These are the three largest current N2-BLAST® fire protection models.
A nitrogen generator replaces the compressed air in a dry or pre-action sprinkler system with high-purity nitrogen. Compressed air carries the oxygen and moisture that drive internal pipe corrosion, which leads to leaks, pipe failure and early system replacement.
The N2-BLAST® system does four things:
- Removes oxygen from the supervisory gas supply
- Maintains a stable nitrogen supervisory pressure across the system
- Continuously purges trapped moisture from low-point drains, where AutoPurge devices are fitted
- Extends piping service life and reduces long-term maintenance cost
How it makes nitrogen
These are pressure swing adsorption generators. Dried, filtered compressed air is fed into one of two vessels packed with carbon molecular sieve. Under pressure the sieve holds back oxygen and lets nitrogen pass through to the storage tank. Before the sieve saturates, the controller switches to the second vessel and vents the first to atmosphere, which releases what it captured and regenerates it. The two vessels alternate continuously.
A pressure transducer on the nitrogen storage tank tells the controller when to run. The generator produces nitrogen until the tank reaches its cut-out pressure, drops into Standby, and starts again when the tank falls to its cut-in pressure — so it only runs to replace what the sprinkler system has actually used.
Specifications
| Specification | FPS-10000 · FPS-16500 · FPS-22500 |
|---|---|
| Nitrogen purity | 98.5+% |
| Nitrogen storage pressure | 60–100 PSIG |
| Installation | Floor standing |
| Cabinet size | 35.7" W × 28.4" D × 78.8" H |
| Weight | 550 to 850 lb |
| Cabinet port connections | ½" NPT female, air inlet and nitrogen outlet |
| Air compressor | External — pre-existing on site or supplied separately |
| Electrical, 100–120 V build | 100–120 V / 60 Hz / 1 phase, 5 A |
| Electrical, 200–240 V build | 200–220 V / 50 Hz / 1 phase, 2.3 A · 208–240 V / 60 Hz / 1 phase, 2.4 A (-220 and -CE models) |
| Ambient temperature | 40°F to 90°F (4°C to 32°C) |
| Noise level | Under 80 dBA |
| Warranty | 12 months from shipment or 1,000 run hours, whichever comes first. Submitting the completed commissioning checklist activates it. |
Site conditions, feed air requirements and the electrical work the installer provides are covered in Site and Utility Requirements.
What is on the machine
| Standard on all three models | Ordered as an option |
|---|---|
| Integrated refrigerated air dryer, inside the cabinet | BlastOff® leak detection — alarms on a suspected leak or nitrogen overdraw |
| Three-stage air treatment — particulate with the inlet regulator, coalescing, and adsorbing filters | Oxygen sensor — live purity reading, purity alarm and purity trending |
| Two pressure swing adsorption beds with carbon molecular sieve, sized to the model | Additional sensors — air flow, nitrogen flow, nitrogen dew point, air inlet temperature and pressure |
| Nitrogen storage tank with isolation valves, ASME safety relief valve and gauge | Quick-Check® purity manifold and AutoPurge devices on the sprinkler system |
| Touchscreen controller with SMART-Trak® data logging, graphing and micro-SD export | Ethernet with Modbus TCP/IP, remote access and SD card access |
| Automatic cut-in and cut-out on tank pressure, and automatic bypass to the air compressor | Equipment alarm instrumentation — the standard build is pre-wired for it |
| Two dry contacts — a common alarm relay and a separate bypass alarm relay. No power-loss contact: loss of supply is not annunciated — see Fire Alarm & BMS Wiring | — |
Choosing between the three models
The cabinet, the controller, the connections and the electrical supply are identical across all three. What differs is nitrogen production capacity: each model carries a different size and grade of separation bed, so the FPS-16500 and FPS-22500 make progressively more nitrogen than the FPS-10000 in the same footprint.
Sizing depends on the purity and flow the system is set up for, not on the building's square footage. A leaking system continuously overdraws the generator. Have South-Tek size the generator against the system volume and supervisory pressure before the order is placed — and the feed air compressor at the same time, since it has to fill the largest zone to supervisory pressure within 30 minutes to meet NFPA.
Which documents apply
Confirm the model number on the unit's product information label before following any procedure or ordering parts. These three models share the O&M manual linked below and the articles listed under Related articles. Procedures and part numbers written for the FPS-500, FPS-900, FPS-1650, FPS-3250 or FPS-5000 do not carry across to these models — the setpoints, the filter kits and the alarm contacts provided all differ.
Related articles
- N2-BLAST Fire Protection Systems Overview
- FPS-10000, FPS-16500, and FPS-22500 Site and Utility Requirements
- FPS-10000, FPS-16500, and FPS-22500 Installation and Startup
- FPS Contractor Installation & Startup Checklist
- FPS-10000, FPS-16500, and FPS-22500 Operation, Alarms, and Maintenance
- FPS-10000, FPS-16500, and FPS-22500 Preventative Maintenance
- Fire Alarm & BMS Wiring for FPS Generator Dry Contacts