MRI: Track 3 Acquisition of a Campus-wide Helium Liquefication Plant for the University of Colorado Boulder

液氦对科罗拉多大学博尔德分校的许多研究需求至关重要，特别是在量子科学和工程领域最近和未来的广泛发展中。物理系使用氦气液化器已有近二十年的历史，同时也为校园内的其他用户提供氦气液化器。不幸的是，目前的液化器的风格和年龄是非常复杂的运行和维护，它不再由制造商支持。目前的项目包括用一个更现代和更简单的系统取代现有的液化器，由于其设计将具有更高的可靠性。支持这一设施的基础设施已经到位，并将重新利用。校园内的其他基础设施也已经到位，如化学和生物前沿研究所的核磁共振（NMR）设施，操作7种不同的超导磁体核磁共振仪器，有氦捕获和压缩设施，但没有办法再液化氦。作为该项目的一部分，工程部将安装类似的捕获和压缩设备，使其能够满足校园内所有液氦需求-包括代表8个系，3个学院和5个研究所的40个不同研究小组。对教学计划的影响也将很大——超导磁体核磁共振系统将直接用于5门不同的本科课程，每年约有1300名学生入学。液氦对科罗拉多大学博尔德分校的许多研究需求至关重要，特别是在量子科学和工程领域最近和未来的广泛发展中。物理系使用氦气液化器已有近二十年的历史，同时也为校园内的其他用户提供氦气液化器。不幸的是，目前的液化器的风格和年龄是非常复杂的运行和维护，它不再由制造商支持。目前的建议包括用一个基于脉冲管技术的更现代和更简单的系统取代现有的液化器，由于其设计将具有更高的可靠性。支持这种设施的基础设施，包括来自物理/JILA综合设施的管道和气体监测已经到位，并将重新利用。整个校园的其他基础设施也到位，如化学和生物前沿研究所的核磁共振（NMR）设施，操作7种不同的超导磁体核磁共振仪器，有氦捕获和压缩设施，但没有办法再气化氦。作为该项目的一部分，工程部将安装一个类似的捕获和压缩设备，使其能够满足校园中所有液氦的需求。由于需要超低振动，许多实验系统不能被“干”或循环氦系统所取代。除了物理、JILA和工程领域的量子系统外，核磁共振系统还服务于代表8个系、3个学院和5个研究所的40个不同研究小组。对教学计划的影响也将很大-超导磁体核磁共振系统直接用于5个不同的本科课程，每年约有1300名学生入学。该奖项反映了美国国家科学基金会的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的知识价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

Liquid helium is critical for a great many of the research needs at the University of Colorado Boulder, particularly with the extensive recent and coming growth in the areas of quantum sciences and engineering. The Physics Department has operated a helium liquefier for almost two decades, while also providing liquid to other users across campus. Unfortunately, the present liquefier is of a style and age that is extremely complicated to run and maintain and it is no longer supported by the manufacturer. The present project includes replacing the existing liquefier with a much more modern and simple system, that due to its design will have much higher reliability. The infrastructure for supporting such a facility is already in-place and will be reutilized. Other infrastructure across our campus is also in-place, as the Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) facilities in both Chemistry and the Biofrontiers Institute, which operate 7 distinct superconducting-magnet NMR instruments, have helium capture and compression facilities, but will have no way to reliquefy the helium. A similar capture and compression facility will be installed in Engineering as part of this project, enabling it to serve all present liquid helium needs in the campus - including 40 different research groups representing 8 Departments, 3 Colleges, and 5 Research institutes. The impact on the teaching program will also be strong – the superconducting-magnet NMR systems are directly utilized in 5 distinct undergraduate courses with an enrollment of ~ 1300 students/year. Liquid helium is critical for a great many of the research needs at the University of Colorado Boulder, particularly with the extensive recent and coming growth in the areas of quantum sciences and engineering. The Physics Department has operated a helium liquefier for almost two decades, while also providing liquid to other users across campus. Unfortunately, the present liquefier is of a style and age that is extremely complicated to run and maintain and it is no longer supported by the manufacturer. The present proposal includes replacing the existing liquefier with a much more modern and simple system based upon pulse-tube technology, that due to its design will have much higher reliability. The infrastructure for supporting such a facility, including piping and gas monitoring from across the Physics/JILA complex is already in-place and will be reutilized. Other infrastructure across the campus is also in-place, as the Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) facilities in both Chemistry and the Biofrontiers Institute, which operate 7 distinct superconducting-magnet NMR instruments, have helium capture and compression facilities, but will have no way to reliquefy the helium. A similar capture and compression facility will be installed in Engineering as part of this project, enabling it to serve all present liquid helium needs in the campus. Many of the experimental systems can’t be replaced by “dry” or recirculating helium systems, due for example to the need for ultra-low vibrations. In addition to the work on quantum systems in Physics, JILA, and Engineering, the NMR systems serve 40 different research groups representing 8 Departments, 3 Colleges, and 5 Research institutes. The impact on teaching program will also be strong – the superconducting-magnet NMR systems are directly utilized in 5 distinct undergraduate courses with an enrollment of ~ 1300 students/year.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.