QUANTUMCOOLER Series 4000

Helium Liquefiers and Reliquefiers

BENEFITS:

• Save money
  Eliminate liquid helium purchases
• Save time
  Eliminate liquid helium transfers
• Recycle
  Helium is a non-renewable natural resource
• Schedule
  Have liquid helium available whenever required from gas

LIQUID HELIUM FOR:

• MRI - Medical Magnetic Resonance Imaging systems
• Superconducting magnets
• SQUID magnetometers and other measurement systems
• Dilution refrigerators and other systems requiring liquid helium
• Filling liquid helium transport dewars

QUANTUMCOOLER Model Q01.2-4100

COLD FINGER HELIUM RELIQUEFIER FOR MAGNETIC RESONANCE IMAGING (MRI) SUPERCONDUCTING MAGNET SYSTEMS

Principle of Operation:

A small cold finger is inserted into the top of the MRI. Boiling of liquid helium in the MRI continues at the usual rate, but as the cold gas rises it is recondensed on the surface of the cold finger and falls back as liquid. Thus, the net helium boiloff is reduced to zero.

The QUANTUMCOOLER cold finger is designed for field retrofit installation. The cold finger can be inserted into any MRI magnet. It is inserted, while the magnet is at full field, into the large port used for magnet current leads. The QUANTUMCOOLER cold finger can be easily removed in minutes. All whole body MRI magnets have heat shields cooled either by liquid nitrogen and/or active cold head cooling. The QUANTUMCOOLER neither affects nor replaces this shield cooling. Magnets with active cold head shield cooling can generally expect to have their helium boiloff totally eliminated. Liquid nitrogen cooling will have the helium boiloff reduced to a tiny fraction of its initial value, and usually to zero. Please contact Quantum for the technical details relevant to a particular magnet.

The operation of the MRI is not affected by the coldfinger. Because of its non-magnetic, zero-vibration construction it is also recommended for spectroscopy applications. The helium of the MRI stays in the MRI and is totally separate from the closed-circuit helium used in the QUANTUMCOOLER. A redundant circuit maintains a small positive pressure (typically 0.07 bar = 1 psig) above atmospheric to prevent any possible contamination of the MRI.

When the QUANTUMCOOLER is switched off the MRI resumes its normal helium boiloff.

THE QUANTUMCOOLER COLD FINGER DOES NOT AFFECT THE OPERATION OF THE MRI IN ANY WAY --- EXCEPT FOR ELIMINATING THE HELIUM BOILOFF!

Technical Parameters:

• MODEL: QUANTUMCOOLER Q01.2-4100 coldfinger helium reliquefier
• COMPONENTS: Coldfinger, flexible non-magnetic QUANTUM INTERCONNECT, QUANTUMCOOLER Cryostat, Compressors
• COMPATIBILITY: All manufactured MRI systems
• COOLING POWER: Sufficient to eliminate a helium boiloff of 40 litres per day
• ELECTRICAL: 3 phase, 50/60 Hz, 8 kW, any voltage
• COOLING WATER: Required (unless optional air cooling package is ordered)
• SERVICE INTERVAL: 10,000 hours. An inexpensive replacement of consumables is required.

NOTE: The Model 4100 QUANTUMCOOLER is not suitable for use in liquefying room temperature helium gas. For this you will need the QUANTUMCOOLER Series 4000 helium liquefier.

Home / Products / Systems / How It Works / Material Properties