Greetings AMMRLers,
Liquid helium supply is always an issue in New Zealand. We order 250L
dewars through BOC and while in general they arrive full and in once
piece, we have had issues in the past with ice blockages and faulty
relief valves (which led to a quench of our 300 MHz magnet).
Our biggest problem is how remote we are - there is only one airline and
one flight per week which will carry liquid He into the country and if
the pilot so chooses, he can refuse the cargo which as you might imagine
causes bedlam.
Furthermore, freight comprises a significant percentage of the price.
We pay upwards of NZ$50/litre (a little over US$37/litre at the moment!).
Fortunately, we collaborate with a local research institute who have,
after a period of downtime, brought their helium liquefier back on-line
so we do have some recourse in case of emergencies.
So far though, I have heard nothing with regard to rationing of He in
New Zealand.
John
--
John Ryan
NMR Administrator
School of Chemical and Physical Sciences
Victoria University of Wellington
Wellington
New Zealand
ph. +64 4 463 6525
mob. +64 21 268 3992
Received on Sat Jun 16 2007 - 17:59:10 MST