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SpaceX Launch System Redesigned, Ready for Testing

SpaceX indicates that a test vehicle for the company’s next-generation launch system could be ready for testing early in 2019. The test hopper will be powered by three of the company’s methane/liquid oxygen engines, units that were "radically redesigned" according to chief executive Elon Musk.

US Cryogenics Lab Critical for Pacific Operations

A US military base in Okinawa includes the only cryogenic facility for the US Air Force in Japan, producing and supplying the oxygen and nitrogen necessary to keep US aircraft in the sky. The unit, however, is also known for saving local lives and making ice cream.

Science Publication Recommends the Physics Books of 2018

Symmetry writer Mike Perricone presented readers with his annual compilation of popular science books related to particle physics and astrophysics. The list includes more than ten suggestions, including "Particle Physics Brick by Brick: Atomic and Subatomic Physics Explained...in LEGO," by Dr. Ben Still.

Linde Opens New Hydrogen Station in Germany

The Linde Group (CSA CSM) has opened another hydrogen station in Hanover, Germany. The company is using the next generation of its proprietary cryogenic pump, converting stored liquid hydrogen into a gaseous state compressed to 900 bar. There are currently 55 hydrogen filling stations in Germany, and 100 stations scheduled...

Scientists Enter Unexplored Territory in Superconductivity Search

Scientists at Brookhaven National Laboratory have been trying to understand key characteristics that cause superconductivity. They have used a combination of experimental techniques to plot points in a previously unmapped region of the "phase diagram” of BSCCO, a high-temperature superconductor.

Manufacturing in the Cradle of the Cryostat

Major cryogenic projects are underway in Hazira, India, where Larsen & Tourbo Ltd is wrapping up the cryostat system designed for the ITER project in France. The company began associated work in 2015, including segments for the ITER cryostat's base section, and is now finishing its contribution with the 490-ton...

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Regenerators

Regenerators or regenerative heat exchangers are a key component of cryocoolers such as pulse tube cryocoolers (Cold Facts, August 2014). Regenerator performance greatly affects the coefficient of performance of cryocoolers. Improvements in regenerator design and, in particular, regenerator materials have been an important factor in the improvement of the performance...

Pulse Tube Cryocoolers

The development of pulse tube cryocoolers has been a significant topic of research and development over the past 20 or so years. Pulse tube cryocoolers have a number of advantages over other types of cryocoolers and are now available commercially. In order to understand pulse tube cryocoolers, it’s best to...

Thermal Expansion

Thermal expansion refers to the change in size (length or volume) that a material undergoes as its temperature changes. In cryogenic systems this effect can be quite large and must be allowed for in the design. In isotropic materials, which include most engineering materials, the thermal expansion is the same...

Cryogenic Treatment of Materials

F.J. Diekman Controlled Thermal Processing, Inc. info@metal-wear.com Cryogenic Processing (also called cryogenic treatment, and incorrectly “cryogenic tempering”) is a process that uses cryogenic temperatures to modify materials to enhance their performance. Cryogenic Processing involves the slow reduction in temperature of the material to at least -300°F (-185°C) and holding the...

Cryogenics in Space

Peter Kittel University of California-Berkeley pkittel@cal.berkeley.edu Space Cryogenics is the application of cryogenics to space missions. These applications fall into two broad areas, supporting space science missions and supporting the space transportation infrastructure. Science applications: The atmosphere is opaque to much of the electro-magnetic spectrum. In space, the absence of...

Cryosurgery

Review of Cryosurgery Boris Rubinsky, PhD Hebrew University School of Science and Engineering Research Center for Biomedical Engineering 78b Ross Building Givat Ram, Jerusalem 91904 Israel rubinsky@cs.huji.ac.il as published in Annual Review of Biomedical Engineering, August 2000, Vol. 2, pp. 157-187. Abstract: Cryosurgery is a surgical technique that employs freezing...

Liquefied Natural Gas

Liquefied Natural Gas as it relates to the Field of Cryogenics John W. Bonn VJ Systems, LLC johnbonn@vjsystems-lic.com Today the world is looking for a cleaner fuel and Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) plays a large part in achieving this goal. LNG in a liquid form is at -162°C (-259°F) and...

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...