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Who is Frosty?

You have seen the cute little white smiling CSA mascot, “Frosty,” with our logo on his tummy. You may have wondered about his story. We’ve been featuring Frosty in many iterations, especially in the CryoChronicle, with holiday themes and—more recently—with a mask reminding us to be safe during this pandemic....

Why Choose One Cryogenic Transfer Hose Over Another?

Hoses are one of the unsung heroes of cryogenics. They aren’t directly responsible for the production or storage of cryogenic liquids, nor do they make headlines in the same way that innovations enabled by cryogenics do. However, hoses are found throughout cryogenic processes and in many products like MRI machines...

Cryomech Restructures, Introduces Improved Cooler during Pandemic

While 2020’s pandemic altered “business as usual” for nearly every organization, operation and individual around the globe, some businesses took advantage of the necessary changes to reflect on their operations and expectations. Late last year, Cryomech (CSA CSM) took the opportunity and restructured internally. Now, the new—and growing—team has introduced...

Jefferson Lab Sets Date for 2022 Open House Event

The Department of Energy’s Thomas Jefferson National Accelerator Facility (Jefferson Lab, CSA CSM) will open its doors to the public for its next Open House event on March 26, 2022. The free event will offer an opportunity for people of all ages to explore Jefferson Lab’s world-class research facility, including...

A Breakthrough For Electric and Hydrogen-powered Aircraft

A major breakthrough in electric propulsion for long-range aircraft could soon be on the horizon. The presence of a cold source, in the form of liquid hydrogen, alongside superconducting technologies promises to unlock new possibilities. The ASCEND demonstrator project by Airbus UpNext aims to mature these technologies to significantly boost...

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Dewar

A dewar is a type of cryostat named after Sir James Dewar, the researcher who first developed the concept of a vacuum insulated container with silvered walls to reflect thermal radiation. Dewar was the first to liquefy hydrogen, and he created the device to store his discovery. The thermos bottle...

Stirling and Gifford-McMahon Cryocoolers

Stirling and Gifford-McMahon (GM) cryocoolers are two of the most commonly used cryocoolers in cryogenics. Both devices have a significant industrial base and operate at a wide range of temperatures and capacities. The thermodynamic cycles for both of these cryocoolers are quite similar. The Stirling cycle consists of a compressor,...

Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG)

A significant commercial application of cryogenics is the liquefaction, transport and storage of natural gas. Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) is generally 95 percent methane with a few percent ethane and much lower concentrations of propane and butane. LNG liquefies at 111.6 K. Unlike many applications of cryogenics, the motivation for...

Magnets

From “Superconductivity: Present and Future Applications” by the Coalition for the Commercial Application of Superconductors. Particle physics uses accelerators to recreate the conditions of the early universe in an attempt to piece together the complex puzzle of how we got to where we are today. These huge machines are used...

Energy Storage

From “Superconductivity: Present and Future Applications” by the Coalition for the Commercial Application of Superconductors. With power lines increasingly congested and prone to instability, strategic injection of brief bursts of real power can play a crucial role in maintaining grid reliability. Small-scale Superconducting Magnetic Energy Storage (SMES) systems, based on...

Astronomy

ASTRONOMY IN SPACE by Peter V. Mason, retired,  Jet Propulsion Laboratory, and Visiting Associate, California Institute of Technology. Pmason@alumni.caltech.edu In thinking about the reasons to perform astronomy in space, we first consider the effect of the earth’s atmosphere.  On a scale of decreasing energy, gamma rays, cosmic rays, X-rays and...

Cryocoolers

What is a Cryocooler? A mechanism that can extract heat from an object (cooler) and by doing so draw its temperature down below approximately 150 Kelvin (cryo). — (Courtesy Dr. Willy Gully) What is the difference between a Cryocooler and a Cryostat? A cryostat is any device designed to maintain...

An Issue of Pressure and Flow Rate in a Supply Tank

Please help solve this problem: A supply tank requires a vaporizer to generate sufficient pressure to pump stored fluid up into a vehicle or tank. The available head is limited as the tank level falls and it is important to minimize the system pressure drop to maintain the desired flow...

Using MLI on VJ Line Joints or Cryo Storage Tanks

When installing Multi Layer Insulation (MLI) blankets on VJ line joints or cryo storage tanks should they be wrapped and tied down tight or loose? These are usually pre-cut to size. Also should they have an access hole at the point of where the molecular sieve is installed to help...