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Fermilab’s Alex Romanenko unlocks hidden secrets for improving SRF cavities

Fermilab’s Alex Romanenko recently unlocked secrets hidden beneath the mirror-smooth surface of niobium superconducting radiofrequency (SRF) cavities that may hold the key to the success of future linear colliders. Romanenko’s discovery, which was carried out as part of his doctoral thesis at Cornell University, has earned him “The Particle Accelerator...

UCLA Engineering establishes Endowed Chair in Cryogenics

UCLA Engineering has established the Traugott and Dorothea Frederking Endowed Chair in Cryogenics. The chair will support junior faculty for terms up to five years as they build their careers in areas related to cryogenics.

Lake Shore Cryotronics CEO appointed to PECSEA

Michael Swartz, CEO of Lake Shore Cryotronics, Inc., was appointed to the President's Export Council Subcommittee on Export Administration (PECSEA) by US Commerce Secretary Gary Locke earlier this month.

Roby named president of Praxair Asia

Anne Roby has been named president of Praxair Asia, where she will be responsible for industrial gases business in China, India, South Korea and Thailand.

Ability Engineering receives National Board “R” Certificate of Authorization

Ability Engineering Technology, Inc. has received the National Board "R" Certificate of Authorization.

Fire breaks out in Soudan mine

Fermilab Today reported on March 21 that a mine shaft fire that began in the Soudan Underground Mine last Thursday now appears to be out, though officials are unsure whether detectors for the MINOS experiment and the Cryogenic Dark Matter Experiment were damaged.

Latest in Defining Cryogenics

Dilution Refrigerators

Dilution refrigerators are a common technique for reaching temperatures below 1K, particularly where continuous cooling at these temperatures is required. Helium exists in two stable isotopes: 4He and 3He. Naturally occurring 3He is extremely rare, constituting less than 1 part per million of helium gas. However, 3He can be manufactured,...

Oxygen Deficiency Hazards

Oxygen Deficiency Hazards (ODH) are a significant safety issue in cryogenic facilities. ODH occurs when inert gases such as nitrogen, helium or argon displace room air and thus lower the percentage of oxygen in the space below that required for human life. OSHA defines an area as oxygen deficient if...

Kelvin Temperature Scale

The Kelvin temperature scale is the principal temperature scale used in cryogenics and science. The kelvin is also one of the seven base units in the Système International d’Unités (SI) and is the unit of thermodynamic temperature. Thermodynamic temperature is a fundamental physical quantity (like mass, length or electrical current)...

Latest in Cryo Central

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...

Cryogenic Treatment of Materials

F.J. Diekman Controlled Thermal Processing, Inc. info@metal-wear.com Cryogenic Processing (also called cryogenic treatment, and incorrectly “cryogenic tempering”) is a process that uses cryogenic temperatures to modify materials to enhance their performance. Cryogenic Processing involves the slow reduction in temperature of the material to at least -300°F (-185°C) and holding the...

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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