US Helium Reserve nearing depletion
Officials at the Federal Helium Reserve, the source of almost half of the US helium supply and more than a third of the world's, say that the reserve could exhaust its supply by 2020.
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Hints of Higgs boson detected at Tevatron, LHC
Scientists of the CDF and DZero collaborations at Fermilab continue to increase the sensitivity of their Tevatron experiments to the Higgs particle and narrow the range in which the particle seems to be hiding.
Meyer Tool Certified for European Union PED Welding
This past October, five members of the Meyer Tool & Mfg., Inc. weld department spent an intensive two days welding test coupons while under the observation of Todd Ward of the Hartford Steam Boiler Inspection and Insurance Company (HSBCT).
CSA, CEC/ICMC awards presented in Spokane
The CSA and CEC/ICMC awards were presented on Thursday, June 16, 2011, in Spokane at the Awards Banquet. More details and photos are available in the 2011 CEC/ICMC photo gallery and in the Summer issue of Cold Facts.
Advanced Magnet Lab awarded NASA contract for SC machine modeling
The Advanced Magnet Lab, Inc. (AML) has been awarded a three-year research contract from NASA for developing an experimentally validated, high fidelity, physics-based sizing model for high power superconducting machines, such as electrical generators and turbo-electric propulsion fans.
Fermilab researcher reflects on Tevatron’s retirement
At the end of September, Fermilab's famous particle collider the Tevatron will be retired after a dazzling career spanning four decades.
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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...
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...
Seeking recommendations for commercial sensors
I would like to measure vibrations in small LHe cryostats. Could anybody recommend commercial sensors which would be suitable for the purpose? I am interested in the frequency range between 1Hz and a couple of KHz, with particular attention to the low frequency side.
Estimating cost of carbon steel, pure helium storage tanks
In order to perform an indicative cost assessment of our helium cryogenic plant (still in the design phase), I need an estimation of the cost of carbon steel room temperature pure helium storage tanks. The storage pressure is 20 bar. Can anyone give me suggestions about how to estimate the...
Supplier of pressure sensor that works down to 4.2 K
In an actual experiment we would like to measure the static pressure in a cryostat in the range between one and four bar. Therefore we are looking for some (more or less) cheap pressure sensors that work in liquid helium in the pressure range up to five bar. Unfortunately all...
Looking for reference/textbook suggestions
Can you suggest some reference textbooks for practical thermodynamics applications in cryogenic fields? I need textbooks with cryogenics calculations and examples, dimensioning procedures, second principle applications in cryogenics, heat load calculations, cryogenic pump application, etc. Do such books exist? Does any similar source of information exist?