Dr. Paul Grant video explores the commercial applications of superconductors
Dr. Paul Grant, a Cold Facts contributor, talked with physicsworld.com editor Hamish Johnston at the recent American Physical Society March Meeting in Dallas.
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10 things you may not know about superconductivity
2011 marks the 100th anniversary of the discovery of superconductivity, the ability of some materials to conduct electricity with zero energy loss when cooled to extremely low temperatures.
John Baust elected president of American College of Cryosurgery
Dr. John Baust, UNESCO Professor and Director of the Institute of Biomedical Technology at SUNY's Binghamton University, has been elected President of the group, which promotes the highest possible standards in clinical practice, continuing education and research in cryosurgery, raising public awareness in the uses of cryosurgery, and providing a...
Space Shuttle Endeavour to deliver Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer
When the next-to-last Space Shuttle, Endeavour, is launched on April 29 it will be carrying the $2 billion Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer (AMS) particle detector, an instrument designed to detect dark matter, antimatter and other exotic phenomena.
“100 Years of Superconductivity” Symposium commemorates important anniversary
The "100 Years of Superconductivity" Symposium and Technology Milestone Dedications held April 8 in Leiden, The Netherlands, were major commemorations of this important anniversary.
Physicists pay sad visit to SSC site
A blog by Hamish Johnston on physicsworld.com reports that a group at the American Physical Society March meeting in Dallas “broke in” to the old Superconducting Super Collider (SSC) site just south of the town for a look at the derelict project.
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Helium-3
Helium-3 (3He) is one of the two stable isotopes of helium. The other is the much more common Helium-4 (4He). Neither of these isotopes should be confused with He II, which is the second liquid phase of 4He. He II was discussed in this column in the Spring 2010 edition...
Cryopumping
Cryopumping refers to the use of cryogenic temperatures to produce vacuum in enclosed spaces. More broadly, it can also refer to the removal of gases via cryogenic temperatures from a flow stream or enclosure without necessarily resulting in vacuum pressures. This is an important application of cryogenics and is used...
Thermal Acoustic Oscillations
Thermal Acoustic Oscillations (TAO) are a common event in cryogenic systems that can have significant adverse effects on the performance of the system. TAOs are sustained pressure oscillations that can occur in tubes containing gas, closed at one end (the warm end) that have a very large temperature gradient along...
Air Separation and Liquefaction
by Nils Tellier, PE, President, EPSIM Corporation (CSA CSM) nils@epsim.us All illustrations courtesy EPSIM Corporation Background History of Air Separation and Liquefaction This section builds on a rich history of methods to develop deep refrigeration and cryogenic liquefaction during the 19th Century. You are encouraged to read Cryo Central’s History...
Bose-Einstein Condensate
A Bose-Einstein condensate, first proposed in 1925 by Albert Einstein based on work done by Satyendra Nath Bose (the same Bose from whom the term boson is derived), is a super-cold state of matter in which almost all of the individual atoms have “condensed” down to the lowest possible quantum...
Cold Technology for Pest Control
While it does not reach temperatures cold enough to be called cryogenic, carbon dioxide snow is at the heart of a new way of dealing with unwanted pests. It utilizes a quick freezing process that takes advantage of the properties of carbon dioxide snow and has a number of benefits...
Cryogenic Finishing
The following 3 articles discuss the uses and procedures of various type of cryogenic finishing. 1) By Robin A. Rhodes, Cryogenic Institute of New England, Inc. rrhodes@nitrofreeze.com Cryogenic Deflashing is employed to remove undesired residual mold flash that remains on molded parts after they are removed or ejected from the...
Power usage: cryogenic systems vs. regular refrigerators
A recent project highlighted to me that closed cycle cryogenic cooling systems use far more electrical power to reduce temperatures by a few watts than regular refrigerators. I am sure it must be something to do with the extra difficulty of removing the heat from the liquid nitrogen or similar...
Redundancy strategies for mechanical -80C freezers
I was wondering what kind of redundancy strategies are people using for their mechanical -80C freezers? I am aware of the following. Please add if you are doing something different. 1) 1 Backup freezer for every 10 freezers – Empty and maintained at -80C at all times 2) Backup C02...
Safety guidelines for handling cryo vessels of nitrogen
I am looking for any safety guidelines for handling cryogenic vessels of nitrogen indoors and outdoors. I am especially interested in recommendations for area monitors to detect leaks, flow detection devices, etc.
Method to move components in a cryogenic environment
Does anyone know of a method with which to reliably move components in a cryogenic environment? We are interested in moving detectors in a cryogenically cooled (2K) vacuum chamber, which is contained within a larger cryostat/isolation vacuum with thermal shields. As the desired horizontal or vertical displacement is between 10...