The CO2Cage Solution for CO2 Monitoring and Management

In this article, we chat with applications chemist, Cole Holstrom, for a look at the CO₂Cage and MPCart CO₂ monitoring and managment system and why any industry using CO₂ could benefit from adding it to their production.

There are many industries outside of the hemp extraction industry that need to use CO₂. This could range from beverage, blasting, welding, laser cutting, among extraction of a variety of essential oils and other plant materials.

But, there is a common theme that each of these businesses are faced with: the need to properly implement CO₂ monitoring in their process. Luckily, extraktLAB’s CO₂ cage solution provides the most safe and efficient way to contain and utilize CO₂ in nearly every industry that uses it.

To take a deeper dive into the applications of CO₂ use and the CO₂Cage system, let’s talk to extraktLAB Applications Chemist, Cole Holstrom for some insider knowledge to the benefits of this CO₂ monitoring system.

What is the CO₂ Cage & MPCart CO₂ Monitoring Solution?

“We figured out that it would be better to have a semi-permanent installation that could be refilled. The MPCart CO2 pump grew out of conversations with liquid CO₂ suppliers and saw what they used. It developed out of our own R&D because as we were building bigger and bigger extractors we needed a way to feed them so we could continue our tests and got tired of constantly moving around tanks and decided to create something more efficient.”

The CO₂Cage is a micro bulk CO₂ tank that holds CO₂ at the pressures required to run a lot of extraction equipment. Where bulk Co₂ tanks usually around 300 PSI, where the requirements for the extractor is around 800 PSI. So, the CO₂Cage acts as a high pressure reservoir that supplies sufficient liquid CO₂ to the extractors.”

“It’s not just a reservoir, however,” says Holstrom. “It also has many different sensors to maintain temperature for optimum performance, load cells on its feet to measure the weight in the cage and allows CO₂ monitoring of your usage as well.”

“What we’ve found is that there doesn’t seem to be another system in the industry that works quite as efficiently as this.”

“When I work with a customer, I frequently run into an issue where the CO₂ gas supplier has a lot of questions when they don’t completely understand the specifications required, so the customer will try to engineer their own solution that doesn’t work well, or costs a lot of money to utilize.”

“So, we find that a lot of suppliers try to reinvent the wheel, but it took us roughly two years of R&D to get the perfect components that make the MPCart and the CO₂Cage work as well as they do.”

How Does this CO₂ Management System Work?

“Your typical setup involves the CO₂Cage positioned next to whatever process is requiring the CO₂, in our case this would be our extractors, and the MPCart – which stands for ‘Mobile Pump Cart.’”

“In this industry, a lot of manufacturers are in a state of flux, so you need to have components that are mobile and can be adapted as the facility scales up, or changes as things progress. That’s why the MPCart is designed to be a portable solution.”

“What holds the pressure in the CO₂Cage are sixteen 100LB DOT Co₂ cylinders. These are exactly the same cylinders that you would be getting from your gas suppliers.”

“Some people are leery of a new product that is designed to hold pressure, but it is using the exact same components that are tried and tested by gas suppliers.”

Features of the MPCart and CO₂ Cage Solution

“There are a lot of features to the CO₂Cage that are designed specifically for CO₂ monitoring. Internal temperature is very important because you need to maintain a certain temperature otherwise the system will not produce the correct pressure that it needs.”

“And, you don’t want to use uncontrolled heat because you want something that’s going to have feedback to create an optimal temperature that gives the best performance while staying within safety parameters.”

“Speaking on safety, the CO₂Cage has many safety features: overpressure detection, pressure relief, onboard CO₂ sensors to detect levels and leaks, and a vent port where the system can be connected up to the facility’s ventilation in the event that there is a large pressure discharge.”

“On both the East and West coast, we have toured fire marshalls through our facilities and showed them the applications and features of the CO₂Cage. In every case those fire marshalls were very impressed and said that they would prefer to see a system like this in other facilities as opposed to what is normally used for many other manufacturers who utilize CO₂.”

CO₂ Applications Outside of the Hemp Industry

“In essence, the CO₂Cage is simply a CO₂ supply that can be gas, or liquid CO₂. So, any industry that would typically use individual CO2 cylinders or bottles – especially those that use it in larger quantities, can benefit from using the CO₂Cage.

“There is nothing about the features that are specifically dependent on other processes. Wherever you need gas or liquid CO₂, the CO₂Cage can be used for CO₂ monitoring dispensing, and optimization.”

Safest, Most Efficient, CO₂ Management Solution

“Safety is such a hurdle for people to jump over… Many times it seems that CO₂ containment can cause strained relationships between manufacturers and fire marshals inspecting their facilities. That’s not the case with the CO₂Cage. This is a product that is efficient, safe and is well engineered and we are always increasing efficiency. We are constantly refining and improving and are never satisfied with ‘good enough.’”

Want the Best CO₂ Monitoring and Management Solution for your Business?

At extraktLAB, we create solutions that are designed to streamline processes and optimize productivity by any means necessary. If you’re interested in adding solutions like the CO₂Cage to your product line, give us a call: 651-600-0036