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Cryogenics at FAIR: Adaptability is Key

The Facility for Antiproton and Ion Research (FAIR) in Darmstadt, Germany, represents an ambitious reimagining of the GSI Helmholtz Center for Heavy Ion Research, one of Europe’s leading accelerator research laboratories. When it comes online for initial user experiments in 2027, FAIR will provide scientists from around the world with...

Cryogenic SRAM IP Demonstrator Taped Out

sureCore’s cryogenic SRAM is a building block for any digital sub-system, that is capable of operating from 77K (-196° C) down to the near absolute zero temperatures needed by Quantum Computers (QCs).  Standard cell and IO cell libraries have been re-characterized for operation at cryogenic temperatures, thereby enabling an industry...

New Bolometer Could Lead to Better Cryogenic Quantum Technologies

A new type of bolometer that covers a broad range of microwave frequencies has been created by researchers in Finland. The work builds on previous research by the team, and the new technique could potentially characterize background noise sources and thereby help to improve the cryogenic environments necessary for quantum...

Air Gases Can Benefit the Environment

Overview-The commercial production of oxygen and nitrogen supported the industrial revolution in the late 19th century and up to the mid-20th. Oxy-acetylene cutting and welding were important for projects like the Eiffel Tower, the Panama Canal and the Central Valley Project Corporation hydropower plants. Oxygen, nitrogen and argon refined steelmaking...

Analyzing Transcritical CO2 Compression and Pumping Pathways

Supercritical carbon dioxide exhibits anomalous behavior in the vicinity above the critical point. The Irish physical chemist Thomas Andrews (1863) was the first who studied the supercritical behavior of carbon dioxide. He explained his observations of the fluid state above the critical point as follows: “…the surface of demarcation between the...

AVCO Sets its Sights on Mars

“You’re Going to The Moon” should now be quoted as “You’re Going to Mars.” From the 1990s downturn in the aerospace industry to today’s exponential growth, the demand for precision flow control and flow measurement has continued to follow the same growth trajectory. The focus of Alloy Valves and Control...

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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...

Magnetic Levitation

From http://www.superconductors.org. Magnetic-levitation is an application where superconductors perform extremely well. Transport vehicles such as trains can be made to “float” on strong superconducting magnets, virtually eliminating friction between the train and its tracks. Not only would conventional electromagnets waste much of the electrical energy as heat, they would have...

Superconductivity

From Superpower website. History of Superconductivity Superconductivity was discovered in 1911 by the Dutch physicist, Heike Kammerlingh Onnes when he was able to liquefy helium by cooling it to 4 Kelvin, or -452°F. This enabled him to cool other materials close to absolute zero and investigate their electrical properties. He...

Medical Applications of Cryogenics

Neutron Therapy Cryogenics is at the heart of nuclear accelerators. Accelerators such as Fermilab’s Tevatron make neutron therapy for cancer possible. From Fermilab Today 4/20/09: Fermilab currently offers neutron therapy. But staff at Fermilab designed and built the proton accelerator used by the nation’s first hospital-based treatment center to use...

Nuclear Physics

Al Zeller National Superconducting Cyclotron Lab (NSCL) at Michigan State University zeller@nscl.msu.edu Cryogenics has a long history in nuclear physics. The technology has its origins in the use of cold traps for maintaining a vacuum, which is required to prevent beam loss and for generating high voltages used in acceleration....

Suppliers of regenerator materials

I was looking for suppliers of regenerator materials. Can you please provide a list of vendors for: • Lead spheres • Bronze screen discs • Rare earth materials and spheres Thank you in advance for any help you can provide.

Containing ice accumulation while recovering helium

We are implementing a system to recover helium from our Janis ST-500 continuous flow LHe cryostat. The recovery system uses standard 1/4″ plastic tubing, which we connect directly to the cryostat’s exhaust port. The problem with this setup is that the gas is still quite cold as it leaves the...