Liquid helium is essential for several scientific applications, including NMR
spectrometers which are used to study molecular structures, particularly of organic
compounds. Liquid helium is used to cool the large superconducting magnets used in
these systems, but the processes result in boil-off helium which is ultimately dispersed
and lost into thin air.
To prevent this waste, many liquid helium users are looking for a way to recover their
boiled-off gas – and this is where clever helium recovery solutions come to the rescue.
With the help of Bluefors and Motivair UK, the University of Edinburgh School of
Chemistry incorporated a Cryomech LHeP22 Liquid Helium Plant and purifier into their
helium gas recovery system.
By utilizing helium recovery, users of liquid helium can continually benefit from the
cryogenic temperatures that it brings, without worrying about supply constraints or price
fluctuations. This particular system liquefies 22 liters of helium each day, enabling the
facility to circulate recovered helium back into the necessary instruments, making
efficient use of this finite resource.
Congratulations to Juraj Bella and Andrew Hall for their vision in making this project
possible! You can learn more at:
· University of Edinburgh facility: https://chem.ed.ac.uk/news-events/news/what-
goes-up-does-not-come-down-helium-recovery-and-liquefaction-at-the-university-
of-edinburgh
· Cryomech Liquid Helium Plants here: https://bluefors.com/products/liquid-helium-
management-products/liquid-helium-plants/
Bluefors – Cool for Progress.
bluefors.com
PHOTO CAPTION
University of Edinburgh School of Chemistry, Bluefors, and Motivair UK teams after successfully installing the LHeP22 Liquid Helium Plant.
