X-Message-Number: 1952
Date: Sat, 13 Mar 93 13:43:29 CST
From: Brian Wowk <>
Subject: CRYONICS Cold Nitrogen

Gregory Bloom:
 
> Do the cryonics organizations allow LN2 to boil off to the atmosphere?
> Would there be much energy/cost savings had by compressing the already
> very cold nitrogen as it boils off?
 
> On a similar line, are there any porous insulators which the nitrogen might
> slowly seep through?  It seems like this would allow a continuous
> 'convection'of incoming heat away from the interior, putting that
> boil-off nitrogen to good use.
 
        A liter of LN2 absorbs 175 kilojoules in the process of boiling.  
It takes about another 100 kilojoules (just 50% more energy) to raise 
the temperature of the generated gas all the way to room temperature.  
With only a few tens of percent potential savings, it isn't worth the 
hassle to do anything special with the cold gas.
 
                                                --- Brian Wowk
 
 
[ By the way Kevin, Ralph Merkle's 1991 reply to the radiation question 
is concise and right on the money.  I suggest you post it if you havn't 
done so already. ]

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