What is pressure vessels for cryogenic?

As more and more industries continue discovering the potential of cryogenics to enhance and extend their possibilities, the cryogenic vessel has become an essential part of many operations. 

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Because cryogenic substances require maintaining extremely low temperatures, there are certain requirements that need to be met by the storage tanks meant to hold liquid nitrogen, liquid oxygen or liquid argon, among other substances, under the right conditions.

From our experience in facilitating cryogenic equipment for companies, at Cryospain we want to share some tips in this brief guide about cryogenic tanks.

What is a cryogenic vessel and what types exist

A cryogenic vessel is a recipient designed to maintain the right conditions for cryogenic substances to thrive. This means  cryogenic tanks must present thermal isolation systems and be able to withstand abrupt temperature and pressure changes.

The use of the cryogenic vessel ensures an efficient storage and transportation of cryogenic substances, which represents an advantage in terms of storage space (as liquefied gasses occupy less space) and safety in handling these materials.

There are different types of cryogenic vessels, while a common configuration includes double-walled cylindrical tanks where inner tanks are made of stainless steel and outer tanks made of carbon steel, filled with an insulation material. High-vacuum configurations are put in place to minimize heat losses.

The choice will depend on the specific fluid it contains and the required size and storage capacity. Some of the common shapes for a cryogenic vessel include: 

• Laboratory jars
• Rangers
• Dewars
• Cryogenic vessels
• Cryogenic tanks
• Flat-bottom cryogenic tanks
• Cryogenic cisterns for trucks
• ISO containers for cryogenics
• Pressurized cryogenic storage tanks

Pressure vessels

Pressure vessels are containers designed to hold substances at pressure values different from ambient pressure. In order to do so, and to guarantee safety, certain parameters must be taken into account, including maximum design temperatures, corrosion allowance and safe operating pressure and temperature values.

Main components of a cryogenic vessel

For a cryogenic vessel to be able to hold these substances, it must adapt to the specific environmental characteristics it will encounter, including size, location, weather and types of soil, among other conditions. 

The liquid kept inside (nitrogen, oxygen, argon, liquefied natural gas, liquified petrol gas, ethylene…) will also greatly condition the features of the cryogenic vessel.

However, and although customization plays a key role in developing the right cryogenic vessel, it’s possible to generally speak of the following three components for these storage tanks: 

Inner vessel

This part is in direct contact with the cryogenic fluid and contains it, so that it’s typically made of stainless steel able to withstand very low temperatures without cracks or other issues.

Outer vessel

Also known as the vacuum jacket, this part is made of carbon steel and is in charge of guaranteeing insulation, acting as a protective wall avoiding heat transfers from the outside environment. 

Insulation system

With large scale cryogenic tanks, both vessels are divided with a vacuum space to guarantee insulation. Other options are available, including the addition of a combination of insulation materials. 

Pressure regulation system

Additionally, tanks are typically provided with a system in charge of regulating pressure, which is specifically designed to make pressure remain constant and match the needs of each user. 

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Particularities and safety considerations when working with a cryogenic vessel

In order to guarantee a safe and efficient installation of cryogenic vessels and their supplementary components, as well as the rest of the elements, the next considerations must be taken into account: 

• Choosing the right location. This applies to both outdoors and indoors equipment. As a general rule, it’s wise to locate the cryogenic vessel close to where the cryogenic substance is being use.
• Foreseeing potential safety risks. This involves putting together the right enclosing system, in order to avoid leaks, as well as evacuation routes within the premises and the avoidance of bituminous products
• Considering vehicle accessibility. A key consideration is how will the cryogenic substances be replenished.
• ITC-MIE.AP10 standards, as expressed in rules regarding pressure devices, must be followed and complied with.

Cryospain, designing custom cryogenic vessels for each industry

Cryospain is in charge of designing, producing, installing and maintaining cryogenic vessels, including the following types: flat-bottom cryogenic tanks, pressurized cryogenic storage tanks and cryogenic tanks. 

We’re able to implement turnkey projects for cryogenic vessels and tailor-made equipment, basing our work in our team of engineers and technicians and their experience, as well as two fully-functional production centers.

Our more than two decades of experience in cryogenic engineering guarantee we’re also able to provide maintenance help in multiple cryogenic vessel configurations, including laboratory jars, rangers and dewars, cryogenic vessels, tanks, flat-bottom tanks, cryogenic cisterns for trucks, ISO cryogenic containers and pressurized cryogenic storage tanks. 

Find out more about our services and how we can help you access the cryogenic vessel you need: get in touch with us and speak to our team today.

Cryogenic cooling combines heat transfer with low temperature physics to cool systems below about -250 degrees Fahrenheit (or -150 degrees Celsius, or 120 Kelvin), which is far colder than Antarctica, the coldest place on Earth. It’s a complex science, requiring more precision and elaborate engineering the closer to absolute zero you go.

Below, we’ll discuss some basics of cryogenic cooling, a handful of key applications, and how pressure vessels are used in this field.

What is cryogenic cooling used for?

Commercially available cryogenic cooling systems exist, but there’s a lot of highly specialized applications that require custom solutions, especially in the aerospace field. Some examples include the following, with more details on a few below:

• Some space telescopes
• Particle accelerators
• Magnetic resonance imagers (MRI machines)
• Rocket fuel
• mRNA vaccines

Cryogenic cooling for space telescopes

Many telescopes studying the universe are launched into space because the Earth’s atmosphere blocks their sensors from getting the best data. There’s other things that can obscure data, depending on what the detectors are trying to read. Infrared detectors, for instance, have to be as cold as possible. They detect heat, so if the sensors themselves are warm, they won’t be able to see heat elsewhere.

Cryogenic cooling for particle accelerators

Particle accelerators use superconducting magnets, which have to be cooled well into the cryogenic temperature range in order to function. The Large Hadron Collider, the biggest particle accelerator in the world, uses liquid helium, a cryogen, to cool its magnets to their operating temperature.

Cryogenic cooling for vaccines

Many vaccines need to be kept within a specific temperature range so the components making up the vaccine don’t degrade. In particular, mRNA vaccines like the Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna COVID-19 vaccines need to be kept between -76 and -112 degrees Fahrenheit (-60 and -80 degrees Celsius), which is cold enough that using cryogenic cooling is a requirement.

What are cryogens and how are they made?

A lot of systems use cryogens (very cold, pressurized liquids like liquid nitrogen and helium) to do much of the cooling. You might have seen liquid nitrogen used to make ice cream in a science classroom. It’s associated with heavy white vapor that sinks to the floor – this is actually water vapor condensing from the extreme cold.

So how are cryogens kept colder than the coldest place on Earth? It’s because temperature and pressure are related. When you increase the pressure on nitrogen gas, it squishes the gas molecules closer together, and the gas temperature goes down. Eventually they’ll get so close together they condense into a liquid, which is more efficient to store and transport since it takes up much less space.

Cryogens have to be stored in pressure vessels to make sure they stay condensed. This includes cryogens used for cooling space systems, so the pressure vessels used to hold them need to be able to withstand a rocket launch and the harsh, zero gravity environment of space.

What are some things to keep in mind when using pressure vessels for cryogenic cooling?

Pressure vessels designed for cryogenic cooling have to be able to withstand some additional requirements, in addition to the required pressure. Here’s a couple examples:

• The material used has to tolerate extreme temperature fluctuations
• Fittings and seals have to withstand cryogenic temperatures without leaking

Cryogenic cooling can change a material’s properties, often making the material more brittle. Some of these effects last even after the material is returned to room temperature, so it’s important to understand how the temperature extremes will impact the material and design. The rate of temperature change may need to be controlled as well, to prevent the material from warping or cracking.

Seals need to be carefully designed, especially given how brittle rubber gets at cryogenic temperatures. It tends to shatter. O-rings can be made from malleable metals instead, as clamping two sides of a fitting together over the O-ring will deform the metal to precisely fill the gaps between the fittings. These types of O-rings need to be replaced every time they are unclamped.

Learn more about Rexarc’s custom pressure vessels

Rexarc develops and manufactures custom stainless steel and carbon steel pressure vessels for the aerospace industry, among others. Learn more about our ASME standard pressure vessels here, or reach out to us with any questions you have about pressure vessels!

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