Design and Construction of Laboratory Gas Pipelines

A Practical Reference for Engineers and Professionals

James Moody

• Publisher: Apple Academic Press
• Year: 2019
• eBook ISBN: 9780429891649
• Edition: 1
• Topic: Technology & Engineering
• Subtopic: Fluid Mechanics
• Index: Technology & Engineering

This new volume, Design and Construction of Laboratory Gas Pipelines: A Practical Reference for Engineers and Professionals, focuses on design and installation of laboratory gas pipelines. It instructs design engineers, laboratory managers, and installation technicians on how to source the information and specifications they require for the design and installation of laboratory gas systems suitable for their intended use.

The current use of specifications predominantly taken from medical gas standards for this type of work is not always suitable; these standards are for use with medical grade gases that have a purity level of 99.5%. The purity levels required in laboratories, however, start at 99.9% for general industrial use through to 99.9995% (Ultra High Purity (UHP)) and higher. Regular medical gas standards are also unsuitable for use with the oxidizing, flammable, and, in some instances, toxic gases that are regularly encountered in laboratories. As need for gas purity increases, the methodology used to design a piping system must vary to meet those parameters, and this reference provides the necessary information and resources.

There are no comprehensive single sources of technical references currently available in this market, states the author, and the generally supplied specifications provided to the construction industry are usually generic and not specifically targeted for the gases in use. The results provide extremely poor quality designs and, in some instances, unusable systems. With over 40 years of specialization in the industry from project management to systems design, testing, and commissioning of projects with values in excess of $15 million, the author comprehensively fills that gap with this rich resource.

Key features

• provides information on types of laboratories that use laboratory gases and the equipment needed

• explains the various methods of construction and the materials used to ensure that the purity of the gases remains as supplied from the manufacturers

• incorporates the design methodology used to meet the various requirements of the laboratory and the information required to ensure that the correct engineering is provided

• presents information on the purity levels of the gases and the data on the equipment used for pipelines and compatibility issues

• presents an example of a simple laboratory gas specification that provides guidelines on the information necessary to provide a set of design documents

CHAPTER 1

LABORATORY GASES, TYPES, AND EQUIPMENT ENCOUNTERED

1.1 INTRODUCTION

The laboratory equipment that uses the gases piped through the laboratories is specific in its demands for UHP gas supplies to enable the sampling procedures to operate correctly and on a repetitive basis. Any impurity in the gas stream can provide incorrect or false readings and thereby render any testing procedure unusable.

The equipment that uses these gases is highly accurate, and the results that are being provided can be the result of years of research or maybe in a laboratory that is testing clinically important samples that may provide lifesaving outcomes.

This equipment is usually installed long after the pipelines have been installed, tested, and handed over to the laboratory; and the laboratory gas system design engineer may have little knowledge of the final use of the pipelines that they’ve designed.

1.2 LABORATORY GASES

The laboratory gases that are referenced in this book are limited to those most commonly encountered in the pipeline installation industry. There are many gas mixtures and rare gases that are likely to be encountered especially in some very specialized research laboratories, e.g., krypton and xenon, which would require special consideration and extensive research about the properties of these gases prior to designing a pipeline and we do not propose to provide information on these here.

However, we have included the information on the following gases:

• Acetylene;

• Instrument air;

• Argon;

• Argon (liquid);

• Carbon dioxide;

• Carbon dioxide (high-pressure liquid);

• Carbon monoxide;

• Helium;

• Helium (liquid);

• Hydrogen;

• Methane;

• Methane in Argon (P10);

• Nitrogen (gaseous to 1,000 kPa);

• Nitrogen (liquid);

• Nitrous oxide;

• Oxygen (gaseous);

• Oxygen (liquid); and

• Vacuum.

Note: Even though vacuum is not actually a gas, it has been included here since it is regularly included as part of most laboratory gas pipeline installations. Vacuum pipelines are used in a variety of application that requires a range of pressures and flows, each of which requires different plant and equipment; especially, where the levels of vacuum required to evaporate some VOC’s is necessary.

We have included gas specific information in Chapters 5 and 6 with some limited information on the materials of construction for each gas type. Detailed information on the materials and engineering design used can also be found in Chapters 3 and 4. And, an example of a design specification is shown in Chapter 7.

1.3 LABORATORY TYPES

There are a wide variety of laboratories that use piped laboratory gases. These range from simple school laboratories using liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) for Bunsen burners to sophisticated teaching and research laboratories in universities and public and privately funded research and scientific facilities.

Some regularly encountered laboratory types that have piped gases include:

• Pathology Laboratories;

• Hospital-Based Clinical Research Laboratories;

• University Research and Teaching Facilities;

• Scientific Testing Laboratories; and

• IVF Laboratories.

Each laboratory type has different gas requirements to suit the equipment they propose to use. In many instances, these laboratories will use a mixture of similar equipment; whereas, some specialized facilities may include only one or two facilities-focused items.

In each location, it is necessary to ensure that the design engineer is fully conversant with the requirements of the laboratory and the uses of the specific gases and the format in which each gas will need to be supplied.

1.4 LABORATORY EQUIPMENT

The common types of equipment that are usually encountered in most laboratories include:

1. Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometer (AAS) (Figure 1.1)

FIGURE 1.1 Shimadzu model ASC-7000 Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometer.

(Source: Shimadzu Australasia. With permission).

The gases required here include:

• Acetylene;

• Nitrous oxide (optional depending on the laboratory); and

• Instrument air (optional depending on the laboratory).

2. Excimer Lasers

The information and pictures in this section are provided with the kind permission of Dr. Ralph Delmdahl, Coherent Laser Systems GmbH & Co. KG (Figure 1.2).

FIGURE 1.2 Coherent COMPex excimer laser.

(Source: Dr. Ralph Delmdahl, Coherent Laser Systems GmbH & Co. KG. With permission.)

An excimer laser can be described as an ultraviolet laser and is used in the manufacture of microelectronic chips and semiconductor-based integrated circuits, in deep-ultraviolet photolithography and Lasik eye surgery (Figures 1.3 and 1.4).

The gases required may vary depending on the site-specific requirements. They may also be supplied as a premixed gas specifically for the laboratory. For example,

FIGURE 1.3 Cutaway view of the coherent COMPex excimer laser.

(Source: Dr. Ralph Delmdahl, Coherent Laser Systems GmbH & Co. KG. With permission.)

FIGURE 1.4 Gases schematic for the coherent COMPex excimer laser.

(Source: Dr. Ralph Delmdahl, Coherent Laser Systems ...

Table of contents

• Cover
• Half Title
• Title Page
• Copyright Page
• About the Author
• Table of Contents
• Abbreviations
• Foreword
• Acknowledgments
• Introduction
• 1. Laboratory Gases, Types, and Equipment Encountered
• 2. Laboratory Gas Supply: Plant and Equipment
• 3. Laboratory Gas Pipeline Construction
• 4. Laboratory Gas Pipeline Design
• 5. Gas Data: Inert Gases
• 6. Gas Data: Flammable and Toxic Gases
• 7. Sample Specification
• Bibliography
• Index