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US ATLAS Phase I Upgrade Completed at CERN

The ATLAS experiment at CERN’s Large Hadron Collider (LHC) is ready to begin another chapter in its search for new physics. A significant upgrade to the experiment, the ATLAS Phase I Upgrade, has received Critical Decision-4 approval from the US Department of Energy, signifying the completion of the US portion...

In Memoriam: David Pegg

Former president of the Society for Cryobiology, Dr. David Pegg has died at 86. Pegg helped set up the international Society for Cryobiology in 1964, and start its journal, Cryobiology, of which he later became editor in chief, eventually becoming the society’s president from 1974-75. A pioneer in the field...

ISRO To Test Semi-Cryogenic Engine In Ukraine

ISRO, the Indian space agency, moving on from their not-so-successful moon landing attempt, has started to look ahead to upcoming missions. The next feat is a group of liftoffs, starting with PSLV 47 later this month. The first step is inspection and trial of the semi-cryogenic engine in Ukraine.

KEK Publishes the International Working Group’s Recommendations for International Linear Collider

KEK has received the International Working Group’s report of recommendations regarding the International Linear Collider (ILC) project and published a document, “Recommendations on ILC Project Implementation," outlining the suggestions. The report calls for cost-sharing programs for the civil engineering projects, accelerator components, conventional facilities construction and operating costs. It goes...

World’s First Hydrogen Powered Boat Docks in London

The world's first hydrogen powered boat has docked in London, the last stop of its European tour. The 30-meter Energy Observer acts as a “floating lab” for testing green maritime technology. It harnesses electricity from three renewable energies¬¬¬–hydrogen, solar and wind–to propel the boat and charge its batteries. Using this...

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Refrigerators and Liquefiers

Two of the most common terms used in cryogenics are “refrigerator” and “liquefier.” These terms describe similar and, as will be seen, in some cases identical components. A refrigerator provides cooling (that is, absorbs heat) at cryogenic temperatures. Refrigerators typically put a working fluid (such as helium) through one of...

Air Separation

Air separation is one of the largest, as well as earliest, industrial applications of cryogenics. In this process, cryogenic temperatures are used to separate air into its constituent gases: nitrogen (78.08%), oxygen (20.95%), argon (0.93%) and carbon dioxide (0.3%). Trace gases such as krypton, neon, xenon and helium total far...

Coefficient of Performance and Figure of Merit

The coefficient of performance (COP) is used to describe the effectiveness of refrigerators, including those operating at cryogenic temperatures. The COP is defined as the amount of heat removed at the cryogenic operating temperature of the refrigerator divided by the amount of work that must be applied to remove the...

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...