Cryogenic Dewar Flask with clamping rod

myminifactory

Project initiated by Abhijeet Patil, Shubham Jain, and Saurabh Karanke for MSE5777 class. Liquid nitrogen is a cryogenic fluid that rapidly freezes living tissue. It's essential to handle and store it with thermal insulation due to its extremely low temperature (-195.79 °C; 77 K; -320 °F) at sea level. The liquid can be stored and transported in vacuum flasks, maintaining a constant temperature of 77 K through slow boiling. Vacuum flasks come in various sizes and designs, offering holding times ranging from a few hours to several weeks. However, pressurized super-insulated vacuum vessels have enabled longer storage and transportation periods with minimal losses, reduced to 2% per day or less. Liquid nitrogen is extremely cold at normal atmospheric pressure, turning into a liquid between 63 K and 77.2 K (-346°F and -320.44°F). It appears like boiling water within this temperature range but freezes into solid nitrogen below 63 K. Typically, its temperature remains constant at 77 K due to slow boiling. When liquid nitrogen boils into nitrogen vapor at room temperature and pressure, it creates a cloud of visible vapor. This cloud isn't steam or smoke; instead, it's condensed air water that has formed around the nitrogen due to exposure to cold temperatures. Cold air holds less humidity than warmer air, resulting in this condensation phenomenon. The double-walled cryogenic flask features adjustable lids that cover the flask after inserting a round-bottom flask, reducing the rate of liquid nitrogen evaporation. This design helps maintain a stable environment for storing and transporting cryogenic fluids. A retort stand is a scientific equipment piece that attaches clamps to hold other equipment and glassware, such as burettes, test tubes, and flasks. Accessories like ring clamps, versatile clamps, 3-prong clamps, and burette clamps can be attached for better grip on specific types of glassware. The retort stand's basic structure consists of two metal pieces: the base and the retort rod. This setup allows users to securely attach various equipment and glassware using different types of clamps. The flask comes equipped with an inbuilt retort stand, enabling users to easily attach clamps for holding other scientific equipment and glassware. 3D printing this type of flask offers significant cost savings. The PETG filament required for the entire package costs around $12.5, whereas commercial equivalents would be approximately $360, resulting in a 96% savings using 3D printing technology. References: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0011227516303460?via=ihub https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5116258/ https://www.zoro.com/chemglass-dewar-flask-1900ml-borosilicate-cg-1593-04/i/G5973633/ https://www.thomassci.com/Laboratory-Supplies/Dewar-Flasks/_/LOW-FORM-HEMISPHERICAL-DEWAR-FLASKS?q=Dewar%20Flask