Cryogenic Liquid Manifolds: Applications Guide

Cryogenic Liquid Manifolds
Applications Guide
Mark Allen
TM
Continuing Education Publication
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Notes
Notes on Using this Book:

This book is presented as a service to users of cryogenic gas liquid manifolds to assist in understanding these
deceptively simple devices.
Second Edition 16 February 2005. Replaces an earlier edition dated 5 January 2005.
Comments on this book or on any aspect of medical gases are welcome and encouraged.
Please send to mallen@beaconmedaes.com
This book in both print and electronic versions is Copyright 2005 BeaconMedaes and Mark Allen. All Rights are
Reserved, and no reproduction may be made of the whole or any part without permission in writing. Distribution
of the Electronic version is permitted only where the whole is transmitted without alteration, including this notice.
Cryogenic Liquid Manifolds Applications Guide
Contents
Table of Contents
Introduction 5
Some terms used in this booklet.
Liquid, glorious liquid 5
What makes liquid a good choice for many
facilities?
What is cryogenic liquid 5
The basics of cryogenic liquid gases. What they
are and how they act.
Cylinders versus Containers 7
How cryogenic liquids are stored and how their
containers behave.
The unexpected 8
Why liquid manifolds sometimes dont seem to
work as expected.
When is a liquid manifold not a good idea 17
The limits to liquid manifolds.
Other Options 13
The limits to liquid manifolds.
Annex A 20
Container Data
Representative data on containers and
cylinders.
Annex B 20
Safe work practices
Working with cryogenic containers and cryogens require some special practices.
Annex C 20
Alarms and Alarm Response
With a liquid manifold comes some extra
alarms and some extra actions when they
ring.
Annex D 20
A Typical Liquid Manifold Room
An example layout of a typical manifold
room.
Annex E 22
Dimensions
The dimensions necessary to lay out a
manifold.
Annex F 25
Signage
These are the signs required to be posted on
the door of a manifold room.
Annex G 29
Using Bulk and MiniBulk Sources with the
Lifeline Manifold
Implementation of the Lifeline manifold as a
bulk station control is very feasible. Here are
some guidelines to be observed.
Annex H 31
Manifolds located outdoors
This is the NFPA 50 Table referenced in NFPA
99.
Annex I 32
Sizing a Manifold
Data here will allow the selection of a manifold
based on type and size.
Introduction
Introduction
This booklet is intended to help the user or specifier of a
liquid manifold and to a lesser extent a bulk gas system
understand how that system works and what are some of
the pitfalls of using one.
In this booklet we will use NFPA parlance for Cylinders
(meaning high pressure cylinders containing gas) and
Containers (meaning a cryogenic liquid container
containing liquefied gas at supercold temperatures).
We will also speak of the Primary header as the one in
service, the Secondary header as the one on standby, and
the Reserve Header as the one which will serve the system
only if both the primary and secondary run empty.
Liquid, glorious liquid
Medical facilities are always searching for ways to save
money. One of those golden opportunities may be found
by installing or converting to liquid manifolds for some
of the gas delivery systems.
Liquid manifolds are very attractive for two simple
reasons:
Liquid is much less expensive to purchase than gas in
cylinders (in most localities) when calculated on a volume
of gas basis. The potential savings can be considerable.
Although portable liquid containers are individually
heavy, each one may contain as much gas as 17-25
cylinders. The labor involved with changing a couple
of liquid containers is nothing when contrasted with
changing that many cylinders.
To give an example, one facility reported their costs for
a cylinder of nitrogen to be $6.50. They paid $2.30 per
month for demurrage (rental) on a cylinder. A container
of liquid nitrogen cost them $51.05, and demurrage was
$25.00 per month. Although the liquid container is
clearly more expensive, it contained 21.5 times as much
gas equivalent as the gas cylinder. The liquid container
must also be changed less often, saving labor. The facility
used a $10.00/hour labor rate. So for this facility, a cubic
foot of gas delivered from cylinders cost approximately
2.8 cents. A cubic foot of gas delivered by liquid costs 1
cent. Thats a big savings.
At this rate, the facility estimated a cost of $4,312 for this
gas per year for the manifold. With a liquid system, they
could cut this to $2,018, saving 53% or $2,294. Replacing
the manifold cost about $6,000, so it was easily within
the 3 year payback required.
Liquid is an option for oxygen, nitrogen, nitrous oxide,
carbon dioxide, and argon systems. Taken together, the
total savings can be very interesting indeed.
Many facilities realize these savings and operate their

liquid manifolds with little trouble, but others find them
frustrating to operate and the cost savings elusive or
invisible. The facility who actually loses money on a
liquid conversion is not unheard of either. What is the
secret?
Cryogenic liquid containers, unlike cylinders, take more
management than simply changing the empties. Under
the best of circumstances (when the container is clean and
new) they will perform pretty close to their specified limits,
but even then they do have limits. When one is used to
dealing with cylinders, which are quite straightforward,
containers can come as a surprise. They can seem cranky,
uneven, and wasteful. When a container is old and has
suffered the travails of transportation, being dropped off
trucks and handcarts, and being generally maltreated,
these symptoms can be greatly exaggerated.
Facilities who succeed with liquid systems understand how
the containers work and that they need to be managed to
be at their best. They are however reasonably intuitive if
you understand how cryogenic liquids behave.
What is cryogenic liquid
In accordance with the laws of materials, almost
every material will vaporize into a gas above some
temperature, and cooled below that temperature will be
a liquid. Medical gases are simply in the vapor state at
standard room temperatures but behave in every respect
in accordance with these rules.
So, if for instance we cool standard air, we should be able
to change it from a gas to a liquid. And so we can - but we
have to cool it quite a lot - to minus 194 degrees C (minus
318 degrees F). Because the product is at such extremely
low temperatures, it is referred to as a cryogenic liquid.
Cooling air to minus 194 degrees C offers a challenge and
an opportunity. Oxygen (which is about 21% of standard
air) liquefies at minus 182 degrees C, and nitrogen (78%
of standard air) liquefies at minus 196 degrees C.
Keeping air mixed as a liquid is a problem if you want
liquid air but an opportunity if you only want liquid oxygen
or liquid nitrogen. Careful control of the temperature
allows air to be separated into its constituent gases. This
is how almost all oxygen or nitrogen used in a medical
facility is produced.
Cylinder gas is typically the liquefied gas allowed to warm
back into vapor state and packaged in cylinders.
A cubic meter of oxygen gas (equivalent to 1,000 liters
Cylinders vs. Containers

or 35.3 cubic feet) at 70F and 1 atmosphere pressure
(standard temperature and pressure) will occupy a cube
1 meter (3 feet) on each side. Pressurized in a cylinder
to 2,200 psig, the same gas will occupy 6.6 liters or a
space 188 millimeters on each side. Cooled to liquid
state, the same amount of gas will occupy 1.16 liters, or
a cube 105 millimeters on a side. This difference means
that for the same size of container we can store 1.8 times
as much gas.
However, since cryogenic liquids can be stored at low
pressures, the containers do not need to be as strong, and
thus can be made in much larger capacities. One example
of a small liquid container will hold about 114,000 liters
of gas equivalent, and large ones can run into millions
of liters. By comparison, a typical cylinder used on a
medical system is capable of storing about 6,700 liters
of usable gas.
Holding more, the containers need to be changed less
often, resulting in labor savings.
Containers holding cryogenic liquids are thus a superb

way to store gases in volume. However, there are limits
on the effective use of containers, which we will discuss
below.
Cylinders versus Containers
While safely storing gas in cylinders at 2,200 psig (and
sometimes higher pressures) is not a trivial matter, safely
storing and transporting a cryogenic liquid at these
incredibly low temperatures is even more challenging.
Cryogenic containers are specifically designed for two
functions:
To safely insulate the cryogenic liquid and ensure the
user is largely protected from the extreme cold. This
allows the liquid to be transported and stored.
To allow the user to withdraw the liquid either as liquid
or as gas for use.
To explain the basics of how these containers operate,
we can look at a typical portable container as might
be used with a Lifeline liquid manifold. This example
Figure 1
A Representative Portable Liquid Container
(Note: Containers vary in detail)
Pressure Building Regulator
Pressure Builder Valve
Contents indicator
Guage
Relief Valve
and Burst Disc
Fill Line &
Liquid Tap
Vent
Gas Tap
Outer
Vessel

stands about 160 cm (62 inches) tall and is about 50 cm
(20 inches) in diameter. It contains some 180 liters of
cryogenic liquid when full. Although we have chosen to
illustrate this particular container, all cryogenic containers
are similar and all have the basic items described here,
although details of construction vary greatly. (Please refer
to Figure 1 and 2)
A tour through a cryogenic container must begin with
the vessel which will actually hold the liquid. Typically
made of stainless steel, this inner vessel is placed inside
of another vessel. The outer vessel is what youre looking
at when you see a cryogenic container.
If a cryogenic liquid is exposed to temperatures higher than
the boiling point of the cryogenic liquid, it will very rapidly
and possibly explosively convert into gas. Preventing heat
leakage is critical to the effective use of any container.
To minimize heat leakage, between the inner and outer
vessels there is usually some form of insulation. Equally
or more important the space between the two is evacuated
to a very deep vacuum. Given the extreme temperature
difference between the inner and outer vessels, every

molecule left in the space will transmit heat and increase
the heat leak rate. The absence of anything which can
conduct heat between the vessels is essential in building
a functional cryogenic container.
Now with the two vessels in place and insulated, the first
concern is to get the liquid into the inner vessel. For this,
a Fill connection is typically run to the bottom of the inner
container. This line can then be used both as a fill line
and a liquid withdrawal line.
To fill the container, you must resolve the basic physics
which say you cant put something in without taking
something out. (In the case of a liquid container,
this is something of an oversimplification, since it is
actually possible to fill the container by manipulation
of the interior temperature, actually using the cryogenic
liquid to condense the gas internally and reduce the
internal pressure by that means. This manipulation
is an important step in filling large containers and is
a one of the few differences between small and large
Figure 2
Inside a Representative Portable Liquid Container
(Note: Containers vary in detail)
Gas Tap
Vent Line
Pressure Builder
Discharge
Pressure Builder
Internal Vaporizer
Outer
Vessel
Fill and Liquid Line

Inner
Vessel
Note that the container is shown full of

liquid in this illustration, however the
color is not accurate.

containers. Large containers will have separate top fill
and bottom fill connections to facilitate this.) A method
for allowing something out is provided in the form of a
vent connection. To fill the container, open the vent
and pump in the liquid, then close the vent. Simply
by making the vent tube a specific length, one can also
prevent overfilling the container.
Once liquid is in the inner vessel, the question of heat
leakage arises. Since no insulation can be perfect, even
a closed container will gradually boil off liquid to gas.
The rate at which this happens is called the Normal
Evaporation Rate (NER) for the container. Over time,
the NER will cause the internal pressure to increase.
Eventually, this gas must vent or the container will
explode. Two devices are installed to handle this: a safety
relief valve and a burst disc. The relief valve will open
and close at its set pressure to vent off excess gas. Should
the relief valve fail or not be able to handle the volume
(as sometimes happens if the insulating vacuum is lost),
the burst disc will blow out and vent the pressure.
Now with liquid inside the container, there needs to be
a way to draw gas off for use. This could of course be
accomplished by drawing liquid through the fill line as
mentioned earlier. However, since what comes out of
the liquid tap is a very dangerous liquid, it needs to be
converted to a gas before its usable.
External vaporizers are typically used with larger
containers and installations demanding large outputs
(bulk gas installations are of this type). External vaporizers
can also be used with portable containers under some
circumstances.
However, smaller containers also have a vaporizer inside
the container. This allows a gas connection to be provided
on the container. This internal vaporizer is essentially a
tube tacked to the inside of the external vessel. It pulls
heat from the outer skin of the container and uses that
heat to convert the liquid to gas.
There is one further basic physics challenge to using liquid
containers, and that is that you cannot draw liquid out of
a closed container without replacing it with something.
One could of course open the vent line, but that would
admit air and contaminate the gas inside the container.
Clearly that would be inappropriate, so instead we rely on
the fact that a little liquid makes a lot of gas. Some liquid
is drawn from the bottom of the inner vessel, allowed to
pass through a small version of the internal vaporizer
and thus change to gas and expand. That gas is then
returned to the top of the inner vessel (the headspace)
where it provides the necessary volume and pressure to
push out more liquid. The amount of gas made by this
pressure building circuit is determined by a special kind
of regulator which maintains the pressure of the headspace

(the space between the top of the vessel and the liquid).
It is very typical for the pressure builder, the internal
vaporizer and the gas connection to be interconnected.
This allows excess pressure in the headspace to be drawn
off and used, which is particularly important when usage is
low. The circuit functions so that if the headspace pressure
rises, any gas drawn from the container comes first from
the headspace. Once demand exceeds the NER for the
container and the headspace pressure falls, the pressure
builder will attempt to satisfy the demand. If the demand
exceeds the output of the pressure builder (which has quite
limited vaporization capacity), liquid will be drawn into
the internal vaporizer and converted to gas there.
On any liquid container one can find these same basic
elements, albeit with variations suited to the capacity of
the system. For example, on portable containers, the
pressure builders vaporizer is mostly internal, on a bulk
station it is usually external and can often be seen on the
bottom of the vessel. Large vessels usually have a clearly
labelled Top Fill and Bottom Fill connection, whereas
portable cylinders typically have only a liquid connection
and a vent. Large tanks also have a trycock to determine
how full they are, whereas portable containers have only
the vent line and are often filled by weight.
About the Normal Evaporation Rate (NER)

The NER for liquid containers will vary a great deal.
In all the examples we have used an NER of 1.5% for
new and clean containers, but in fact this rate is not
fixed and is often very much higher. NER for a given
container will vary depending on several factors including the temperature of the liquid (nitrogen (-196C)
has a higher NER in the same container than oxygen
(-183C)), ambient temperature, condition of the container, exterior heat sources (for instance bulk tanks are
usually painted white to reduce solar heating), whether
the pressure builder is open or closed, etc.
Portable containers are subject to all sorts of abuse
which tends to increase their NER. If the container is
dirty, dented or otherwise in less than prime condition,
it is common to have a higher NER. As containers age,
the vacuum between the inner and outer vessels also
tends to degrade and the NER will rise.
BeaconMeds recommends that NER as low as 1.5%
should be reliably expected only in fixed containers and
that an NER of 3-5% be used when making calculations
with portable containers.
The Unexpected
The unexpected
Failures in systems sourced from liquid manifolds are
not typically a failure of the manifold itself. This will
be especially true with the Lifeline manifold which has
an enviable history of reliability. More typically, liquid
manifolds prove unsatisfactory because their operators
simply do not understand their limitations and apply
them incorrectly.
Some typical scenarios:
A facility sees the opportunity to realize the huge
cost savings liquid can offer. They attempt to convert
an existing gas manifold simply by attaching liquid
containers. They find:
The manifold crashes, sometimes immediately,
sometimes later, because the pressure relationships
in the manifold are set for high input pressures which
liquid containers do not always deliver.
The manifold crashes because of cryogenic temperatures
on regulators not suited to the conditions.
The system crashes because of inadequate flows
(portable liquid containers by themselves cannot
typically output gas at cylinder rates).
They get no source alarms, but the area alarms go off
because the manifold cannot maintain pressure.
A facility installs a proper liquid manifold but still suffers
frustration with their system. These frustrations might
include:
The disturbing experience of walking into the manifold
room and finding the containers all hissing away like
theyve suddenly sprung leaks.
Attaching a completely unused container to the
manifold and finding its actually empty. Then trying
another container only to find that theyre all empty!
Checking the manifold header pressure gauges faithfully
once a shift and still having the secondary in use and
reserve in use alarms go off moments later - but all the
gauges read just what they always do!
Supplying the manifold with four full containers.
Left header in service, right header on standby. The
manifold never gives an alarm for Changeover until
both the Changeover and Reserve in Use alarms go off
simultaneously. Upon investigation, both headers are
empty.
Having the system crash because the new liquid
manifold cant deliver a flow rate the old cylinder
manifold never had a problem with.
A daily examination of the manifold reveals the
Secondary header is drawing down at a faster rate
than the Primary.
Having an employee die from asphyxiation in the
container storage room because he didnt know the
venting nitrogen had displaced all the air in that closed
room.
All of these are phenomena which can be traced to normal

liquid containers. As they will suggest, these can result in
very serious problems. But to balance the account, many
facilities find these systems entirely satisfactory and never
experience these problems or succeed in preventing them
from becoming serious by good management.
As mentioned before, liquid containers all have a natural
rate of heat leakage called the Normal Evaporation Rate.
A clean, new container filled with oxygen will have a
typical NER in the range of 1.5% per day (but see sidebar
About the NER). To see what this means, consider a
container filled with 165 liters of liquid oxygen. This
would vaporize into about 120,000 liters of gas. If we
never touch this container, the pressure will gradually
build up until the safety valve begins to bleed off the
excess pressure (the exact pressure at which this will occur
will vary with the container rating). If we listen, well hear
this as the steady hiss of escaping gas. It is not a leak, but
a normal phenomena. Each day, the container will vent
off about 1.5% of its contents when full. That is, 1.5%
of 120,000 liters or 1,800 liters. This will not decline as
the container empties, but will continue essentially at this
rate, day and night.
If we leave this container alone for 30 days, it will be half
full. If we leave it for 60, it will essentially be empty. The
same container filled with Nitrogen has an NER of 2%, so
it will last only 50 days. Note that we have not used any
gas - this is simply loss due to the NER of the container.
Attach the container to a manifold with three more
containers identical to the first. We then have the
configuration shown in Figure 3. If we use no gas
whatever, the NER of these four containers filled with
oxygen will require they vent 7,200 liters of gas per day
(1,800 x 4).
Primary
Primary
If the facility in /Secondary
/Secondary
our example
uses
3,600
liters per day,
the containers
will only have
to vent the
other 3,600
- but they will
vent as much
as needed to
absorb
the Figure 3
NER.
A Basic Liquid x Liquid Manifold
There are other situations to consider as well. For
instance, whatever amount the facility uses during the
day, if they use none at night the containers will probably
The Unexpected
be venting every morning. Although their usage may
be mathematically adequate, it is not steady, whereas
the heat leakage is essentially constant. To totally avoid
loss of the gas, the draw from the containers must match
or exceed the NER not as an average but on a nearly
continuous basis.
day, the secondary header would contribute 3,600 liters

and the primary header 4,400 liters. The manifold would
also then operate as we would expect: Primary runs empty,
Secondary takes over, Alarm indicates Changeover.
As you can see from the above, a liquid manifold cannot
be operated safely without safeguards additional to those
required for gas cylinders. One safeguard NFPA mandates
is the provision of a third header containing gas cylinders
enough for 24 hour supply and called the Reserve. Adding
the reserve, we have the configuration illustrated in Figure
4. This manifold is designed to cascade in this specific
order:
Primary header in service, no alarms - Primary runs empty,
Secondary begins to serve, Changeover alarm - Secondary
This seems to present a problem, as no medical facility

ever has entirely smooth demand. However, there is a
degree of flexibility designed into the containers. A typical
container has a pressure builder pressure 50-100 psi lower
than the relief valve setting. Under demand, the container
will drop to the pressure builder pressure and hold at that
pressure until empty. If the demand stops, the pressure
will build toward the relief valve pressure at a rate
determined by the NER and how full the container Primary
is. Full containers will reach the pop off pressure /Secondary
faster than nearly empty containers simply because
they have less headspace to pressurize.
Primary
/Secondary
Reserve
On a gas manifold, any gas drawn will come from

the primary header until it is empty, at which
time the manifold switches, an alarm is initiated
and the manifold draws from the secondary
header. However a liquid manifold includes a
code mandated feature called an economizer to
reduce waste. The manifold first draws off the
container which has the highest pressure, and Figure 4
that will include the containers on the secondary A NFPA compliant Liquid x Liquid x Gas Manifold
header. The manifold is designed to draw from
the primary header only after the gas in excess of
runs empty, Reserve begins to serve, Reserve in Use alarm
the NER is drawn away from both the primary and the - Reserve begins to run low, Reserve low alarm - Reserve
secondary headers. In using 3,600 liters/day, each of the runs empty, low pressure alarm(s).
four containers would contribute about 900 liters to the
demand and would vent about 900 liters2.
A properly configured liquid manifold with Reserve will
operate more safely than the system shown in Figure
So long as the demand remains below the NER of 7,200 3, but still may confuse the operator. The operator
liters per day, the surprise is that all four containers will may expect the standard sequence but instead find the
empty at essentially the same rate. If your system were Changeover alarm and the Reserve in Use alarm ring out
configured like Figure 3, the first indication you would get virtually simultaneously. This kind of event will occur if
that the gas was running out would be the Changeover the demand is less than or equal to the NER.
alarm, followed immediately (seconds later) by the system
running empty.
Even when demand is greater than the NER, the operator
must remember that when the Changeover alarm rings,
Once the demand rises over the NER for the containers, in the Secondary is not full, and the time between the
our example 7,200 liters per day, the manifold will begin Changeover alarm and the Reserve in Use alarm may be
to draw any additional gas preferentially from the primary quite a bit shorter than the time from full to Changeover.
side3. As an example, if demand were at 8,000 liters per It is entirely possible the operator will go to the manifold
2
This is an ideal picture. In practice, containers are never perfectly balanced and the ratio of useage to vent
could vary greatly between the four containers. However, it may be relied upon that at least 7,200 liters would go
somewhere.
3
There is a way in which even this may not be true. Liquid containers come in at least two pressure settings. If the
containers on the secondary are of a higher pressure type than those on the primary (or are seriously misadjusted), it
is entirely possible to have the secondary header drain down faster than the primary despite the manifold settings.
10
The Unexpected
expecting to change the Primary containers but find the
Secondary containers also in need of replacement.
Quality manifolds like the Lifeline Manifold are fully
automatic and will automatically exchange Primary for
Secondary. This is an important feature which prevents
the manifold from swinging back to the original Primary
header as soon as the empty containers are changed. By
rotating the Primary role between the two liquid headers,
the containers are more completely drained and can be
changed in sequence. Some manifolds are only semiautomatic and do not perform this exchange without
a manual operation. Semi-automatic manifolds, if not
operated correctly, will inevitably fall to the Reserve on
a periodic basis. This complicates the operation of the
manifold and increases the risk of the system running
empty.
So far, we have discussed only manifolds which are two
containers to a side. There are two other variants which
should also be discussed.
First is a manifold with only one liquid container on each
of the Primary and Secondary headers. These may not
be used under the NFPA 99 2002 version, but would be
permitted under NFPA 99 2005. Arguably, they were
also permitted under earlier versions. Naturally they
contain less gas, but have the corresponding benefit of
a lower NER.
Second is a manifold version with one or two liquid
containers as Primary with a Secondary composed of gas
cylinders. A Reserve header of cylinders is mandated for
this configuration as well.
This Liquid x Gas x Gas configuration has the advantage
of lowering the NER as low as that of one container.
It has the unusual characteristic that the liquid header
is always the Primary header. When the Primary runs
empty, a Secondary in Use Alarm will be activated,
and the Secondary will serve the demand. However,
when the Liquid container(s) is(are) replaced, the liquid
header will immediately revert to being Primary. These
manifolds never allow the Secondary to become Primary
and are therefore an exception to the general rule on how
manifolds should rotate the stock.
Liquid x gas x gas manifolds require the operator to
replace the secondary cylinders based on a predetermined
threshold, and these cylinders will therefore usually be
sent back partially full. This waste must be accounted
for when calculating the potential savings from such a
system.
Liquid containers are not only subject to being under
utilized and venting off their contents because of the NER,
11
but they are also subject to being overdrawn. Overdrawing

a liquid container can occur suddenly and be obvious,
but equally the problem can sneak up on you.
Overdraw manifests itself when the demand on
the container is more than the pressure builder can
compensate for. If the pressure builder cannot keep
the headspace pressure up, the internal pressure falls so
low that liquid cannot be pushed out. The surest way
to make this happen is to close the pressure builder or,
since containers normally arrive on site with the pressure
builder closed, never open it in the first place.
Failure can also occur even though the container is
not being overdrawn, but is actually operating within
specification. When the pressure builder and internal
vaporizer of a container are in continuous use, they
will chill the outer vessel of the container and in certain
environmental conditions ice will form on the outside
of the container. This ice normally appears first at the
bottom of the container and is not an unusual thing to see.
With prolonged use, the ice can climb up the sides of the
container and begin to act as an insulator, preventing heat
from getting to the vaporizer. When this happens, either
the pressure builder will fail to make enough pressure or
the vaporizer will begin to pass liquid. If the pressure
builder fails, the situation is the same as when the pressure
builder is closed. However, the recovery time can be
much longer as the ice must be melted away to restore
proper function.
When an internal vaporizer is overdrawn and liquid
begins to pass into the manifold the results can be much
more dire. Manifolds are commonly not designed to
take in cryogenic liquid, and the damage to the primary
regulators can be serious. The pressure may no longer
be controlled and the system may lose pressure or relief
valves may activate, aggravating the original problem.
Replacement of the regulators may be required to restore
the manifold to full service.
In cases where overdraw is possible or probable, it is
best not to rely on the internal vaporizer but to install an
external vaporizer of larger capacity.
Another phenomena associated with liquid containers is
variation in output between the containers themselves. It is
not uncommon to have two seemingly identical containers
on the same header which have slightly different internal
pressure settings. In such a case, the container with the
higher internal setting will feed the system in preference
to the container with the lower setting. A characteristic
finding is one container on a header far more full than the
other. This is usually more annoying than serious, but in
extreme cases, lower system capacity may result.
When is Liquid not a Good Idea

Some users interconnect the vent lines of their containers
to equalize the internal pressures and thus force the
containers to feed equally. This practice can work,
but can also have serious consequences for operator
safety and should only be undertaken by someone very
knowledgeable about safe practices with containers.
When is a liquid manifold not a good idea?
Liquid manifolds can be extremely cost effective, and the
savings from using liquid both in dollars and labor can be
sweet. The facilities which realize these benefits without
the attendant frustrations have one common characteristic:
their liquid manifolds are properly applied.
There are many, many situations where liquid manifolds
can work well and the user can benefit. However,
the closer one gets to the edges, the more likely there
will be issues. For example, there are several makers
of liquid containers, and a given gas supplier may use
containers from any number of manufacturers, in any
number of different sizes, pressure ratings, and conditions.
Containers which are visually identical will still have
individual characteristics. What worked on paper with
a new and up-to-spec container may not work so well
with an old, used container from another manufacturer.
Therefore, it is best to play it safe, leaving some margin
of error to encompass the variations in the containers and
the experience of the operators.
With liquid containers there is a floor under which they
should not be used. In simple terms, this floor is the
NER, and a facility which does not use each day at least
the NER for the number of containers installed should
be considered unsuitable for liquid. Facilities which on
an average day use the NER or more should remember
to consider both the non-average day and the night. A
facility which is close to the NER with average usage
will probably find they are below the NER when usage is
low. For example, a Surgery center who operates eight
to twelve hours a day must be prepared to vent off (i.e.
waste) gas for part of the time. It may seem surprising,
but liquid may actually be so much cheaper than cylinder
gas that they can do this and still save money. However,
it is also possible that this waste will also evaporate any
savings they might have otherwise enjoyed.
Remember that the NER will vary with the number
of containers. The lowest NER will come with a one
container liquid x gas x gas manifold. A liquid x liquid
x gas manifold with two containers will have twice that
NER, and a liquid x liquid x gas manifold with four
containers will have four times the NER. BeaconMeds
never recommends more than 2 containers per header.
(see Other Options below for alternative systems
configurations).
With liquid containers it is important to know the peak

demand likely to be experienced. The manifold will be
limited to the vaporization capacity of the containers. If
the internal vaporizers cannot serve the peak demand, an
external vaporizer might be a solution. If the containers
themselves are inadequate, a mini bulk or bulk tank may
raise output high enough. At approximately 2,200 ft3/hr
(62,260 liters per hour) in demand, the limitation may
become the manifold itself, at which point a Lifeline
manifold should not be used and a bulk station with
appropriate equipment should be considered.
It is entirely possible to have a facility whose lowest use
will be below the NER for a single container but whose
peak use will be above the capacity of those same
container(s). A facility in this situation must decide if
it can live with the waste inherent in two containers in
order to increase the peak output, or if a liquid manifold
is the right choice at all.
It is always best where possible to place liquid manifolds
out of doors (see Annex H). Manifold rooms and any
storage enclosures indoors must be vented adequately.
NFPA 99 mandates mechanical ventilation for these rooms
or enclosures. If the manifold room cannot be adequately
ventilated, liquid should never be considered.
Environmental factors which will increase the NER must
be considered and dealt with. A typical example is
placing the containers outdoors in the hot sunshine. The
heat and solar radiation will drive up the NER. (Placing
containers outside in cold climates can have the opposite
effect - reducing the maximum output of the container.)
Other Options
When a liquid manifold does not seem a good option,
what other options can be considered?
There are several, depending on the circumstances which
makes the liquid manifold undesirable.
If the problem is that the usage is likely to fall below the
NER from portable liquid containers, clearly it is always
an option to return to gas in cylinders. There is no floor
on the output of a cylinder manifold, but naturally there is
a ceiling. The ceiling is essentially set by how often one
is willing to change the cylinders. A well sized manifold
should not need attention more often than once a week,
but clearly there is no technical problem with changing
the cylinders more frequently if necessary.
The limitation may be high variation in usage. In such
cases, the system will fall below the NER at times and
at other times will challenge the containers output. A
typical case where this may prove a problem is a nitrogen
system used for tools. In some cases, it helps to simply
12
Other Options
use a better container. Since permanent tanks are not
subject to the abuse inherent in transporting portable
containers, the NER can be held lower and is more
reliable. A minibulk for instance may have an NER of
0.6% as opposed to 1.5% with a portable. This lower
NER can help solve the problem, but be aware that these
are usually much larger vessels as well, and must be filled
from a truck directly, requiring the cooperation of your
gas supplier. They also require an external vaporizer. In
these cases, consultation with the container supplier and
the facilitys gas supplier is essential.
The Lifeline manifold can make an excellent control for
these systems, but they can also overpower the manifold.
The limitations on the use of a manifold as a control device
in these circumstances should be thoroughly understood
prior to installation.
13
Container and Cylinder Data
Small HP
Liquid
Portable
Large LP
Liquid
Portable
Chart 265 HP
Large HP
Liquid
Portable
Taylor-Wharton
EF 450 HP
Sample
Minibulk Tank
TaylorWharton
6000
Sample Bulk
Tank
Annex A
Examples of containers and cylinders.
Small LP
Liquid
Portable
Chart 265 MP
96/240
250 psi
1.7 mPa
H
Cylinder
Chart 160 HP
30/76.2
350 psi
2.4 mPa
Type
Chart 160 MP
26/66
350 psi
2.4 mPa
Model
Normal Max. Pressure
26/66
312/800
230 psi
1.6 mPa
74/188
83.9k/38.0k
20/50.8
57.8/132
1,637/736
350 psi
2.4 mPa
57.8/132
924/420
67.7k/30.7k
20/50.8
59.6/151
935/424
1,364/613
230 psi
1.6 mPa
59.6/151
640/290
754/343
9/22.8
51/130
629/285
758/344
2,200 psi
15.2 mPa
153/69.5
531/241
717/325
7,183/203.2k
1,062/481
5,438/153.8k
6,811/192.7k
1,046/475
8,750/247k
11,000/311.3k
1,832/824
547k/15,494k
676k/19,167k
96.3k/43.6k
967/439
710/322
4,348/123k
5,769/163.2k
667/315
517/234
Diameter in/cm
O2
N2
CO2
4,577/129.5k
3,464/98k
1,008/456
244/6,900
3,685/104.2k
640/303
226/6,400
5,305/150.1
661k/18,720k
3,382/95.7
10,700/302.8
O2 = 0.25
434/12,300
6,634/187.7
O2 = 1
O2
N2
6,982/197.5
1.4/2/0.5
5,034/142.4
4,226/119.5
1.4/2/NA
3,207/90.7
4,448/125.8
1.4/2/0.5
Unlimited
558/15,800
1.4/2/NA
575/16,272
CO2
N2O
Argon
Height in/cm
Weight (full)
lbs/kg
Contents (Gas at
STP)
ft3/liters
NA
400/11,320
NS
400/11,320
110/3,113
350/9,905
110/3,113
350/9,905
Very High
Unlimited
N2O
Argon
NER (%/day)
O2/N2/N2O
O2 Withdrawal Rate
ft3/hr / liters/hr
N2O/CO2 Withdrawal
Rate ft3/hr / liters/hr
NA = Not Applicable. Usually, these containers are not used with this gas.
NS = non-standard. It may be possible to use a container in this manner, but the supplier should be consulted.
Unlimited indicates that although there obviously is a limit, it is so high as to be effectively irrelevant with medical gases.
Very High indicates the limit is so high that only rare situations will approach it.
14
Safe Work Practices

Annex B
Safe work practices
Cryogenic liquids such as liquid oxygen, nitrogen and
argon are liquefied gases that are kept at very low
temperatures. Contact with these liquids can result in
burns, eye irritation and allergic reactions.
Ventilation system
The amount and type of ventilation needed depends on
the size and layout of the room. However, continuous
mechanical ventilation is required wherever cryogenic
containers are stored indoors.
Make sure ventilation systems are designed and built
so they do not result in an unintended hazard.
Ensure hoods, ducts, air cleaners and fans are made
from materials compatible with the gas used, and are
regularly maintained and cleaned.
Employee training
All employees who handle cryogenic liquids should
receive appropriate training. Only trained employees
should be permitted to handle or work with cryogenic
containers. Training must include at least:
Properties of the cryogen both as a liquid and a gas.
Specific instructions on the equipment being used,
including safety devices.
Approved materials that are compatible with the
cryogen.
Selection, use and care of protective equipment and
clothing.
First aid, including self-treatment.
Dealing with emergencies such as fires, leaks and
spills.
Good housekeeping practices.
Knowledge of all the hazards of the materials you
work with e.g.. fire, explosion, health, chemical
reactivity.
Safety systems including gas specific connectors,
relief valves and burst discs.
Housekeeping
All doors must be labelled. If Nitrogen, Nitrous
Oxide, or Carbon Dioxide is in the room, label per
pages 25 and 26. If Oxygen or Air only, label as per
pages 27 and 28.
Ensure that proper housekeeping practices in the
workplace are followed at all times.
15
Do not allow smoking or open flames in any area

where liquid oxygen is stored, handled or used.
Do not contaminate cryogenic liquids or their
containers.
Never allow combustible organic materials near
liquid oxygen.
Prevent the mixing of flammable and oxidizing
cryogens.
Never allow any absorbent materials to be exposed to
flammable or oxidizing cryogens.
When venting storage containers, proper
consideration must be given to all the properties of
the gas being vented.
Ensure Ventilation is in operation at all times.
Storing and transporting cryogenic liquids
Inspect all incoming containers before storing to
ensure they are not damaged and are properly
labelled.
Do not accept delivery of defective containers.
Always use the correct name for all materials, e.g.
never call liquid oxygen liquid air.
Do not store containers where they may come into
contact with moisture. Moving parts, such as valves
or pressure relief devices, can malfunction due to
external ice formation.
Allow only authorized people into storage areas.
Ensure that ignition sources and combustible material
are kept far away from liquefied oxygen, and other
flammable material storage and handling areas.
Do not store liquid oxygen containers on wood,
asphalt or oil soaked gravel. When saturated with
liquid oxygen these materials can explode after an
impact as slight as a footstep.
Use concrete or clean gravel under storage areas.
Ensure that vessels are insulated from any sources of
heat.
Handle cylinders carefully, and avoid dropping,
rolling or tipping them on their sides.
Do not move a container by rolling it on its lower
rim.
Always use a hand truck, cart, or other proper
handling device when transporting cryogenic liquid
containers. Use a strap to secure the container to the
handcart.
Keep the cryogenic liquid containers upright at all
times except for the minor tilting on the cart during
transport.
For the most current and up-to-date information on
cryogenics refer to the label on the container and the
Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS), available from
distributors/manufacturers.
Safe Work Practices
Working with cryogenic containers

When containers are not labelled or little
information is known of the contents, they should
be treated with extreme caution. Never assume an
unmarked container contains any specific gas.
For hazardous operations a permit to work system
should be in place.
Use only the stopper or plug supplied with the
container when sealing it.
Prevent all organic substances including oils and
greases from contacting liquid oxygen.
Never wear watches, rings, bracelets or other
jewellery that could freeze to your skin.
Thoroughly clean any equipment or container used
with liquid oxygen to the degree required for use
with oxidizing materials.
Ensure warning signs and emergency instructions are
posted wherever cryogenic containers are used or
stored.
Always follow the manufacturers procedures for
operating and maintaining equipment used with
cryogens.
Avoid forcing connections, never use cheater hoses,
adaptors from one gas specific fitting to another, or
hoses and fittings without permanent gas specific
ends.
Never tamper with containers in any way.
When doing maintenance work on oxygen handling
systems, cleanliness is essential. Grease or oil must
not be allowed to contaminate any parts.
Cryogenic liquids should NEVER be transferred
from one container to another or transfilled except
in appropriately equipped facilities by trained
operators.
Personal protective equipment (PPE)

The following personal protective equipment should
always be used when working with cryogens.
Loose fitting insulated gloves when handling anything
that may have been in contact with a cryogen, e.g..
Insulated welding gloves.
Safety glasses.
A non-porous, knee length laboratory coat, without
pockets or cuffs which could catch the liquid.
Boots with tops high enough to be covered by pants
without cuffs.
Contact with cryogens

If bodily contact occurs with cryogenic liquids, their
vapours and any cooled surfaces, flush the area with
large quantities of warm (not hot) water. If the skin
is blistered or the eyes have been exposed, obtain
medical attention immediately.
Emergency eyewash stations and, if possible, safety
showers should be provided when working with
cryogens.
Remove clothing that is splashed with liquid oxygen
immediately and air it out for at least one hour.
16

Annex C
Liquid manifolds require specific alarms, and because of
the nature of the containers require more actions be taken
when an alarm sounds. The alarms are valuable indicators,
but they are only indicators, and determining what must
be done in response requires a person knowledgeable in
the operation and peculiarities of the manifold.
The three required alarms are:
Changeover, which indicates the primary header is
empty and the secondary header is in service.
Reserve In Use, which indicates the Primary and
Secondary headers are empty and that the Reserve
header is now supplying the system.
Reserve Low, which indicates the Reserve Header is
below one average days supply.
These alarms must appear at both master alarm panels (or
at the one master alarm in a level 2 facility). They must
also have Local Signal analogues at the manifold itself.
Local signals are not alarms in that they are not audible,
and may be any kind of device which enables the operator
to determine the state of the system when standing at the
manifold. Marked gauges, flippers, lights, flags, etc. all
may qualify as local signals.
Two system alarms are also required at both masters:
System Pressure High, indicating system pressure is 20%
or more above normal.
System Pressure Low, indicating system pressure is 20%
or more below normal.
In normal operation the alarms will cascade as
follows:
Changeover, followed by Reserve In Use, followed by
Reserve Low, followed by System Pressure Low when the
manifold is entirely exhausted.
To lose supply therefore, the facility must ignore three
alarms. This usually will be adequate coverage, but only
if with each alarm action is taken.
With a Changeover alarm, the operator should:
With a semi automatic manifold, confirm the switchover
by whatever method is provided. (This step is not
needed on a fully automatic manifold.)
Examine the containers on the Secondary bank and
determine that both are empty. If so, replace with full
containers. If not, this indicates a problem with the
operation of the containers or the manifold (a common
finding is a pressure builder not opened).
Examine the container(s) on the Primary Bank. A
decision will be required based on how full these
containers are. They may be left in service or replaced.
17
If nearly empty, it is often better to replace them to

save labor, but this means not fully using the container
contents. The decision to be made will vary between
facilities and on the usage at the time.
Examine the contents of the reserve header. If the
contents are low, these must be replaced as well.
With a Reserve in Use Alarm, the operator should:
Examine the containers on the Primary and Secondary
banks and determine that all are empty. If so, replace
with full containers. If not, this indicates a problem
with the operation of the containers or the manifold (a
common finding is a pressure builder not opened).
contents are low, these must be replaced as well.
With a Reserve Low Alarm, the operator should:
Examine the containers on the Primary and Secondary
banks and determine that there is gas in each. If not,
replace with full containers. It is not uncommon to
have a Reserve Low alarm occur despite the Primary
and Secondary headers being in service. Reserve
headers can weep either into the system because
no regulator is entirely leak tight or through leaks at the
cylinder connections. If this occurs, the Low Contents
alarm will eventually sound.
contents are low, these must be replaced. Note that
with a new system it is possible to have the header
sized for a 24 hour supply, which means the alarm
must sound if the header loses any gas at all. This is a
sizing problem which can only be solved by enlarging
the header and adjusting the switch.
Remember that the Reserve will still have considerable
gas in it when the alarm rings. Inexperienced operators
can be fooled when they look at the gauge and see the
cylinders are still mostly full. They may decide to not
change the cylinders and ignore the alarm. There is
no better way to guarantee the system will run empty
sooner or later.
It is entirely possible that all three of the operating alarms
can ring virtually simultaneously. This is most likely when
the facility operates at low usage, and is inevitable if they
operate below the NER. Such an event indicates that all
three headers are essentially out of gas, and requires the
most rapid response to avoid system failure. All containers
and cylinders will normally need to be replaced. If this
happens often, the facility has an oversized system, and
they should consider making changes which will reduce
the NER and cause the manifold to return to operating in
a proper cascade. Continued operation in this mode is
very high risk.
If the manifold is operating and has full supplies, but the
Low Pressure Alarm sounds, (with or without other alarms)

this is a possible indicator of overdraw. Typically, the
alarm will be intermittent and in some cases can even be
traced to the operation of a specific piece of equipment,
like a nitrogen tool in the O.R. When this occurs, it is
necessary first to determine that overdraw at the manifold
is indeed the cause. This will best be done simply by
observation. Symptoms to look for include:
Liquid containers running at low pressures. Every
container has a normal pressure range for which the
pressure builder is set, and the container should be
operating close to that range. There are two common
causes for low container pressures (other than that the
container is empty): a closed pressure builder and a
buildup of ice. If the pressure is low, check first to
ensure the pressure builder is open. If heavy ice has
accumulated, you may need to melt it off to restore the
containers function.
The wrong type of containers. This is particularly a
problem with high pressure systems like nitrogen.
Such systems need a high pressure container in order
to perform correctly, and if a low pressure container is
used the output of the manifold may be inadequate.
Seeking at the manifold. If the manifold is swinging
back and forth between Primary and Secondary headers
(which may also be causing the Changeover alarm to
sound), this may be occurring because the manifold
is looking to satisfy the demand by drawing off both
headers.
18
Manifold Layout
Annex D
A Manifold Room Layout
(also see Annex H for outdoor locations)
at ceiling level.
The reserve is placed at an angle to the main manifold.
This is entirely optional, but can save considerable
space.
The Secondary and Reserve are the same number
of cylinders. This is not mandatory, but is common
The following is a typical layout for a manifold room. This

is by no means the only way to lay out a manifold nor
necessarily the best.
Every situation must Figure D-1
be evaluated on its An Example of a Liquid Manifold Installation
own. However, this is
included to help define
some of the important
Secure Door with lock
criteria for an effective
manifold layout.
Minimum of 90 (239 cm)
Figure D-1 illustrates a

Liquid by Gas manifold
with the necessary gas
cylinder reserve.
19
Air inlet
(at ceiling)
Liquid Containers
One Hour (or greater)
Fire resistive construction
Cable or chain
restraints
Cylinders In Storage
Minimum
of 155
(393 cm)
Cylinders On Secondary
The diagram illustrates

required
features
including:
All elements of the
manifold system are in
the same enclosure.
The enclosure
(in this case inside
the building) is of
1 hour fire resistive
construction.
All cylinders and
containers
are
restrained. A single
cable is illustrated, but
individual restraints
for each cylinder
and container are
required under the
2002 standard (a
requirement which
appears only in that
one edition). Note
that the loose cylinders
(full or empty) are also
restrained.
The room is provided
with a mechanical
ventilation system as
required ny NFPA
99. In addition, the
ventilation system
has an intake for
make up air. The
extraction is at floor
level, the make up air
Cylinders On Reserve
Extraction
Blower
(intake at floor)
Manifold Layout
practice.
Sufficient room has been allowed for manipulation of
the liquid containers. However, no provision has been
made for cylinder or container handling equipment
(handtrucks, etc.) which are commonly stored in these
rooms.
No provision has been made for storage of liquid
containers. These generally should be stored outside,
where any gas they will discharge is not confined. If
this enclosure were open and out of doors, there would
need to be room provided for these standby and empty
containers.
20
Gas Manifold Dimensions

Dimensions
Liquid manifolds present unique challenges as to space
and arrangement. The following sections give basic
dimensional information and some examples of Liquid
manifold layouts for the guidance of the designer.
Gas Manifolds
Ceiling (Typ.)
System Connection (Typ.)
Note1
Cylinder Header
96
244 cm
84
213 cm
61
155 cm
WALL
11 (27.9 cm) manifold enclosure front

20 (50.8 cm) Recommended cylinder space
45 (111.8 cm)
Recommended minimum access clearance
Note 1 : Overall Manifold Minimum Space Allocation

(Outermost cylinder to outermost cylinder, staggered cylinders)
# Cylinders per header (total cylinders is 2x this number)
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
21
36
47
57
67
77
87
97
107
117
127
137
147
53 cm 91 cm 119 cm 145 cm 170 cm 196 cm 221 cm 246 cm 272 cm 297 cm 323 cm 348 cm 373 cm
Minimum permitted number of cylinders is two x two (ref. NFPA 99 5.1.3.4.10.4 (2))
Other cylinder header configurations are possible. Consult your BeaconMeds representative for exceptional
situations.
TM
Lifeline Gas x Gas Manifold

Minimum Clearance Dimensions
21
11/2004
MWA
Liquid Manifold Dimensions

Liquid x Liquid Manifolds
Ceiling (Typ.)
52
(132 cm)1
26"
(66 cm)1
Note2
Note3
96
244 cm
84
213 cm
61
155 cm
WALL
26 (66 cm)
11 (27.9 cm) manifold
Recommended
enclosure front
container space
45 (111.8 cm)
(will vary with
containers used)
Recommended minimum cylinder access clearance
56 (143 cm)
Recommended minimum
container access clearance
1 Recommended minimum design dimension is shown. Actual containers vary in diameter.
2 Dimension is variable and Reserve may be located wherever convenient so long as it does
not interfere with other
cylinders or containers.
Note 3 : Reserve Cylinder Header Minimum Space Allocation
(Point of connection to outermost cylinder, staggered cylinders)
# Cylinders
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
30
35
40
45
50
55
60
65
70
75
80
85
76 cm 89 cm 101 cm 114 cm 127 cm 139 cm 152 cm 164 cm 178 cm 190 cm 203 cm 216 cm
Minimum permitted number of cylinders is three (ref. NFPA 99 5.1.3.4.10.4 (2))
Other cylinder header configurations are possible. Consult your BeaconMeds representative for exceptional
situations.
TM
Lifeline Liquid x Liquid Manifold

11/2004
MWA
22
Liquid x Gas Manifold Dimensions

Liquid x Gas Manifolds
Ceiling (Typ.)
52
(132 cm)1
26"
(66 cm)1
Note2
Note4
Note3
Secondary Cylinder
Header
Reserve Cylinder
Header
96
244 cm
84
213 cm
61
155 cm
WALL
26 (66 cm)
Recommended
container space
(will vary with
containers used)
WALL
11 (27.9 cm) manifold enclosure front

45 (111.8 cm)
Recommended minimum cylinder access clearance

56 (143 cm)
Recommended minimum
container access clearance
1 Recommended minimum design dimension is shown. Actual containers vary in diameter.

2 Dimension is variable and Reserve may be located wherever convenient so long as it does
not interfere with other
cylinders or containers.
Note 3 : Manifold Cylinder Minimum Space Allocation
(Cabinet centerline to outermost cylinder, staggered cylinders)
# Cylinders
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
10.5
18
23.5
28.5 33.5 38.5 43.5
48.5
53.5
58.5
63.5
68.5
73.5
27 cm 46 cm 60 cm 72 cm 85 cm 98 cm 110 cm 123 cm 136 cm 149 cm 161 cm 174 cm 187 cm
Minimum permitted number of cylinders is two (ref. NFPA 99 5.1.3.4.10.4 (1))
Other cylinder header configurations are possible. Consult your BeaconMeds representative for exceptional situations.
Note 4 : Reserve Cylinder Header Minimum Space Allocation
(Connection point to outermost cylinder, staggered cylinders)
# Cylinders
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
30
35
40
45
50
55
60
65
70
75
80
85
76 cm 89 cm 101 cm 114 cm 127 cm 139 cm 152 cm 164 cm 178 cm 190 cm 203 cm 216 cm
Minimum permitted number of cylinders is three (ref. NFPA 99 5.1.3.4.10.4 (2))
Other cylinder header configurations are possible. Consult your BeaconMeds representative for exceptional situations.
TM
Lifeline Liquid x Gas Manifold

23
11/2004
MWA
Signage
Page 25: English, for manifold rooms containing

only oxygen or air.
Page 26: Spanish, for manifold rooms containing
only oxygen or air.
Page 27: English, for manifold rooms containing
any gas other than oxygen or air.
Page 28: Spanish, for manifold rooms containing
any gas other than oxygen or air.
Annex F
Signage
24
Signage
25
Signage
26
Signage
27
Bulk and MiniBulk Implementations

Annex G
Using Bulk and MiniBulk Sources with the Lifeline
Manifold
The Lifeline manifold can act as controller for a bulk or
minibulk installation and such an installation may be the
very best way to serve a medium sized facility. There
are a number of important considerations which must
be accounted for in order to have a satisfactory system.
They include:
Siting. The location of a system which contains more
than 20,000 ft3 is subject to additional rules above those
applicable to manifolds. BeaconMeds recommends
these rules should be considered as applying to any
installation involving stationary liquid containers.
Sample Manifold throughputs

at varying input pressures
Inlet pressure
Flow
psi/kPa
ft3h / liters per hr.
150 / 1,035
2,220 / 62k
300 / 2,070
3,660 / 103k
450 / 3,105
6,420 / 181k
Vaporization. BeaconMeds recommends external
vaporizers always be used with these installations.
Please refer to the drawing in Appendix H for siting

requirements.
BeaconMeds recommends that stationary container
installations always be out of doors. Although it is
possible under NFPA 99 to place some minibulk
systems indoors (eg. those with contents under 20,000
ft3), the practice is fraught with problems which are
better avoided. Although the NFPA 99 has defined a
20,000 ft3 limit for systems placed indoors, there is no
magic to this number. The real concern begins when
liquid containers come indoors and simply worsens as
the containers get larger. While there are compelling
reasons to bring portable containers indoors in some
cases, those arguments grow less and less acceptable as
the volume increases and are largely invalid once the
container is made stationary. However, it is entirely
possible to place the stationary container outdoors
and the manifold, secondary and reserve indoors (see
Figure G-1).
Configuration of the system. Please see Figure G-1 for
a general configuration diagram.
Pressure output. A bulk or minibulk can output at higher
pressures than is typical of portable containers and the
output pressure is important to overall function.
As with any manifold, the Lifeline manifold will
improve in flow capacity with higher inlet pressures.
Therefore, with a stationary container, the pressures
should be as high as is consistent with the container
capabilities, and low pressure containers should not
be used.
28
Bulk and Minibulk Applications
Duplex External
Vaporizer Set
with controls
Secondary Cylinder
Header
Reserve Cylinder
Header
Locating the manifold, secondary header and reserve header indoors is not
required but may be desirable in some climates. Manifolds and cylinders
located outdoors must be protected from direct sun, rain etc. and cylinders
must be maintained at >32F and <130F.
Figure G-1
Implementing a Lifeline Manifold as a Controller for a Stationary Container
Bulk or MiniBulk System
(including all necessary controls,
ie. pressure builder,
regulators if required)
Relief Lines
Fill
Connection(s)
Locating the Stationary container outdoors

is recommended but may not be required.
Fill connection and termination of all relief
valve vents outdoors is absolutely mandatory.
Note: Illustration is only one of many ways to implement such a system

and is not meant to restrict alternative methods which are compliant with
all relevant standards.
29
Location
Annex H
The NFPA 50 Table for Location of Systems Outdoors
This Table is referenced by NFPA 99 for locating manifolds
out of doors. (e.g. NFPA 99 5.3.4.9.1).
Figure H-1
Relative Location of Gas Sources when Outdoors
Place of
Public Assembly
Nearest
Parked
Vehicle
50 ft
15 meters
10 ft
3 meters
Wood Frame
Structure
50 ft
15 meters
Nearest
Opening
In Wall
10 ft
3 meters
Public
Sidewalk
10 ft
3 meters
50 ft
15 meters
5 ft
1.5 meters
Nearest
Non-Ambulatory
Patient
1 ft
As required by 0.3 meters
the supplier
Property
Line
Building
Ventilation
Clearances
30
Manifold Sizes
Annex I
Size Ranges for Manifold Applications
Table Notation:
Number and Type of Containers (L)
or Cylinders (G) on the left header
(typically the primary header at start up)
The following Table shows potential size ranges for various

manifolds. When sizing a manifold several aspects must
Number of
be considered, which means that in very few cases will
Cylinders
(G)
the limitation on sizing actually be manifold capacity.
1L
x
9
G
x
9
G
on
the
Reserve
In every case shown on this table the manifold itself is
header
capable of exceeding these values by very large amounts.
The table is built on these basic assumptions:
Number and Type of Containers (L) or
NFPA mandates a 24 hour backup to the manifold. If
Cylinders (G) on the right header (typically
we limit the secondary or reserve to 14 cylinders, as
the secondary header at start up)
is done here, all the liquid manifolds are limited not
by the capacity of the liquid containers but by the 24
hour capacity of the reserve.
The ideal frequency for changing containers or cylinders
is generally held to be once per week. While this ideal
is often unobtainable, it is
always worth considering.
Maximum
Average Daily
All the gas manifolds in
System
Daily Floor
Sustained Draw
Change
Usage
the table are limited in
Rate (per hour)
Interval
this manner. For liquid
cubic
cubic
cubic
liters
liters
liters
days
manifolds, the Change
feet
feet
feet
Interval column shows
2x2 Gas
69
1,941
7
how often each manifold
3x3
Gas
103
2,911
7
will require attention at
this rate of draw.
4x4 Gas
137
3,881
7
Liquid manifolds each
5x5 Gas
171
4,851
7
have a floor (The NER).
6x6 Gas
206
5,822
7
In calculating this table,
7x7 Gas
240
6,792
7
we have used a 3% per day
loss rate and a small liquid
8x8 Gas
NA
274
7,762
NA
7
container (the container
9x9 Gas
309
8,733
7
used for calculation holds
10x10 Gas
343
9,703
7
4,688 ft3 (132,670 liters) of
11x11 Gas
377
10,673
7
gas equivalant when full).
12x12
Gas
411
11,643
7
Larger containers will of
course have higher floors,
13x13 Gas
446
12,614
7
which can be estimated by
14x14 Gas
480
13,584
7
multiplying their contents
in gas equivalent when full
by 3%.
1L x 3G x 3G
720
20,376
7
Sizing a Manifold
Sizing involves balancing four
factors:
1. The average usage. For
oxygen, this can be estimated
as 700 ft 3 /month (19,810
liters / month) per bed. For
the purposes of counting
beds, one should include all
occupancies where oxygen is
piped (e.g. an O.R., an exam
room, a radiology room, etc.
31
1L x 4G x 4G
960
27,168
1L x 5G x 5G
1,200
33,960
1L x 6G x 6G
1,440
40,752
1L x 7G x 7G
1,680
47,544
1L x 8G x 8G
1,920
54,336
2,160
61,128
1L x 10G x 10G
2,400
67,920
1L x 11G x 11G
2,640
74,712
1L x 12G x 12G
2,880
81,504
1L x 13G x 13G
3,120
88,296
1L x 14G x 14G
3,360
95,088
1L x 9G x 9G
141
3,980
350
9,905
2
2
Manifold Sizes
should be counted as a bed for
the purpose of this estimate.)
For estimates for other gases,
refer to the BeaconMeds
Medical Gas Design Guide,
Chapter 8.
2. The peak usage. A simple
estimate of peak usage in
oxygen will be obtained
by counting all outlets and
multiplying by 5 liters (0.18
ft3).
3. The frequency of changing
the containers.
4. The minimum usage rate.
When these four elements
can be estimated, look first
for a manifold on this table
which will equal or exceed
the Average Daily Usage (this
will of course be the average
monthly usage divided by
30).
Evaluate the selected manifold
against
the
Maximum
Sustained Draw column. If the
listed number is greater than
your peak usage, evaluate the
change interval. Otherwise,
select a different manifold.
Evaluate the selected manifold
againt the Change Interval
column. This will be the
average frequency which
the manifold will require
attention.
If the interval is greater than
7 days, proceed to check
the minimum usage. If the
minimum usage is above the
daily floor, this manifold is a
satisfactory choice.
System
Daily Floor
cubic
feet
Average Daily
Usage
Maximum
Sustained Draw
Rate (per hour)
cubic
feet
liters
2L x 3 G x 3G
720
20,376
13
2L x 4 G x 4G
960
27,168
10
2L x 5 G x 5G
1,200
33,960
2L x 6 G x 6G
1,440
40,752
2L x 7 G x 7G
1,680
47,544
1,920
54,336
2,160
61,128
2L x 10 G x 10G
2,400
67,920
2L x 11 G x 11G
2,640
74,712
2L x 12 G x 12G
2,880
81,504
2L x 13 G x 13G
3,120
88,296
2L x 14 G x 14G
3,360
95,088
1L x 1L x 3G
720
20,376
1L x 1L x 4G
960
27,168
1L x 1L x 5G
1,200
33,960
1L x 1L x 6G
1,440
40,752
1L x 1L x 7G
1,680
47,544
1,920
54,336
2L x 8 G x 8G
2L x 9 G x 9G
1L x 1L x 8G
1L x 1L x 9G
281
281
liters
7,960
7,960
cubic
feet
Change
Interval
700
350
liters
19,810
9,905
days
5
4
2,160
61,128
1L x 1L x 10G
2,400
67,920
1L x 1L x 11G
2,640
74,712
1L x 1L x 12G
2,880
81,504
1L x 1L x 13G
3,120
88,296
1L x 1L x 14G
3,360
95,088
2L x 2L x 3G
720
20,376
13
2L x 2L x 4G
960
27,168
10
2L x 2L x 5G
1,200
33,960
2L x 2L x 6G
1,440
40,752
2L x 2L x 7G
1,680
47,544
2L x 2L x 8G
1,920
54,336
2,160
61,128
2L x 2L x 10G
2,400
67,920
2L x 2L x 11G
2,640
74,712
2L x 2L x 12G
2,880
81,504
2L x 2L x 13G
3,120
88,296
2L x 2L x 14G
3,360
95,088
2L x 2L x 9G
563
15,920
700
19,810
5
4
32
33
TM
13325 Carowinds Blvd, Charlotte, NC 28241 1-888-4-MED GAS www.beaconmedaes.com

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Cryogenic Liquid Manifolds

Continuing Education Publication

Wondering how to keep informed about changes in the

Heres the best place to start!

hether youre looking for information, design assistance,

Notes on Using this Book:

Cryogenic Liquid Manifolds Applications Guide

Cryogenic Liquid Manifolds Applications Guide

Many facilities realize these savings and operate their

Cryogenic Liquid Manifolds Applications Guide

Cylinders vs. Containers

Containers holding cryogenic liquids are thus a superb

Cryogenic Liquid Manifolds Applications Guide

Cylinders vs. Containers

difference between the inner and outer vessels, every

Fill and Liquid Line

Note that the container is shown full of

Cryogenic Liquid Manifolds Applications Guide

Cylinders vs. Containers

Cryogenic Liquid Manifolds Applications Guide

of regulator which maintains the pressure of the headspace

About the Normal Evaporation Rate (NER)

All of these are phenomena which can be traced to normal

Cryogenic Liquid Manifolds Applications Guide

day, the secondary header would contribute 3,600 liters

This seems to present a problem, as no medical facility

On a gas manifold, any gas drawn will come from

Cryogenic Liquid Manifolds Applications Guide

but they are also subject to being overdrawn. Overdrawing

Cryogenic Liquid Manifolds Applications Guide

When is Liquid not a Good Idea

Cryogenic Liquid Manifolds Applications Guide

With liquid containers it is important to know the peak

Cryogenic Liquid Manifolds Applications Guide

Container and Cylinder Data

Cryogenic Liquid Manifolds Applications Guide

Safe Work Practices

Do not allow smoking or open flames in any area

Cryogenic Liquid Manifolds Applications Guide

Safe Work Practices

Working with cryogenic containers

Personal protective equipment (PPE)

Contact with cryogens

Cryogenic Liquid Manifolds Applications Guide

Alarms and Alarm Response

If nearly empty, it is often better to replace them to

Cryogenic Liquid Manifolds Applications Guide

Alarms and Alarm Response

Cryogenic Liquid Manifolds Applications Guide

The following is a typical layout for a manifold room. This

Minimum of 90 (239 cm)

Figure D-1 illustrates a

The diagram illustrates

Cryogenic Liquid Manifolds Applications Guide

Cryogenic Liquid Manifolds Applications Guide

Gas Manifold Dimensions

11 (27.9 cm) manifold enclosure front

Note 1 : Overall Manifold Minimum Space Allocation

Lifeline Gas x Gas Manifold

Cryogenic Liquid Manifolds Applications Guide

Liquid Manifold Dimensions

not interfere with other

Lifeline Liquid x Liquid Manifold