Thanks to everyone for their suggestions, commiserating and well wishes.
Thankfully, the part arrived and the elevator is working again. We’re thankful that we were able to fill, and even more thankful that we can think through our “plan B” for the next time.
Suggestions centered around three strategies
1. Pouring small dewars of LN2 into the magnet with a funnel. A noteworthy example of this is featured in C&E News coverage of the recovery of chemistry labs after Hurricane Maria hit Puerto Rico.
https://cen.acs.org/education/Puerto-Ricos-universities-road-recovery/96/i37
2. Using a lift to bring the LN2 dewar up to the level of the NMR room (also described in the C&E News article). This was the idea that we were most comfortable with. We now know that those lifts can be rented for about $600 a day. I think we could offset the cost by offering rides to all of the cooped up children of faculty members.
3. The tubing idea clearly has a lot of potential dangers, and many pointed out the large loss of N2 in such a long transfer. Many of you didn’t we could get enough pressure at ground level to push the liquid up. I think I’d rather run the stairs than try this.
4. It was pointed out that University safety should be brought into this discussion. Our poor safety officer is about done-in from the COVID response. I’m glad the elevator was fixed before I had to bring him in. We have a great relationship, but he generally answers my calls with “What now?”
I’ll aggregate all of the info send later in the week. I’ve got too much grading to do right now.
Stay safe everyone!
Janet
Dr. Janet A. Asper
Professor, Chemistry
Chair, Department of Chemistry and Physics
University of Mary Washington
jasper_at_umw.edu<mailto:jasper_at_umw.edu>
441 Jepson Science Center
1301 College Avenue
Fredericksburg, VA 22401
540-654-1143 (phone)
Received on Wed Dec 02 2020 - 11:13:45 MST