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Paper presented at the ‘New Product Forum’ Pittcon Conference 2003 Orange County Convention Centre, Orlando, Florida, 9th March 2003 Presented by: Keith J. Blundy
Technical Director - domnick hunter gas generation

Abstract
The advent of advanced renewable gas generation technology provides the laboratory manager for the first time the peace of mind and assurance that their core analytical activities are supported and available 24/7 by an environmentally friendly, renewable, safe and optimized gas source. This is achieved through focus on advanced materials, sensor and diagnostic technologies. The management of gas delivery is tailored to suit the needs of the laboratory - be it for a single or multipoint point / gas feeds under local or networked applications.

Introduction
Welcome to the NEW evolution in gas generation – this paper discusses the recent trends in On Site Laboratory Gas Generation and how domnick hunter’s new range of Gas Generators provide level of Quality, Reliability Performance and Safety never before available. The busy laboratory manager now doesn’t need to be concerned about the delivery of gas to analytical instruments and process, Instead they can get on with the important tasks of laboratory life. domnick hunter gas generators can be relied upon to be your partner in optimised laboratory management 24/7 – be it for high quality gas delivery, preventative maintenance diagnostics or process information delivery to your scientific data systems – we keep it simple and provide maximum benefit of owning an On-Site Gas Generator.

Trend in Laboratory Generated Gas Usage
A recent survey conducted through LC/GC (Europe) magazine showed a distinct change in user preference for using generators with the lowest cost of gas delivery to generators having the highest quality, reliability and performance of supply.

User Study

Peace of Mind
Providing ‘peace of mind’ for busy laboratory staff and mangers alike was an essential pre-requisite for the new domnick hunter range of gas generators. Through careful attention to understanding the needs of laboratory personnel & their business, and then through painstaking attention to detail in every aspect of the design process we are able to offer more flexible economy and control over your generated gas needs.

Key areas of development and evolution Gas Purity
What does Gas Quality mean in Generated Terms?

• ppm level of impurity
• Efficient delivery and generation
• Cost effective delivery
• Or is it about reliable 24/7 guaranteed supply?

Each of these factors has a clear benefit to the end user of generated gas – but they are not easily separated. Ultra high purity gas generators will improve your analysis, but the delivered gas purity must be appropriate for the task at hand. Why use research grade when you need lower or vice-versa? A key challenge for our new range was to provide gas quality tailored to the needs of the end process. You can now choose from a range of gas purities to suit your needs – our new Hydrogen generator design offers optional purifier technology should you need to get gas qualities better then 7 9’s. Our Nitrogen Generators are configurable right across the range for purities from 3% down to 10ppm – you decide the flow and the purity we deliver the solution. This customisability has been made possible by new control systems which are common across all gas generators – they offer control of all system parameters to optimise the gas delivery to achieve the desired end result.

Safety
It is a well-known fact that On-Site Generators offer low pressure, minimal stored gas and there is no cylinder handling. But not all generators are as safe as they would at first seem. In our new Hydrogen Generator – over 2 years of research and development has taken place to provide the safest Hydrogen delivery platform possible.

Quality & Reliability
Never run out of gas is the argument used by all generator manufacturers and it is a key factor in the migration from bottled gas to on-site generation. But this is only a valid argument if the design of the product is such that it provides for maximum availability of gas by providing comprehensive preventative maintenance diagnostics and user supported decision making via in built user friendly controls. This was a key factor of the new domnick hunter design. We have improved the uptime of delivered gas generation by 50% by use of patented technologies in our new Hydrogen design – running out of water or shut down due to water quality related issues are no longer a problem if you use the automatic drain and fill option etc. Due to the design criteria developed from our work to understand and provide for the needs of Laboratory Management 24/7:

• All domnick hunter gas generators carry a 2 year warranty which can be supported by IQ/OQ certification if requested. There is an emerging trend in prequalification of instruments to be able to demonstrate quality and competence in product offering through IQ/OQ documentation and approval.
• domnick hunter gas generators require minimal attention and maintenance. Diagnostic capabilities include audible and visual indicators.

Compact & modular design
Free up laboratory floor space – this was the key challenge for the whole range of gas generators. We have achieved a 50% reduction in the size of H2 generator and a significant improvement in the envelope of all other generators in the range. Our new N2 generators with built in compressors are now whisper quiet – thanks to use of new materials and technologies for sound proofing, exhaust silencing and forced air cooling technology. These new N2 generators can be placed right alongside you process or analysis tools thanks to noise levels as low as 52 dBA. Thanks to the modular design and construction of all of the new domnick hunter laboratory gas generators commonality of parts has been ensured. Modular construction means:

• Common design
• Common spares
• Common operator interface
• Easy to operate and maintain.

And because there are less parts; there is less maintenance

Cost effective
In addition to the above design criteria we set out to provide an optimised competitive solution offering quick paybacks, which in most can be less then one year – true benefit with technologically advanced features.

Ergonomics and System design
Designed to integrate into any laboratory and complement other scientific instruments being used. A key factor in the design of domnick hunter laboratory gas generators was to ensure that they not only out-performed any other gas generator solution available – but also to complement the other instruments in the laboratory. Extensive research into ergonomic and aesthetic factors was undertaken leading to a radically different gas generator offering.

The control system used (which is common across all products) is able to be configured to interface to other instruments via various scientific data interfaces and can also be used connected directly to a host computer or control system as part of an integrated measurement solution. This technology provides quality assurance information about the gas delivered, and also provides diagnostics and status. Future options will be made available to take this facility to new exciting levels – with a domnick hunter gas generator – you get more than 24/7 reliable gas delivery you get peace of mind of being able to integrate it alongside your process and scientific measurement technology.

Global product approvals
We take care of the approvals process leaving you free to concentrate on the key tasks in the laboratory. A key design criteria was to make the domnick hunter laboratory generators available to World Markets through offering comprehensive product approvals. All of these new products conform to European CE marking including the PED directive (for pressurised equipment). They satisfy the requirements for North American UL and CSA, as well as all applicable EMC directives for protection against electrical noise. PED compliance (ASMI in North America) is an area of approval compliance that domnick hunter has always been a World leader in, this is carried forward in all of the new Laboratory Gas Generator range.

Environmental Consciousness
domnick hunter core technologies are growing in importance and globally expanding, driven by the demands of:

• Consumers for cleaner and more pure products
• Ever more sophisticated production processes and equipment
• More stringent legislation for health and safety and environmental protection

Which it satisfies with products that are:

• Innovative and reliable
• Energy efficient
• Readily available and supported

24/7 supply
domnick hunter’s new evolution in gas generators was conceived to deliver gas 24/7 with optimised delivery specification with no compromise – this has been achieved with out compromise – and is ‘simply better by design’.

Nitrogen Options

Hydrogen

Typical Application Guide Products for Gas Chromatography

Products for LCMS Instruments

Products for Spectroscopy

Products for Analyzers

Other laboratory applications