UK pulls out of ILC
A funding crisis at a leading research council in the UK, The Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC), has forced the country to pull out of plans for the International Linear Collider (ILC).
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JLab achieves milestone in construction of $310-Million upgrade
A proposed $310-million project that will double the energy of the electron beam at the Thomas Jefferson National Accelerator Facility (Jefferson Lab) achieved a critical milestone on November 9, 2007, when the Department of Energy approved the project's performance baseline.
LCFOA elects Grimm and Urbin to Board
The Linear Collider Forum of America (LCFOA) has elected Dr. Terry Grimm of Niowave and John Urbin of Linde BOC Process Plants to their Board of Directors. Urbin is a CSA board member and Grimm, a CSA member, received the prestigious Boom award from the Society.
“Absolute Zero and the Conquest of Cold” miniseries gets rave reviews
The miniseries Absolute Zero and the Conquest of Cold aired in late July on British BBC4 to rave reviews.
CSA member John Moeller publishes book
CSA member John Moeller, a cryogenic engineering consultant and owner, Trinity Technology, has published his personal account of the early days of the US space program, "From Malabar to the Moon," a hardcover book.
Phillip L. Korodi has joined Eden Cryogenics as Senior Designer
Phillip L. Korodi has joined Eden Cryogenics as Senior Designer. He has had an extensive career in the cryogenic industry. At Eden he will be responsible for vacuum insulated piping design and development over a variety of applications, including turnkey cryogenic systems.
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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...
Magnets
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...
Energy Storage
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
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...
Cryocoolers
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...
Any experience with Tungsten or Tantalum metal springs in a low temp environment?
I would like to use metal springs made of Tungsten or Tantalum in low temperature environment. Does anybody have any experience with such springs? More precisely, I would like to make compression springs by rolling tungsten or tantalum wire on a rod. I expect that, typically, the spring constant will...
Standards & specifications for pipe & tube couplings
I am interested in finding out more about cryogenic applications and what standards, specifications and test methods (ASTM, etc.) are required for qualification of pipe and tube couplings.
Looking for a test house to test the static coefficient of friction under cryogenic conditions
I am looking to find a test house that is capable of testing the static coefficient of friction under cryogenic conditions. We can be flexible on most of the test parameters, including the test coupon configuration, but we’re looking for a test house that can provide the following test environment:...
Approximating pressure changes over time in cryogenic cylinders
I am an Air Resources Engineer with the California Air Resources Board (CARB). My senior management has asked me to investigate approximating pressure changes over time in cryogenic cylinders that contain LNG. So far, I have taken a stab at the problem, seeking to take a back-of-the-envelope approach (as directed...