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Paul Chu expected more progress by now

Superconductivity pioneer Dr. Paul Chu expected faster progress since his discoveries, he told Cold Facts Editor Theresa Boehl in a recent brief interview. Cold Facts: Did you have any idea of the potential impact of superconductivity when you were doing your groundbreaking research years ago? Chu: Yes, I think I...

Mathias Kläui Wins Kurti Science Prize

Oxford Instruments NanoScience announced that Professor Mathias Kläui from the SwissFEL, Paul Scherrer Institut and the Laboratory of Nanomagnetism and Spin Dynamics, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, is the 2011 recipient of the Nicholas Kurti European Science Prize.

NASA to send up teachers on SOFIA

NASA has selected six teachers to work with scientists aboard the Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy (SOFIA) during research flights in May and June. This is the first team of educators selected to participate in SOFIA’s Airborne Astronomy Ambassadors program.

LBNE Takes a “Hive’s Worth” of Experts

In the May symmetry, in an article titled, “LBNE: the inside buzz on a new science project,” Amelia Williamson Smith reports that planning and designing the $900 million Long Baseline Neutrino Experiment takes more than a village. It takes a hive’s worth of scientists, engineers, technicians, accountants, and other specialists...

More than 15,000 attend Goddard Open House

NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt MD hosted more than 15,000 visitors under gray but rain-free skies on May 14. The Explore@NASA Goddard event was the center’s first open house since 2008, according to Robert Garner of the Center.

Berkeley Lab Researcher Wins DOE Early Career Award

Among the 65 Early Career Research Program award recipients announced last week by DOE’s Office of Science is Paolo Ferracin of the Superconducting Magnet Group in the Accelerator and Fusion Research Division at Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory.

Latest in Defining Cryogenics

Space Cryogenics

Space cryogenics is, somewhat obviously, the application of cryogenics to space exploration and science. The use of cryogenics in space optimizes the launching of vehicles, provides power and life support to spacecraft and is critical for many scientific observations.Space cryogenics has a number of challenges and has driven both pure...

Exergy

The science of thermodynamics plays a major role in cryogenics. It underlies the various refrigeration cycles, from Carnot to Brayton (Cold Facts Vol. 32 No. 2) and Joule-Thomson, is a fundamental part of the definition of terms such as coefficient of performance (Cold Facts Vol. 31 No. 1) and even...

Cryogenic Treatment

Cryogenic treatment is the process of cooling materials to cryogenic temperatures temporarily to improve their material properties at room temperature. This is distinct from cooling materials down to cryogenic temperatures to take advantage of phenomena such as superconductivity that only occur at cryogenic temperatures. Cryogenic treatment, sometimes also referred to...

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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