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French to English translations [PRO] Tech/Engineering - Engineering (general) / cryogenic container
French term or phrase:balayer
Part of the maintenance instructions for a small cryogenic container
« ...procéder au balayage de l’intérieur de la cuve à l’aide d’un gaz sec (O2 ou N2) jusqu'à disparition de toute trace d’humidité. »
I know that 'scavenge' is sometimes used for 'balayer', but I don't think that fits properly here. I feel sure there is an official word for 'using one gas to remove all traces of another substance from a container', but for the moment it escapes me.
Thanks, Margaret (and Rachel too for your ref. comment!)
This is the word that was on the tip of my tongue, and the solution I finally adopted, as validated by my customer. 4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer
The context is that of using O2 or N2 to 'dry' the interior of the tank to make sure there is no moisture in it (i.e. H2O)
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Answers
1 min confidence: peer agreement (net): +1
purge
Explanation: on first view
Jonathan MacKerron Local time: 23:34 Native speaker of: English PRO pts in category: 14
Notes to answerer
Asker: Thanks Jonathan! This was one of the ideas that occurred to me initially, but the problem is compounded by the fact that I also have the verb 'purger' elsewhere, and it seems they are making a specific disinction between the two.
Explanation: Is the PRINCIPAL purpose of the operation to remove gas (scavenging would be OK) or to remove moisture (blow out?) ?
Blowing out residual liquid nitrogen?? If so, I imagine the air flow causes the liq. nitrogen to change to gas phase, so "scavenge" would in fact be correct: no liquid nitrogen, no gaseous nitrogen to be scavenged.
-------------------------------------------------- Note added at 41 mins (2009-01-26 09:48:20 GMT) --------------------------------------------------
Except of course, as I see on rereading, you are potentially scavenging ex-liquid nitrogen with nitrogen gase, so not "scavenging"at all, but blowing out (via gas transphase).
xxxBourth Local time: 23:34 Specializes in field Native speaker of: English PRO pts in category: 1054
Notes to answerer
Asker: Thanks, Alex! In fact, the gaseous nitrogen is left in the tank for some length of time, to drive out any trace of moisture, so that's why I don't think 'scavenge' is quite the right idea (suggests recover of something you want...), and 'blow out' seems somehow too dynamic...
Explanation: This is the impression I get here. To flush out the inside of the vat using a dry gas.
margaret caulfield Local time: 23:34 Works in field Native speaker of: English, Spanish PRO pts in category: 24
Grading comment
Thanks, Margaret (and Rachel too for your ref. comment!)
This is the word that was on the tip of my tongue, and the solution I finally adopted, as validated by my customer.
Reference comments
1 hr peer agreement (net): +1
Reference: flush
Reference information: not sure what your "small cryogenic container" is, but:
CRYOGENIC DEWAR MAINTENANCE
Never use helium gas to flush the vacuum space...
Never flush a cold dewar. Admitting any gas into the vacuum space of a dewar that
still has a liquid cryogen in...
To help remove any helium gas, flush the dewar with dry nitrogen gas and pump the dewar three times.
If you are using a leak detector for your pump and if your leak detector indicates any helium gas, it may be
advantageous to flush the vacuum space once with nitrogen gas.
The translation workplace 
