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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt">Hi labnetwork,<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt">My lab is going through a process of auditing our Nitrogen use, and an early target for saving on N<sub>2</sub> are our spin rinse dryers.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt">We have four Sitek SRDs which are configured to continuously purge with N<sub>2</sub> and to run occasionally (on a timer) to exercise the SRDs and run some DI water through them. The constant N2 purge obviously
consumes a ton of N<sub>2</sub>.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt">We’re considering either:<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<ul style="margin-top:0in" type="disc">
<li class="MsoListParagraph" style="margin-left:0in;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1"><span style="font-size:11.0pt">Purchasing an (expensive) valve from Sitek that would cut off N<sub>2</sub> flow when the SRD controllers are off. We would then leave the SRD controllers
off when they are not enabled by our lab users.<o:p></o:p></span></li><li class="MsoListParagraph" style="margin-left:0in;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1"><span style="font-size:11.0pt">Or we might consider setting up an interlock to drive a solenoid valve that would cut off N<sub>2</sub> flow to the SRDs when they are not enabled in
our lab management software.<o:p></o:p></span></li></ul>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt">I’m wondering what other interesting solutions people have fashioned to reduce N<sub>2</sub> consumption by SRDs?<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt">I’m also curious if there are any pitfalls we should look out for when pursuing something like this?<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt">Many thanks in advance,<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt"> -Nathan<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;mso-ligatures:none">-- <o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Verdana",sans-serif;color:black;mso-ligatures:none">Nathan Nelson-Fitzpatrick PhD, PEng (He/Him)</span><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;color:black;mso-ligatures:none"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Verdana",sans-serif;color:black;mso-ligatures:none">Director, Quantum-Nano Fabrication and Characterization Facility (QNFCF)</span><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;color:black;mso-ligatures:none"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Verdana",sans-serif;color:black;mso-ligatures:none">Office of Research</span><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;color:black;mso-ligatures:none"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Verdana",sans-serif;color:black;mso-ligatures:none">University of Waterloo</span><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;color:black;mso-ligatures:none"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Verdana",sans-serif;color:black;mso-ligatures:none">200 University Avenue West, Waterloo, ON N2L 3G1</span><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;color:black;mso-ligatures:none"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Verdana",sans-serif;color:black;mso-ligatures:none">P: 519-888-4567 ext. 31796</span><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;color:black;mso-ligatures:none"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Verdana",sans-serif;color:black;mso-ligatures:none">C: 226-218-3206</span><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;color:black;mso-ligatures:none"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><a href="https://uwaterloo.ca/quantum-nano-fabrication-and-characterization-facility/"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Verdana",sans-serif;mso-ligatures:none">https://uwaterloo.ca/quantum-nano-fabrication-and-characterization-facility/</span></a><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Verdana",sans-serif;color:black;mso-ligatures:none"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;color:black;mso-ligatures:none"><img border="0" width="139" height="51" style="width:1.4479in;height:.5312in" id="Picture_x0020_1" src="cid:image001.png@01D967CC.0990E3A0" alt="signature_312461171"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
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