Saturday 25 January 2014

The Details On Cryogenic Equipment

By Grace Rivas


If you have no idea what the word "cryogenic" means, you are probably in the majority. It is not a term often found in daily conversation. It is seen often in research facilities, food processing plants and in medical labs. Here are some of the details that describe cryogenic equipment, what it means and why it is important today.

The term comes from two terms in the Greek language. "Kryos" refers to very cold or freezing temperatures. "Genes" translates as "generated". The combined term thus describes a material which becomes very cold, even freezing.

The definition that is understood today is applied to certain gases that become liquid form when subjected to precise conditions. Specifically, these gases become liquids when they are chilled to extremely low levels and also under particular pressure levels. There are several reasons why this process is needed.

Known cryogenics gases include liquid oxygen, helium, hydrogen and nitrogen. Each of these gases have an extremely low boiling point (-51 C or -60 F). The most commonly used gas is nitrogen because it is easy to buy. Cryogenics can only be worked with in a special environment such as medical institutes and laboratories.

Research in this field today is available in several areas. There may be a desire to preserve organic substance in the best possible condition. Other research is centered on how organisms react to cold temperatures. Sometimes, cold is used during surgical procedures. There is electronics research being conducted regarding magnet fields and super-conductivity. Liquid gases might be helpful when the study of materials in extreme conditions of temperature is going on. Drastic cold might be appropriate when working with highly flammable materials. Liquid gas might be a fuel source.

The devices that are strong enough to hold the pressure of liquid gases must also protect against the dangerous cold. One such piece of equipment is the Dewar Flask. This object was invented by and named after James Dewar. He is credited with being able to take hydrogen from a gas to a liquid state successfully. The Dewar Flask is made of a double wall construction with the inner one made of glass. The user is protected against the dangerous cold which can damage the skin.

When the liquid gas must be moved or transferred, special pumping devices are required. A pump that operates successfully under high pressure and extreme cold. In order to store the gases in liquid form, pressure vessels are required. These containers must maintain the low temperatures and the high pressures in storage conditions. To keep the air pure, the equipment for purification must operate under unusual conditions. Cleaning using cold traps is another device that is needed for cleaning. Valves are another device that must be specially designed to manage the extremes of a gas in a liquid state.

Specially designed cryogenic equipment is necessary when handling liquid gases. When accuracy and safety of the handler is needed, defining the specific requirements of the environment is a first step. The highest quality devices ensures protection against damages and harm to the researcher.




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