Cryocooler maker Cryo H&I said on Thursday that it has developed an LN2 generator and storage.
LN2, or liquid nitrogen, is used in hospitals, medicine, and bio sectors for the storage of microorganisms, cells, and vaccines for research purposes. They are also used during food processing, recycling, and gas separation.
Nitrogen, naturally in gas form in ambient temperatures, is liquefied in extremely low temperatures of minus 192 Celsius. Liquid nitrogen is stored in tanks; if they are not used within a given time the pressure inside can cause the tanks to explode so they are released as gas again.
Most companies and research centers outsource their LN2 supply.
Cryo H&I’s generator and storage machines can form liquid nitrogen in extremely low temperatures as well as re-liquefy boiled-off gas.
It comes with a cooler on the top of the tank that can lower the temperature to minus 253 Celsius to control the amount of pressure inside.
It also comes with various sensor monitoring and alarm program features. It also supports two-way communication.
The company said its new machine, the first from a South Korean company, will allow users to make just enough liquid nitrogen that they need while storing them for a long time.
Cryo H&I research head Yang Won-kyun explained the machine uses pressure swing adsorption to separate nitrogen gas from the air.
Meanwhile, the development of the machine was done together with a Inha University research team led by professor Choi Rino.