Dual flow nitrogen and helium cooler
The N-HeliX from Oxford Cryosystems allows users to work at temperatures as low as 28 K without the cost or logistical issues of liquid helium, and also offers the ability to switch between nitrogen and helium gas usage (depending on required temperature). The N-HeliX offers:
- Broad temperature range of 28 – 300 K
- High temperature stability of 0.3 K
- Reduces running costs by using helium gas rather than liquid and minimising gas consumption
- Ability to use nitrogen or helium or to switch between the two during a run
- Remote control and monitoring available via CryoConnector and Oxford Connect
A typical gas cylinder will last approximately 16 hours, and by linking cylinders in a manifold, long term experiments can be performed. A second gas stream at room temperature provides extra shielding for the cold stream in order to improve the resistance to icing. A 10 mm diameter x-ray transparent shield tube extends around and beyond the crystal to protect the cold stream from atmospheric contamination.
Although it is possible to use the N-HeliX with bottled nitrogen gas, we recommend that the most cost-effective way to run the N-HeliX is with an in-house piped nitrogen gas supply or a nitrogen gas generator, which can be supplied by Oxford Cryosystems.