The cryogenic storage dewar is one of the very earliest cryogenic applications. This practical storage vessel is typical in virtually all cryogenic industries and is used for storing, transporting, and applying cryogenic liquids.
In this blog, we look at the functioning and application of the cryogenic storage dewar. We explain how a dewar works, what types of dewars there are, and why many cryogenic infrastructures include a dewar.
As we covered in our recent blog on cryogenic applications, the dewar has been used for over a century. As early as 1892, not long after the very first gases were liquefied, James Dewar developed this popular storage vessel to safely store cryogenic liquids such as liquid nitrogen and liquid helium.
A cryogenic storage dewar is, simply put, a highly insulated vessel specifically designed to hold materials at extremely low temperatures.
A vacuum is often used to insulate a dewar. Vacuum insulation is achieved by pumping out all the air between the double wall enclosing the entire dewar. The vacuum stops the movement of molecules, making heat transfer impossible.
There are various types of dewars. While, in theory, a dewar can be fabricated in almost any shape, the three types below are perhaps the most well-known:
First off, bottle-shaped dewars. These vacuum-insulated vessels are used for cryogenic liquid storage and cryogenic sample storage. With this type, the screw cap is opened, and the sample is placed in the dewar for cryopreservation. We will come back to this again in detail later in this blog.
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