[simpits-chat] Long time in coming

[Brian Sikkema]

Absolute Zero, eh? That sounds pretty interesting, I'll have to give it a
try.

As for the $500 price tag, keep in mind that that's for a crapload of N2. I
forget how much those tanks weigh when full, but it's a lot. It's a two-man
job moving those things across campus.

Anyway, as far as the vacuum goes, I'm not really sure on the new tank, but
if I had to guess I'd think it will be fairly close to what we pull in our
current tank, which is on the order of about 10^-7 torr with the cryopump.

Brian
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Rob Hommel" <rhommel at tacoma.net>
To: "Non-tech or other tech related messages for Simpits"
<simpits-chat at simpits.org>
Sent: Thursday, December 11, 2003 7:53 AM
Subject: RE: [simpits-chat] Long time in coming


> Brian:
>
> I think I would only get into trouble with N2 but a couple of drinks of
> absolute zero would be nice for a change. Don't know how to make one it's
> really quite easy Absolut Vodka and N2 chilled dewer flask leave the spoon
> in the container. Takes a real brave person to drink one wait a couple of
> minutes prior to drinking the N2 will boil off fairly rapidly. You can
> substitute Dry Ice for N2 in a pinch but the effect is not as dramatic. I
> used to mix them with a stick of celery in it and break the shatter the
> celery as an ice breaker at parties. A similar effect maybe accomplished
> with a banana if you need to drive a nail. Got to find a really good bar
> someday and get them to mix me one.
>
> The $500 price tag is more than I remember N2 costing, I remember the
stuff
> as being fairly inexpensive. Natural gas was more expensive in fact at the
> time. It is a by-product of many gas extraction processes, the waste so to
> speak. The price of dry ice (CO2) was up last time I checked as well still
> fairly inexpensive.
>
> We had a great discussion on the subject of Torr's a while back what is
the
> vacuum range you are going to trying to achieve with this new monster
> chamber? That project looks more and more interesting every time I look at
> it, good luck Buck Rogers.
>
> Keep 'em Flying
> Rob Hommel
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: simpits-chat-bounces at simpits.org
> [mailto:simpits-chat-bounces at simpits.org]On Behalf Of Brian Sikkema
> Sent: Wednesday, December 10, 2003 8:51 PM
> To: rhommel at tacoma.net; Non-tech or other tech related messages for
Simpits
> Subject: Re: [simpits-chat] Long time in coming
>
> Lol. Yeah, "mysterious" purposes always lead to trouble, for me at least.
> Federal arrest warrants not withstanding, they're generally more trouble
> than they're worth. Fun, though! :)
>
> We do have 3 N2 tanks in the lab, but they're kinda expensive to fill up.
We
> run through about $500 of nitrogen per test, roughly 2 dewers worth.
> http://www.me.mtu.edu/~bjsikkem/ASPL/ - look in the vacuum pumps section
to
> see our dewers - nice big ones! :) (I've really got to update that site,
> though). But hard as hell to haul across campus to the physics department.
> They've got the corner on the local N2 market, unfortunately. But it's
> definitely fun stuff. Saw an episode of Leno a while back, they were
making
> ice cream with it. Aparently it tasted to pretty good, but he was
momentarly
> concerned with the cost of N2. Then he exclaimed "Wait a second! I'm rich!
> Have someone deliver some of this to my house, pronto!" Funny stuff.
>
> Anywho, the old tank is about 5' in diameter and about 10' long. The new
one
> is 6' diameter and 12 long - though it looks a heck of a lot bigger than
the
> old one, mainly because of the door setup. On the old tank, the door is
> almost half the length of the tank, whereas the new one the door is just
the
> end, no volume to it.
>
> And the rocket science is always fun. Unfortunately this semester has been
> so busy I haven't had too much time to work in the lab, but next semester
> looks very promising. I'm inheriting a small uncompleted hall thruster
from
> one of the grad students, so hopefully by the end of the semester I'll
have
> that up and running *fingers crossed*
>
> Brian
>
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Rob Hommel" <rhommel at tacoma.net>
> To: "Non-tech or other tech related messages for Simpits"
> <simpits-chat at simpits.org>
> Sent: Wednesday, December 10, 2003 11:58 PM
> Subject: Re: [simpits-chat] Long time in coming
>
>
> > Brian:
> >
> > Not a problem. I would most likely get into trouble with it, doing
> > something entirely foolish like making huge front surface mirrors for
> > "mysterious" purposes. Deer spotting airliners anyone? Any spare tanks
> > of N2 around the lab your not using I will take off your hands. Cryonics
> > is an interesting subject even if you are just planning to use the N2 to
> > clean pesky insects out of the shop. umm.. Giant Dewer flask needed,
> > perhaps ebay.
> >
> > I really need to find a real reason to have toys like that around. I
> > know a giant scanning electron microscope. How big was that old vacuum
> > chamber again? Ever burn a hole in a grasshopper with an electron
> > microscope? I was surprised to find titanium in the sample I tested
> > years ago.
> >
> > How goes the rocket science these days Brian?
> >
> > Keep 'em Flying
> > Rob Hommel
> >
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