[labnetwork] Recommendations to reduce lab nitrogen usage

[Schmidt, Benjamin Willis]

Hello Labnetwork,
In our nanofab at Vanderbilt, we are looking at ways to reduce our nitrogen usage, and I wanted to ask for any recommendations, success stories, or failures that might help in our search.
For background, we use 5N “house” N2 for purging catastrophic scrubbers, point-of-use scrubbers, gas cabinets, VMBs, and some vacuum pumps 24/7.  Additionally, we have on-demand usage at wet chemical hoods and various tools, but the most significant users are the constant-purge items listed above.
Our N2 is supplied from a large tank next to our building that is periodically filled from a truck to provide 5N “house” nitrogen, and then we have a set of purifiers to give us 6N “process” nitrogen for specific tools.  This was part of an original design for flexibility with future lab growth.
We’re already trying to cut back on the on-demand needs and only turning hoods on and off as needed for example, but we don’t really have the same options for the gas delivery and abatement systems.
We’re also looking at ideas such as a hybrid approach like putting the scrubbers onto a nitrogen generator that may not need the same purity requirements, but this is a new area for us.
I can provide specific usage numbers privately if it helps, but we are a nominally 10,000 sqft facility (half under filtration, half service areas).
Thanks for any suggestions!
Ben



Ben W. Schmidt, Ph.D.

Cleanroom Manager
Vanderbilt Institute of Nanoscale Science and Engineering

Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN

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