Safety In The Handling Of Cryogenic Fluids

The importance of safety in any scientific endeavor is never in question. However, when cryogenic temperatures are involved, safety is especially important. In addition to observing the normal precautions, one must also take into account the variations of physical properties that occur at low temperatures. At these tempera tures, some properties not only exhibit large differences from their normal values but also can vary widely over a small temperature range. Before any cryogenic project is started, a thorough knowledge of the possible hazards is necessary. Only in this way can the safest operation be attained. Over the hundred-year history of cryogenic research, this has been shown to be the case. Keeping this requirement in mind is an essential ingredient in the quest for accident-free work. The past four or five decades have seen a great expansion of cryogenic technology. Cryogenic liquids, such as oxygen, nitrogen, hydrogen, and helium, have become commonly used in a number of different applications and are easily available in any part of the United States and, indeed, almost anywhere in the world. Not only are these liquids available, they have become less expensive and also available in ever larger quantities. As quantities increase, so also do the conse quences of mishaps. The future seems to hold promise of ever larger and more widespread use of the common cryogens. Thus, the importance of safety also increases as time progresses.

This book describes the current state of the art in cryogenic safety best practice, helping the reader to work with cryogenic systems and materials safely. It brings together information from previous texts, industrial and laboratory safety polices, and recent research papers. Case studies, example problems, and an extensive list of references are included to add to the utility of the text. It describes the unique safety hazards posed by cryogenics in all its guises, including issues associated with the extreme cold of cryogenics, the flammability of some cryogenic fluids, the displacement of oxygen by inert gases boiling off from cryogenic fluids, and the high pressures that can be formed during the volume expansion that occurs when a cryogenic fluid becomes a room temperature gas. A further chapter considers the challenges arising from the behavior of materials at cryogenic temperatures. Many materials are inappropriate for use in cryogenics and can fail, resulting in hazardous conditions. Despite these hazards, work at cryogenic temperatures can be performed safely. The book also discusses broader safety issues such as hazard analysis, establishment of a safe work culture and lessons learned from cryogenic safety in accelerator labs. This book is designed to be useful to everyone affected by cryogenic hazards regardless of their expertise in cryogenics.

The revised second edition of this practical book reviews the fundamentals of cryogenic liquid behaviour in small and large scale storage systems. The text is based on research findings on the convective and evaporative behaviour of cryogenic fluids, aimed at improving the design, construction and operation of low-loss cryogenic liquid storage systems, with a view to minimising cost and improving operational safety. Since the first edition was published in 2006, the breadth of cryogenic applications and the modelling of cryogenic fluid dynamics (CFD) have expanded in several directions. In this second edition, most chapters have been extended to introduce discussions of these new applications and their safety and energy economy. These include advances in the modelling of CFD required in, for example, the design of miniature cryocoolers and condensers and reboilers, large-scale cryogenic liquid mixture properties and their stability, and the understanding that hazards and safety problems in the public domain increase with the scaling up of cryogenic systems. With helpful summaries at the end of each chapter, the book is an essential reference for anyone working on the design and operation of cryogenic liquid storage and transportation systems.

This book describes the current state of the art in cryogenic safety best practice, helping the reader to work with cryogenic systems and materials safely. It brings together information from previous texts, industrial and laboratory safety polices, and recent research papers. Case studies, example problems, and an extensive list of references are included to add to the utility of the text. It describes the unique safety hazards posed by cryogenics in all its guises, including issues associated with the extreme cold of cryogenics, the flammability of some cryogenic fluids, the displacement of oxygen by inert gases boiling off from cryogenic fluids, and the high pressures that can be formed during the volume expansion that occurs when a cryogenic fluid becomes a room temperature gas. A further chapter considers the challenges arising from the behavior of materials at cryogenic temperatures. Many materials are inappropriate for use in cryogenics and can fail, resulting in hazardous conditions. Despite these hazards, work at cryogenic temperatures can be performed safely. The book also discusses broader safety issues such as hazard analysis, establishment of a safe work culture and lessons learned from cryogenic safety in accelerator labs. This book is designed to be useful to everyone affected by cryogenic hazards regardless of their expertise in cryogenics.

Cryogenics Safety Manual: A Guide to Good Practice, Third Edition promotes the safe application and development of low temperature engineering. The book also details the hazards involved in the operation, handling, and development of cryogenic devices. The text is divided into five chapters. Chapter 1 describes the health precautions and legislations involved in the field. Chapter 2 tackles the specific hazards and safety measures in handling and maintaining air separation plants. Chapter 3 discusses the precautions to be observed in the different procedures concerning natural gas, ethylene, and methane. Chapter 4 covers the proper safety measures and maintenance of plants and equipment designed to handle liquid and gas states of hydrogen at low temperatures, and Chapter 5 talks about the special precautions in handling helium, neon, krypton, and xenon. Chemists, physicists, engineers, and safety personnel involved in the field of cryogenics would benefit from this helpful guide.