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Neutrino Energy to Power IoT Devices

In 2015, it was discovered that neutrinos have mass, so in theory, they can impact matter and give up some of their kinetic energy. Neutrino Energy Group is developing neutrino-based power generators by designing materials that can convert the kinetic energy of a neutrino into electricity. Such devices could be...

A Universal Symbol for Cryogenic Hazards

CSA was recently asked about a universal symbol to denote cryogenic hazards. Our contacts at NIST have helped answer those inquiries. While OSHA (Occupational Safety and Health Administration) does not provide a symbol, a cryogen “shipped” container would be labeled with the Gas Cylinder pictogram and a description of the...

Innovative Accelerator Achieves Full Energy Recovery

An innovative particle accelerator designed and built by scientists from the US Department of Energy’s Brookhaven National Laboratory and Cornell University has achieved a significant milestone that could greatly enhance the efficiency of future particle accelerators. After sending a particle beam for one pass through the accelerator, machine components recovered...

Hydrogen-Powered Bicycles Offer New Electromobility Concept

Pragma Industries has received an order for 1,000 bicycles from Chilean president Sebastian Pinera after 200 hydrogen bicycles were made available to journalists and world leaders at the recent G7 summit in Biarritz. The company’s founder, Pierre Forté, envisions that the bicycles will have an environmental impact in developing countries.

Particle Accelerators Drive Decades of Discoveries at Berkeley Lab and Beyond

Accelerators have been at the heart of the Department of Energy’s Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab) since its inception in 1931, and are still a driving force in the laboratory’s mission and its R&D program. Accelerator R&D and experiments at the lab—and lab scientists’ participation in experiments at other...

ISRO’s Resilience is Demonstrated by Development of Its Cryogenic Engine

After failing several times in its attempt to develop a cryogenic engine, India’s space agency—ISRO—persisted and succeeded in using the engine to launch India's second lunar mission, Chandrayaan-2, to lunar orbit.

Latest in Defining Cryogenics

Joule-Thomson Effect

The Joule-Thomson (JT) effect is a thermodynamic process that occurs when a fluid expands from high pressure to low pressure at constant enthalpy (an isenthalpic process). Such a process can be approximated in the real world by expanding a fluid from high pressure to low pressure across a valve. Under...

Current Leads

One of the challenges of using superconducting magnets is the connection of the magnet to a room temperature power supply. This is accomplished via current leads. The trick is that current leads should ideally have a low heat leak, since they connect room temperature to cryogenic temperature, while at the...

Multilayer Insulation

Multilayer insulation (also referred to as superinsulation) is a key component in the reduction of heat leak to cryogenic systems due to thermal radiation. MLI consists of a series of uncooled reflective surfaces placed in the vacuum space between two surfaces, one warmer than the other. Generally speaking, for ideal...

Latest in Cryo Central

Wind Tunnels

Dr. Robert Kilgore The development of the cryogenic wind tunnel is one of many significant breakthroughs in both cryogenics and wind-tunnel technology made during the past millennium. Interest in the development of high-speed commercial and military aircraft resulted in a review of problems of flow simulation in transonic wind tunnels...

History of Cryogenics

From the Fall 1999 issue of Cold Facts magazine Millennium Breakthroughs A variety of CSA members give different perspectives on the past millennium: What were the most significant breakthroughs in cryogenics during the past millennium? Prof. R.G. Scurlock, Kryos Technology, scurlock@soton.ac.uk (“Breakthrough” = way through obstacles — Oxford English Dictionary)...

Cryobiology

Andreas Sputtek Past President Society for Cryobiology sputtek@uke.uni-hamburg.de or http://www.sputtek.de/. The word cryobiology (from the Greek words “cryo” = cold, “bios” = life, and “logos” = science) literally signifies the science of life at low temperatures. In practice, this field comprises the study of any biological material or system (e.g.,...

Cryogenic Insulation

James E. Fesmire Cryogenics Test Laboratory NASA Kennedy Space Center james.e.fesmire@nasa.gov Introduction In today’s world, the use of cryogenics and low-temperature refrigeration is taking a more and more significant role. From the food industry, transportation, energy, and medical applications to the Space Shuttle, cryogenic liquids must be stored, handled, and...

Latest in Ask the Experts

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...

Separated layers of ice over a pipe

I want to know that why there are different layers of ice over a pipe carrying a cryogenic fluid, each layer separated with clear marks / lines? What do these layers signify?

Using nitrogen as a cryogen

Is it possible to achieve -200˚C using nitrogen as a cryogen?

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