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

Reviving SMES, One Niche at a Time

Many projects in applied superconductivity hold great promise for the energy sector, but have failed to catch on due to cost, competition from established systems, perceived risk and other factors. Among them is Superconducting Magnetic Energy Storage (SMES), a system that stores energy in the form of a magnetic field....

IRAS Maximizes Cryogenic Process Efficiency

Integrated Refrigeration and Storage (IRAS) is a technology to help maximize efficiency of spaceport cryogenic processes by integrating modern cryogenic refrigeration units with liquid storage vessels. Brayton cycle helium refrigerators are available in a range of capacities and temperatures, with demonstrated high efficiency and low maintenance. In an IRAS system,...

Zero Boiloff Tank Experiments aboard ISS

Affordable and reliable cryogenic fluid storage for propellant or life support systems is integral to all phases of NASA’s projected space and planetary expeditions. One challenge facing engineers is self-pressurization. It can be caused by the cryogen vaporization that results from heat leaks into a tank from its surroundings and...

New Superconducting Undulators Key to Next-Gen XFELs

Researchers at the US Department of Energy’s Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory and Argonne National Laboratory (CSA CSM) have collaborated to design, build and test two superconducting undulator devices that could make X-ray lasers more powerful, versatile, compact and durable. In tests, the prototype SCUs successfully produced stronger magnetic fields than...

Sending out an SRF, Fermilab and Northwestern Partner for Applied Superconductivity Center

Northwestern University and the Department of Energy’s Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory (CSA CSM) have established a new research center where scientists will focus on advancing superconductivity, hoping to produce societal gains in the fields of particle physics, solid-state physics, materials science, medicine, energy and environmental sciences. Included are investigations into...

New Form of Matter Is Supersolid

An MIT research team has created a supersolid, a new form of matter that combines both form and viscosity-free flow—properties that most people consider mutually exclusive. The team formed the new material from a Bose-Einstein condensate (BEC), suspending the superfluid gas in an ultrahigh vacuum and then manipulating the sample...

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

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...

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...

Latest in Ask the Experts

In need of books to start a cryogenic engineering department

My company is going to create a cryogenic engineering department and we need some books in order to facilitate this project. This is the kind of information we would like to obtain from the books: 1- Calculations for determining the storage facilities, such as storage tanks, pumps, compressors, etc. 2-...

What does "n" stand for?

We have a picture where the various layers of a transfer line are labeled.

Having some difficulty with the design of a cryogenic pressure vessel

I am a graduate student in the Dept. of Mechanical Engineering at West Virginia University. As a part of my research, I’m doing a case study of design of a Cryogenic Pressure Vessel. I’m facing a little difficulty in the process, and would be very grateful to you if you...

What's the difference between a cryocooler and a cryostat?

What’s the difference between a cryocooler and a cryostat?

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