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Cryocooler Community Meets Virtually for ICC21

From December 7-10, more than 160 researchers, engineers, students and industry professionals gathered virtually on Zoom® to discuss and share information on all aspects of cryocoolers during the 21st International Cryocooler Conference, ICC21. Held every other year since 1980, ICC’s mission is to “enhance cryocooler development by promoting increased communication...

FormFactor Acquires High Precision Devices, Expands Cryogenic Test Capabilities

On October 28, FormFactor, a leading provider of essential test and measurement technologies along the full integrated circuit life cycle, announced it had completed the acquisition of High Precision Devices, Inc. (HPD, CSA CSM), a leader in precision cryogenic instruments. Located in Boulder CO, HPD is a respected supplier of...

WOLTE14 Postponed, Offering Virtual Option

Postponed from June 8-11, 2020, to April 12 - 15, 2021, the 14th edition of the Workshop on Low Temperature Electronics (WOLTE-14) will be held in Matera, a unique historical town on the patronage of a UNESCO world heritage site situated in southern Italy. In an announcement made online, the...

Samara Scientists Explore a Cryogenic Engine for Unmanned Aerial Vehicles

Scientists of the Samara National Research University in Samara, Russia, have started to develop a cryogenic engine that will use liquid nitrogen or liquefied natural gas as fuel. Announced in October, the team hopes that the engine will be able to power environmentally friendly vehicles in specially protected natural areas....

Refrigeration Systems for Quantum, Cryogenic Computing

Advances in quantum computing have been in the news due to the potential for extremely large speedups in solution times of some important applications such as decryption (code breaking), optimization or simulation of molecules and materials in which quantum-mechanical effects are important. Large-scale classical (digital) computers operating at cryogenic temperatures...

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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...

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...