The 25th International Cryogenic Engineering Conference and International Cryogenic Materials Conference took place July 7-11 at the University of Twente, Enschede, the Netherlands.
The 18th International Cryocooler Conference was held June 9-12 in Syracuse NY at the beautiful Syracuse University campus. Conference Chairman Rich Dausman and Co-chairman Dr. Chao Wang, both of Cryomech, Inc., hosted 161 attendees, including 11 students and six retirees, representing 14 different countries.
The applications of cryogenic systems have expanded over the past 50 years into many areas of our lives. This article will discuss the likely impact of cryogenic fluid dynamics on future cryogenic systems, and hopefully inspire further research to support and expand the use of existing findings and to improve...
A very interesting insight into the evolution of helium production and personal insights into the life and contributions of H. P. Cady was presented by his grandson, Dr. Ralph Cady Longsworth, retired from APD Cryogenics, in a paper entitled “100th anniversary of the discovery of helium in natural gas,” presented...
In our last issue, we debuted our third installment of Young Faces, featuring young professionals who are doing interesting things in cryogenics and superconductivity and who show promise of making a difference in their fields. Here is Part II of that story, with responses listed in order of receipt.
Many scientific observations must be done in space at cryogenic temperatures a few millidegrees to a few degrees above absolute zero (-273°C). These include observations of the behavior of superfluid helium in space and observations with instruments and millimeter-wave telescopes operating at liquid helium temperatures.
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 (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,...
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...
From “Superconductivity: Present and Future Applications” by the Coalition for the Commercial Application of Superconductors. Particle physics uses accelerators to recreate the conditions of the early universe in an attempt to piece together the complex puzzle of how we got to where we are today. These huge machines are used...
From “Superconductivity: Present and Future Applications” by the Coalition for the Commercial Application of Superconductors. With power lines increasingly congested and prone to instability, strategic injection of brief bursts of real power can play a crucial role in maintaining grid reliability. Small-scale Superconducting Magnetic Energy Storage (SMES) systems, based on...
ASTRONOMY IN SPACE by Peter V. Mason, retired, Jet Propulsion Laboratory, and Visiting Associate, California Institute of Technology. Pmason@alumni.caltech.edu In thinking about the reasons to perform astronomy in space, we first consider the effect of the earth’s atmosphere. On a scale of decreasing energy, gamma rays, cosmic rays, X-rays and...
What is a Cryocooler? A mechanism that can extract heat from an object (cooler) and by doing so draw its temperature down below approximately 150 Kelvin (cryo). — (Courtesy Dr. Willy Gully) What is the difference between a Cryocooler and a Cryostat? A cryostat is any device designed to maintain...
For a technical presentation I would like to have some recommendations for low temperature applications of titanium and titanium alloys. Do you think you can help me?
I’m designing a Liquid Oxygen Bath to place composite coupons in the bath and soak 96 samples for intervals of 8 hours, 24 hours, 7 days, 21 days, 42 days, 62 days and 90 days.
Regarding the method known as the Adiabatic Demagnetization of Paramagnetic Salts: What metallic salts are normally used to produce the ultra-low temperatures used for near-absolute-zero cryogenic research? Which salts are the most efficient? Which make the best cooling agents? And which are used most commonly by physicists? I am looking...