Cryogenic workstation using nitrogen

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Solution Overview

Problem

Current methods for maintaining low temperatures in industrial and research processes face challenges with temperature fluctuations and the need for extended manipulation of temperature-sensitive materials outside of traditional frozen storage systems, which can lead to sample degradation and integrity issues.

Innovation Solution

A container system that maintains a heavier-than-air cold gas in a well, allowing for temperature-sensitive operations through an open top while maintaining the object temperature within a specified range, using a gas-tight chamber with a liquid nitrogen tank mounted on the interior wall to efficiently mix and regulate the gas temperature.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Temperature

If traditional frozen storage systems are used to maintain low temperatures, then temperature stability is improved, but accessibility and ease of manipulation of samples deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvetemperature stabilityVSAvoidsample accessibility

Core Design Contradiction:

TemperatureVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The storage system is divided into two distinct zones: a frozen storage zone for long-term temperature-stable storage, and a cryogenic workspace with open top for manipulation. This segmentation allows samples to be accessed and manipulated in the workspace while maintaining the temperature stability of the frozen storage zone, resolving the contradiction between temperature stability and accessibility.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

A cryogenic gas (such as nitrogen gas) serves as an intermediary medium between the frozen storage system and the ambient environment. The gas maintains a cold atmosphere in the workspace, enabling sample manipulation at low temperatures without requiring the entire system to be hermetically sealed or continuously frozen, thus improving accessibility while maintaining temperature control.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Ease of operation

If samples are manipulated outside of frozen storage system, then ease of operation is improved, but temperature control and sample integrity deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvemanipulation capabilityVSAvoidtemperature control

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSTemperature

Solution Approach 1:

Cryogenic gas acts as an intermediary that creates a cold atmosphere in the workspace, allowing samples to be manipulated outside the sealed frozen storage system while maintaining low temperatures. The gas fills the workspace and surrounds the samples, providing temperature control during manipulation without requiring the samples to remain in the frozen storage system.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The system changes the physical state of the cooling medium from solid (frozen storage) to gas (cryogenic atmosphere). This parameter change allows the workspace to maintain low temperatures through gas-phase cryogen, enabling manual manipulation of samples while preserving temperature control, thus resolving the contradiction between manipulation capability and temperature control.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

3Ease of operation

If open top container is used for manipulation, then ease of operation is improved, but heat ingress and temperature uniformity deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:

ImproveaccessibilityVSAvoidtemperature uniformity

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSTemperature

Solution Approach 1:

Cryogenic gas serves as an intermediary that fills the open-top container and maintains a uniform cold atmosphere throughout the workspace. The gas distributes coldness evenly across the workspace, compensating for heat ingress from the open top and insulated walls, thus maintaining temperature uniformity while allowing easy access and manipulation of samples.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The system transitions from solid-phase cooling (which would require direct contact or proximity to cold surfaces) to gas-phase cooling, where the cryogenic gas distributes thermal energy uniformly throughout the workspace volume. This parameter change enables open-top design with maintained temperature uniformity, resolving the contradiction between accessibility and temperature uniformity.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

Applied Scientific Principles

This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.

Function Achieved in This Case

This solution effectively maintains temperatures below -80°C with uniformity, preventing sample degradation during manipulation and storage, and allows for extended handling of temperature-sensitive materials without exposing them to higher temperatures, thus preserving their integrity.

Implementation Method 1

The contained gas is nitrogen, and the temperature of the contained gas is held within the desired range by the boiling of liquid nitrogen contained within an open tank

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectPhase change (boiling): Boiling

Implementation Method 2

nitrogen vapor effluent is exhausted directly into the chamber, thereby mixing the chamber gas and increasing the rate of exposure of the warmer chamber gas to the exposed surface of the boiler

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectConvection: Convection