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LN2 Freezing of Live Bacteria in Dairy Products Boosts Productivity, Lowers Costs

GEA, an Australian electrical component company, has now launched a nitrogen freezing pilot plant for bacteria which takes a novel approach: freezing the bacteria in droplets using a liquid nitrogen bath outside the freeze dryer, then drying the pellets via the normal procedure. By freezing bacteria into pellets before drying,...

Thales Cryogenics, Eindhoven Receives NASA Awards

NASA has awarded the cryogenics department at Thales, Eindhoven two recognitions at its 2019 Honors ceremony held at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena the week of November 11. Both were awarded for Thales’ contribution to the success of the ongoing ECOSTRESS mission. The group received the NASA Group Achievement...

Hahn Shot First

After 32 years as Fermilab’s staff photographer, Reidar Hahn is retiring – and saying farewell with a final collection of photos in Fermilab’s art gallery. Hahn has graciously allowed CSA to display some of his best work in future issues of Cold Facts and a CSA online photo gallery.

Woman Hospitalized, Loses Gallbladder After Drinking Liquid Nitrogen at Florida Hotel

A woman is suing The Don CeSar Hotel in St. Pete Beach FL after allegedly being served liquid nitrogen in her drinking water causing her to be rushed to the hospital for an emergency gallbladder removal and partial stomach removal. Stacey Wagners filed the suit on October 11, nearly one...

Cool and Dry: A Revolutionary Method for Cooling a Superconducting Accelerator Cavity at Fermilab

For the first time, a team at Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory (CSA CSM) has cooled and operated a superconducting radio-frequency cavity—a crucial component of superconducting particle accelerators using cryogenic refrigerators—with cryocoolers, breaking the tradition of cooling cavities by immersing them in a bath of liquid helium. It achieved an accelerating...

Department of Energy Authorizes LNG Exports from the Venture Global Plaquemines Project

The US Department of Energy issued an order to Venture Global Plaquemines LNG, LLC approving exports of domestically produced liquefied natural gas from the Plaquemines LNG Project. The project will be located on the Mississippi River, in Plaquemines Parish LA approximately 20 miles from the port of New Orleans. Under...

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

TS diagram for helium

Where can I obtain a really big, nice TS diagram for helium ?

Reliability and mounting of electronic substrates at low temperatures

I am currently working on the design of a focal plane assembly to be implemented on a small satellite (4 EMCCD detectors) to be operated at -80°C (which is not really cryogenic and likely still considered boiling hot for most of you :-). As it is passively cooled, the assembly...

Are 3D drawings included in the sale of a cryogenic plant?

I have a question concerning the 3D drawings of a cryogenic plant. The integration of the 3D drawings of a plant with the 3D main model of a new laboratory or a new facility can be a complex work that takes a lot of time. I would like to know...

Looking for a source of LOX impact testing to ASTM D2512

I have been looking for a source of LOX impact testing to ASTM D2512. I am aware of NASA and White Sands, but am looking for a commercial entity doing the work. No luck so far, even calling a lot of the folks on the CSA website. Any referrals will...

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