Equipment: Helium Recovery Equipment: Acquisition of Helium Recovery and Liquefaction Hardware for the University of Kansas

在化学部的支持和促进竞争性研究的既定计划的共同资助下，堪萨斯大学的Justin道格拉斯博士正在实施一个氦气回收系统，该系统将捕获，纯化和净化由九种科学仪器正常运行产生的氦气废气，这些科学仪器用于化学，工程和制药等领域的研究，具有广泛的社会影响。例如，核磁共振（NMR）光谱仪的超导磁体需要定期补充液氦以保持持续的磁场。氦的严重短缺迫使一些仪器封存，这对整个地区的许多NSF资助的项目和其他项目产生了不利影响。负责任的资源利用，通过回收气态氦废气来最大限度地减少浪费，保护目前的研究活动，并保护这种不可再生资源，使子孙后代能够继续促进国家和全球的健康，繁荣和福利。此外，关于所要求的设备的信息正在被纳入一项全面的外联工作，以吸引来自代表性不足群体的个人，招聘和留住教职员工和学生，并改善堪萨斯大学的课堂和研究环境。该项目的成功实施证明了其他需要从分散设备中回收氦气的机构的轴辐模型的可行性。该项目包括：1）使用现成的部件制造歧管，以收集氦气废气，而不会干扰仪器的运行; 2）将氦气短期储存在8500升的袋子中; 3）将收集的气体压缩到高压气瓶中，以便运输到校园的中央设施; 4）气体的净化和液化;以及5）将产生的液氦重新用于科学仪器。在一年的运行中，估计该系统将回收约2，400升液氦。这些回收的氦将被用来重新填充超导NMR磁体，并为电子顺磁共振和磁圆二色光谱仪的低温恒温器提供能量。该氦回收系统将确保科学仪器的基本供应，这些仪器在NSF资助的和其他研究项目中起着至关重要的作用。该奖项反映了NSF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。

With support from the Division of Chemistry and co-funding from the Established Program to Stimulate Competitive Research, Dr. Justin Douglas at the University of Kansas is implementing a helium recovery system that will capture, purify, and liquefy helium gas exhaust produced by the normal operation of nine scientific instruments used in research with broad societal impacts in fields such as chemistry, engineering, and pharmacy. For example, the superconducting magnets of Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) spectrometers need periodic refills of liquid helium to maintain persistent magnetic fields. Severe shortages of helium have forced the mothballing of some instruments, which adversely impacts many NSF-funded and other projects throughout the region. Responsible resource utilization that minimizes waste by recycling gaseous helium exhaust protects present research activities and preserves this non-renewable resource, enabling future generations to continue to advance national and global health, prosperity, and welfare. Furthermore, information about the requested equipment is being integrated into a comprehensive outreach effort to engage individuals from underrepresented groups, recruit and retain faculty, staff and students, and enhance the classroom and research environment at the University of Kansas.The nine instruments being served by the helium recovery equipment are distributed across four separate buildings. Successful execution of this project demonstrates the feasibility of a hub-and-spoke model for other institutions needing to recover helium from dispersed devices. This project involves 1) fabrication of manifolds using off-the-shelf parts to collect helium exhaust without disturbing instrument operation; 2) short-term storage of helium in 8500-liter bags; 3) compression of collected gas into high-pressure cylinders for transport to a centralized facility on campus; 4) purification and liquefaction of the gas; and 5) reuse of the resulting liquid helium in scientific instruments. In one year of operation, it is estimated that ~2,400 liters of liquid helium will be recycled by this system. This recovered helium will be used to refill superconducting NMR magnets and to supply the cryostats of Electron Paramagnetic Resonance and Magnetic Circular Dichroism spectrometers. This helium recovery system will secure essential supplies for scientific instrumentation that plays a crucial role in NSF-funded and other research projects.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.