Cold Facts Digital – The go-to place for Cryogenics and Superconductivity

Cryogenics, Superconductivity Enabled Historic Black Hole Photograph

In April, the Event Horizon Telescope captured the first ever photo of a black hole. Superconducting submillimeter detectors, developed by engineers and astronomers at the University of Virginia and the National Radio Astronomy Observatory in Charlottesville, helped make visible what once was only black. These devices were responsible for capturing...

Cryo-EM Imaging Enables First Snapshots of Trapped CO2 Molecules

Scientists have taken the first images of carbon dioxide molecules within a molecular cage using a new twist on cryo-EM imaging. The development came in mid-June and reveals what’s going on inside MOFs, highly porous nanoparticles with big potential for storing fuel, separating gases and removing carbon dioxide from the...

NASA Explorers: Apollo Audio Series Celebrates the 50th Anniversary of Apollo 11

Listen to people from all over the world recount their favorite Apollo memories or share their hopes for what’s yet to come in space exploration. In a new audio series, listeners will hear from a moon detective, scientists who study space rocks and people from all over the world whose...

Research Group Sets New Temperature Record For Superconductivity

An international team of scientists has built a superconductor that functions at 250 K, nearly 50 °C (84.6 °F) hotter than the previous record high for superconductivity—and it puts the “holy grail” of energy transmission almost within reach. In a study published in Nature, scientists describe their new material, lanthanum...

The Language of Physics, According to Symmetry

Luminosity, quintessence, damping, oh my! Word fans rejoice, Symmetry has published another list of 10 common words that take on a new meaning when spoken by scientists.

Altus Midstream Announces First Cryogenic Processing Train in Service at Texas Complex

Altus Midstream introduced the first of its three new cryogenic processing trains at the Diamond Cryo Complex in Alpine High TX. It is now processing rich natural gas and delivering natural gas liquids (NGLs) and residue gas for sale.

Latest in Defining Cryogenics

Dilution Refrigerators

Dilution refrigerators are a common technique for reaching temperatures below 1K, particularly where continuous cooling at these temperatures is required. Helium exists in two stable isotopes: 4He and 3He. Naturally occurring 3He is extremely rare, constituting less than 1 part per million of helium gas. However, 3He can be manufactured,...

Oxygen Deficiency Hazards

Oxygen Deficiency Hazards (ODH) are a significant safety issue in cryogenic facilities. ODH occurs when inert gases such as nitrogen, helium or argon displace room air and thus lower the percentage of oxygen in the space below that required for human life. OSHA defines an area as oxygen deficient if...

Kelvin Temperature Scale

The Kelvin temperature scale is the principal temperature scale used in cryogenics and science. The kelvin is also one of the seven base units in the Système International d’Unités (SI) and is the unit of thermodynamic temperature. Thermodynamic temperature is a fundamental physical quantity (like mass, length or electrical current)...

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

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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