In a cryobank with dozens of nitrogen tanks, the issue of nitrogen supply is not trivial. Each tank must be continuously supplied with liquid nitrogen (LN2) to keep the storage temperature stable at -196°C. The way in which this vital supply is organized has a massive impact on the operating costs, safety and efficiency of the entire facility.
Traditionally, LN2 is manually transferred from storage tanks to the individual storage containers - a time-consuming, error-prone and potentially dangerous process. The alternative: a fully automated supply network of vacuum-insulated lines that delivers the nitrogen directly to each tank on demand and without human intervention.
Consarctic® specializes in the planning and installation of such systems. In this article, we compare the two approaches and show why automating the liquid nitrogen supply is an investment that pays for itself in a very short time.
With manual filling, a laboratory employee transports LN2 in a mobile dewar vessel to the individual tanks and fills them by hand. This method may be practicable in small laboratories with few containers, but it quickly reaches its limits as the infrastructure grows.
Every manual refilling process involves risks: splashes on the skin can cause cold burns, spilled nitrogen evaporates and can displace oxygen in poorly ventilated rooms. There is also the risk that a tank is accidentally not filled or not filled enough - with potentially catastrophic consequences for the stored samples.
The manual process is time-consuming and requires trained personnel. Every minute that a highly qualified scientist or technician spends decanting nitrogen is a minute that is lost to actual research or patient care. Added to this is the increased loss of nitrogen due to the repeated opening of the tanks.
An automatic LN2 supply system consists of three main components: a central storage tank (bulk tank), a network of vacuum-insulated transfer lines and an intelligent control unit.
The bulk tank - a large-volume, externally installed LN2 tank - is regularly filled by a gas supplier. From there, vacuum-insulated pipelines carry the nitrogen directly to each individual storage tank in the cryobank with minimal pressure loss and heat input. Level sensors in the storage tanks report their requirements to the central control system, which then automatically opens the corresponding valves and initiates the filling process.
Every cryobank is different. The number of tanks, the distances, the room heights, the outside temperatures - all these factors influence the design of the piping system.
Our engineers first analyze the current and future requirements of your facility. How many tanks need to be supplied? What peak load scenarios are to be expected? How long are the pipe runs? Based on this data, we dimension the system optimally.
The vacuum-insulated lines are installed by our certified technicians. All connections are checked for leaks, the control software is configured and comprehensive IQ/OQ documentation is created.
The acquisition costs of an automatic supply system are higher than those of a manual solution. However, the total cost of ownership speaks for itself: the investment usually pays for itself within a few years thanks to the reduction in nitrogen loss, lower personnel costs and greater process reliability.
For facilities planning a turnkey biobank, the automated supply system is an integral part of our turnkey solutions right from the start.
An automatic liquid nitrogen supply is not a luxury - it is the logical consequence of the growing importance of cryogenic storage in research and medicine. Those who modernize their infrastructure today will save costs and time tomorrow and protect the most important thing: the integrity of the stored samples.
Are you interested in an automatic LN2 supply for your cryobank? Contact our planning engineers for a no-obligation initial consultation and find out how we can bring your facility up to the state of the art.