Date: Tue, 9 May 2017 14:42:54 -0700
Dear Fraternity
I don't know how many of you have gone to the extreme and
commissioned one of these the BCU-Xtreme chiller units that takes the
sample straight down to -80 C without the need for LN2 exchanger or
evaporator setup. So far so good. I do have one here, with an AVance
III unit that is a solids and solutions hybrid.
We were rudely awakened by the realization recently that, some yet
unknown/mysterious greenish substance (could be called Alien blood !)
has been sprayed all through the probe body, into the RF coil area and
it even dripped into the passive component location below the
RF/gradient coil chamber.
Whatever investigation we have done only points to the possibility
that this Xtreme chiller is the one that sprayed this gunky and stinky
material and ruined the probe. With due apologies if I am not supposed
to attach anything (sorry ! Walt), I am tempted to include just this one
picture of the RF coil of my beloved probe.
Now, all my long winded explanations and pictures did not elicit
any useful response from Bruker other than the comment that they have
never seen anything like this before [of course, they did send a quote
for $20K/- to replace the BCU-Xtreme ! One shouldn't be surprised I
guess, as the price is implied from the name itself :-( ]. Every
setback is a learning experience, but I also learnt a new English word
in this process. The BCU05 technical manual (section 1.3) mentions a
'frigorific' fluid that circulates and transfers heat from the dry gas
away - eerily the term rhymes with 'horrific' ! I am not sure if this is
the fluid that took the extreme step of escaping its confines to explore
the outside world !
Other than weeping on the collective shoulders, I also wanted to
invite any/all of you who might have gone through this experience and
who have been hesitating to open up about this traumatic experience -
here is your chance for catharsis ! Please share your experience and in
the process enlighten me as to what this Alien blood is made of.
Thank you as always. Already feeling better...:-)
Best Regards
Rajan
-- ____________________________________ ____________________________________ Rajan K Paranji, Ph.D. NMR Facility Manager *Department of Chemistry* *Room 65, Bagley Hall* University of Washington Seattle, WA 98195 phone : 206 685 2581 fax: 206 685 8665 email: rajanp_at_uw.edu ____________________________________
(image/jpeg attachment: BBO_RF1.JPG)