customer deadlines despite delays
- Quality inconsistencies when processes restart after interruptions
- Overtime costs to catch up after unplanned stoppages
- Reputation damage when delivery commitments are missed
For a typical mid-sized manufacturer, each hour of downtime represents $5,000-$10,000 in direct and indirect costs. Our analysis shows that gas-related issues cause 7-12% of total manufacturing downtime - a substantial opportunity for improvement.
From Reactive to Proactive: The Supply Continuum
Most facilities follow a predictable pattern in their gas management evolution:
Stage 1: Reactive Management At this stage, facilities order gas when they notice supplies running low or, worse, after running out. Emergencies are common, and disruptions are accepted as "part of doing business." One automotive parts supplier operating this way experienced 14 production interruptions in a single quarter.
Stage 2: Calendar-Based Management Facilities advance to scheduled deliveries based on estimated usage. While better than the reactive approach, this method still results in either excess inventory (tying up capital and space) or shortages when usage spikes occur. A plastics manufacturer following this model maintained 40% more cylinder inventory than necessary while still experiencing occasional stockouts.
Stage 3: Consumption-Based Management Our telemetry systems monitor actual gas consumption, automatically triggering orders based on usage patterns rather than calendar dates. This approach virtually eliminates both stockouts and excess inventory.
Stage 4: Integrated Supply Management The most advanced approach connects gas management directly to production planning systems. Upcoming production requirements automatically adjust supply parameters, ensuring resources are precisely aligned with needs. A medical device manufacturer using this approach reports zero gas-related downtime for 27 consecutive months while operating with minimal inventory buffers.
Our expert KnowHow™ in industrial gas applications allows us to guide customers through this evolution at a pace that makes sense for their operations.
Customizing Solutions for Maximum Uptime
Manufacturing environments vary dramatically in their gas requirements and operational constraints. We've developed flexible approaches that address these differences:
- For high-volume, consistent usage operations, our bulk systems eliminate the cylinder handling that frequently causes supply disruptions. Bulk installations include telemetry monitoring and automated ordering to prevent outages.
- For variable-demand environments, our microbulk delivery systems provide the benefits of bulk supply with lower volume commitments. These systems reduce handling requirements while maintaining the flexibility needed for changing production schedules.
- For specialized applications requiring multiple gas types, our gas management programs combine cylinder tracking, usage monitoring, and automated replenishment. This comprehensive approach ensures that specialty gases are always available when needed, regardless of how infrequently they might be used.
- For multi-site operations, our enterprise supply programs coordinate deliveries and optimize inventory across locations. By treating the organization's gas requirements holistically, we minimize both stockouts and excess inventory across the network.
This consultative approach ensures that manufacturers receive solutions aligned with their specific operational patterns rather than generic "one-size-fits-all" systems.
Beyond Traditional Supply: Integrated Services for Total Reliability
Maximum uptime requires more than just reliable gas delivery. Our integrated services address the full spectrum of gas-related reliability factors:
Equipment maintenance programs that prevent system failures before they impact production Technical gas specialists who resolve application issues that could otherwise cause production problems Safety training that prevents accidents leading to downtime events Emergency response capabilities that minimize impacts when unexpected events occur Supply chain redundancy that ensures continuity despite regional disruptions
These services complement our supply solutions to form a comprehensive reliability strategy. By addressing both everyday operations and exceptional circumstances, we help manufacturers Forge Forward with confidence that gas-related disruptions won't derail their production targets.
Measuring Success: The Results That Matter
The ultimate measure of any downtime reduction strategy is its impact on production metrics. Our manufacturing customers consistently report significant improvements after implementing our comprehensive gas management solutions:
Downtime reductions of 85-95% for gas-related issues Inventory cost decreases of 20-30% through optimized supply management Administrative time savings of 5-10 hours weekly through automated ordering and tracking Production schedule adherence improvements of 3-7% due to improved supply reliability
These performance gains translate directly to bottom-line benefits that typically deliver ROI within months rather than years. More importantly, they allow manufacturers to confidently make delivery commitments, knowing that gas supply issues won't compromise their ability to perform.
Don't let gas supply issues impact your productivity. Contact us today to explore our tailored solutions.
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