Emma Pollock

Keeping Carboys Cool

Emma Pollock · Sep 1, 2020 ·

Carboys are really nothing fancy: just a large plastic or glass container, usually with a narrow neck and opening. It’s what’s on the inside that’s important. Carboys are often used in lab settings to store ionized water and solvents and in brewing for fermentation. In each of these applications, carboys may require some assistance in keeping their contents cool. While there are several cooling methods to choose from, some are easier to use and more precise than others.

What is a carboy?

A carboy, also called a demijohn, is a large glass or plastic container with a narrow neck. These containers typically have a capacity of about 1 to 6 gallons. Most often, carboys are used to store and transport liquids like water and chemicals. They are also used for home brewing of beer and wine during the fermentation process.

Carboy Sizes and Terms

Standard carboy sizes range from range 1.1 to 6.6 gal (4 to 25 L). The term carboy itself most often refers to a 5 gal (19 L) carboy. A 1.2 gal carboy (4.5 L) carboy is sometimes called a jug. A 15 US gal (57 L) carboy is usually called a demijohn.

Carboys and Brewing

Glass carboys are king during the fermentation of alcoholic beverages like wine, mead, cider, and beer. They are typically fitted with a rubber stopper and a fermentation lock during this process to prevent bacteria and oxygen from entering.

While a primary carboy is used during the fermentation step of homebrewing, a secondary carboy is sometimes used for the following step: conditioning, or secondary fermentation. Beer can also be transferred directly to bottles for this step.

Carboys for Laboratory Use

In laboratory settings, carboys are used to store liquids like solvents and deionized water. These carboys often have a spigot near the bottom for east dispensing. Today, laboratory carboys are most often made out of polypropylene but traditionally have been made from ferric and other shatter-resistant glasses. Plastics today, however, offer immunity to acid corrosion and halide staining, both traits that were missing from older plastic formulations.

Besides carboys, other common large-quantity liquid containers in laboratories are Jerry cans, bottles, jars, and bucket-like containers.

Carboy Cooling

Ambient Air

In laboratory settings, carboy contents most often rely on carefully controlled ambient air to maintain a proper temperature.

Refrigerators

Also in laboratories, when carboys contain liquids that require lower temperatures, the containers can be placed in lab refrigerators. This is, of course, limited by the size of both the carboy and the refrigerator.

Using a Cool Towel

In home brewing, using a wet towel is the most common trick for taking the corboy temperature down a notch or two. This method takes advantage of the cooling effects of evaporation.

A wet towel is wrapped around the carboy and held in place with a tie or bungee cord. Additionally, the carboy is often placed in a basin containing an inch or two of water. The water is gradually and continually wicked into the towel as evaporation occurs.

While this method is extremely affordable and fairly simple, it requires regular monitoring and doesn’t offer precise temperatures.

Ice Bath

For this cooling method, the carboy is placed in a basin with enough water to surround most or all of it. Ice is added as needed to maintain the target temperature. This method is simple but requires a bit of figuring out to avoid any drastic temperature swings.

Ice box

This method utilizes an insulated box and blocks of ice. The boxes can be made from cardboard, plywood, etc, and are often lined with styrofoam or builders insulation. The ice blocks are periodically replaced to help maintain the target temperature. Like ice baths, this method requires a bit of messing around to get the hang of it. It requires frequent monitoring for the first several hours to determine how much ice is needed and how often it will need to be rotated.

Fan and Air Conditioning

This method simply takes advantage of any nearby air conditioning units that are already running. Either a vent is directed toward the carboy, or a fan is used to help direct the chilled air. This is another extremely simple method; however, it offers little precision.

Specialized Chillers

Specialized chillers are available for both laboratory and homebrew applications. This option offers the advantage of more precise temperature control and typically involves less hands-on work than other cooling methods.

Cooling Carboys with Fluxwrap

Fluxwrap works to keep carboys cool via a proprietary multi-channel fluid path within its layers. The blanket-like device is wrapped around the carboy and cooling liquid flows through the fluid path, absorbing unwanted heat from the carboy. The wrap conforms to the shape of any carboy, even uneven surfaces, creating full-coverage cooling.

Unlike traditional carboy cooling methods, Fluxwrap is extremely easy to install and doesn’t require constant monitoring, rotating, or adjusting. It also takes away the guesswork and ensures target temps.

Fluxwrap offers the best of everything: simplicity, ease of use, and precise temperature control.

For more info on Fluxwrap, or if you have any questions about carboy cooling, give us a call at (866) 826-2993.

Cryo Chilling and Its Cool Applications

Emma Pollock · Jun 17, 2020 ·

Cryo Chilling is super cool. Like -238 °F (-180°C) cool. Unlike traditional methods of cooling, cryo chilling uses the lowest attainable temperatures on earth. These insanely low temps allow us to do some pretty cool things like create superconductivity, facilitate specific chemical reactions, and easily pulverize materials for recycling

What is Cryogenics?

Cryogenics is a discipline of physics that focuses on creating and experimenting with extremely low temperatures. While there is no universal standard that defines the temperature at which cryogenics begins, the U.S. National Institute of Standards and Technology considers -180°C (123 K, -238 °F) the starting point of cryo chilling.

How cryo chilling works

Cryogenic chilling is possible thanks to cryogenic fluids: helium, hydrogen, neon, nitrogen, air, fluorine, argon, oxygen and methane. Because these elements are naturally in a gaseous state, extremely technical multi-step manipulation is required to condense them into liquids.

Liquid nitrogen is the most commonly used element in cryo chilling and is legal to purchase anywhere in the world. Liquid helium is also frequently used and allows for the lowest attainable temperatures.

Cooling/freezing can be achieved via a few different methods. In one method, a liquid cryogenic is kept in a storage vessel and piped to the area to be cooled. The liquid then returns to the vessel. Submersion freezers are another common cyro chilling system. Other common systems involve surrounding the workpiece with a low temperature vapor.

Disciplines of Cryogenics

While cryogenics refers to the physics of utilizing extremely low temperatures, within this application of science are several more specific disciplines. Let’s take a look a quick look at each:

Cryobiology

Cryobiology involves the study of the effects of low temperatures on organisms. Most often, this application is used to achieve cryopreservation.

Cryopreservation

Cryopreservation is the cryogenic preservation of genetic material with the goal of preserving a breed.

Cryosurgery

Cryosurgery uses cryogenic temperatures to destroy malignant tissue such as cancer cells.

Cryoelectronics

Cryoelectronics is the study of electronic phenomena at cryogenic temperatures. This includes superconductivity and variable-range hopping.

Cryotronics

Cryotronics includes the practical applications of cryoelectronics.

Cryonics

Thanks to its appearance in sci-fi and pop culture, cryonics is one of the better-known applications of cryogenics. Cryonics is the cryopreservation of humans or animals with intent to revive in the future.

History of Cryogenics

In 1908, after successfully liquefying helium, Lamerlingh Onnes began studying the properties of various materials kept at cryogenic temperatures. He first began studying the electrical resistance of metals at these extremely low temperatures. Before his experiments, it was presumed that electrical resistance would completely disappear at exactly absolute zero. However, Onnes discovered that for some metals, resistance dropped very suddenly to zero at temperatures above absolute zero. This effect is called superconductivity.

During World War II, scientists discovered that metals that went through a cryo chilling process displayed greater resistance to wear and tear. This led to the commercialization of cryogenic hardening in the 1960s. In 1965, Ed Busch founded CryoTech. This company was the first cryogenic processing facility and experimented in increasing the life of metals tools between 300%-500%

Applications of Cryo Chilling

When it comes to cryogenics, the possibilities are only limited to our imaginations! While this list is by no means exhaustive, it covers just a few of our favorite examples of cryo cooling in action.

NMR and MRI

Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) is one of the most common ways to determine the chemical and physical properties of atoms. Typically, this is done by cryo chilling electromagnets to limit resistance and generate strong magnetic fields. Next, scientists monitor the radiofrequency absorbed and subsequent relaxation of the nuclei exposed to the magnetic field. Chemists use NMR to determine molecular identity and structure.

Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) is a more complex application of NMR used frequently in the medical field. MRI technology uses the resonances produced by cryo chilled electromagnets to generate a detailed image of internal body structures.

Medical

Beyond MRI, cryogenics is used often throughout the medical field.

As mentioned earlier, cryosurgery uses cryogenic temperatures to destroy malignant tissue such as cancer cells. This can be done on internal and external tumors as well as tumors in the bone. For internal tumors, a cryoprobe is used. Argon gas or liquid nitrogen passes through the probe and onto the malignant cells. Ice crystals form in the cells, decrease the cell density, and the cells tear themselves apart.

Cryogenic chilling is also used to produce certain pharmaceuticals like statin drugs. The chemical reactions necessary for the production of these drugs require low temperatures, typically around -100 °C (-148 ° F).

Electronics

Cryoelectronics is a relatively new field and many studies are still going on to develop revolutionary applications. Such studies typically involve the utilization of superconductivity made possible by cryo chilling.

Currently, scientists are working on using cryoelectronics to mass produce computers at a cheaper cost.

In large cities where underground electric power cables are used, increased resistance and heat causes a good chunk of power to go to waste. Superconductors could increase power throughput; this would require the use of cryogenic cooling of cables.of cryogenic chiller systems on cables.

Recycling

Some recyclable materials like rubber and soft plastics are not easily milled for reprocessing. With cryo freezing, however, items are immersed in liquid nitrogen then shattered and pulverized for easy separation and reprocessing.

Manufacturing

In metal fabrication, cryogenic chiller systems can be an important part of heat tempering processes. To increase the strength of the metal, after it is heated and molded/fabricated, cryogenic chilling cools the material to approximately – 196°C (78 K, 320°F). Typically, this is followed by a heat tempering procedure.

During manufacturing processes that involve machining, cryogenic process chillers are used to cool the tool tips. This increases the tool life and helps maintain product quality.

Cryogenic process chillers are also used throughout the manufacturing industry to remove unwanted heat from manufacturing processes.

Food Transportation and Storage

When large quantities of food are stored and transported, cryogenic gases are used to keep food frozen.

Aerospace

It’s thanks to cryogenic fuel that rockets make it into orbit. Most commonly, liquid hydrogen is used as fuel and liquid oxygen is used as an oxidizer.

Dining & Entertainment

Cryogenics are often used to create special effects at shows, night clubs, and even in movies.

Some restaurants even use cryogenic gases to add special effects to drinks and dishes.

Infrared Cameras

Because infrared cameras create images by detecting heat, the camera itself can’t be warmer than the object it’s recording. Cryo process cooling is used to keep the camera and equipment cool.

The Future of Cryo Cooling

Applying cryo cooling to various processes continues to open doors to new possibilities. We’re excited to see what these sub zero chillers make possible in the next five, ten, and twenty years!

How Vaccines Work and Why Temperature Matters

Emma Pollock · Mar 26, 2020 ·

We think vaccines are pretty cool. Unlike most medicines, which treat or cure diseases, vaccines actually prevent them. Thanks to vaccines, many life-threatening diseases have now been nearly eradicated. However, with great power comes great responsibility; effective vaccines require careful temperature control from creation to administration to remain effective.

How Do Vaccines Work?

Vaccines contain the same germs that cause disease. (For example, measles vaccines contain the measles virus) That may sound a little scary, but the germs in vaccines have been either killed or carefully weakened enough to not make the recipient sick. Some vaccines even contain just part of the germ.

The killed or weakened virus stimulates the immune system which then produces antibodies. After getting vaccinated, recipients develop immunity to that disease without having to get the disease first.

How Vaccines are Made

A few basic methods are used to produce vaccines. Let’s take a look at them and the benefits and limitations of each.

Weaken the virus

For this method, viruses are weakened so that they won’t be able to reproduce enough to cause illness. While viruses typically reproduce thousands of times during an infection, weakened viruses in vaccines typically reproduce fewer than 20 times. While this isn’t nearly enough to get someone sick, it is enough to induce “memory B cells” that protect against infection in the future.

The vaccines for measles, mumps, rubella, rotavirus, oral polio (not used in the U.S.), chickenpox (varicella), and influenza (intranasal version) vaccines are made this way.

This approach to creating vaccinations has the advantage of providing life-long immunity after just one or two doses. Unfortunately, vaccines with weakened viruses typically cannot be given to those with weakened immune systems (i.e. cancer or AIDS patients)

Kill the virus

Using this strategy, viruses are chemically killed. The dead virus cannot possibly reproduce or cause disease. However, the virus is still recognized by the body and the immune system produces cells that protect against disease.

The hepatitis A, polio, influenza (shot version) , and rabies vaccines are created this way.

These vaccines have the advantage of not causing even a mild form of disease, which means they can be given to those with extremely fragile immune systems. The limitation of this method is that it typically requires several doses to achieve immunity.

Use part of the virus

In this approach, the vaccine is made from a protein found on the surface of the virus. This strategy can be used only when an immune response to one part of the virus (or bacteria) causes protection against disease.

One shingles vaccine (Shingrix®),The hepatitis B vaccine, and the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine are created this way.

These vaccines can be given to people with weakened immunity and appear to facilitate life-long immunity after only two doses.

Vaccines and Temperature Control

Keeping vaccines at the correct temperatures during storage and handling is an essential factor in preventing many diseases. Failure to regulate a vaccine’s temperature can reduce its potency, resulting in inadequate immune responses in patients and reduced protection against diseases.

A vaccine’s cold chain begins with the cold storage unit at the manufacturing plant and ends at vaccine administration. Every step of handling and storage in between must be carefully temperature controlled.

In the cold chain, too much exposure to heat, cold, or light at any step can damage vaccines.The more exposure, the more they are damaged. For refrigerated (not frozen) vaccines, a single exposure to freezing temperatures can completely destroy the potency.

Storage and handling temperature errors can cost thousands of dollars in wasted vaccines and revaccination. They can also cause loss of patient confidence when repeat doses are necessary.

Guidelines for temperature monitoring and storage

According to the CDC, refrigerated vaccines should be stored at 40°F. Temperatures outside the range of 36-46°F must be immediately reported. Never freeze refrigerated vaccines.

Frozen vaccines must be stored in a freezer set to the factory or mid-point settings. Temperatures outside the range of -58-5°F must be immediately reported.

The CDC provides the following additional guidelines for the storage and handling of refrigerated and frozen vaccines:

Place the vaccines in trays or containers for proper air flow.
Put vaccines that are first to expire in front.
Keep vaccines in original boxes with lids closed to prevent exposure to light.
Separate and label by vaccine type and public (VFC) or private vaccine.
Record refrigerator or freezer temperature settings daily
Keep the refrigerator or freezer door closed
Use water bottles in the refrigerator to help maintain consistent temperature.
Leave 2 to 3 inches between vaccine containers and refrigerator walls.
Post “Do Not Unplug” signs on refrigerator or freezer and near electrical outlet.
Don’t use dormitory-style refrigerator or freezer.
Don’t use top shelf for vaccine storage.
Don’t put food or beverages in refrigerator.
Don’t put vaccines on door shelves or on floor of refrigerator.
Don’t drink from or remove water bottles

North Slope Chillers provides cooling solutions (including custom solutions) for anything that needs to be carefully chilled. Give us a call at (866) 826-2993 if you have any questions or want to learn more!

Medical Applications of Chillers

Emma Pollock · Sep 16, 2019 ·

A quick peek at the common applications of medical chillers.

Medical chillers are most commonly used to keep equipment running smoothly. They are also used to lower patients’ body temperatures during certain procedures and to keep medical samples at proper temperatures.

Chillers are used in various applications throughout the medical industry. Often, proper chilling in medical applications means keeping life-saving equipment running smoothly; there is very little room for error. It is therefore extremely important that medical facilities take great care in implementing cooing solutions.

What are medical chillers used for?

Typically medical chillers are used to perform one of the following three functions:

First chillers are used in medical applications to remove heat from a patient’s body during certain procedures,

Common procedures that require removing heat from body parts or reducing a patient’s body temperature are: hair and tattoo removal, laser eye surgery and vein treatments.

Second, medical chillers are used to cool down pieces of equipment that generate large amounts of heat.

MRI machines, PET and CT scanners, lasers, x-ray machines, and linear accelerators, all generate significant heat. They require quick cooling to operate for an extended period of time.

Third, chillers are commonly used to keep sensitive medical samples (i.e. blood samples) at ideal temperatures.

These types of chillers are commonly found in labs where medical testing is performed.

Medical Equipment Chillers

Let’s take a closer look at the mechanics of some medical equipment that require chilling and how medical chillers are used to keep the equipment cool.

MRI Machine Chillers

Patient being positioned for MR study of the head and abdomen.

MRI machines use a powerful magnetic field, radio waves and a computer to produce detailed pictures of the inside of your body

.The magnet inside MRI machines has to stay cool in order for the machine to work efficiently.When it overheats, the magnet and, consequently, the MRI machine, will stop working properly.

Either air or water-cooled chillers are used to transfer heat from the MRI machine. Water-cooled chillers transfer heat to process fluid that is recirculated and air-cooled chillers transfer heat to the ambient air.

CT Scanner Chillers

Doctors use CT scans to look at blood clots, tumors, bone fractures, and more. CT scanners contain an x-ray tube that heats quickly and requires 10 to 30 minutes of cooling time. This cooling time delays patient care and increases medical costs.When this excess cooling time is eliminated via medical chillers, medical facilities are able to help more patients.

PET scans

PET scanners produce three-dimensional images of body processes. Their operation generates too much heat for the scanners to continue operating without a cooling solution. Heat must be removed to keep the machines from malfunctioning.

Linear Accelerator Chillers

Linear accelerators are most commonly used for external beam radiation treatments for patients with cancer. These machines deliver high-energy x-rays or electrons to the region of the patient’s tumor. The x-ray tubes, however, create large amounts of hear. The tubes require a non-stop cooling solution to function properly.

Medical vs. Regular Chillers

Medical chillers will operate similarly to any other air or water-cooled chiller. (For more information on how chillers work, check out this blog article).

Medical chillers are somewhat unique, however, in that they are not cooling a constant operating load. Their demand is very cyclical; unlike most process cooling applications, the load ramps up quickly and then dissipates equally as fast.

Medical chillers must be able to handle the immediate shock of a load surge and maintain proper cooling for the duration of the load.

Cooling solutions from North Slope Chillers

Chillers from North Slope chillers are durable, reliable, and customizable for any application. You can take a look at our product offerings here.

Cooling in the Biotech Industry

Emma Pollock · Jul 8, 2019 ·

Process cooling can be used almost anywhere, even in the biotech industry! There are many pieces of biotech laboratory equipment that need stable temperatures in order to perform necessary experiments or processes. Additionally, specific materials and samples must be carefully kept at ideal temperatures. Fortunately, there are many options when it comes to process cooling equipment that perfectly meet the needs of biotech applications.

What is Process Cooling?

First, let’s take a look at the basic idea of process cooling. In most process cooling systems, a water chiller is used. In a water chiller, a pump circulates cold water from the chiller, to the process (process: machine/system being cooled). The cool water pumped through the system removes heat from the process. Warm fluid returns back to the chiller and is cooled to start the process over again. This basic concept has been applied in laboratories everywhere to cool, heat, or keep stable temperatures for various products. Now let’s get into the details of specific process cooling systems used in the biotech industry.

Types of Chillers Used in the Biotech Industry

Recirculating Chillers

One type of process cooling used in the biotech industry is recirculating chillers. Recirculating chillers pump water through their systems in order to regulate temperature. The only difference from a basic closed loop system is that recirculating chillers don’t have an internal bath but rather continuously pump water or other fluids through their system. Recirculating chillers are used ideally to cool laboratory equipment -10 to 30°C in 5L. Many recirculating chillers are specifically designed for specific types of laboratory equipment like rotary evaporators, parallel evaporators and extraction products. This is beneficial because these pieces of equipment all must maintain stable temperatures in order to perform correctly. Recirculating chillers allow laboratory equipment to work safely, accuracy, and precisely, and safely.

Immersion Coolers

laboratory immersion chiller — labsociety.com

Another cooling system used in the biotech industry is referred to as immersion coolers. Immersion coolers are used primarily for counter-cooling when connected to a heating circulator. Immersion coolers are also used to rapidly cool fluids down to low temperatures. For laboratories that work with low temperature substances, immersion coolers are perfect. They allow experiements and processess to be carried out at a stable low temperature.

Laboratory Water Bath

Perhaps the most interesting use of process cooling in the biotech industry comes in the form of the laboratory water bath. In this system, a container is filled with heated water. This is used to incubate samples in water at a constant temperature over time. All laboratory water baths have a digital or analog temperature control that allows users to set and maintain their desired temperature. Laboratory water baths are used to warm reagents (reactors in chemical reactions), melt substrates and other substances, or they can be used to incubate cell cultures. Laboratory water baths also allow certain chemical reactions to be more controlled, as they can occur at highly regulated temperatures. Different types of water baths are used for different types of experiments or reactions. For any process occuring in water, the temperature can reach up to 99.9 °C. Anything above 100 °C, would require an alternative fluid to be used like oil, silicone or even sand.

Cooling Chambers

Cooling chambers are used, as you might have guessed it, to cool samples and other substances. Cooling chambers can be used in bakeries to cool entire rooms of bread, and they can be used in chemical storage rooms to ensure safe storage. Cooling chambers allow laboratories to freeze samples, store samples, work with various liquids, and more! This is done through creating a tightly sealed area and using a process cooler to regulate the temperature, as well as using some other chemicals. Cooling chambers use chemicals like nitrogen to allow substances to maintain a colder temperature.

Benchtop Coolers

Benchtop coolers are compact enough to fit on most countertops. Benchtop coolers are used primarily to preserve biological samples. Benchtop coolers can maintain freezing conditions longer which allows these containers to stop reactions, store, and transport temperature sensitive materials. Laboratories use benchtop coolers to minimize enzyme, cell, or reagent loss. Benchtop coolers hold standard tube, and vial sizes. Some feature labelled grids or plates to allow users quick identification. Benchtop coolers use ideas from process cooling to regulate temperature. In many cases, benchtop coolers feature some form of insulation that is able to keep the temperature inside very controlled and very stable.

Cooling from North Slope Chillers

North Slope Chillers offers easy to install, portable chillers that won’t disrupt your current setup. If you would like to know more about our product offerings, give us a call at (866) 826-2993 .