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WCS Redefines Boundaries in Cryogenics

West Coast Solutions (WCS) has experienced remarkable growth since its founding in 2015 by Dr. Carl Kirkconnell. From its origins as a one-person operation, the company has expanded to a team of over 40, 80% of whom are engineers. Anchored by a core group of seasoned professionals—many former Raytheon colleagues—and...

Meet Our New Board Members

As the Cryogenic Society of America moves into an exciting era of innovation and exploration, we’re thrilled to introduce the talented professionals who will help guide our organization forward. This year’s new board members bring a wealth of expertise from diverse sectors within the field, as well as a shared...

CoolCAD Electronics Pioneers Precision in Cryogenic Testing and Modeling

CoolCAD Electronics is a leading provider of electrical test services (current-voltage, capacitance-voltage, noise, transients, etc.) and compact modeling (SPICE) for companies and agencies fabricating and/or designing electronics for low temperature operation. CoolCAD Electronics is a leading-edge company specializing in cryogenic electronics design, testing, and characterization of semiconductor devices operating at...

INFICON’s Cryo Tech Uncovers Volcanic Secrets on Vulcano and Stromboli

Volcanism is one of Earth’s most powerful forces, reshaping landscapes and impacting ecosystems in dramatic ways. To advance the prediction of volcanic eruptions, INFICON GmbH, a leader in measurement and sensor technologies, is partnering with scientists and research institutions to monitor volcanic activity on Italy’s Vulcano and Stromboli islands. This...

Stirling Cryogenics’ World Tour

Given the theme of this issue of Cold Facts, Stirling Cryogenics would like to take you on a tour of our 70-year history, telling about our recent and vintage cryogenerators and systems all around the world. Universities worldwide have been our customers from the very beginning, cheering in the 1950s that...

Streamlining Industrial Gas Distribution with Cylinder Outsourcing

By streamlining the acquisition, recertification and repair of gas cylinders, industrial gas distributors can increase profitability. Industrial gas distributors, responsible for filling and supplying compressed gas cylinders for sale or rental, are crucial to diverse sectors. They deliver essential gases like nitrogen, oxygen, argon, carbon dioxide, hydrogen, helium, methane and...

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

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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