Cold Facts Digital – Page 61 – The go-to place for Cryogenics and Superconductivity

Scientists Shine a Laser Through a Human Head

The possible path of 50 photons sent through a human head from a laser [left, in red] to a detector [right, green]. Credit: Extreme Light group/University of Glasgow For the most part, anyone who wants to see what’s going on inside someone else’s brain has to make a trade-off when...

OPW Clean Energy Solutions Showcases Advanced Cryogenic Solutions at Gastech Milan 2025

OPW Clean Energy Solutions (OPWCES) will highlight its latest cryogenic innovations at Gastech 2025, taking place September 9–12 at Fiera Milano in Milan, Italy. Visitors can meet the OPW CES team at Booth #O31 to explore technologies designed to support the expanding hydrogen, LNG, and industrial gas markets. The company...

The National Radio Astronomy Observatory (NRAO) and Associated Universities, Inc. (AUI) are launching a two-year initiative to design a next-generation radio telescope with capabilities far beyond existing observatories. Building on the success of the NSF’s Karl G. Jansky Very Large Array (VLA), the proposed array—called the next-generation Very Large Array (ngVLA)—will feature over 200 antennas spanning the US desert southwest and northern Mexico. This facility aims to advance our understanding of planets, galaxies, black holes, and fundamental physics. Credit: Bill Saxton, NRAO/AUI/NSF

NSF National Radio Astronomy Observatory and RIX Industries Join Forces to Revolutionize Cryogenic Cooling for the ngVLA Project

by RIX Industries Communications Team In a groundbreaking collaboration that could change the landscape of both scientific discovery and cryogenic technology, the U.S. National Science Foundation’s National Radio Astronomy Observatory (NSF NRAO) has teamed up with RIX Industries to develop cutting-edge cryogenic cooling solutions for the Next Generation Very Large...

A high precision accelerator cryomodule produced by Meyer Tool for use in a particle accelerator at Brookhaven National Lab. MTM’s fabrication expertise is trusted by national labs and quantum technology firms worldwide. Credit: Meyer Tool & Manufacturing, Inc.

Meyer Tool Builds the Impossible, Empowering Illinois Manufacturing

by Christian Cunningham, Meyer Tool & Manufacturing Inc. Meyer Tool & Manufacturing, Inc., a long-standing leader in cryogenic, pressure and vacuum technologies, has reached a major milestone in its growth journey. The Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity (DCEO) recently approved the company for participation in the Manufacturing Illinois...

Figure 1: An artist's rendering of the COSI satellite. Credit: Northrop Grumman Systems Corporation

Goddard Goings

An insight into past, present and future cryogenic missions where the Cryogenics and Fluids Branch at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center had or has a significant role. by Mark Kimball, Ph.D., Cryogenics and Fluids Branch, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center Readers of this column may recall last year’s recounting of...

The LOXSAT payload undergoes environmental control testing at the Kennedy Space Center’s EMI Lab in November 2024. Credit: Eta Space

Eta Space Progresses Cryogenic Fluid Management Technology in Space, Energy and Beyond

by Leah Sudhir, Eta Space Eta Space is at the forefront of cryogenic fluid management (CFM) technology for the aerospace industry, continuously pushing the boundaries of innovation and expanding its customer base. Founded by Dr. William “Bill” Notardonato, who brings over 30 years of experience from NASA, the company has...

Latest in Defining Cryogenics

Adiabatic Demagnetization Refrigeration

Reaching temperatures below 1K requires different techniques than the various helium gas cycles found in large scale refrigeration plants and small cryocoolers. One of these techniques is Adiabatic Demagnetization Refrigeration (ADR). This technique takes advantage of the fact that the entropy of paramagnetic materials in a magnetic field is lower than...

Cryogen-Free

A cryogen is any fluid that operates at cryogenic temperatures (below roughly 150K – 120K). Using this definition, helium gas at 40K is a cryogen. Another more restrictive definition is to use cryogen to refer specifically to liquids at cryogenic temperatures. This is generally how it is used in the...

Cryostats and Cryocoolers

A cryostat is any device designed to maintain things (including fluids) at cryogenic temperatures. In general usage, cryostats tend to be passive devices rather than providing active cooling. In this usage, cryostats keep things cold by thermally isolating them from room temperature. This generally is accomplished by a combination of...

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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