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Spectrum Specialty Valves’ Cryogenic Cam Butterfly Valve Wins SBIR Grant

Last year, C-Suite Services dba Spectrum Specialty Valves won a NASA Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) grant for their cryogenic cam butterfly valve, beginning a lengthy research, development and production process. The three-phase NASA SBIR and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) programs fund the research, development and demonstration of innovative...

Ministry of Petroleum: Europe to Receive First Egyptian Liquefied Natural Gas Shipment

On Sunday, February 21, the LNG Tanker Golar Glacier arrived in Damietta Port to transport the first experimental shipment from the plant that has been idle for eight years. The return to operations of the Damietta plant on the northeast coast and the country’s other plant, Idku, in the Beheira...

First Drive: Hydrogen Powered Kia Borrego FCEV and Nissan X-Trail FCV

During the Hydrogen + Fuel Cells 2009 conference in Vancouver, British Columbia, Yahoo editor Sebastian Blanco got to spend a few minutes in both the Nissan X-Trail FCV and the Kia Borrego FCEV. Now, he recalls the experience in a new hydrogen powered reality.

Applied Superconductivity Conference 2020 Unites Researchers, Manufacturers Virtually

Due to the ongoing pandemic, the Applied Superconductivity Conference (ASC) 2020 was held virtually this year from October 24 to November 7. Over the two weeks, attendees were given access to the same events and information that draw the international crowd for a “normal” convention, albeit in a digital format....

Cryocooler Community Meets Virtually for ICC21

From December 7-10, more than 160 researchers, engineers, students and industry professionals gathered virtually on Zoom® to discuss and share information on all aspects of cryocoolers during the 21st International Cryocooler Conference, ICC21. Held every other year since 1980, ICC’s mission is to “enhance cryocooler development by promoting increased communication...

Contribute Your Answer to a Very ‘Cool’ Question on Physics Forum, Stack Exchange

An interesting cryogenics question was posted in the physics section of the popular forum, Stack Exchange: "What would happen if a 10-kg cube of iron, at a temperature close to 0 kelvin, suddenly appeared in your living room?" Now, cryogenics enthusiasts around the world are offering up their explanations. We...

Latest in Defining Cryogenics

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...

Latest in Cryo Central

Cryogenic Electronics

Randall Kirschman, consulting physicist, Mountain View, California ExtElect@gmail.com Cryogenic electronics—the operation of electronic devices, circuits, and systems at cryogenic temperatures—has been a valuable technology for decades. Cryogenic electronics (also referred to as low-temperature electronics, or cold electronics) can be based on semiconductive devices, on superconductive devices, or on a combination...

Particle Physics: High Energy Physics

Cryogenics and High-Energy Physics 1. From symmetry magazine: http://www.symmetrymagazine.org/cms/?pid=1000627: Cryogenics is the study of how materials behave at temperatures near absolute zero. In high-energy particle accelerators, such frigid temperatures reduce the electrical resistance of wires in superconducting magnets, increasing the magnet strength and allowing faster particle acceleration. The same holds...

HTS Degaussing Systems

From the Spring 2009 issue of Cold Facts (Volume 25, Number 2): Thanks to a joint project by the US Navy and a number of industry partners, high temperature superconducting (HTS) technology is now at the heart of an advanced degaussing system aboard the USS Higgins at the naval station...

Magnetic Resonance Imaging

From http://www.superconductors.org: An area where superconductors can perform a life-saving function is in the field of biomagnetism. Doctors need a non-invasive means of determining what’s going on inside the human body. By impinging a strong superconductor-derived magnetic field into the body, hydrogen atoms that exist in the body’s water and...

Latest in Ask the Experts

Power usage: cryogenic systems vs. regular refrigerators

A recent project highlighted to me that closed cycle cryogenic cooling systems use far more electrical power to reduce temperatures by a few watts than regular refrigerators. I am sure it must be something to do with the extra difficulty of removing the heat from the liquid nitrogen or similar...

Redundancy strategies for mechanical -80C freezers

I was wondering what kind of redundancy strategies are people using for their mechanical -80C freezers? I am aware of the following. Please add if you are doing something different. 1) 1 Backup freezer for every 10 freezers – Empty and maintained at -80C at all times 2) Backup C02...

Safety guidelines for handling cryo vessels of nitrogen

I am looking for any safety guidelines for handling cryogenic vessels of nitrogen indoors and outdoors. I am especially interested in recommendations for area monitors to detect leaks, flow detection devices, etc.

Method to move components in a cryogenic environment

Does anyone know of a method with which to reliably move components in a cryogenic environment? We are interested in moving detectors in a cryogenically cooled (2K) vacuum chamber, which is contained within a larger cryostat/isolation vacuum with thermal shields. As the desired horizontal or vertical displacement is between 10...

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