Helium Recovery for the ICR and NMR/MRI Facilities at the National High Magnetic Field Laboratory in Tallahassee, FL

Florida State University, Tallahassee FL

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Abstract

Project Summary Nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy and Ion Cyclotron Resonance (ICR) are exceptional experimental tools for understanding the intricacies of biology and chemistry from macromolecular complexes to complex mixtures, from atomic resolution structure to a characterization of dynamics and an understanding of functional mechanism and rates. ICR has an increasingly broad role to play in the characterization of exceptionally complex mixtures from bio fluids to oil, from large proteins to their complexes. These two complementary technologies at the NHMFL have drawn large groups of users from NIGMS funded research groups as well as research groups both from the national research community but also from international research groups. While the Resonance Wing of the NHMFL that houses the ICR and NMR/MRI User programs has been equipped to recycle much of the boil off from its superconducting magnets, the vast majority of this boil off He gas is generated from the pumped magnets leading to significant contamination of the recovered gas. This has forced the Helium liquefier to operate in ?impure? mode, which is an inefficient mode of operation that has saturated the capacity of the liquefier. With the purchase of a purifier through funding of this proposal the liquefier can then operate in ?pure? mode at a much faster rate. With this capability the collection of not only the boil off, but also the gas from the LHe filling operations of the superconducting magnets can also be collected allowing the laboratory to approach its goal of recycling 95% of its Helium. This corresponds to an additional 30,000 liter of LHe that would be recycled.