[labnetwork] Hydrogen Generation

[Paolini, Steven]

Thomas,
Here at Harvard's Center For Nanoscale Systems, we have recently taken advantage of onsite Hydrogen generation technology and have incorporated a generator as our main source of H2.  Our original clean room configuration was a cylinder in cabinet configuration which required a change out approximately every two weeks.
Our main objective, driven by senior management and faculty, is to improve lab safety continuously. Since it has been proven that most compressed gas cylinder incidents happen during change outs, we focused on eliminating these scenarios wherever possible. Having onsite H2 generation eliminated the cylinder change outs, transporting,  and inventory of H2 cylinders.
Our system is a Proton GC 4800 and it has been in service for about a year without any problems. We have the advantage of an existing H2 cabinet already in place that we have piped in as a backup (with check valves) should there be an issue with the generator. The purity of the gas speaks for itself and it's great to be able to tell a researcher that questions the purity of it because of a failed experiment "It's six nines".
Good luck,
    Steve Paolini

From: labnetwork-bounces at mtl.mit.edu [mailto:labnetwork-bounces at mtl.mit.edu] On Behalf Of Ferraguto, Thomas
Sent: Wednesday, July 18, 2012 7:54 AM
To: labnetwork at mtl.mit.edu
Subject: [labnetwork] Hydrogen Generation

Colleagues,

We're in the process of designing our gas cabinet and abatement layout for our fab.

I just met with the sales representative from Proton and we're looking at Hogen GC600 (99.9999%) purity hydrogen delivery system (600cc a minute)

I can't find any holes in the argument for Hydrogen generation for ~$12k, when a gas cabinet will cost me ~$20K

Does anyone have any thoughts on this unit or Hydrogen generation in general ? (primarily for PECVD)

Thanks...


Thomas S. Ferraguto
ETIC Clean Room Director
University of Massachusetts Lowell
600 Suffolk Street 456C
Lowell MA 01854-5120
978-934-1809 land
617-755-0910 mobile

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