Why You Cannot Find Liquid Nitrogen Generators Smaller Than 10 Liters Per Day
Many customers contact us looking for a very small liquid nitrogen generator, such as a 1, 2, or 5 liters per day model. At first glance, a smaller machine may appear to be more economical and better suited to laboratories with low liquid nitrogen consumption. However, after years of experience in cryogenic equipment manufacturing, we have chosen not to develop liquid nitrogen generators with capacities below 10 liters per day.
This decision is based on technical, economic, and practical considerations that ultimately benefit our customers.
The Challenge of Producing Liquid Nitrogen
Producing liquid nitrogen is a demanding cryogenic process. Nitrogen gas must be cooled from ambient temperature to its liquefaction temperature of -196°C. Achieving and maintaining such an ultra-low temperature requires sophisticated refrigeration technology, high-quality insulation, gas purification systems, compressors, and automatic controls.
Whether a generator produces 2 liters per day or 20 liters per day, many of these core components remain essentially the same. A liquid nitrogen generator still requires:
· Air compressor
· Air purification system
· Air separation system to produce nitrogen gas
· Cryogenic refrigeration system for liquefaction
· Vacuum-insulated dewar to receive liquid nitrogen
· Control system
· Safety protection devices
· Cabinet to for convenient operation and transportation
As a result, the cost of building a very small liquid nitrogen generator is not proportionally lower than that of a larger model.
Low Production Rate Limits Practical Use
A 2 liters per day generator produces only about 83 milliliters of liquid nitrogen per hour. At this rate:
· Filling a 10-liter dewar would take approximately five days.
· Filling a 30-liter dewar could take more than two weeks.
· Recovery after a large withdrawal of liquid nitrogen can be very slow.
Most laboratories and industrial users require liquid nitrogen in batches rather than as a continuous trickle. Even occasional usage can quickly exceed the production capacity of an ultra-small generator.
Natural Evaporation Cannot Be Ignored
Liquid nitrogen continuously evaporates, even when stored in high-quality vacuum-insulated containers.
For small-capacity generators, daily evaporation losses can represent a significant percentage of total production. In some cases, a noticeable portion of the generated liquid nitrogen is simply replacing normal storage losses rather than providing usable liquid for experiments or production processes.
This reduces the overall efficiency and economic value of the system.
Why We Start at 10 Liters Per Day
Based on our experience serving laboratories, universities, hospitals, and industrial users worldwide, we believe that 10 liters per day represents a practical minimum capacity for most applications.
A 10 liters per day generator offers:
· Sufficient daily production for routine laboratory use
· Faster dewar filling times
· Better resistance to storage evaporation losses
· Improved return on investment
· Greater flexibility for future demand growth
· More economical cost per liter of liquid nitrogen produced
Most importantly, it provides a balance between affordability and real-world usability.
Our Philosophy
At Scala, we focus on manufacturing equipment that delivers genuine value to our customers. While it is technically possible to develop liquid nitrogen generators with capacities below 10 liters per day, we believe such systems often fail to provide the performance, economics, and user experience that customers expect.
Rather than offering the smallest possible machine, we prefer to provide solutions that are practical, reliable, and capable of meeting both current and future liquid nitrogen requirements.
If your liquid nitrogen demand is less than 10 liters per day, our team would be happy to discuss your application and help determine whether a liquid nitrogen generator, bulk liquid nitrogen supply, or another cryogenic solution would be the most suitable option for your needs.
