Outreach News

A new Helium Liquefier has entered the ICMAB "We will be able to satisfy between 90-95 % of our Helium needs"

We have a new Helium Liquefier! With the new ATL 160 QuantumDesign equipment, we will be able to satisfy between 90-95 % of our Helium needs (now we were around 60 %). We use liquid Helium at the Low Temperatures and Magnetometry Service, since magnetic measurements are carried out at extremely low temperatures (5 K!). Liquid Helium is used as a refrigerant.

The Advanced Technology Liquefiers (ATLs) "are a cryo-cooler based helium liquefier. The ATLs are lab-scale and mobile devices that allow you to recover and liquefy the helium gas currently being lost from the normal boil off and helium transfers of you cryogenic instruments."

Now, with both ATL 160 QuantumDesign liquefiers, we will be able to produce up to 50 liters/day (instead of the 25 liters/day that we currently had). This will be hopefully enough to satisfy our Helium needs!

Before having the liquefiers, the Helium was lost by evaporation, and we could not reused it, so we had to buy more liquid Helium bottles. The liquefiers are a great investment to reduce our Helium purchases.

Bernat Bozzo, in charge of the Low Temperatures and Magnetometry Service, with our first ATL160 Helium Liquefier

Specifications of the ATL 160 equipment:

Average Liquefaction Rate: 22 liters/day (0.92 liters/hr)*
*Liquefaction rates vary based on input helium quality and pressure.
Dewar Capacity: 160 liters
System Dimensions (L x W x H): 104 x 76 x 151 cm
Compressor Package Model: Split-air-cooled or water-cooled
Typical Power Consumption and Voltage Range: 6.5 - 7.5 kW; high & low voltage available
Gaseous Helium Requirement: Flow Rate: 0 - 25 SLPM (0 - 0.88 SCFM); Industrial Quality He (99.999%); 0-10 psi
Fully Automated Touch Panel Control

*Cover Photo by Bernat Bozzo.

24 October 2019