Selling the Nation's Helium Reserve (2010) / Chapter Skim
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3 Demand for Helium
3 Demand for Helium
Pages 54-70
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From page 54... ...
OVERVIEW OF U.S., FOREIGN, AND WORLDWIDE DEMAND TO 2008 Figure 3.1 shows the historical development of refined helium demand in U.S. and foreign markets from 1990 to 2008.1 Worldwide helium demand grew from 1 USGS, 2008, USGS, 2009.
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From page 55... ...
Histori cally, the United States has been the consumer of most of the helium produced each year, but consumption in the United States has flattened in recent years, while consumption outside the United States has grown significantly (see Figures 3.1 and 3.2)
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From page 56... ...
Estimates for the years beyond 2012 are based in part on an informal poll of representatives of the principal companies involved in the helium supply market and the knowledge of committee members involved in the industrial gas market and in
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From page 57... ...
In contrast, other applications require the unique properties of helium, typically relying on the extremely low boiling point of liquid helium to achieve a desired result. These applications include the following: • Purging.
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From page 58... ...
HELIUM APPLICATIONS IN THE UNITED STATES Turning to consumption in the United States, Figure 3.4 illustrates domestic helium usage, by general application categories, for 1975-2008. Figure 3.5 provides the latest public data on the share of total domestic usage of helium accounted for by each application in 2007.
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From page 59... ...
demand helium for 3,50 0 3,00 0 2,50 0 Million Cubic Feet 2,000 1,50 0 1,00 0 50 0 0 1975 1977 1979 1981 1983 1985 1987 1989 1991 1993 1995 1997 1999 20 01 Year Cr yogenic applications Pressurizing and purging Welding cover gas Controlled atmospheres Leak detection Breathing mixtures Chromatography /lif ting gas/ heat transfer FIGURE 3.4 End uses of helium in the United States, by application, 1975-2001. SOURCE: USGS, Figure 3.4.eps 2005b.
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From page 60... ...
magnetic fields required for this process is a superconduct ing magnet contained in a cryostat -- a container designed to thermally insulate the liquid-helium-cooled superconducting magnet and the liquid helium source. The availability of helium at low prices and the stability of the market over the years contributed to the rapid growth of MRI as a diagnostic tool in the 1980s, and these tools have made and continue to make a significant contribution to health care in the United States.
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From page 61... ...
The principal use of helium in these laboratories is to cool superconducting equipment for accelerators, particle detectors, and research magnets. In the United States, the largest particle accelerator facilities exist at Brookhaven National Laboratory, Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory, Argonne National Laboratory, Thomas Jefferson National Accelerator Facility, and Los Alamos National Laboratory, among others.
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From page 62... ...
In general, cryogenics in these facilities is used to provide low temperatures for measurements, to cool detectors to either reach operational temperatures or reduce noise, or to cool research superconducting magnets. Liquid helium is the most widely used cooling agent (liquid nitrogen is second)
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From page 63... ...
Although helium can be economically recovered in a number of these applications, the unavailability of funding, especially for small-scale users, may limit or preclude recovery. Industrial Cryogenics Semiconductor Processing Liquid helium is used in the manufacture of semiconductor single-crystal boules via the magnetic-field-applied Czochralski method, where helium-cooled superconducting magnets mechanically stabilize the melt during the pulling process.
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From page 64... ...
NASA uses approximately 90-100 MMcf of helium yearly at the two gaseous helium locations where it consumes the most: Kennedy Space Center (KSC) and Stennis Space Center, although these quantities include helium provided to other programs at those centers through support agreements (for example, the Air Force East Coast Delta IV launch operations supported by KSC and Delta IV RS-68 engine testing at SSC)
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From page 65... ...
Because of its high ionization potential, high thermal conductivity, and inertness, helium is the optimal gas for some welding applications. However, outside the United States, where helium supplies have been less abundant and more expensive, other gases, principally argon, are used in welding gas mixtures in place of helium.
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From page 66... ...
Finally, some industrial heat treatments are also conducted in helium atmospheres because its inherently high heat transfer capability cools thick sections rapidly. Helium can be replaced with argon in some of these applications.
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From page 67... ...
Another lifting use is in the large balloons found at holiday festivities, including the well-known Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade in New York City. News reports that predicted helium shortages might affect the 2006 parade increased public awareness of the tight helium market and related shortages.
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From page 68... ...
Hydrogen is a potential substitute for lifting provided that safety considerations are met. High-Energy Laser Gaseous helium is used in ongoing DOD research in the development of high energy lasers at the Wright-Patterson, Kirtland, and Eglin air force bases, as well as at the White Sands Missile Range.
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From page 69... ...
In one detection method, a vacuum pump is used to pull helium sprayed outside the system through the leak and into an extremely sensitive mass-spectrometerbased helium leak detector. This detection process is the gold standard for any industry that relies on a high vacuum, including the electronics and advanced materials industries, in scientific research, and in the testing and manufacture of large rocket engines.
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From page 70... ...
Breathing Mixtures Several gas combinations containing helium are widely used as breathing mixtures. Although many alternative gas mixtures containing hydrogen or inert gases other than helium have been tried, they are not likely to see wide applica tion or serve as substitutes for mixtures containing helium.
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