Cold Facts Digital – Page 63 – The go-to place for Cryogenics and Superconductivity

Cryogenic Aspects of Future NASA Mars Exploration

Cryogenic fluids are the basis for many different in-space systems, and several recent publications from NASA examine potential roles for cryogenic fluids in human missions to the red planet. Propulsion, in-situ resource utilization and power storage and generation represent the main systems using cryogenics.

Design and Application of Cryogenic Valves

Cryogenic media enhance our daily lives in many ways, from flash-frozen food to aerospace, cryosurgery and even special effects. Durability, dependability and long life are expected in all such applications, so manufacturers of cryogenic instruments should use the best construction methods available to handle the demanding requirements of controlling cryogenic...

Scientists Go Cold to Image Growths that Trigger Battery Fires

Scientists from Stanford University and the Department of Energy’s SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory have captured the first atomic-level images of finger-like growths called dendrites that can pierce the barrier between battery compartments and trigger short circuits or fires. This is the first study to examine the inner lives of batteries...

2017 Nobel in Chemistry Honors Cryo-EM

The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences awarded the 2017 Nobel Prize in Chemistry to Drs. Jacques Dubochet, Joachim Frank and Richard Henderson for their work advancing cryo-electron microscopy. The cryo-EM method both simplifies and improves the imaging of biomolecules, providing atomic, or high-resolution, structure determination for biomolecules in solution.

CSA Supports Science Works

On October 14, CSA participated in the 5th annual Science Works Career Fair at the Museum of Science & Industry in Chicago. Over 200 representatives from more than 40 companies and organizations staffed stations throughout the museum, including Argonne National Laboratory (CSA CSM), Microsoft, Northrop Grumman and even CBS' “Young...

LIGO and Virgo Detect Gravitational Waves Produced by Colliding Neutron Stars

Scientists worldwide reported in October the detection of both gravitational waves—ripples in space and time—and light originating from the spectacular collision of two neutron stars, marking the first time that a cosmic event has been viewed in both gravitational waves and light. The discovery was made beginning on Aug. 17...

Latest in Defining Cryogenics

Refrigerators and Liquefiers

Two of the most common terms used in cryogenics are “refrigerator” and “liquefier.” These terms describe similar and, as will be seen, in some cases identical components. A refrigerator provides cooling (that is, absorbs heat) at cryogenic temperatures. Refrigerators typically put a working fluid (such as helium) through one of...

Air Separation

Air separation is one of the largest, as well as earliest, industrial applications of cryogenics. In this process, cryogenic temperatures are used to separate air into its constituent gases: nitrogen (78.08%), oxygen (20.95%), argon (0.93%) and carbon dioxide (0.3%). Trace gases such as krypton, neon, xenon and helium total far...

Coefficient of Performance and Figure of Merit

The coefficient of performance (COP) is used to describe the effectiveness of refrigerators, including those operating at cryogenic temperatures. The COP is defined as the amount of heat removed at the cryogenic operating temperature of the refrigerator divided by the amount of work that must be applied to remove the...

Latest in Cryo Central

Cryogenic Electronics

Randall Kirschman, consulting physicist, Mountain View, California ExtElect@gmail.com Cryogenic electronics—the operation of electronic devices, circuits, and systems at cryogenic temperatures—has been a valuable technology for decades. Cryogenic electronics (also referred to as low-temperature electronics, or cold electronics) can be based on semiconductive devices, on superconductive devices, or on a combination...

Particle Physics: High Energy Physics

Cryogenics and High-Energy Physics 1. From symmetry magazine: http://www.symmetrymagazine.org/cms/?pid=1000627: Cryogenics is the study of how materials behave at temperatures near absolute zero. In high-energy particle accelerators, such frigid temperatures reduce the electrical resistance of wires in superconducting magnets, increasing the magnet strength and allowing faster particle acceleration. The same holds...

HTS Degaussing Systems

From the Spring 2009 issue of Cold Facts (Volume 25, Number 2): Thanks to a joint project by the US Navy and a number of industry partners, high temperature superconducting (HTS) technology is now at the heart of an advanced degaussing system aboard the USS Higgins at the naval station...

Magnetic Resonance Imaging

From http://www.superconductors.org: An area where superconductors can perform a life-saving function is in the field of biomagnetism. Doctors need a non-invasive means of determining what’s going on inside the human body. By impinging a strong superconductor-derived magnetic field into the body, hydrogen atoms that exist in the body’s water and...

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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