# Helium Recovery system for University of Washington

> **NIH NIH R35** · UNIVERSITY OF WASHINGTON · 2020 · $225,549

## Abstract

Summary
Equipment at the University of Washington which is critical to the research activity of many biomedical
research groups requires continuous supply of liquid helium for cooling, including include nine superconducting
high field NMR magnets, one EPR spectrometer with Helium sample cooling capability, and one SQUID
detector. These instruments support the research of Faculty throughout the University and the entire Seattle
biomedical community and is located in a single location within the Chemistry Department, which is centrally
located on the Seattle campus and provides an open-access facility. The facility-operated instruments are the
only ones of each type available to all groups and departments at the UW and support in an essential manner
the operation of >10 research groups the University, supported by grants from NIGMS and other NIH agencies.
 Significant liquid He costs are incurred by these research groups, approximately $77,000 per year
currently; installation of the equipment would result in the recovery of at least 80% of the He, resulting in
savings of at least $60,000 per year at current costs. It would also provide long term security with respect to
expected uncertainties in the cost and availability of high quality liquid helium for cryogenic application.
 Through this supplement, we request support for a Cryomech's LHeP15 helium reclamation plant,
capable of re-liquefying up to 15 liters per day. Additional components necessary for operation include a
separate wheeled He dewar; a set of backpressure regulators to protect each magnet from pressure transients
in the recovery system during helium fills, which could trigger catastrophic magnet quenches; a stand-alone
water heat exchanger to separate the campus chilled-water loop and the individual compressors for the
liquefier and purifier, protecting them from any contaminants and allowing a precise, stable temperature set-
point for the water supplied to the compressors.
 Long term support will be provided by the Department of Chemistry which will continue to support two
full time Ph D level support staff that currently manage the NMR and EPR equipment, as well as two electronic
engineers. The Department will also assume costs associated with required piping for each magnet, and
upgrading for an existing He recovery piping that was abandoned but not dismantled in the early 1990s.
 Support of this supplement would result in very significant short and long-term savings to a large
number of NIH-funded researchers at the UW, Seattle and the Puget Sound, and provide long term security
with regards to supplies and operational costs associated with purchase of liquid He.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10133924
- **Project number:** 3R35GM126942-03S1
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF WASHINGTON
- **Principal Investigator:** Gabriele Varani
- **Activity code:** R35 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2020
- **Award amount:** $225,549
- **Award type:** 3
- **Project period:** 2018-04-01 → 2023-03-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10133924

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10133924, Helium Recovery system for University of Washington (3R35GM126942-03S1). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-24 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10133924. Licensed CC0.

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