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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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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)...

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...

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...