JPWO2017029764A1 - Nitrogen gas safety supply monitor and nitrogen gas generator for MS - Google Patents

Abstract

A nitrogen gas safety supply monitor for MS is provided between the compressed air generator and the nitrogen gas separator. Nitrogen gas discharged from the nitrogen gas separator is supplied to an analyzer such as a mass spectrometer. A nitrogen gas safety supply monitor for MS includes a gas inlet, a gas outlet, a pipe connecting the gas inlet and the gas outlet, a shutoff valve provided in the middle of the pipe, and a middle of the pipe. A water filter that filters the moisture of the gas flowing through the pipe, a water sensor that detects the water filtered by the water filter, and a control unit that closes the shut-off valve when water is detected by the sensor And comprising. The control unit may record a date and time when the shutoff valve is closed. You may further provide the alerting | reporting means which alert | reports that the said cutoff valve was closed by the said control part.

Description

  The present invention relates to a nitrogen gas safety supply monitor for MS (Mass Spectrometry) and a nitrogen gas generator.

  Conventionally, for example, as disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2015-024408, a gas generation apparatus including a compressor and a gas separation membrane is known. Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2003-159517 describes a hollow fiber separation membrane module as an example of a gas separation membrane. Furthermore, Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2012-232281 describes a technique related to a filter device that removes dust and the like contained in a fluid. In particular, in paragraph 0114, moisture separated by the filter is transferred to the inner side of the filter. There is a description that after moving downward along the inner peripheral surface of the case, it accumulates at the bottom of the inner case and becomes drain water. Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2008-188489 also describes a similar filter device.

Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2015-024408 Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2003-159517 Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2012-232228 Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2008-188489

  After the compressor compresses the moisture-containing gas, the compressed high-pressure and high-temperature gas cools to generate drain water. The drain water is obtained by changing vapor, which is a gas, into water that is a liquid. As a countermeasure against drain water, a water filter having a function of filtering the moisture of the compressed air can be provided between the compressor and the gas separation membrane. However, if this water filter fails, the water that should have been removed, especially water drops, will flow downstream of the water filter. It is not preferable that such moisture reaches the gas separation membrane, and it is also not preferable that such moisture reaches an analyzer or the like downstream of the gas separation membrane.

  There is a nitrogen gas generation device as one of the target devices that the present inventor has eagerly studied in relation to such a problem. Since nitrogen gas is useful as an inert gas, it can be introduced into various analyzers such as mass spectrometers. The mass spectrometer is referred to as Mass Spectrometry, which is also referred to as “MS” for simplification. Depending on the type of analyzer or the like, the required quality of nitrogen gas differs, and severe restrictions may be imposed on the nitrogen concentration and moisture content. If the nitrogen gas generator is connected to an analyzer that requires high-quality dry nitrogen gas, it is desirable to prevent the nitrogen gas discharged from the nitrogen gas generator from containing even a small amount of water, particularly droplet water. Therefore, the inventor of the present application has conducted intensive research on how to protect a gas separation membrane or an analyzer from the drain water accompanying the compressed gas of the compressor.

  The present invention has been made to solve the above-described problems, and provides a nitrogen gas safety supply monitor for MS and a nitrogen gas generation device that can protect a gas separation membrane or an analyzer from excessive moisture gas. The purpose is to do.

  A nitrogen gas safety supply monitor for MS according to the present invention includes a gas inlet, a gas outlet, a pipe connecting the gas inlet and the gas outlet, a shutoff valve provided in the middle of the pipe, A water filter that is provided in the middle of the pipe and filters the moisture of the gas flowing through the pipe, a water sensor that detects water filtered by the water filter, and a water sensor that detects a predetermined amount or more of water. And a control unit that closes the shut-off valve when operated.

  The control unit may record a date and time when the shutoff valve is closed. You may further provide the alerting | reporting means which alert | reports that the said cutoff valve was closed by the said control part. The notification means may be a light emitting means for visual notification, a sound generation means for audible notification, or the like. The notification unit is connected to the control unit, and the control unit activates the notification unit when the shut-off valve is closed.

  The control unit may record the date and time when the power was turned on. The nitrogen gas safety supply monitor for MS is provided with a power switch for accepting operations. When the power is turned on by operating the power switch, a system startup process is executed, and a program is created in advance so that the current system startup process execution date and time is stored in the memory in the control unit. As described above, the control unit may record a power on / off history, that is, a system on / off history.

  The pressure sensor provided in the said piping, the humidity sensor provided in the said piping, and the temperature sensor which measures the atmospheric temperature of the nitrogen gas safe supply monitor for MS may be further provided. The control unit may record sensor output values of the pressure sensor, the humidity sensor, and the temperature sensor each time a predetermined time elapses. Thereby, the nitrogen gas safety supply monitor for MS may function as a “data logger device”.

  A voltmeter for measuring a power supply voltage may be further provided, and the control unit may record the measured value of the voltmeter every time a predetermined time elapses.

  As a specific example, the control unit may include an input / output interface (I / OIF), an arithmetic processing unit (CPU), a memory, and a timer. The control unit may execute a program that stores a system startup date and time and a shutdown date and time.

  The control unit determines whether a predetermined time has elapsed from a count reference time by a first step of recording a start time in the memory, a second step of opening the shut-off valve, and measurement of the timer. A third step of waiting for processing until the predetermined time elapses when it is not determined that the predetermined time has elapsed; and a sensor output signal is captured and recorded in the memory when it is determined that the predetermined time has elapsed. The fourth step of determining whether or not water detection has been performed, and if the water detection has not been performed, the fifth step in which the process jumps to the power-off determination of the eighth step to be described later, and the water detection being performed. It is determined whether there has been a sixth step of closing the shutoff valve, a seventh step of performing notification by operating the notification means, and a power-off operation. In the event that a predetermined time has elapsed, the eighth step in which the process loops to the third step, and when the power is turned off, the shutoff valve is kept closed and the shutdown date and time is stored. And a control process including the ninth step.

  A nitrogen gas generator according to the present invention includes an air inlet, a compressor that generates compressed air from the air introduced from the air inlet, a gas cooler that cools the compressed air of the compressor, and a cooling by the gas cooler. A first water filter that filters the moisture of the compressed air after being compressed, and a compressed air generator that discharges the compressed air that has been filtered by the first water filter, and is generated by the compressed air generator A nitrogen gas separator having a nitrogen separation membrane for generating nitrogen from compressed air, and a nitrogen outlet for discharging nitrogen gas separated by the nitrogen separation membrane, the compressed air generator, and the nitrogen gas separator And a shutoff valve provided at the nitrogen outlet of the nitrogen gas separator, and between the compressed air generator and the nitrogen gas separator or at the nitrogen outlet of the nitrogen gas separator. A second water filter, a water sensor that detects water filtered by the second water filter, and a control unit that closes the shut-off valve when water of a predetermined amount or more is detected by the water sensor; .

  The shut-off valve may be provided in the middle of a gas path between the water filter and the compressor. The shut-off valve may be provided in the middle of a gas path between the nitrogen separation membrane and the water filter. The shutoff valve may be provided between the nitrogen outlet and the nitrogen separation membrane.

  Various variations are assumed for the structure of the shutoff valve. For example, an electromagnetic valve, an electric valve, or a hydraulic valve may be used.

  Various variations are assumed in the structure of the water filter. As an example, a cylindrical case made of a light-transmitting material and closed at both ends, two openings provided on the side surface of the cylindrical case, and a gas in the cylindrical case when the gas flows through these two openings And a filter membrane (membrane element) that collects water.

  Various variations are assumed for the structure and detection method of the water sensor. The techniques used in various known moisture meters can be diverted, and various moisture meters put into practical use can be diverted. For example, a device using electricity or a device using light may be used.

  As an example, the compressed air generator may include an air tank that communicates with the discharge port of the compressor and a first air filter that communicates with the air tank. The compressed air that has passed through the first air filter flows into the gas cooler. Further, an activated carbon filter and a micro mist filter may be further provided downstream of the first water filter. Furthermore, a pressure sensor for detecting the pressure on the discharge port side of the compressor, specifically, the pressure in the air tank may be provided. A safety valve may be provided for operating when the pressure on the discharge port side of the compressor becomes abnormally high and for extracting compressed gas. As a preferred embodiment, the compressor may be automatically stopped when the pressure in the air tank reaches a predetermined upper limit value.

  By interposing the nitrogen gas safety supply monitor for MS according to the present invention between the compressed air generator and the nitrogen separation membrane, or between the nitrogen separation membrane and the analysis device, Water safety can be improved. When a certain amount or more of droplet water is detected in the compressed air, the valve can be closed to close the pipe. It is possible to prevent the downstream nitrogen separation membrane connected to the gas discharge port from being damaged due to the adverse effect of water.

  According to the nitrogen gas generator according to the present invention, the water filter and the water sensor can be interposed between the compressor that generates compressed air and the nitrogen separation membrane. When a certain amount or more of droplet water is detected in the compressed air, the gas flow can be shut off by closing the valve. As a result, it is possible to prevent the analyzer that expects nitrogen from the nitrogen outlet from being adversely affected by water. For example, when water droplets reach an analyzer that should be connected downstream of the nitrogen separation membrane and receive high-purity nitrogen gas, it may cause malfunction, but such a situation can also be prevented.

It is a block diagram showing a nitrogen gas safety supply monitor for MS and a nitrogen gas generation device according to an embodiment of the present invention. It is a top perspective perspective view showing a nitrogen gas safety supply monitor for MS according to an embodiment of the present invention. It is a side perspective perspective view which shows the nitrogen gas safety supply monitor for MS concerning embodiment of this invention. It is an example of the flowchart which shows the control content which the nitrogen gas safety supply monitor for MS concerning embodiment of this invention performs. It is another example of the flowchart which shows the control content which the nitrogen gas safety supply monitor for MS concerning embodiment of this invention performs. It is a block diagram which shows the modification of the nitrogen gas production | generation apparatus concerning embodiment of this invention.

  FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a MS nitrogen gas safety supply monitor 20 and a nitrogen gas generator 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention. The nitrogen gas generation apparatus 1 includes a compressed air generator 10, a MS nitrogen gas safety supply monitor 20, and a nitrogen gas separator 70. The nitrogen gas generator 1 is connected to an external power source 4. The power source 4 is, for example, a commercial AC power source. As an example, the nitrogen gas generator 1 supplies dry high-purity nitrogen gas to a mass spectrometer (MS) 2. However, this is merely an example, and the nitrogen gas generator 1 can be used for various analyzers and measuring devices other than the mass spectrometer 2.

(Mass spectrometer)
The basic principle of the mass spectrometer 2 is to ionize a substance, separate the ions, and detect the number (intensity) of ions at a mass to charge ratio (m / z) from the ions separated by the detector. Qualitative / quantitative analysis. The mass spectrometer 2 is used in combination with chromatography for separating substances. For example, LC-MS (high performance liquid chromatography mass spectrometry) using a liquid may be used, and GC-MS (gas chromatography mass spectrometry) using a gas may be used. As a method for ionizing a substance (solution) in LC-MS, an atmospheric pressure ionization method (API) such as an electrospray ionization method (ESI) or an atmospheric pressure chemical ionization method (APCI) is used. A method generally called “ionization” is often used.

  The mass spectrometer 2 uses nitrogen gas when ionizing a substance. Since nitrogen gas is inert, it plays a role in avoiding unnecessary reactions in ionization. Conditions required for the nitrogen gas to be used include high purity, dryness, stable constant pressure, and stable constant flow rate. If the purity of the nitrogen gas is low (specifically, other gases such as oxygen are mixed in) or moisture is contained, normal ionization is not performed and the analysis result is abnormal. Moreover, even if the gas pressure and flow rate become unstable, the analysis results are similarly abnormal.

(Compressed air generator)
The compressed air generator 10 includes an air inlet, a compressor 12 that generates compressed air from the air introduced from the air inlet, a gas cooler 14 that cools the compressed air of the compressor 12, and a gas cooler 14 that cools the compressed air A second air filter 18 and a micro mist filter 15 for filtering the moisture of the compressed air. The compressed air after the moisture is filtered by the micro mist filter 15 and the second air filter 18 is discharged from the compressed air generator 10. The micro mist filter 15 and the second air filter 18 correspond to a “first water filter” in the means for solving the above problems.

  As an example, the compressed air generator 10 may include an air tank 19 that communicates with the discharge port of the compressor 12 and a first air filter 17 that communicates with the air tank 19, as shown in FIG. 1. The first air filter 17 communicates with the gas cooler 14. The gas cooler 14 is, for example, a heat exchanger, and more specifically can be a radiator. An activated carbon filter may be provided further downstream of the second air filter 18 communicating with the gas cooler 14. Further, a pressure sensor 13 for detecting the pressure on the discharge port side of the compressor 12, specifically, the pressure in the air tank 19 may be provided. A safety valve may be provided for operating when the pressure on the discharge port side of the compressor 12 becomes abnormally high and for extracting compressed gas. As a preferred embodiment, the compressor 12 may be automatically stopped when the pressure in the air tank 19 reaches a predetermined upper limit value. The power circuit 11 is connected to a power source 4 such as a commercial AC power source, and generates a driving power source for the compressor 12.

  When the atmosphere containing moisture is compressed, it becomes high-temperature and high-pressure compressed air. When this high-temperature and high-pressure compressed air is cooled by the gas cooler 14, water droplets (so-called drain water) are generated. A second air filter 18 and a micro mist filter 15 are provided to remove the water droplets. The second air filter 18 and the micro mist filter 15 are each provided with a cylindrical case as a housing and a drain water discharge mechanism. In the embodiment, the second air filter 18, the micro mist filter 15, and the water filter 41 will be described as having similar structures. However, these filters may achieve moisture filtration in different ways, and may have different specific shapes and structures.

  The compressed air generator 10 compresses the air, that is, air introduced from the air inlet. Since the pressure and temperature of the air rise as the compressor 12 compresses, the compressed air has a lot of saturated water vapor. For this reason, when cooled through the gas cooler 14, drain water is generated as water droplets. In order to remove water, oil, foreign matters, and the like contained in the compressed air, the first air filter 17, the second air filter 18, the activated carbon filter 18a, and the micro mist filter 15 are arranged in this order from the upstream side to the downstream side of the compressed air. Is provided.

  For the detailed specific configurations of the first air filter 17, the second air filter 18, the activated carbon filter 18a, and the micro mist filter 15, various known filter devices may be used. For example, Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2012-232281 Or you may utilize the filter apparatus described in Japan Unexamined-Japanese-Patent No. 2008-188489. For this reason, further explanation is omitted.

(Nitrogen gas separator)
The nitrogen gas separator 70 has a compressed air inlet, a nitrogen separation membrane 74, and a nitrogen outlet 75. In the embodiment, as a preferred form, a nitrogen gas regulator 71 for stabilizing the pressure and a pressure meter 72 for measuring and displaying the pressure value of the nitrogen gas are also provided downstream of the nitrogen separation membrane 74. The compressed air inlet communicates with the gas discharge port 24 of the MS nitrogen gas safety supply monitor 20 and receives the compressed air. The nitrogen separation membrane 74 generates nitrogen from the compressed air generated by the compressed air generator 10. As an example of the nitrogen separation membrane 74, a hollow fiber separation membrane module described in Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2003-159517 may be used. Further downstream of the nitrogen gas regulator 71 is connected to the mass spectrometer 2 via a flow meter 73. The nitrogen outlet 75 is a hole for discharging the nitrogen gas separated by the nitrogen separation membrane 74. The compressed air generated by the compressed air generator 10 is supplied to the nitrogen gas separator 70 via the MS nitrogen gas safety supply monitor 20. By passing the compressed air through the nitrogen separation membrane 74, the dried nitrogen gas can be taken out.

(Nitrogen gas safety supply monitor for MS)
The configuration of the MS nitrogen gas safety supply monitor 20 shown in the block diagram of FIG. 1 will be described below with reference to FIGS. FIG. 2 is a perspective top perspective view showing the MS nitrogen gas safety supply monitor 20 according to the embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 3 is a side perspective perspective view showing the MS nitrogen gas safety supply monitor 20 according to the embodiment of the present invention. The MS nitrogen gas safety supply monitor 20 has a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape as a whole, and has a hollow casing 5, a front cover 6, a gas inlet port 22, a gas outlet port 24, and a gas inlet port 22. And a pipe 26 connecting the gas discharge port 24. The gas inlet 22 and the gas inlet 24 are connected to the compressed air generator 10 and the nitrogen gas separator 70 via external piping (not shown). The pipe 26 is composed of three parts, pipes 26a, 26b, and 26c. The MS nitrogen gas safety supply monitor 20 is provided in the middle of the pipe 26c (specifically, at the outlet end), and in the middle of the pipe 26c, and filters moisture in the gas flowing through the pipe 26c. The water filter 41, the water sensor 38 which detects the water filtered by the water filter 41, and the control part 50 which closes the cutoff valve 44 when water is detected by the water sensor 38 are provided. The MS nitrogen gas safety supply monitor 20 further includes a pressure sensor 30 provided in the pipe 26a, a humidity sensor 32 provided in the pipe 26b, and a temperature sensor that measures the ambient temperature of the MS nitrogen gas safety supply monitor 20. 34. A recess is provided in the upper part of the front cover 6, and the gas inlet 22 and the gas outlet 24 are arranged side by side in the recess. According to the nitrogen gas safety supply monitor 20 for MS in which the above configuration is integrated, there is a convenience that simple installation is possible so as to be interposed between the compressed air generator 10 and the nitrogen gas separator 70. is there. In addition, there is an advantage that it is easy to install the compressed air generator 10 and the nitrogen gas separator 70 installed afterwards. Although not provided in the MS nitrogen gas safety supply monitor 20, as a modification, the temperature of the compressed air may be measured by providing a temperature sensor that measures the temperature of the gas in the pipe 26.

  The MS nitrogen gas safety supply monitor 20 further includes a power circuit 48 and a power switch 28. The power supply circuit 48 is connected to the external power supply 4 via the power switch 28. Explaining an example, the power supply circuit 48 includes a known converter circuit therein, converts each commercial AC voltage from the power supply 4 into a DC voltage, and each component incorporated in the MS nitrogen gas safety supply monitor 20. It is also possible to create a direct current power source. The power switch 28 receives a manual operation from the user, and the shape is not limited. When the user operates the power switch 28, the power supply on / off of the MS nitrogen gas safety supply monitor 20 can be switched. When the power switch 28 is turned on, the on command is transmitted to the control unit 50, and the control unit 50 opens the shutoff valve 44 to open the pipe 26. When the power switch 28 is turned off, the off command is also transmitted to the control unit 50, and the control unit 50 forcibly switches the shut-off valve 44 to the closed state and closes the pipe 26. As a specific example, the “on command” and “off command” referred to here are actually switching signals representing switching operation of the power switch 28 and are signals that take a binary value of high and low.

  In the embodiment shown in FIG. 1, the shut-off valve 44 is provided between the compressed air generator 10 and the nitrogen gas separator 70. A shutoff valve 44 is provided in the middle of the gas path from the compressed air generator 10 to the nitrogen outlet 75, specifically between the nitrogen separation membrane 74 and the water filter 41. The water filter 41 filters the moisture of the gas flowing between the compressed air generator 10 and the nitrogen separation membrane 74. When the shutoff valve 44 is closed, the gas flow between the nitrogen separation membrane 74 and the water filter 41 is blocked. The water sensor 38, the water filter 41, the drain water lid 42, and the shutoff valve 44 constitute a gas safety supply unit 40.

  The MS nitrogen gas safety supply monitor 20 can be interposed between the compressor 12 that generates compressed air and the nitrogen separation membrane 74 afterwards and in a removable manner. When a certain amount or more of droplet water is detected in the compressed air introduced from the gas inlet 22, the shutoff valve 44 can be closed to close the pipe 26. It is possible to prevent the downstream nitrogen separation membrane 74 connected to the gas discharge port 24 from being damaged due to the adverse effect of water. Furthermore, there is a problem that when the droplet water reaches the analyzer that should be connected downstream of the nitrogen separation membrane 74 and receive high-purity nitrogen gas, it may cause malfunction, but this problem is prevented. You can also

  As a preferred embodiment, the control unit 50 records the date and time when the shutoff valve 44 is closed. Specific examples of means for realizing the recording operation include a form in which the control unit 50 executes a program recorded in the memory 56.

  As a preferred embodiment, the control unit 50 further includes “notification means” for notifying that the shutoff valve 44 has been closed. In the embodiment, the notification means is provided with a lamp 46 that performs visual notification as an example. The lamps 46 are connected to the control unit 50, and the control unit 50 activates these lamps 46 to emit light when the shut-off valve 44 is closed. However, instead of the lamp 46 or in addition to the lamp 46, a buzzer for performing an audible notification may be provided. Alternatively, the control unit 50 may transmit a warning signal or a warning message to various terminals used by the user through the added wireless communication unit. Specific examples of means for realizing these notification operations include a form in which the control unit 50 executes a program recorded in advance in the memory 56 when notification is necessary.

  As a preferred embodiment, the control unit 50 records the date and time when the MS nitrogen gas safety supply monitor 20 was turned on. When the power is turned on by operating the power switch 28, a system startup process is executed, and a program is created in advance so that the current system startup process execution date and time is stored in the memory 56 in the control unit 50 at that time. Has been. As described above, the control unit 50 records the power on / off history, that is, the system on / off history. Specific examples of means for realizing the history recording operation include a form in which the control unit 50 executes the program recorded in the memory 56.

  As a preferred mode, the MS nitrogen gas safety supply monitor 20 has at least one sensor for measuring a physical quantity for evaluating the physical state of the gas in the pipe 26. In the embodiment, as a specific example of such a sensor, the MS nitrogen gas safety supply monitor 20 includes a pressure sensor 30 provided in the pipe 26, a humidity sensor 32 provided in the pipe 26, and a nitrogen gas for MS. And a temperature sensor 34 that measures the ambient temperature of the safety supply monitor 20. The pressure sensor 30 and the humidity sensor 32 can measure the pressure value and humidity of the gas in the pipe 26, more specifically, the compressed air supplied from the compressed air generator 10. As a preferred embodiment, the controller 50 records the values of the pressure sensor 30, the humidity sensor 32, and the temperature sensor 34 every time a predetermined time elapses. As a more preferred form, the MS nitrogen gas safety supply monitor 20 includes a voltmeter 36 for measuring a power supply voltage. Specifically, the voltmeter 36 may be connected to the power supply circuit 48, and may measure the magnitude of the DC voltage generated by the power supply circuit 48. In the embodiment, for simplification of description, the pressure sensor 30 and the like provided in the MS nitrogen gas safety supply monitor 20 may be collectively referred to as “each sensor”.

  As a preferred mode, recording the measured value of the voltmeter 36 every time a predetermined time elapses brings the following advantages. The power supply circuit 48 is connected to the power supply 4, and the power supply circuit 11 that is the power supply of the compressed air generator 10 is also connected to the power supply 4. When the voltage of the power supply 4 becomes unstable, the influence of the power supply instability is exerted on both the power supply circuit 48 and the power supply circuit 11, so the unstable operation of the power supply 4 is caused by the compressor 12 of the compressed air generator 10. It also affects the behavior of An example of unstable power supply 4 is an instantaneous power failure (so-called instantaneous power failure). If the operation of the compressor 12 becomes unstable, the pressure and flow rate of the compressed air are also affected, and the qualitative and quantitative effects are finally exerted on the nitrogen gas generated via the nitrogen gas separator 70. It reaches. The quality of nitrogen gas refers to purity (nitrogen density) and the like, and the amount of nitrogen gas refers to pressure and flow rate. In this regard, by recording the voltage measured by the voltmeter 36, it can be confirmed later whether or not the power source 4 has been operated in an unstable manner. As a result, the cause of the qualitative or quantitative instability of the nitrogen gas can be investigated afterwards.

  In the embodiment, the means for recording the sensor output of the MS nitrogen gas safety supply monitor 20 is specifically that the control unit 50 executes the program recorded in the memory 56.

  As shown in FIG. 3, the control unit 50 includes a circuit board main body 51. The circuit board main body 51 is mounted with each component specifically shown in the block diagram of FIG. That is, the control unit 50 includes an input / output (I / O) interface 52, an arithmetic processing unit (CPU) 54, a non-volatile memory 56 (hereinafter also simply referred to as a memory 56), a timer 58, and an A / D ( Analog-to-digital) conversion circuit 53. These components are mounted on the circuit board main body 51.

  The input / output interface 52 includes an input connector provided with an input terminal (pin) and an output connector provided with an output terminal (pin). The input / output interface 52 is provided to perform data signal input / output with the outside of the control unit 50. The input / output interface 52 is connected to the pressure sensor 30, the humidity sensor 32, the temperature sensor 34, the voltmeter 36, and the water sensor 38 described above. The input / output interface 52 is also connected to the shutoff bulb 44 and the lamp 46.

  The analog output signal of each sensor such as the pressure sensor 30 connected to the control unit 50 is converted into a digital value by the A / D conversion circuit 53.

  The CPU 54 is connected to the input / output interface 52, the memory 56, the A / D conversion circuit 53, and the timer 58. The CPU 54 acquires electronic data via the input / output interface 52, the A / D conversion circuit 53, and the memory 56. The CPU 54 performs arithmetic processing on this electronic data by executing a program stored in the memory 56. The CPU 54 stores the calculation result in the memory 56 or outputs it from the input / output interface 52 to the outside. The electronic data includes, for example, information obtained by converting the sensor output signal from each sensor into a digital value, a light lighting flag for setting whether or not the light should be lighted, and closing the shutoff valve 44. A valve open / close flag for setting whether to open or not is also included.

  Regardless of whether the nonvolatile memory 56 is a RAM (Random Access Memory) or a ROM (Read Only Memory), an EEPROM (Electric Erasable Programmable Read Only Memory) such as a flash memory (FLASH EEPROM) may be used. Good. Note that a volatile memory may be further provided for use in arithmetic processing. In addition, an auxiliary storage device (storage device) may be provided, and data may be stored in the auxiliary storage device. When the memory and the auxiliary storage device are collectively expressed as “storage means”, the CPU 54 performs arithmetic processing and recording by exchanging electronic data with the storage means.

  The timer 58 is for measuring time. Among the programs to be executed by the CPU 54, there are processing steps to be executed periodically at regular time intervals during program execution. For example, a process for recording the values of the pressure sensor 30, the humidity sensor 32, and the temperature sensor 34 described above, and a process for recording the measured value of the voltmeter 36 every time a predetermined time elapses. In addition, a process for recording the measurement value of the water sensor 38 every time a predetermined time elapses may be provided. The CPU 54 can execute such processing steps at an accurate time interval by referring to the time measurement value from the timer 58.

  The output value of each sensor converted into a digital value by the A / D conversion circuit 53 is processed by the CPU 54. The program executed by the CPU 54 includes a processing step of additionally saving the output value of each sensor in a predetermined storage area of the memory 56 at predetermined time intervals (for example, every minute). Thereby, the nitrogen gas safety supply monitor 20 for MS can also function as a “data logger device”.

  The MS nitrogen gas safety supply monitor 20 includes a USB (Universal Serial Bus) connector 60. The USB connector 60 is connected to the control unit 50 so that electronic information stored in the memory 56 can be read. Thereby, the electronic data extracted via the USB connector 60 can be viewed, processed, or edited by an external terminal such as a personal computer. If the program data in the memory 56 is recorded so as to be rewritable, the program can be corrected and processed by accessing the memory 56 via the USB connector 60. The rewritable recording means, for example, a case where the nonvolatile memory 56 includes a ROM and a RAM and a program is stored in the RAM. As described herein, the USB connector 60 functions as an “electronic information extracting unit”. Therefore, “electronic information extracting means” other than the USB connector 60 may be provided in the MS nitrogen gas safety supply monitor 20. For example, various general-purpose communication interfaces other than USB may be employed, and the connector shape may be provided in accordance with each standard. Further, the communication method is not limited to wired communication, and a wireless communication unit may be provided. In that case, a connector is unnecessary.

  Many variations are assumed for each configuration according to the embodiment. Some of them are described below.

  Various variations of the structure of the shutoff valve 44 are assumed. For example, a solenoid valve may be used. The solenoid valve is also called a solenoid valve, and has a mechanism for opening and closing the valve by moving the plunger using the magnetic force of the electromagnet, and is used for opening and closing control in the pipe 26 through which the fluid passes. The solenoid valve is advantageous in that it has a quick response and can close the pipe 26 immediately after water detection by the water sensor 38. In addition to the electromagnetic valve, an electric motor (motor) driven electric valve may be used. Moreover, it is not restricted to an electric type, and it does not prevent using a hydraulic type etc. The shut-off valve 44 may have any drive system and mechanical mechanism, and may be any one that can switch at least fully open and fully closed in accordance with an electric signal from the control unit 50. As a modified example, the shutoff valve 44 may be capable of continuously adjusting the opening between fully open and fully closed, and is used discontinuously, that is, the switchable opening can be switched in a plurality of stages. May be. The opening degree adjustment in such a modification may be achieved in accordance with a control signal from the control unit 50.

  Various variations are assumed in the structure of the water filter 41. In the embodiment, as an example, a cylindrical case 41a whose both ends are closed, two openings provided at two opposing sides of the cylindrical case 41a, and gas moisture is collected in the cylindrical case 41a. And a filter membrane (membrane element). One opening provided in the cylindrical case 41a is connected to the pipe 26c, and the other opening provided in the cylindrical case 41a is connected to the shutoff valve 44. After the gas flows into the cylindrical case 41a from the pipe 26c and moisture contained in the gas is filtered by the filter membrane, the moisture filtered gas flows out from the other opening to the shutoff valve 44. The water filtered by the filter membrane accumulates as water droplets at the bottom of the cylindrical case 41a. A drain water hole as a water drain hole is provided at the bottom of the cylindrical case 41a, and a drain water lid 42 for manually opening and closing the drain water hole is provided. For further specific configuration, for example, a filter device described in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2012-232281 or Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2008-188589 is applied, or an appropriately modified version thereof is used. Since this is possible, further explanation is omitted.

  In the present embodiment, the cylindrical case 41a is made of a light transmissive resin or glass. This is because, as will be described later, in the present embodiment, the water sensor 38 is an optical detection type. However, there is a case where the cylindrical case 41a does not need light transmission because the detection method of the water sensor 38 is electrical, in which case the cylindrical case 41a may be non-transparent. In addition, a mechanism (so-called auto drain water) that opens the drain water lid when a certain amount of water accumulates may be provided. In this case, this water is supplied to the outside of the MS nitrogen gas safety supply monitor 20. You may guide the tube to discharge.

  Various variations are assumed for the structure and detection method of the water sensor 38. In the present embodiment, as an example, a photodetector for performing optical detection is used as the water sensor 38. The photodetector includes a light emitting unit 38b made of, for example, a photodiode and a photodetecting unit (photodetector) 38a. The light detection unit 38a receives light transmitted through the water filter 41 of the light emitting unit 38b. The optical water sensor 38 can detect the presence / absence of water and the amount of water based on the received light intensity of the light detection unit 38a using the difference in the degree of light absorption according to the amount of water.

  In addition, the technique currently used for various well-known moisture meters can be diverted to the water filter 41, and various moisture meters put into practical use can be diverted. For example, it is not limited to using light but may use electricity. An electric water sensor can detect the presence or absence of moisture and the amount of moisture by measuring a change in electrical resistance value or a change in capacitance according to the amount of moisture. When a large sensor can be mounted, a microwave moisture meter or the like may be used. Even when a water sensor of a method other than these optical methods is used, whether the amount of water in the water filter 41 has reached a predetermined amount by storing the measurement value in the memory 56 in the same manner as described above. What is necessary is just to detect whether or not.

  In the present embodiment, whether or not a certain amount of liquid water has accumulated in the water filter 41 is used as a criterion for closing the shutoff valve 44. As described above, the “constant water amount” is an amount such as half, 1/3, 1/5, or 1/10 of the cylindrical case 41a, and is preferably not a small amount of water droplets. The reason for this will be described. The nitrogen separation membrane 74 is a membrane for separating and removing the moisture of the inflowing gas to produce dry nitrogen gas. For this reason, the nitrogen separation membrane 74 does not immediately fail even when water vapor whose humidity is within the allowable range flows. On the other hand, if the shutoff valve 44 is immediately closed by detecting a slight amount of moisture, the supply of compressed air at a stable flow rate and pressure is frequently disturbed, which is not preferable. Therefore, in the embodiment, the control unit 50 closes the shutoff valve 44 when the amount of liquid water collected in the cylindrical case 41a of the water filter 41 reaches a predetermined amount. Therefore, in the embodiment, an output signal of the water sensor 38 (specifically, the light detection unit 38a) when liquid water is accumulated in the water filter 41 by a predetermined amount of water is measured in advance. May be stored in the memory 56 of the control unit 50 as a determination value for determining whether the shutoff valve 44 is closed. The “predetermined amount of water” is, for example, half of the full state, 1/3, 1/5, or 1/10. When performing water detection processing (step S108) in the flowchart described later, a comparison is made between the output signal of the light detection unit 38a in the water sensor 38 and the light reception intensity stored in advance. Thereby, it can be detected that the amount of water in the water filter 41 has reached a predetermined amount.

  Various variations of the mounting position of the shutoff valve 44 are also assumed. The shut-off valve 44 can be provided at any point in the middle of the gas path from the compressed air generator 10 to the nitrogen outlet 75 or downstream of the nitrogen outlet 75. Specifically, in the embodiment shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, the shutoff valve 44 is provided between the nitrogen separation membrane 74 and the water filter 41. By closing the shut-off valve 44, it is possible to prevent excessive compressed air from flowing into the nitrogen separation membrane 74 and to block the space between the water filter 41 in which water is accumulated and the nitrogen separation membrane 74. it can. Accordingly, it is possible to reliably prevent the stored water in the water filter 41 from reaching the nitrogen separation membrane 74. Further, the shutoff valve 44 may be provided in the middle of the gas path between the water filter 41 and the compressor 12, that is, in any place of the pipe 26. Thereby, it is possible to prevent compressed air with excessive moisture from flowing into the nitrogen separation membrane 74. Further, the shutoff valve 44 may be provided at the nitrogen outlet 75 as in a modification of FIG. This is because it is possible to prevent at least the excess nitrogen gas from being discharged from the nitrogen gas generator 1. The water filter 41 and the shut-off valve 44 do not necessarily have to be adjacent to each other, may be disposed apart from each other, and other sensors may be sandwiched between the water filter 41 and the shut-off valve 44. In the nitrogen gas safety supply monitor 20 for MS in the embodiment, the shutoff valve 44 is not sufficient to simply adjust the flow rate. In the nitrogen gas safety supply monitor 20 for MS, from the viewpoint of ensuring water safety, at least before reaching the mass spectrometer 2, preferably upstream of the compressed air inlet of the nitrogen separation membrane 74, a shutoff valve 44 is piped when necessary. Any one of 26 is completely closed.

  FIG. 4 is an example of a flowchart showing the control contents executed by the MS nitrogen gas safety supply monitor 20 according to the embodiment of the present invention. A program created according to the flowchart shown in FIG. 4 is stored in advance in the memory 56 of the control unit 50. The CPU 54 reads this program from the memory 56 and executes it in response to the MS nitrogen gas safety supply monitor 20 being turned on by operating the power switch 28.

  In the routine shown in the flowchart of FIG. 4, first, the control unit 50 executes a processing step for recording the activation time (S100). Subsequently, the controller 50 executes a processing step for opening the shutoff valve 44 (S102).

  Next, the control part 50 performs the process step which determines whether predetermined time passed from the count reference time by measurement of the timer 58 (S104). This processing step is a process for measuring a predetermined time interval, and the time interval may be, for example, 1 minute (that is, 60 seconds), or may be shorter or longer than 1 minute. When the control unit 50 controls the timer 58, the timer 58 measures time from the count reference time as a starting point. When the measurement time of the timer 58 reaches 60 seconds, the determination condition in this processing step S104 becomes affirmative. Here, if it is the first determination immediately after the start, this count reference time is the start time, and the determination result of this processing step becomes affirmative when a predetermined time has elapsed from the start time. If the determination result of this processing step is affirmative once instead of immediately after startup, the time measurement value of the timer 58 is reset to zero in response to the affirmative determination, and the time of the positive determination is the latest count. It becomes the reference time. As a result, the time measurement of the timer 58 is reset every time the determination result of the processing step S104 becomes affirmative, and the determination condition of the processing step S104 becomes affirmative whenever the predetermined time (for example, 60 seconds) is reached. It is possible to proceed to a processing step for performing later sensor signal acquisition. In addition, the process of process step S104 described here is an example, and a specific process will not be ask | required if it is a program which measures a predetermined time interval.

  If it is not determined that the predetermined time has elapsed from the count reference time, the process returns to step S104, and the process is in a standby state until the predetermined time has elapsed. When it is determined that a predetermined time has elapsed from the count reference time, the control unit 50 subsequently executes a processing step of capturing a sensor output signal from the pressure sensor 30 or the like and recording it in the memory 56 (S106). Next, the control part 50 performs the process step which determines whether water detection was carried out (S108). In this step, the control unit 50 determines whether the water in the water filter 41 has reached a predetermined amount of water based on the output signal received from the light detection unit 38b of the water sensor 38, and the water is predetermined. The determination result is affirmed when the amount of water reached. If the determination result of step S108 is affirmative, the control unit 50 next executes a processing step of closing the shutoff valve 44 when water is detected (S110). The control unit 50 further executes a processing step of performing notification by turning on the lamp 46 (S112).

  When the water is not detected in step S108, the control unit 50 jumps the process to the power-off determination (S114).

  The control unit 50 executes a processing step for determining whether or not there is a command to turn off the power by turning off the power switch (S114). When there is no power-off operation, the control unit 50 loops the process to a predetermined time elapsed determination process step. When the power-off operation is performed, the control unit 50 holds the shutoff valve 44 in a closed state, advances the process to the system shutdown process, and executes a process step for recording the system shutdown date and time (S116). . Thereafter, the system is shut down as the current routine ends.

  The effects of the nitrogen gas safety supply monitor 20 for MS and the nitrogen gas generator 1 according to the embodiment described above are summarized as follows, for example.

  When performing mass spectrometry, nitrogen gas is required as the sample is introduced into the mass spectrometer 2 (Mass Spectrometer). The nitrogen gas is provided by the nitrogen gas generator 1. Since moisture accumulates in the compressed air generator 10 when air is compressed, the moisture is occasionally discharged to the outside automatically. This automatic drainage is realized by an auto drain function provided in the second air filter 18 and the micro mist filter 15.

  When the second air filter 18 or the micro mist filter 15 in the compressed air generator 10 fails, excess moisture gas flows out from the compressed air generator 10. If this water flows, there is a high possibility that the nitrogen separation membrane 74 will break down. If it breaks down, the expensive nitrogen separation membrane 74 will be replaced. Therefore, the water filter 41, the water sensor 38, and the shut-off valve 44 provided in the front stage of the nitrogen separation membrane 74 are used to close the shut-off valve 44 when moisture is detected and shut off the compressed air from the compressor 12. In the embodiment, after the piping 26 is closed by closing the shut-off valve 44, the pressure on the discharge port side of the compressor 12 rises, and the pressure sensor 30 detects the pressure rise automatically. 12 stops operation.

  Furthermore, if the water that has passed through the nitrogen separation membrane 74 flows into the mass spectrometer 2, the analysis results of the mass spectrometer 2 and the internal structure of the mass spectrometer 2 are adversely affected. Further, if the voltage of the power source 4 is unstable, the pressure and flow rate of the nitrogen gas will fluctuate and the analysis accuracy will be reduced. In this respect, since the MS nitrogen gas safety supply monitor 20 according to the embodiment also functions as a data logger device, factors that cause a situation where the shutoff valve 44 is closed (power supply abnormality, ambient temperature, humidity, or pressure) Can be recorded at any time. The nitrogen gas safety supply monitor 20 for MS has a date and time when the power supply of the nitrogen gas safety supply monitor 20 for MS is turned on, a date and time when water detection detects and shuts down water, and a periodic measurement of pressure, humidity, temperature, and power supply voltage. Information can be recorded. By recording these pieces of information, the recording results can be referred to later. By referring to the recorded result, it can be used for elucidating the cause of the abnormality of the analysis result, the failure of the mass spectrometer 2 or the like. The recorded contents may be transferred to the outside (for example, a personal computer) via the USB connector 60 or wirelessly, and may be used for operation management.

  FIG. 5 is another example of a flowchart showing the control contents executed by the MS nitrogen gas safety supply monitor 20 according to the embodiment of the present invention. When water is detected in step S108 described with reference to FIG. 4, the control unit 50 sequentially executes a processing step (S110) for closing the shutoff valve 44 and a lighting processing step (S110) for the lamp 46, and then the forced power supply is turned off. Processing may be executed (S200), and the system may be shut down at the end of the routine.

  Note that the MS nitrogen gas safety supply monitor 20 may not be provided with a data logger function, but may be provided with only a water detection shut-off protection function by the water sensor 38, the shut-off valve 44, and the control unit 50 for controlling them. In that case, the pressure sensor 30, the humidity sensor 32, the temperature sensor 34, and the voltmeter 36 may be omitted, and the processes of steps S104 and S106 in the flowchart of FIG. 4 may be omitted. Also, the MS nitrogen gas safety supply monitor 20 may not have a data logger device function, and may be disposed between the mass spectrometer 2 and the nitrogen gas separator 70.

  In the embodiment, the MS nitrogen gas safety supply monitor 20 is provided in which components such as the water filter 41, the water sensor 38, the shutoff valve 44, and the pressure sensor 30 are gathered inside the housing 5. However, in providing the nitrogen gas generating device 1 according to the embodiment, the components do not necessarily have to be collected in the single housing 5. That is, each component in the MS nitrogen gas safety supply monitor 20 is arranged in parts, and the nitrogen gas generator 1 having the function of the MS nitrogen gas safety supply monitor 20 of the embodiment as a whole is provided. Also good.

  FIG. 6 is a block diagram showing a nitrogen gas generation apparatus 101 according to a modification of the embodiment of the present invention. In this modification, the MS nitrogen gas safety supply monitor 20 is replaced with a recording device 120, and an MS nitrogen gas safety supply monitor 140 is added. In this modification, the MS nitrogen gas safety supply monitor 140 is connected to the nitrogen outlet 75, in other words, the MS nitrogen gas safety supply monitor 140 is provided between the mass spectrometer 2 and the nitrogen gas separator 70. Regarding the configuration other than these differences, the nitrogen gas generation device 101 is the same as the nitrogen gas generation device 1 described with reference to FIGS. Omitted. The nitrogen gas generation apparatus 101 extracts the MS nitrogen gas safety supply monitor 140 that is responsible for the hardware part of the water detection cutoff function among the functions of the MS nitrogen gas safety supply monitor 20, and is downstream of the nitrogen gas generation apparatus 101. On the side. That is, the gas safety supply unit 40 in FIG. 1 is provided on the downstream side of the nitrogen gas generator 101. On the other hand, among the functions of the nitrogen gas safety supply monitor 20 for MS, there is provided a recording device 120 in charge of control of the shutoff valve 41 and the data logger function. In this modified example, as shown in FIG. 6, the control unit 50 built in the recording apparatus 120 is used to control the MS nitrogen gas safety supply monitor 140. However, FIG. Among them, “another control unit” that performs opening / closing control of the shutoff valve 41 based on the output signal of the water sensor 38 may be incorporated in the MS nitrogen gas safety supply monitor 140. The “other control unit” preferably executes at least the processes of steps S102, S108, and S110 in FIGS. 4 and 5 and further performs the valve closing control of step S116. Further, the MS nitrogen gas safety supply monitor 140 may be provided with a notification means such as the lamp 46, and in this case, it is preferable that this “other control unit” also performs the process of step S112.

  Note that the device according to the above embodiment can be modified to another device different from the embodiment, and a part of the configuration of the embodiment can be diverted to another application. Hereinafter, this deformation diversion will be described.

  It should be noted that the embodiment can be diverted to a gas generating device other than nitrogen. That is, the above-described nitrogen gas safety supply monitor 20 for MS can be diverted to a dry gas generator that compresses a gas containing moisture such as the atmosphere and generates a dry gas from the compressed gas. When gas is compressed with a compressor, drain water is generated by condensation. When the excess water gas containing the drain water is supplied to the separation membrane, a case that is not preferable for the separation membrane is assumed. Furthermore, excessive moisture gas is not preferable for an apparatus such as the mass spectrometer 2 provided further downstream of the separation membrane. Under such circumstances, another gas separation membrane can be provided instead of the nitrogen separation membrane 74 inside the nitrogen gas generation apparatus 1. As an example of a nitrogen separation membrane that has been put into practical use, there is one utilizing a property that a hollow fiber made of polyimide is more likely to transmit oxygen than nitrogen in the air. While compressed air flows inside the nitrogen separation membrane (hollow fiber), oxygen selectively permeates the membrane, and as a result, nitrogen enriched gas is obtained at the hollow fiber membrane outlet. . Such a membrane that selectively permeates oxygen is assumed to be diverted as an oxygen separation membrane, and in that case, it is not preferable that an excess water gas flows into the oxygen separation membrane. This is the same as the excessive water gas in the nitrogen separation membrane 74 being undesirable. For example, Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2003-159517 discloses a “hollow fiber separation membrane module that selectively permeates at least one gas from a mixed gas” and “enriched nitrogen air, enriched oxygen air, dry air, carbon dioxide, "A hollow fiber separation membrane module for separating and recovering either hydrogen or organic vapor" is described. Nitrogen separation of “mixed gas separation membrane” or “gas separation membrane that separates enriched nitrogen air, enriched oxygen air, dry air, carbon dioxide, hydrogen, or organic vapor” based on known technology The film 74 may be replaced. In this case, the “nitrogen gas separator” in the embodiment can be read as a simple “gas separator” in which the type of gas is not limited.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1,101 Nitrogen gas production | generation apparatus 2 Mass spectrometer 4 Power supply 5 Case 6 Front cover 10 Compressed air generator 11, 48 Power supply circuit 12 Compressor 13, 30 Pressure sensor 14 Gas cooler 15 Micro mist filter 17 1st air filter 18 Second air filter 18a Activated carbon filter 19 Air tank 20, 140 Nitrogen gas safety supply monitor 22 for MS 22 Gas inlet 24 Gas outlet 26, 26a, 26b, 26c Pipe 28 Power switch 30 Pressure sensor 32 Humidity sensor 34 Temperature sensor 36 Voltmeter 38 Water sensor 38a Light detection part 38b Light emission part 40 Gas safety supply part 41 Water filter 41a Tubular case 42 Drain water cover 44 Shut-off valve 46 Lamp 48 Power supply circuit 50 Control part 51 Circuit board main body 52 Input / output interface 53 A / D conversion Circuit 54 CPU
56 Memory 58 Timer 60 Connector 70 Nitrogen gas separator 71 Nitrogen gas regulator 72 Pressure meter 73 Flow meter 74 Nitrogen separation membrane 75 Nitrogen outlet 120 Recording device

Claims (8)

A gas inlet;
A gas outlet,
A pipe connecting the gas inlet and the gas outlet;
A shut-off valve provided in the middle of the pipe;
A water filter provided in the middle of the pipe for filtering the moisture of the gas flowing through the pipe;
A water sensor for detecting water filtered by the water filter;
A control unit that closes the shut-off valve when a predetermined amount or more of water is detected by the water sensor;
Nitrogen gas safety supply monitor for MS.   The MS nitrogen gas safety supply monitor according to claim 1, wherein the control unit records a date and time when the shut-off valve is closed.   The nitrogen gas safety supply monitor for MS according to claim 1, further comprising notification means for notifying that the shutoff valve is closed by the control unit.   The nitrogen gas safety supply monitor for MS according to claim 1, wherein the control unit records a date and time when the power is turned on. A pressure sensor provided in the pipe;
A humidity sensor provided in the pipe;
A temperature sensor for measuring the ambient temperature of the nitrogen gas safety supply monitor for MS;
With
2. The nitrogen supply safety supply monitor for MS according to claim 1, wherein the control unit records sensor output values of the pressure sensor, the humidity sensor, and the temperature sensor each time a predetermined time elapses. Further equipped with a voltmeter for measuring the power supply voltage,
2. The nitrogen gas safety supply monitor for MS according to claim 1, wherein the control unit records the measured value of the voltmeter every time a predetermined time elapses. An air inlet, a compressor that generates compressed air from the air introduced from the air inlet, a gas cooler that cools the compressed air of the compressor, and moisture in the compressed air that has been cooled by the gas cooler A first water filter, and a compressed air generator that discharges compressed air whose moisture has been filtered by the first water filter;
A nitrogen gas separator having a nitrogen separation membrane for generating nitrogen from the compressed air produced by the compressed air generator, and a nitrogen outlet for discharging nitrogen gas separated by the nitrogen separation membrane;
A shutoff valve provided between the compressed air generator and the nitrogen gas separator or at the nitrogen outlet of the nitrogen gas separator;
A second water filter provided between the compressed air generator and the nitrogen gas separator or at the nitrogen outlet of the nitrogen gas separator;
A water sensor for detecting water filtered by the second water filter;
A control unit that closes the shut-off valve when a predetermined amount or more of water is detected by the water sensor;
A nitrogen gas generator.   The nitrogen gas generation device according to claim 7, wherein the shutoff valve is provided between the nitrogen separation membrane and the second water filter.

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