On-Site Liquid Nitrogen: Reservoir Size, Dispensing Without Pouring and Safe Routes

The liquid nitrogen inside your building is a supply chain of its own: a bulk reservoir, a way of getting liquid out of it, and a route to every vessel it feeds. Get those three right and the store stays topped up even when deliveries are infrequent.

Reservoir size

Work from consumption. Add weekly use for every vessel and freezer, multiply by the delivery interval, add at least one missed delivery, and include the reservoir's own static loss. Self-pressurising tanks in the 100 to 500 litre range typically lose between 0.8% and 1.2% of their contents a day.

Dispensing without pouring

A self-pressurising tank delivers liquid through a hose at a controlled rate, from above 5 litres per minute on a 100 litre tank to above 15 litres per minute on the largest. A dewar with a foot pumped dispenser does the same for smaller rooms. Both remove the tipping that causes splash injuries.

Safe routes

A full 500 litre tank weighs over 670 kg, so check floors, ramps and thresholds. Avoid small enclosed spaces, keep people and liquid nitrogen apart in lifts, and check oxygen risk in every room a vessel stands in.

Location

Keep the reservoir in a ventilated, monitored area near the delivery point, and never block its relief valves.

Read the full guide on the Cryolab website: On-site liquid nitrogen supply.