Aerovent Fans Help Vaporize Liquid Oxygen and Nitrogen

Aerovent Fans Help Vaporize Liquid Oxygen and Nitrogen
Fans play a key role in the development of a safe gas disposal system

Phase conversion, vaporizers, and liquid oxygen: sounds like something from the world of Star Trek. At MG Industries, these terms are a part of an important disposal vaporizer system that allows liquid oxygen and nitrogen to be converted into gas and safely discharged into the atmosphere. Parent & Kirkbride, our representative located in Furlong, Pennsylvania and Aerovent played a key role in the development and supplying of fans for MG Industries’ disposal vaporizer system.

MG Industries is a subsidiary of The Messer Group, a global leader in industrial gases, with more than $1.7 billion in annual sales. MG Industries supplies industrial and process gases and the technology to use the gases through a network of strategically placed production and distribution sites throughout the world.

Gas Disposal System

“In 1995, I was contacted by MG Industries’ Corporate Engineering Department to assist them with finding a safe way to vaporize liquid oxygen and nitrogen from storage tanks at various MG Industries installations around the world,” said Dan Hofstetter of Parent & Kirkbride. “Through these collaborative efforts the disposal vaporizer system was developed.”

This disposal vaporizer system is technically called the “LOX/LIN Disposal Vaporizer.” It consists of a Header Assembly and an Aerovent Tubeaxial or Vaneaxial fan mounted on a support base.

The LOX/LIN Disposal Vaporizer is used to convert liquid oxygen or nitrogen into gas and then safely discharge it into the atmosphere. Gas production and distribution sites require liquid oxygen or nitrogen to be vaporized for two reasons:

1. When the purity of the liquid element has not reached a satisfactory level during the startup of their system.
2. To perform maintenance on the tanks and/or processing equipment.

The LOX/LIN Disposal Vaporizer’s process begins with the liquid oxygen and/or nitrogen pumped from the tank, through a feed pipe to the Header Assembly. The Header Assembly is fitted with nozzles that spray the liquid oxygen or nitrogen into the airstream supplied by Aerovent’s Tubeaxial or Vaneaxial Fan. As the mixture is transported through the duct work, it is heated to standard air temperature. This heating process converts (i.e., phase conversion) the mixture to an environmentally safe gas which is exhausted into the atmosphere.

Aerovent’s Tubeaxial and Vaneaxial Fans

Aerovent’s Type “T” Tubeaxial and Type “W” Vaneaxial fans provide a perfect fit for the MG Industries disposal vaporizer.

The Type “T” Tubeaxial Fans, size 29" to 54", are used for disposal vaporizer applications requiring airflow between 18,000 CFM and 70,000 CFM. The TTABD fan model was selected for lower volume systems due to its cost-effective price and rugged construction.

The Type “W” Vaneaxial Fans, size 72" to 84", are used for disposal vaporizer applications requiring airflow between 120,000 CFM and 211,000 CFM. The VWBD fan model was selected due to its high volume capabilities and rugged construction.

Fan construction and features for the disposal vaporizer were important factors for MG Industries.

• Fan Housing: The fan housing is constructed of heavy gauge aluminum. Aluminum offers the best resistance against the possible presence of liquid oxygen at an economical price.
• Fan and Support Base: The support base is constructed of structural aluminum angle and is designed to support the fan header assembly and specified wind loading.
• Inlet Bell: The inlet bell is constructed of aluminum and is used to minimize entrance losses into the fan.
• Special Bearing Housing: The bearing housing is designed to prevent any liquid oxygen or nitrogen from contaminating the bearings.

Aerovent has supplied over 30 fans to MG Industries for LOX/LIN Disposal Vaporizer systems throughout the world, including Australia, Europe, Mexico, Latin America, South America, and the United States.

Aerovent thanks Parent & Kirkbride for their hard work in developing this new fan application. Together we can all find success as we take on challenging projects in the future.

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