Infrared laboratory studies of synthetic planetary atmospheres

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Williams, D.

1977-01-01

Topics covered include: the broadening of individual lines in the CO fundamental by various gases; total band absorptance as a function of absorber thickness and total effect pressure at various temperatures for bands of CO and N2O; nitric acid vapor content in the region of the ozone layer; optical properties of solid NH3; HSO4 concentration in Venus clouds; Burch's law of multiplicative transmittance for mixing absorbing gases when their lines are broadened by helium and hydrogen; ling strength and self-broadening parameters in the v3 fundamental of CO2 and N2O; optical constants of liquid ammonia, liquid methane, saturated hydrocarbons, ammonium hydride and ammonium salts.

Helium Evolution from the Transfer of Helium Saturated Propellant in Space

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Nguyen, Bich N.

2000-01-01

Helium evolution from the transfer of helium saturated propellant in space is quantified to determine its impact from creating a two-phase mixture in the transfer line. The transfer line is approximately 1/2 inch in diameter and 2400 inches in length comprised of the Fluid Interconnect System (FICS), the Orbiter Propellant Transfer System (OPTS) and the International Space Station (ISS) Propulsion Module (ISSPM). The propellant transfer rate is approximately two to three gallons per minute, and the supply tank pressure is maintained at approximately 250 psig.

Cryosorption Pumps for a Neutral Beam Injector Test Facility

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Dremel, M.; Mack, A.; Day, C.

2006-04-27

We present the experiences of the manufacturing and the operating of a system of two identical cryosorption pumps used in a neutral beam injector test facility for fusion reactors. Calculated and measured heat loads of the cryogenic liquid helium and liquid nitrogen circuits of the cryosorption pumps are discussed. The design calculations concerning the thermo-hydraulics of the helium circuit are compared with experiences from the operation of the cryosorption pumps. Both cryopumps are integrated in a test facility of a neutral beam injector that will be used to heat the plasma of a nuclear fusion reactor with a beam ofmore » deuterium or hydrogen molecules. The huge gas throughput into the vessel of the test facility results in challenging needs on the cryopumping system.The developed cryosorption pumps are foreseen to pump a hydrogen throughput of 20 - 30 mbar{center_dot}l/s. To establish a mean pressure of several 10-5 mbar in the test vessel a pumping speed of about 350 m3/s per pump is needed. The pressure conditions must be maintained over several hours pumping without regeneration of the cryopanels, which necessitates a very high pumping capacity. A possibility to fulfill these requirements is the use of charcoal coated cryopanels to pump the gasloads by adsorption. For the cooling of the cryopanels, liquid helium at saturation pressure is used and therefore a two-phase forced flow in the cryopump system must be controlled.« less

Can Hail and Rain Nucleate Cloud Droplets?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Weiss, S.; Prabhakaran, P.; Krekhov, A.; Pumir, A.; Bodenschatz, E.

2017-12-01

We present results from a laboratory scale moist convection experiment composed of a mixture of pressurized sulphur hexafluoride (SF6 - liquid and vapor phase) and helium (He - gas phase) to mimic the wet (saturated water vapor) and dry components (nitrogen, oxygen etc.) of the earth's atmosphere. We operate the experiments close to critical conditions to allow for homogeneous nucleation of sulphur hexafluoride droplets. The liquid SF6 pool is heated from below and the warm SF6 vapor from the liquid-vapor interface rise and condense underneath the cold top plate. We observe the nucleation of microdroplets in the wake of cold drops falling through the SF6-He atmosphere. Using classical nucleation theory, we show that the nucleation is caused by isobaric cooling of SF6 vapor in the wake of the cold drop. Furthermore, we argue that in an atmospheric cloud, falling hail and large cold raindrops may induce heterogeneous nucleation of microdroplets in their wake. We also observe that under appropriate conditions these microdroplets form a stable horizontal layer, thus separating regions of super and sub-critical saturation.

Can hail and rain nucleate cloud droplets?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Prabhakaran, Prasanth; Weiss, Stephan; Krekhov, Alexei; Pumir, Alain; Bodenschatz, Eberhard

2017-11-01

We present results from a laboratory scale moist convection experiment composed of a mixture of pressurized sulphur hexafluoride (SF6 - liquid and vapor phase) and helium (He - gas phase) to mimic the wet (saturated water vapor) and dry components (nitrogen, oxygen etc.) of the earth's atmosphere. We operate the experiments close to critical conditions to allow for homogeneous nucleation of sulphur hexafluoride droplets. The liquid SF6 pool is heated from below and the warm SF6 vapor from the liquid-vapor interface rise and condense underneath the cold top plate. We observe the nucleation of microdroplets in the wake of cold drops falling through the SF6-He atmosphere. Using classical nucleation theory, we show that the nucleation is caused by isobaric cooling of SF6 vapor in the wake of the cold drop. Furthermore, we argue that in an atmospheric cloud, falling hail and large cold raindrops may induce heterogeneous nucleation of microdroplets in their wake. We also observe that under appropriate conditions these microdroplets form a stable horizontal layer, thus separating regions of super and sub-critical saturation.

Cryogenic filter method produces super-pure helium and helium isotopes

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hildebrandt, A. F.

1964-01-01

Helium is purified when cooled in a low pressure environment until it becomes superfluid. The liquid helium is then filtered through iron oxide particles. Heating, cooling and filtering processes continue until the purified liquid helium is heated to a gas.

Propagation of Sound in Matter.

DTIC Science & Technology

1982-03-01

Attenuation in Liquid Helium at 1 GHz; Technical Report No. 28, April 1969. 2. Kriss, Michael A., Size Effects in Liquid Helium II as Measured by Fourth...Helium, Technical Report No. 30, October 1969. 4. Scott, Stephen A., A Specific Heat and Fourth Sound Measurement of Size Effects in Liquid Helium...Rudnick, Superfluid Helmholtz Resonators, Phys. Rev. 174, No. 1, 326 (October 1968). 2. E. Guyon and I. Rudnick, Size Effects in Superfluid Helium II, Le

Pressure-Volume-Temperature (PVT) Gauging of an Isothermal Cryogenic Propellant Tank Pressurized with Gaseous Helium

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

VanDresar, Neil T.; Zimmerli, Gregory A.

2014-01-01

Results are presented for pressure-volume-temperature (PVT) gauging of a liquid oxygen/liquid nitrogen tank pressurized with gaseous helium that was supplied by a high-pressure cryogenic tank simulating a cold helium supply bottle on a spacecraft. The fluid inside the test tank was kept isothermal by frequent operation of a liquid circulation pump and spray system, and the propellant tank was suspended from load cells to obtain a high-accuracy reference standard for the gauging measurements. Liquid quantity gauging errors of less than 2 percent of the tank volume were obtained when quasi-steady-state conditions existed in the propellant and helium supply tanks. Accurate gauging required careful attention to, and corrections for, second-order effects of helium solubility in the liquid propellant plus differences in the propellant/helium composition and temperature in the various plumbing lines attached to the tanks. On the basis of results from a helium solubility test, a model was developed to predict the amount of helium dissolved in the liquid as a function of cumulative pump operation time. Use of this model allowed correction of the basic PVT gauging calculations and attainment of the reported gauging accuracy. This helium solubility model is system specific, but it may be adaptable to other hardware systems.

Study of Cryogenic Complex Plasma

DTIC Science & Technology

2010-08-17

inner diameter of 9.6 cm and the height of 80 cm. The Dewar bottle is filled with liquid helium or liquid nitrogen and is inserted in a liquid ...gas in the glass tube is controlled by the cryogenic liquid , liquid helium or liquid nitrogen , contained in the inner Dewar bottle. The outer Dewar...bottle contains liquid nitrogen to maintain the inner cryogenic temperature. An rf helium plasma with a neutral gas pressure P = 0.1 ~ 100 Pa is

Note: control of liquid helium supply to cryopanels of Kolkata superconducting cyclotron.

PubMed

Bhattacharyya, T K; Pal, G

2015-02-01

The Kolkata superconducting cyclotron utilises liquid helium to cool the main magnet niobium-titanium (NbTi) coil and the cryopanels. Three liquid helium cooled cryopanels, placed inside the dees of the radio-frequency system, maintain the high vacuum in the acceleration region of the superconducting cyclotron. The small cryostat placed inside the cryogenic distribution manifold located at the basement of the superconducting cyclotron building supplies liquid helium in parallel branches to three cold heads, used for cooling their associated cryopanels. The level in the cryostat has to be maintained at an optimum value to ensure uninterrupted flow of liquid helium to these three cold heads. This paper describes the transfer function of the overall system, its tuning parameters, and discusses the actual control of cryostat level by using these parameters.

The Federal Helium supply: How we got here and where we might be going

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Elsesser, Mark

2015-03-01

Helium is a limited, non-renewable resource with large uncertainties in both supply and price. It's essential for academic researchers across the physical sciences and engineering disciplines who depend on liquid helium to perform experiments and maintain critical instruments. However, because only about three percent of helium is used for scientific research, academic users have little leverage in the helium marketplace. With the Federal Helium Reserve required to sell off its remaining supply and close its doors within the next decade, many in academia are wondering ``what's next''? I will discuss the history of the Federal Helium Reserve, including legislation that shaped its development, and possibilities going forward. Additionally, I will describe a new APS initiative where we have formed a small consortium of academic liquid helium users and are allowing the Defense Logistics Agency to represent the consortium in liquid helium contract negotiations.

Glass-to-Metal Seal Against Liquid Helium

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Watkins, John L.; Gatewood, John R.

1987-01-01

Simple compression joint with indium gasket forms demountable seal for superfluids. Seal developed for metal lid on glass jar used in experiments on liquid helium. Glass container allows contents to be viewed for such purposes as calibration of liquid-level detectors and adjustments of displacement plungers. Seal contains liquid helium even when temperature drops below 2.19K. Made from inexpensive, commercially available materials and parts.

Design of a horizonal liquid helium cryostat for refrigerating a flying superconducting magnet in a wind tunnel

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wu, Y. Y.

1982-01-01

The design of a horizontal liquid helium cryostat for refrigerating a flying superconducting magnet in a wind tunnel is presented. The basic principles of magnetic suspension theory are described and theoretical calculations of the superconducting magnet are provided. The experimental results of the boil-off of liquid nitrogen and liquid helium in the cryostat are reported.

Note: Control of liquid helium supply to cryopanels of Kolkata superconducting cyclotron

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Bhattacharyya, T. K., E-mail: tamal@vecc.gov.in; Pal, G.

2015-02-15

The Kolkata superconducting cyclotron utilises liquid helium to cool the main magnet niobium-titanium (NbTi) coil and the cryopanels. Three liquid helium cooled cryopanels, placed inside the dees of the radio-frequency system, maintain the high vacuum in the acceleration region of the superconducting cyclotron. The small cryostat placed inside the cryogenic distribution manifold located at the basement of the superconducting cyclotron building supplies liquid helium in parallel branches to three cold heads, used for cooling their associated cryopanels. The level in the cryostat has to be maintained at an optimum value to ensure uninterrupted flow of liquid helium to these threemore » cold heads. This paper describes the transfer function of the overall system, its tuning parameters, and discusses the actual control of cryostat level by using these parameters.« less

High efficiency pump for space helium transfer

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hasenbein, Robert; Izenson, Michael G.; Swift, Walter L.; Sixsmith, Herbert

1991-01-01

A centrifugal pump was developed for the efficient and reliable transfer of liquid helium in space. The pump can be used to refill cryostats on orbiting satellites which use liquid helium for refrigeration at extremely low temperatures. The pump meets the head and flow requirements of on-orbit helium transfer: a flow rate of 800 L/hr at a head of 128 J/kg. The overall pump efficiency at the design point is 0.45. The design head and flow requirements are met with zero net positive suction head, which is the condition in an orbiting helium supply Dewar. The mass transfer efficiency calculated for a space transfer operation is 0.99. Steel ball bearings are used with gas fiber-reinforced teflon retainers to provide solid lubrication. These bearings have demonstrated the longest life in liquid helium endurance tests under simulated pumping conditions. Technology developed in the project also has application for liquid helium circulation in terrestrial facilities and for transfer of cryogenic rocket propellants in space.

Cold Helium Pressurization for Liquid Oxygen/Liquid Methane Propulsion Systems: Fully-Integrated Hot-Fire Test Results

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Morehead, R. L.; Atwell, M. J.; Melcher, J. C.; Hurlbert, E. A.

2016-01-01

Hot-fire test demonstrations were successfully conducted using a cold helium pressurization system fully integrated into a liquid oxygen (LOX) / liquid methane (LCH4) propulsion system (Figure 1). Cold helium pressurant storage at near liquid nitrogen (LN2) temperatures (-275 F and colder) and used as a heated tank pressurant provides a substantial density advantage compared to ambient temperature storage. The increased storage density reduces helium pressurant tank size and mass, creating payload increases of 35% for small lunar-lander sized applications. This degree of mass reduction also enables pressure-fed propulsion systems for human-rated Mars ascent vehicle designs. Hot-fire test results from the highly-instrumented test bed will be used to demonstrate system performance and validate integrated models of the helium and propulsion systems. A pressurization performance metric will also be developed as a means to compare different active pressurization schemes.

Self-pumping impurity control

DOEpatents

Brooks, Jeffrey N.; Mattas, Richard F.

1991-01-01

Apparatus for removing the helium ash from a fusion reactor having a D-T plasma comprises a helium trapping site within the reactor plasma confinement device, said trapping site being formed of a trapping material having negligible helium solubility and relatively high hydrogen solubility; and means for depositing said trapping material on said site at a rate sufficient to prevent saturation of helium trapping.

Capacity enhancement of indigenous expansion engine based helium liquefier

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Doohan, R. S.; Kush, P. K.; Maheshwari, G.

2017-02-01

Development of technology and understanding for large capacity helium refrigeration and liquefaction at helium temperature is indispensable for coming-up projects. A new version of helium liquefier designed and built to provide approximately 35 liters of liquid helium per hour. The refrigeration capacity of this reciprocating type expansion engine machine has been increased from its predecessor version with continuous improvement and deficiency debugging. The helium liquefier has been built using components by local industries including cryogenic Aluminum plate fin heat exchangers. Two compressors with nearly identical capacity have been deployed for the operation of system. Together they consume about 110 kW of electric power. The system employs liquid Nitrogen precooling to enhance liquid Helium yield. This paper describes details of the cryogenic expander design improvements, reconfiguration of heat exchangers, performance simulation and their experimental validation.

Model-based minimization algorithm of a supercritical helium loop consumption subject to operational constraints

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bonne, F.; Bonnay, P.; Girard, A.; Hoa, C.; Lacroix, B.; Le Coz, Q.; Nicollet, S.; Poncet, J.-M.; Zani, L.

2017-12-01

Supercritical helium loops at 4.2 K are the baseline cooling strategy of tokamaks superconducting magnets (JT-60SA, ITER, DEMO, etc.). This loops work with cryogenic circulators that force a supercritical helium flow through the superconducting magnets in order that the temperature stay below the working range all along their length. This paper shows that a supercritical helium loop associated with a saturated liquid helium bath can satisfy temperature constraints in different ways (playing on bath temperature and on the supercritical flow), but that only one is optimal from an energy point of view (every Watt consumed at 4.2 K consumes at least 220 W of electrical power). To find the optimal operational conditions, an algorithm capable of minimizing an objective function (energy consumption at 5 bar, 5 K) subject to constraints has been written. This algorithm works with a supercritical loop model realized with the Simcryogenics [2] library. This article describes the model used and the results of constrained optimization. It will be possible to see that the changes in operating point on the temperature of the magnet (e.g. in case of a change in the plasma configuration) involves large changes on the cryodistribution optimal operating point. Recommendations will be made to ensure that the energetic consumption is kept as low as possible despite the changing operating point. This work is partially supported by EUROfusion Consortium through the Euratom Research and Training Program 20142018 under Grant 633053.

Development of a transferline connecting a helium liquefier coldbox and a liquid helium Dewar

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Menon, Rajendran S.; Rane, Tejas; Chakravarty, Anindya; Joemon, V.

2017-02-01

A helium liquefier with demonstrated capacity of 32 1/hr has been developed by BARC. Mumbai. A transferline for two way flow of helium between the helium liquefier coldbox and receiver Dewar has been developed in-house at BARC. Further, a functionally similar, but structurally improved transferline has been developed through a local fabricator. This paper describes and discusses issues related to the development of these cryogenic transferlines. The developed transferlines have been tested with a flow of liquid nitrogen and successfully utilised later in the helium liquefier plant.

Cryogenic upgrade of the low heat load liquid helium cryostat used to house the Cryogenic Current Comparator in the Antiproton Decelerator at CERN

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lees, A.; Koettig, T.; Fernandes, M.; Tan, J.

2017-12-01

The Cryogenic Current Comparator (CCC) and its purpose built cryostat were installed in the low-energy Antiproton Decelerator (AD) at CERN in 2015. A pulse-tube cryocooler recondenses evaporated helium to liquid at 4.2 K filling the helium vessel of the cryostat at an equivalent cooling power of 0.69 W. To reduce the transmission of vibration to the highly sensitive CCC, the titanium support systems of the cryostat were optimized to be as stiff as possible while limiting the transmission of heat to the liquid helium vessel. During operation the liquid helium level in the cryostat was seen to reduce, indicating that heat load was higher than intended. To verify the reason for this additional heat load and improve the cryogenic performance of the cryostat, an upgrade was undertaken during the 2016 technical stop of the AD. This article presents the studies undertaken to understand the thermal performance of the cryostat and details the improvements made to reduce heat load on the liquid helium vessel. Also discussed are the procedures used to reduce the diffusion of helium to the vacuum space through ceramic insulators. Finally the upgraded cryogenic performance of the cryostat is presented.

136. VIEW OF LIQUID NITROGEN/HELIUM HEAT EXCHANGER IN LIQUID NITROGEN ...

Library of Congress Historic Buildings Survey, Historic Engineering Record, Historic Landscapes Survey

136. VIEW OF LIQUID NITROGEN/HELIUM HEAT EXCHANGER IN LIQUID NITROGEN CONTROL ROOM (115), LSB (BLDG. 770), FROM FUEL APRON WITH BAY DOOR OPEN - Vandenberg Air Force Base, Space Launch Complex 3, Launch Pad 3 West, Napa & Alden Roads, Lompoc, Santa Barbara County, CA

Performance of Upgraded Cooling System for Lhd Helical Coils

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hamaguchi, S.; Imagawa, S.; Obana, T.; Yanagi, N.; Moriuchi, S.; Sekiguchi, H.; Oba, K.; Mito, T.; Motojima, O.; Okamura, T.; Semba, T.; Yoshinaga, S.; Wakisaka, H.

2008-03-01

Helical coils of the Large Helical Device (LHD) are large scale superconducting magnets for heliotron plasma experiments. The helical coils had been cooled by saturated helium at 4.4 K, 120 kPa until 2005. An upgrade of the cooling system was carried out in 2006 in order to improve the cryogenic stability of the helical coils and then it has been possible to supply the coils with subcooled helium at 3.2 K, 120 kPa. A designed mass flow of the supplied subcooled helium is 50 g/s. The subcooled helium is generated at a heat exchanger in a saturated helium bath. A series of two centrifugal cold compressors with gas foil bearing is utilized to lower the helium pressure in the bath. The supplied helium temperature is regulated by rotational speed of the cold compressors and power of a heater in the bath. The mass flow of the supplied helium is also controlled manually by a supply valve and its surplus is evaporated by ten heaters at the outlet above the coils. In the present study, the performance of the cooling system has been investigated and a stable operating method has also developed. As the result, it was confirmed that the performance of the upgraded cooling system satisfies the requirements.

Analyzing the Use of Gaseous Helium as a Pressurant with Cryogenic Propellants with Thermodynamic Venting System Modelling and Test Data

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hedayat, A.; Nelson, S.L.; Hastings, L.J.; Flachbart, R.H.; Vermillion, D.J.; Tucker, S.P.

2007-01-01

Cryogens are viable candidate propellants for NASA's Lunar and Mars exploration programs. To provide adequate mass flow to the system's engines and/or to prevent feed system cavitation, gaseous helium (GHe) is frequently considered as a pressurant. During low gravity operations, a Thermodynamic Venting System (TVS) is designed to maintain tank pressure during low gravity operations without propellant resettling. Therefore, a series of tests were conducted in the Multi-purpose Hydrogen Test Bed (MHTB) of Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) in order to evaluate the effects of GHe pressurant on pressure control performance of a TVS with liquid hydrogen (LH2) and nitrogen (LN2) as the test liquids. The TVS used in these test series consists of a recirculation pump, Joule-Thomson (J-T) expansion valve, and a parallel flow concentric tube heat exchanger combined with a longitudinal spray bar. Using a small amount of liquid extracted from the tank recirculation line, passing it through the J-T valve, and then through the heat exchanger, thermal energy is extracted from the bulk liquid and ullage thereby enabling pressure control. The LH2/GHe tests were performed at fill levels of 90%, 50%, and 25% and LN2/GHe tests were conducted at fill levels of 50% and 25%. Moreover, each test was conducted with a specified tank ullage pressure control band. A one-dimensional TVS performance program was used to analyze and correlate the test data. Predictions and comparisons with test data of ullage pressure and temperature and bulk liquid saturation pressure and temperature with test data are presented.

Investigation of Noise in Solids at Low Temperatures.

DTIC Science & Technology

1980-08-01

surroundinz liquid helium dewar. The procedure used has been to liquefy helium gas and fill the liquid helium dewar. The liquefier operation is then...cryostat is at room temperature and is 25’ diameter X 72" long. Inside this is the liquid nitrogen shield which is a shell formed by two co-axial...cylinders of 22" and 19" diameters X 68’ long. This liquid nitrogen tank has a volume of 108 k. Across the bottom of this tank is a 1/16" thick copper

Superfluid helium on orbit transfer (SHOOT)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Dipirro, Michael J.

1987-01-01

A number of space flight experiments and entire facilities require superfluid helium as a coolant. Among these are the Space Infrared Telescope Facility (SIRTF), the Large Deployable Reflector (LDR), the Advanced X-ray Astrophysics Facility (AXAF), the Particle Astrophysics Magnet Facility (PAMF or Astromag), and perhaps even a future Hubble Space Telescope (HST) instrument. Because these systems are required to have long operational lifetimes, a means to replenish the liquid helium, which is exhausted in the cooling process, is required. The most efficient method of replenishment is to refill the helium dewars on orbit with superfluid helium (liquid helium below 2.17 Kelvin). To develop and prove the technology required for this liquid helium refill, a program of ground and flight testing was begun. The flight demonstration is baselined as a two flight program. The first, described in this paper, will prove the concepts involved at both the component and system level. The second flight will demonstrate active astronaut involvement and semi-automated operation. The current target date for the first launch is early 1991.

1 K cryostat with sub-millikelvin stability based on a pulse-tube cryocooler

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

DeMann, A.; Mueller, Sara; Field, S. B.

2016-01-01

A cryogenic system has been designed and tested that reaches a temperature below 1.1 K, with an rms temperature stability of 25 μ K. In this system a commercial pulse-tube cryocooler is used to liquify helium gas supplied from an external source. This liquid helium enters a 1 K pot through a large-impedance capillary tube, similar to a conventional 1 K system operated from a liquid helium bath. Unlike a conventional system, however, the molar flow rate of the system can be varied by changing the pressure of the incoming helium. This allows for a trade-off between helium usage and cooling power, which has a maximum value of 27 mW. The measured cooling power and fraction of helium exiting the capillary as liquid agree well with predictions based on an isenthalpic model of helium flow through the capillary. The system is simple to use and inexpensive to operate: The system can be cooled to base temperature in about 3 h and, with a flow rate giving a cooling power of 13 mW, the helium cost is around 6 per day.

Superfluid Helium Tanker (SFHT) study

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Eberhardt, Ralph N.; Dominick, Sam M.; Anderson, John E.; Gille, John P.; Martin, Tim A.; Marino, John S.; Paynter, Howard L.; Traill, R. Eric; Herzl, Alfred; Gotlib, Sam

1988-01-01

Replenishment of superfluid helium (SFHe) offers the potential of extending the on-orbit life of observatories, satellite instruments, sensors and laboratories which operate in the 2 K temperature regime. A reference set of resupply customers was identified as representing realistic helium servicing requirements and interfaces for the first 10 years of superfluid helium tanker (SFHT) operations. These included the Space Infrared Telescope Facility (SIRTF), the Advanced X-ray Astrophysics Facility (AXAF), the Particle Astrophysics Magnet Facility (Astromag), and the Microgravity and Materials Processing Sciences Facility (MMPS)/Critical Point Phenomena Facility (CPPF). A mixed-fleet approach to SFHT utilization was considered. The tanker permits servicing from the Shuttle cargo bay, in situ when attached to the OMV and carried to the user spacecraft, and as a depot at the Space Station. A SFHT Dewar ground servicing concept was developed which uses a dedicated ground cooling heat exchanger to convert all the liquid, after initial fill as normal fluid, to superfluid for launch. This concept permits the tanker to be filled to a near full condition, and then cooled without any loss of fluid. The final load condition can be saturated superfluid with any desired ullage volume, or the tank can be totally filed and pressurized. The SFHT Dewar and helium plumbing system design has sufficient component redundancy to meet fail-operational, fail-safe requirements, and is designed structurally to meet a 50 mission life usage requirement. Technology development recommendations were made for the selected SFHT concept, and a Program Plan and cost estimate prepared for a phase C/D program spanning 72 months from initiation through first launch in 1997.

Space Shuttle Upgrade Liquid Oxygen Tank Thermal Stratification

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Tunc, Gokturk; Wagner, Howard; Bayazitoglu, Yildiz

2001-01-01

In 1997, NASA initiated a study of a liquid oxygen and ethanol orbital maneuvering and reaction control system for space shuttle upgrades as well as other reusable launch vehicle applications. The pressure-fed system uses sub-cooled liquid oxygen at 2413.2 KPa (350 psia) stored passively using insulation. Thermal stratification builds up while the space shuttle is docked at the international space station. The venting from the space shuttle's liquid oxygen tank is not desired during this 96-hr time period. Once the shuttle undocks from the space station there could be a pressure collapse in the liquid oxygen tank caused by fluid mixing due to the thruster fU"ings . The thermal stratification and resulting pressure rise in the tank were examined by a computational fluid dynamic model. Since the heat transfer from the pressurant gas to the liquid will result in a decrease in tank pressure the final pressure after the 96 hours will be significantly less when the tank is pressurized with ambient temperature helium. Therefore, using helium at ambient temperature to pressurize the tank is preferred to pressurizing the tank with helium at the liquid oxygen temperature. The higher helium temperature will also result in less mass of helium to pressurize the tank.

Cold Helium Pressurization for Liquid Oxygen / Liquid Methane Propulsion Systems: Fully-Integrated Initial Hot-Fire Test Results

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Morehead, R. L.; Atwell, M. J.; Melcher, J. C.; Hurlbert, E. A.

2016-01-01

A prototype cold helium active pressurization system was incorporated into an existing liquid oxygen (LOX) / liquid methane (LCH4) prototype planetary lander and hot-fire tested to collect vehicle-level performance data. Results from this hot-fire test series were used to validate integrated models of the vehicle helium and propulsion systems and demonstrate system effectiveness for a throttling lander. Pressurization systems vary greatly in complexity and efficiency between vehicles, so a pressurization performance metric was also developed as a means to compare different active pressurization schemes. This implementation of an active repress system is an initial sizing draft. Refined implementations will be tested in the future, improving the general knowledge base for a cryogenic lander-based cold helium system.

Study of helium transfer technology for STICCR: Fluid management

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Frank, D. J.; Yuan, S. W. K.; Grove, R. K.; Lheureux, J. M.

1987-01-01

The Space Infrared Telescope Facility (SIRTF) is a long life cryogenically cooled space based telescope for infrared astronomy from 2 to 700 microns currently under study and planned for launch in the mid 90's. SIRTF will operate as a multi-user facility, initially carrying 3 instruments at the focal plane. It will be cooled to below 2 K by superfluid liquid helium to achieve radiometric sensitivity limited only by the statistical fluctuations in the natural infrared background radiation over most of its spectral range. The lifetime of the mission will be limited by the lifetime of the liquid helium supply, and is currently baselined to be 2 years. Candidates are reviewed for a liquid management device to be used in the resupply of liquid helium, and for the selection of an appropriate candidate.

Reducing the Liquid Helium Consumption of Superconducting Rock Magnetometers (SRMs) used in Paleomagnetic and Rock Magnetic studies: Gallium Lubrication of Gifford-McMahon Cryocoolers Leads to a Dramatic Increase in Cool-down Efficiency, and a Drop in Liquid Helium Consumption

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kirschvink, J. L.

2015-12-01

Two-stage Gifford-McMahon helium-gas cryocoolers have been used for the past 40+ years in a wide variety of cryogenic applications, including reducing the liquid helium consumption of SRMs. However, the cooling efficiency depends greatly on the friction of the displacement pistons, which need to be replaced every few years. This and the rising cost of liquid helium are major headaches in the operation of modern paleomagnetic laboratories. Although the development of efficient pulse-tube cryocoolers has eliminated the need for liquid helium in new superconducting magnetometers, there are still nearly 100 older SRMs around the globe that use liquid helium. In a failed attempt to replace the Gifford-McMahon unit on one of Caltech's SRMs with a pulse-tube, we irreversibly contaminated the cylindrical surfaces of the stainless-steel heat exchanger with a thin film of gallium, a non-toxic metal that has a melting temperature of ~ 30˚C. Liquid gallium will diffuse into other metals, altering their surface properties. We noticed that the next cryocooler-assisted cool down of the SRM went nearly twice as fast as in previous cycles, and the helium boiloff rate for the past 2 years has stabilized at less than half of its average over the past 30 years. It seems that the thin layer of gallium may be reducing the sliding friction of the Gifford-McMahon cryocoolers. We recently tested this on a second SRM, with similar results. We found that the inner cryocooler surface reached its equilibrium temperature in about 1/3 of the time that it took in previous cool-down cycles. WSGI also confirmed that this cool-down was unusually efficient compared to other instruments they have built. Subsequent records of the helium gas boiloff show that this system is also running at about half of its former loss rate. Based on these two results, we tentatively recommend this simple procedure any time cold-head swaps are performed on these cryocoolers.

Gas-liquid chromatography with a volatile "stationary" liquid phase.

PubMed

Wells, P S; Zhou, S; Parcher, J F

2002-05-01

A unique type of gas-liquid chromatography is described in which both mobile and "stationary" phases are composed of synthetic mixtures of helium and carbon dioxide. At temperatures below the critical point of the binary mixture and pressures above the vapor pressure of pure liquid carbon dioxide, helium and carbon dioxide can form two immiscible phases over extended composition ranges. A binary vapor phase enriched in helium can act as the mobile phase for chromatographic separations, whereas a CO2-rich liquid in equilibrium with the vapor phase, but condensed on the column wall, can act as a pseudostationary phase. Several examples of chromatographic separations obtained in "empty" capillary columns with no ordinary stationary liquid phase illustrate the range of conditions that produce such separations. In addition, several experiments are reported that confirm the proposed two-phase hypothesis. The possible consequences of the observed chromatographic phenomenon in the field of supercritical fluid chromatography with helium headspace carbon dioxide are discussed.

Detection of Charged Particles in Superfluid Helium

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bandler, Simon Richard

1995-01-01

At the present time the measurement of the flux of neutrinos from the sun remains a challenging experimental problem. The ideal detector would be able to detect neutrinos at high rate, in real time, with good energy resolution and would have a threshold which is low enough for investigation of the entire solar neutrino spectrum. A new detection scheme using superfluid helium as a target has been proposed which has the potential to meet most of the criteria of the ideal detector. In this scheme a neutrino would be detected when it elastically scatters off an atomic electron in superfluid helium. The electron loses energy via a number of processes eventually leading to the generation of phonons and rotons in the liquid. At low temperatures these excitations propagate ballistically through the superfluid helium. When the excitations reach the free surface some of them are able to evaporate helium atoms. These atoms can be detected by an array of calorimeters suspended above the liquid surface. In this thesis, results are presented for a small -scale prototype of this type of detector. Experiments have been performed using various radioactive sources to generate energy depositions in the liquid. The results reveal details about the processes of generation of rotons and phonons, the propagation of these excitations through the superfluid, the evaporation of helium atoms and the adsorption of helium atoms onto the wafer. Results are also presented on the detection of fluorescent photons generated in the liquid. One source of energy depositions was 241{rm Am} which produces monoenergetic 5.5 MeV alpha particles. It was found that the ratio of the energy deposited in a calorimeter to the energy deposited in liquid helium was 0.084 when alpha's are emitted parallel to the liquid surface, and 0.020 for alpha's emitted perpendicular. The difference is due to the anisotropic distribution of helium excitations generated. A 113{rm Sn} source of 360 keV electrons stopped in superfluid helium have also produced signals in a calorimeter and this ratio was similar. Finally, the implications of these results to the design of a full-scale detector of solar neutrinos are discussed.

Liquid helium-cooled MOSFET preamplifier for use with astronomical bolometer

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Goebel, J. H.

1977-01-01

A liquid helium-cooled p-channel enhancement mode MOSFET, the 3N167, is found to have sufficiently low noise for use as a preamplifier with helium-cooled bolometers that are used in infrared astronomy. Its characteristics at 300, 77, and 4.2 K are presented. It is also shown to have useful application with certain photoconductive and photovoltaic infrared detectors.

Experiment for transient effects of sudden catastrophic loss of vacuum on a scaled superconducting radio frequency cryomodule

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dalesandro, Andrew A.; Theilacker, Jay; Van Sciver, Steven

2012-06-01

Safe operation of superconducting radio frequency (SRF) cavities require design consideration of a sudden catastrophic loss of vacuum (SCLV) adjacent with liquid helium (LHe) vessels and subsequent dangers. An experiment is discussed to test the longitudinal effects of SCLV along the beam line of a string of scaled SRF cavities. Each scaled cavity includes one segment of beam tube within a LHe vessel containing 2 K saturated LHe, and a riser pipe connecting the LHe vessel to a common gas header. At the beam tube inlet is a fast acting solenoid valve to simulate SCLV and a high/low range orifice plate flow-meter to measure air influx to the cavity. The gas header exit also has an orifice plate flow-meter to measure helium venting the system at the relief pressure of 0.4 MPa. Each cavity is instrumented with Validyne pressure transducers and Cernox thermometers. The purpose of this experiment is to quantify the time required to spoil the beam vacuum and the effects of transient heat and mass transfer on the helium system. Heat transfer data is expected to reveal a longitudinal effect due to the geometry of the experiment. Details of the experimental design criteria and objectives are presented.

On the mode-coupling treatment of collective density fluctuations for quantum liquids: para-hydrogen and normal liquid helium.

PubMed

Kletenik-Edelman, Orly; Reichman, David R; Rabani, Eran

2011-01-28

A novel quantum mode coupling theory combined with a kinetic approach is developed for the description of collective density fluctuations in quantum liquids characterized by Boltzmann statistics. Three mode-coupling approximations are presented and applied to study the dynamic response of para-hydrogen near the triple point and normal liquid helium above the λ-transition. The theory is compared with experimental results and to the exact imaginary time data generated by path integral Monte Carlo simulations. While for liquid para-hydrogen the combination of kinetic and quantum mode-coupling theory provides semi-quantitative results for both short and long time dynamics, it fails for normal liquid helium. A discussion of this failure based on the ideal gas limit is presented.

Cooling-capacity characteristics of Helium-4 JT cryocoolers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Y. L.; Liu, D. L.; Gan, Z. H.; Guo, Y. X.; Shen, Y. W.; Chen, S. F.

2017-12-01

Cooling capacity of a Helium-4 JT cryocooler may be achieved at a temperature higher than liquid helium temperature. The latent cooling capacity, which should be obtained at liquid helium temperature, is defined as a special part of cooling capacity. With the thermodynamic analysis on steady working conditions of a Helium-4 JT cryocooler, its cooling capacity and temperature characteristics are presented systematically. The effects of precooling temperature and high pressure on the cooling capacity and latent cooling capacity are illustrated. Furthermore, the JT cryocoolers using hydrogen and neon as the working fluids are also discussed. It is shown that helium JT cryocooler has a special cooling capacity characteristic which does not exist in JT cryocoolers using other pure working fluids.

Experiments on the properties of superfluid helium in zero gravity

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mason, P.; Collins, D.; Petrac, D.; Yang, L.; Edeskuty, F.; Williamson, K.

1976-01-01

The paper describes a research program designed to study the behavior of superfluid liquid helium in low and zero gravity in order to determine the properties which are critically important to its use as a stored cryogen for cooling scientific instruments aboard spacecraft for periods up to several months. The experiment program consists of a series of flights of an experiment package on a free-fall trajectory both on an aircraft and on a rocket. The objectives are to study thickness of thin films of helium as a function of acceleration, heat transfer in thin films, heat transfer across copper-liquid helium interfaces, fluid dynamics of bulk helium in high and low accelerations and under various conditions of rotations, alternate methods of separation of liquid and vapor phases and of efficient venting of the vapor, and undesirable thermomechanical oscillations in the vent pipes. Preliminary results from aircraft tests are discussed.

Cryogen free cooling of ASTRO-H SXS Helium Dewar from 300 K to 4 K

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kanao, Ken'ichi; Yoshida, Seiji; Miyaoka, Mikio; Tsunematsu, Shoji; Otsuka, Kiyomi; Hoshika, Shunji; Narasaki, Katsuhiro; Mitsuda, Kazuhisa; Yamasaki, Noriko; Takei, Yoh; Fujimoto, Ryuji; Sato, Yoichi; Okamoto, Atsushi; Noda, Hirofumi; DiPirro, Michel J.; Shirron, Peter J.

2017-12-01

Soft X-ray Spectrometer instrument (SXS) is one of the primary scientific instruments of ASTRO-H. SXS has a cold detector that is cooled to 50 mK by using a multi-stage Adiabatic Demagnetization Refrigerator (ADR). SXS Dewar containing ADR provides 1.3 K heat sink by using liquid helium in nominal operation. After liquid helium is dried up, 4 K heat sink is provided by using mechanical coolers. Both nominal operation and cryogen free operation were successfully demonstrated. This paper describes the test result of cryogen free operation and cool-down performance from room temperature by using only mechanical coolers without liquid helium. The coolers on the Dewar cooled down cold mass from around 300 K to 4 K with 260 W electric power in 40 days. Cold mass is 35 kg in 4 K area including the helium tank, ADR and detector assembly.

The thermodynamic properties of normal liquid helium 3

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Modarres, M.; Moshfegh, H. R.

2009-09-01

The thermodynamic properties of normal liquid helium 3 are calculated by using the lowest order constrained variational (LOCV) method. The Landau Fermi liquid model and Fermi-Dirac distribution function are considered as our statistical model for the uncorrelated quantum fluid picture and the Lennard-Jones and Aziz potentials are used in our truncated cluster expansion (LOCV) to calculate the correlated energy. The single particle energy is treated variationally through an effective mass. The free energy, pressure, entropy, chemical potential and liquid phase diagram as well as the helium 3 specific heat are evaluated, discussed and compared with the corresponding available experimental data. It is found that the critical temperature for the existence of the pure gas phase is about 4.90 K (4.45 K), which is higher than the experimental prediction of 3.3 K, and the helium 3 flashing temperature is around 0.61 K (0.50 K) for the Lennard-Jones (Aziz) potential.

Nuclear quantum effects on structure and transport properties of dense liquid helium

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kang, Dongdong; Dai, Jiayu; Yuan, Jianmin

2015-11-01

Transport properties of dense liquid helium under the conditions of planet's core and cool atmosphere of white dwarfs are important for determining the structure and evolution of these astrophysical objects. We have investigated these properties of dense liquid helium by using the improved centroid path-integral simulations combined with density functional theory. The results show that with the inclusion of nuclear quantum effects (NQEs), the self-diffusion is largely higher while the shear viscosity is notably lower than the results of without the inclusion of NQEs due to the lower collision cross sections even when the NQEs have little effects on the static structures. The potential surface of helium atom along the simulation trajectory is quite different between MD and PIMD simulations. We have shown that the quantum nuclear character induces complex behaviors for ionic transport properties of dense liquid helium. NQEs bring more fluctuations of local electronic density of states than the classical treatment. Therefore, in order to construct more reasonable structure and evolution model for the planets and WDs, NQEs must be reconsidered when calculating the transport properties at certain temperature and density conditions.

Effect of resonance frequency, power input, and saturation gas type on the oxidation efficiency of an ultrasound horn.

PubMed

Rooze, Joost; Rebrov, Evgeny V; Schouten, Jaap C; Keurentjes, Jos T F

2011-01-01

The sonochemical oxidation efficiency (η(ox)) of a commercial titanium alloy ultrasound horn has been measured using potassium iodide as a dosimeter at its main resonance frequency (20 kHz) and two higher resonance frequencies (41 and 62 kHz). Narrow power and frequency ranges have been chosen to minimise secondary effects such as changing bubble stability, and time available for radical diffusion from the bubble to the liquid. The oxidation efficiency, η(ox), is proportional to the frequency and to the power transmitted to the liquid (275 mL) in the applied power range (1-6 W) under argon. Luminol radical visualisation measurements show that the radical generation rate increases and a redistribution of radical producing zones is achieved at increasing frequency. Argon, helium, air, nitrogen, oxygen, and carbon dioxide have been used as saturation gases in potassium iodide oxidation experiments. The highest η(ox) has been observed at 5 W under air at 62 kHz. The presence of carbon dioxide in air gives enhanced nucleation at 41 and 62 kHz and has a strong influence on η(ox). This is supported by the luminol images, the measured dependence of η(ox) on input power, and bubble images recorded under carbon dioxide. The results give insight into the interplay between saturation gas and frequency, nucleation, and their effect on η(ox). Copyright © 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Shifts due to quantum-mechanical interference from distant neighboring resonances for saturated fluorescence spectroscopy of the 23S to 23P intervals of helium

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Marsman, A.; Hessels, E. A.; Horbatsch, M.

2014-04-01

Quantum-mechanical interference with distant neighboring resonances is found to cause shifts for precision saturated fluorescence spectroscopy of the atomic helium 23S-to-23P transitions. The shifts are significant (larger than the experimental uncertainties for measurements of the intervals) despite the fact that the neighboring resonances are separated from the measured resonances by 1400 and 20000 natural widths. The shifts depend strongly on experimental parameters such as the angular position of the fluorescence detector, the intensity and size of laser beams, and the properties of the atomic beam. These shifts must be considered for the ongoing program of determining the fine-structure constant from the helium 23P fine structure.

Critical Landau Velocity in Helium Nanodroplets

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Brauer, Nils B.; Smolarek, Szymon; Loginov, Evgeniy; Mateo, David; Hernando, Alberto; Pi, Marti; Barranco, Manuel; Buma, Wybren J.; Drabbels, Marcel

2013-10-01

The best-known property of superfluid helium is the vanishing viscosity that objects experience while moving through the liquid with speeds below the so-called critical Landau velocity. This critical velocity is generally considered a macroscopic property as it is related to the collective excitations of the helium atoms in the liquid. In the present work we determine to what extent this concept can still be applied to nanometer-scale, finite size helium systems. To this end, atoms and molecules embedded in helium nanodroplets of various sizes are accelerated out of the droplets by means of optical excitation, and the speed distributions of the ejected particles are determined. The measurements reveal the existence of a critical velocity in these systems, even for nanodroplets consisting of only a thousand helium atoms. Accompanying theoretical simulations based on a time-dependent density functional description of the helium confirm and further elucidate this experimental finding.

A thermodynamic model to predict electron mobility in superfluid helium.

PubMed

Aitken, Frédéric; Volino, Ferdinand; Mendoza-Luna, Luis Guillermo; Haeften, Klaus von; Eloranta, Jussi

2017-06-21

Electron mobility in superfluid helium is modeled between 0.1 and 2.2 K by a van der Waals-type thermodynamic equation of state, which relates the free volume of solvated electrons to temperature, density, and phase dependent internal pressure. The model is first calibrated against known electron mobility reference data along the saturated vapor pressure line and then validated to reproduce the existing mobility literature values as a function of pressure and temperature with at least 10% accuracy. Four different electron mobility regimes are identified: (1) Landau critical velocity limit (T ≈ 0), (2) mobility limited by thermal phonons (T < 0.6 K), (3) thermal phonon and discrete roton scattering ("roton gas") limited mobility (0.6 K < T < 1.2 K), and (4) the viscous liquid ("roton continuum") limit (T > 1.2 K) where the ion solvation structure directly determines the mobility. In the latter regime, the Stokes equation can be used to estimate the hydrodynamic radius of the solvated electron based on its mobility and fluid viscosity. To account for the non-continuum behavior appearing below 1.2 K, the temperature and density dependent Millikan-Cunningham factor is introduced. The hydrodynamic electron bubble radii predicted by the present model appear generally larger than the solvation cavity interface barycenter values obtained from density functional theory (DFT) calculations. Based on the classical Stokes law, this difference can arise from the variation of viscosity and flow characteristics around the electron. The calculated DFT liquid density profiles show distinct oscillations at the vacuum/liquid interface, which increase the interface rigidity.

Recovery of purified helium or hydrogen from gas mixtures

DOEpatents

Merriman, J.R.; Pashley, J.H.; Stephenson, M.J.; Dunthorn, D.I.

1974-01-15

A process is described for the removal of helium or hydrogen from gaseous mixtures also containing contaminants. The gaseous mixture is contacted with a liquid fluorocarbon in an absorption zone maintained at superatomspheric pressure to preferentially absorb the contaminants in the fluorocarbon. Unabsorbed gas enriched in hydrogen or helium is withdrawn from the absorption zone as product. Liquid fluorocarbon enriched in contaminants is withdrawn separately from the absorption zone. (10 claims)

Magnetic suspension using high temperature superconducting cores

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Scurlock, R. G.

1992-01-01

The development of YBCO high temperature superconductors, in wire and tape forms, is rapidly approaching the point where the bulk transport current density j vs magnetic field H characteristics with liquid nitrogen cooling will enable its use in model cores. On the other hand, BSCCO high temperature superconductor in wire form has poor j-H characteristics at 77 K today, although with liquid helium or hydrogen cooling, it appears to be superior to NbTi superconductor. Since liquid nitrogen cooling is approx. 100 times cheaper than liquid helium cooling, the use of YBCO is very attractive for use in magnetic suspension. The design is discussed of a model core to accommodate lift and drag loads up to 6000 and 3000 N respectively. A comparison is made between the design performance of a liquid helium cooled NbTi (or BSCCO) superconducting core and a liquid nitrogen cooled YBCO superconducting core.

Liquid helium free cryogenic mechanical property test system with optical windows

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, H. C.; Huang, C. J.; Huang, R. J.; Li, L. F.

2017-12-01

Digital image correlation (DIC) is a non-contact optical method for the in-plane displacement and strain measurement, which has been widely accepted and applied in mechanical property analysis owing to its simple experimental steps, high accuracy and large range of measurement. However, it has been rarely used in cryogenic mechanical test since the opaque design of cryostats and the interaction of optics with liquid coolants (liquid nitrogen or liquid helium). In the present work, a liquid helium free cryogenic mechanical property test system cooled by G-M cryocoolers, with a continuous, tunable environmental temperature from room temperature down to around 20 K, was developed and tested. Quartz optical windows, which are compatible with 2D DIC technology, were designed and manufactured on both inner and outer vacuum chambers. The cryogenic test system with optical windows satisfies well for mechanical tests of materials and takes advantage of both being compatible with DIC technology and getting rid of the use of expensive liquid helium. Surface displacement and strain field of Ti6Al4V under uniaxial tension were studied at 20 K by using this system. The results obtained by DIC method agree well with those obtained by extensometers at cryogenic temperatures.

Upgrade of the cryogenic CERN RF test facility

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Pirotte, O.; Benda, V.; Brunner, O.

2014-01-29

With the large number of superconducting radiofrequency (RF) cryomodules to be tested for the former LEP and the present LHC accelerator a RF test facility was erected early in the 1990’s in the largest cryogenic test facility at CERN located at Point 18. This facility consisted of four vertical test stands for single cavities and originally one and then two horizontal test benches for RF cryomodules operating at 4.5 K in saturated helium. CERN is presently working on the upgrade of its accelerator infrastructure, which requires new superconducting cavities operating below 2 K in saturated superfluid helium. Consequently, the RFmore » test facility has been renewed in order to allow efficient cavity and cryomodule tests in superfluid helium and to improve its thermal performances. The new RF test facility is described and its performances are presented.« less

Concept for a dark matter detector using liquid helium-4

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Guo, W.; McKinsey, D. N.

2013-06-01

Direct searches for light dark matter particles (mass<10GeV) are especially challenging because of the low energies transferred in elastic scattering to typical heavy nuclear targets. We investigate the possibility of using liquid helium-4 as a target material, taking advantage of the favorable kinematic matching of the helium nucleus to light dark matter particles. Monte Carlo simulations are performed to calculate the charge, scintillation, and triplet helium molecule signals produced by recoil He ions, for a variety of energies and electric fields. We show that excellent background rejection might be achieved based on the ratios between different signal channels. The sensitivity of the helium-based detector to light dark matter particles is estimated for various electric fields and light collection efficiencies.

147. EAST END OF LIQUID NITROGEN/HELIUM HEAT EXCHANGER IN FUEL ...

Library of Congress Historic Buildings Survey, Historic Engineering Record, Historic Landscapes Survey

147. EAST END OF LIQUID NITROGEN/HELIUM HEAT EXCHANGER IN FUEL CONTROL ROOM (215), LSB (BLDG. 751), WITH ASSOCIATED PIPING AND VALVES - Vandenberg Air Force Base, Space Launch Complex 3, Launch Pad 3 East, Napa & Alden Roads, Lompoc, Santa Barbara County, CA

49 CFR 173.320 - Cryogenic liquids; exceptions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... atmospheric gases and helium: (1) During loading and unloading operations (pressure rises may exceed 25.3 psig...; exceptions. (a) Atmospheric gases and helium, cryogenic liquids, in Dewar flasks, insulated cylinders... the pressure in such packagings will not exceed 25.3 psig under ambient temperature conditions during...

A Density Functional for Liquid 3He Based on the Aziz Potential

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Barranco, M.; Hernández, E. S.; Mayol, R.; Navarro, J.; Pi, M.; Szybisz, L.

2006-09-01

We propose a new class of density functionals for liquid 3He based on the Aziz helium-helium interaction screened at short distances by the microscopically calculated two-body distribution function g(r). Our aim is to reduce to a minumum the unavoidable phenomenological ingredients inherent to any density functional approach. Results for the homogeneous liquid and droplets are presented and discussed.

Magic angle spinning NMR below 6 K with a computational fluid dynamics analysis of fluid flow and temperature gradients

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sesti, Erika L.; Alaniva, Nicholas; Rand, Peter W.; Choi, Eric J.; Albert, Brice J.; Saliba, Edward P.; Scott, Faith J.; Barnes, Alexander B.

2018-01-01

We report magic angle spinning (MAS) up to 8.5 kHz with a sample temperature below 6 K using liquid helium as a variable temperature fluid. Cross polarization 13C NMR spectra exhibit exquisite sensitivity with a single transient. Remarkably, 1H saturation recovery experiments show a 1H T1 of 21 s with MAS below 6 K in the presence of trityl radicals in a glassy matrix. Leveraging the thermal spin polarization available at 4.2 K versus 298 K should result in 71 times higher signal intensity. Taking the 1H longitudinal relaxation into account, signal averaging times are therefore predicted to be expedited by a factor of >500. Computer assisted design (CAD) and finite element analysis were employed in both the design and diagnostic stages of this cryogenic MAS technology development. Computational fluid dynamics (CFD) models describing temperature gradients and fluid flow are presented. The CFD models bearing and drive gas maintained at 100 K, while a colder helium variable temperature fluid stream cools the center of a zirconia rotor. Results from the CFD were used to optimize the helium exhaust path and determine the sample temperature. This novel cryogenic experimental platform will be integrated with pulsed dynamic nuclear polarization and electron decoupling to interrogate biomolecular structure within intact human cells.

145. VIEW OF LIQUID NITROGEN/HELIUM HEAT EXCHANGER IN FUEL CONTROL ...

Library of Congress Historic Buildings Survey, Historic Engineering Record, Historic Landscapes Survey

145. VIEW OF LIQUID NITROGEN/HELIUM HEAT EXCHANGER IN FUEL CONTROL ROOM (215), LSB (BLDG. 751), FROM FUEL APRON WITH BAY DOOR OPEN - Vandenberg Air Force Base, Space Launch Complex 3, Launch Pad 3 East, Napa & Alden Roads, Lompoc, Santa Barbara County, CA

Characterizing Dissolved Gases in Cryogenic Liquid Fuels

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Richardson, Ian A.

Pressure-Density-Temperature-Composition (PrhoT-x) measurements of cryogenic fuel mixtures are a historical challenge due to the difficulties of maintaining cryogenic temperatures and precision isolation of a mixture sample. For decades NASA has used helium to pressurize liquid hydrogen propellant tanks to maintain tank pressure and reduce boil off. This process causes helium gas to dissolve into liquid hydrogen creating a cryogenic mixture with thermodynamic properties that vary from pure liquid hydrogen. This can lead to inefficiencies in fuel storage and instabilities in fluid flow. As NASA plans for longer missions to Mars and beyond, small inefficiencies such as dissolved helium in liquid propellant become significant. Traditional NASA models are unable to account for dissolved helium due to a lack of fundamental property measurements necessary for the development of a mixture Equation Of State (EOS). The first PrhoT-x measurements of helium-hydrogen mixtures using a retrofitted single-sinker densimeter, magnetic suspension microbalance, and calibrated gas chromatograph are presented in this research. These measurements were used to develop the first multi-phase EOS for helium-hydrogen mixtures which was implemented into NASA's Generalized Fluid System Simulation Program (GFSSP) to determine the significance of mixture non-idealities. It was revealed that having dissolved helium in the propellant does not have a significant effect on the tank pressurization rate but does affect the rate at which the propellant temperature rises. PrhoT-x measurements are conducted on methane-ethane mixtures with dissolved nitrogen gas to simulate the conditions of the hydrocarbon seas of Saturn's moon Titan. Titan is the only known celestial body in the solar system besides Earth with stable liquid seas accessible on the surface. The PrhoT-x measurements are used to develop solubility models to aid in the design of the Titan Submarine. NASA is currently designing the submarine to explore the depths of Titan's methane-ethane seas to study the evolution of hydrocarbons in the universe and provide a pathfinder for future submersible designs. In addition, effervescence and freezing liquid line measurements on various liquid methane-ethane compositions with dissolved gaseous nitrogen are presented from 1.5 bar to 4.5 bar and temperatures from 92 K to 96 K to improve simulations of the conditions of the seas. These measurements will be used to validate sea property and bubble incipience models for the Titan Submarine design.

Cavitation in flowing superfluid helium

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Daney, D. E.

1988-01-01

Flowing superfluid helium cavitates much more readily than normal liquid helium, and there is a marked difference in the cavitation behavior of the two fluids as the lambda point is traversed. Examples of cavitation in a turbine meter and centrifugal pump are given, together with measurements of the cavitation strength of flowing superfluid helium. The unusual cavitation behavior of superfluid helium is attributed to its immense thermal conductivity .

Application of Cryocoolers to a Vintage Dilution Refrigerator

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Schmitt, Richard; Smith, Gary; Ruschman, Mark

2011-06-06

A dilution refrigerator is required for 50mK detector operation of CDMS (Cryogenic Dark Matter Search). Besides shielding the dilution refrigerator itself, the liquid nitrogen shield and liquid helium bath in the refrigerator cool the detector cryostat heat shields and cool electronics, resulting in significant external heat loads at 80K and at 4K. An Oxford Instruments Kelvinox 400 has served this role for ten years but required daily transfers of liquid nitrogen and liquid helium. Complicating the cryogen supply is the location 800 meters below ground in an RF shielded, class 10000 clean room at Soudan, MN. Nitrogen and helium re-liquefiersmore » using cryocoolers were installed outside the clean room and continuously condense room temperature gas and return the liquids to the dilution refrigerator through a transfer line. This paper will describe the design, installation, controls and performance of liquefaction systems.« less

The Hall D solenoid helium refrigeration system at JLab

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Laverdure, Nathaniel A.; Creel, Jonathan D.; Dixon, Kelly d.

Hall D, the new Jefferson Lab experimental facility built for the 12GeV upgrade, features a LASS 1.85 m bore solenoid magnet supported by a 4.5 K helium refrigerator system. This system consists of a CTI 2800 4.5 K refrigerator cold box, three 150 hp screw compressors, helium gas management and storage, and liquid helium and nitrogen storage for stand-alone operation. The magnet interfaces with the cryo refrigeration system through an LN2-shielded distribution box and transfer line system, both designed and fabricated by JLab. The distribution box uses a thermo siphon design to respectively cool four magnet coils and shields withmore » liquid helium and nitrogen. We describe the salient design features of the cryo system and discuss our recent commissioning experience.« less

Performance of an efficient Helium Circulation System on a MEG

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Takeda, T.; Okamoto, M.; Atsuda, K.; Katagiri, K.

2009-02-01

We report a Helium Circulation System (HCS) that re-liquefies all the evaporating helium gas, consumes far less power and has extremely lower magnetic noise compared with conventional systems. It collects warm helium gas about 300 K, cools it to about 40K and returns it to the neck tube of the Dewar to keep it cold. It also collects helium gas just above the liquid helium surface while it is still cold, re-liquefies and returns it to the Dewar. A special transfer tube (TT) about 2 m length with 7 multi-concentric pipes was developed to allow the dual helium streams. It separates the HCS with a MEG to reduce magnetic noise. A refiner to collect the contaminating gases such as oxygen and nitrogen effectively by freezing the gases is developed. It has an electric heater to remove the frozen contamination in the form of gases into the air. A gas flow controller is also developed, which automatically control the heater to cleanup the contamination. The developed TT has very low heat inflow less than 0.1W/m to the liquid helium ensuring the efficient operation. The HCS can re-liquefy up to 35.5 1/D of liquid helium from the evaporated helium gas using two 1.5W@4.2K GM cryocoolers (SRDK-415D, Sumitomo Heavy Industries, Ltd.). It has been confirmed that the HCS could be used with the real MEG system without any noise problem for over one year. The maintenance cost (electricity charges and cryocoolers maintenance fee) of the MEG has reduced to be less than 1/10 of the previous cost.

Helium release during shale deformation: Experimental validation

DOE PAGES

Bauer, Stephen J.; Gardner, W. Payton; Heath, Jason E.

2016-07-01

This paper describes initial experimental results of helium tracer release monitoring during deformation of shale. Naturally occurring radiogenic 4He is present in high concentration in most shales. During rock deformation, accumulated helium could be released as fractures are created and new transport pathways are created. We present the results of an experimental study in which confined reservoir shale samples, cored parallel and perpendicular to bedding, which were initially saturated with helium to simulate reservoir conditions, are subjected to triaxial compressive deformation. During the deformation experiment, differential stress, axial, and radial strains are systematically tracked. Release of helium is dynamically measuredmore » using a helium mass spectrometer leak detector. Helium released during deformation is observable at the laboratory scale and the release is tightly coupled to the shale deformation. These first measurements of dynamic helium release from rocks undergoing deformation show that helium provides information on the evolution of microstructure as a function of changes in stress and strain.« less

Surface Microparticles in Liquid Helium. Quantum Archimedes' Principle

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dyugaev, A. M.; Lebedeva, E. V.

2017-12-01

Deviations from Archimedes' principle for spherical molecular hydrogen particles with the radius R 0 at the surface of 4He liquid helium have been investigated. The classical Archimedes' principle holds if R 0 is larger than the helium capillary length L cap ≅ 500 μm. In this case, the elevation of a particle above the liquid is h + R 0. At 30 μm < R 0 < 500 μm, the buoyancy is suppressed by the surface tension and h + R 3 0/ L 2 cap. At R 0 < 30 μm, the particle is situated beneath the surface of the liquid. In this case, the buoyancy competes with the Casimir force, which repels the particle from the surface deep into the liquid. The distance of the particle to the surface is h - R 5/3 c/ R 2/3 0 if R 0 > R c. Here, {R_c} \\cong {( {{\\hbar c}/{ρ g}} )^{1/5}} ≈ 1, where ħ is Planck's constant, c is the speed of light, g is the acceleration due to gravity, and ρ is the mass density of helium. For very small particles ( R 0 < R c), the distance h_ to the surface of the liquid is independent of their size, h_ = R c.

Novel cryogenic sources for liquid droplet and solid filament beams

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Grams, Michael P.

Two novel atomic and molecular beam sources have been created and tested consisting first of a superfluid helium liquid jet, and secondly a solid filament of argon. The superfluid helium apparatus is the second of its kind in the world and uses a modified liquid helium cryostat to inject a cylindrical stream of superfluid helium into vacuum through glass capillary nozzles with diameters on the order of one micron created on-site at Arizona State University. The superfluid beam is an entirely new way to study superfluid behavior, and has many new applications such as superfluid beam-surface scattering, beam-beam scattering, and boundary-free study of superfluidity. The solid beam of argon is another novel beam source created by flowing argon gas through a capillary 50 microns in diameter which is clamped by a small copper plate to a copper block kept at liquid nitrogen temperature. The gas subsequently cools and solidifies plugging the capillary. Upon heating, the solid plug melts and liquid argon exits the capillary and immediately freezes by evaporative cooling. The solid filaments may find application as wall-less cryogenic matrices, or targets for laser plasma sources of extreme UV and soft x-ray sources.

Quantitative method for measuring heat flux emitted from a cryogenic object

DOEpatents

Duncan, Robert V.

1993-01-01

The present invention is a quantitative method for measuring the total heat flux, and of deriving the total power dissipation, of a heat-fluxing object which includes the steps of placing an electrical noise-emitting heat-fluxing object in a liquid helium bath and measuring the superfluid transition temperature of the bath. The temperature of the liquid helium bath is thereafter reduced until some measurable parameter, such as the electrical noise, exhibited by the heat-fluxing object or a temperature-dependent resistive thin film in intimate contact with the heat-fluxing object, becomes greatly reduced. The temperature of the liquid helum bath is measured at this point. The difference between the superfluid transition temperature of the liquid helium bath surrounding the heat-fluxing object, and the temperature of the liquid helium bath when the electrical noise emitted by the heat-fluxing object becomes greatly reduced, is determined. The total heat flux from the heat-fluxing object is determined as a function of this difference between these temperatures. In certain applications, the technique can be used to optimize thermal design parameters of cryogenic electronics, for example, Josephson junction and infra-red sensing devices.

Quantitative method for measuring heat flux emitted from a cryogenic object

DOEpatents

Duncan, R.V.

1993-03-16

The present invention is a quantitative method for measuring the total heat flux, and of deriving the total power dissipation, of a heat-fluxing object which includes the steps of placing an electrical noise-emitting heat-fluxing object in a liquid helium bath and measuring the superfluid transition temperature of the bath. The temperature of the liquid helium bath is thereafter reduced until some measurable parameter, such as the electrical noise, exhibited by the heat-fluxing object or a temperature-dependent resistive thin film in intimate contact with the heat-fluxing object, becomes greatly reduced. The temperature of the liquid helum bath is measured at this point. The difference between the superfluid transition temperature of the liquid helium bath surrounding the heat-fluxing object, and the temperature of the liquid helium bath when the electrical noise emitted by the heat-fluxing object becomes greatly reduced, is determined. The total heat flux from the heat-fluxing object is determined as a function of this difference between these temperatures. In certain applications, the technique can be used to optimize thermal design parameters of cryogenic electronics, for example, Josephson junction and infrared sensing devices.

Increasing the sensitivity of LXe TPCs to dark matter by doping with helium or neon

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Lippincott, W. Hugh; Alexander, Thomas R.; Hime, Andrew

Next generation liquid xenon TPCs are poised to increase our sensitivity to dark matter by two orders of magnitude over a wide range of possible dark matter candidates. This proceedings describes an idea to expand the reach and flexibility of such detectors even further, by adding helium and neon to the xenon to enable searches for very light dark matter and combining high and low Z targets in the same detector. Adding helium or neon to LXe-TPCs has many advantages. First, the helium or neon target benefits from the excellent self-shielding provided by a large liquid xenon detector. Second, themore » same instrumentation, PMTs, and data acquisition can be used. Third, light nuclei are more robust to the systematic uncertainties that affect light WIMP searches. Fourth, helium and neon recoils will likely produce larger signals in liquid xenon than xenon recoils, achieving lower energy thresholds, and further increasing the sensitivity to light WIMPs. Finally, by adding He/Ne in sequence after a Xe-only run, the source of any observed signal can be isolated.« less

Increasing the sensitivity of LXe TPCs to dark matter by doping with helium or neon

DOE PAGES

Lippincott, W. Hugh; Alexander, Thomas R.; Hime, Andrew

2017-02-03

Next generation liquid xenon TPCs are poised to increase our sensitivity to dark matter by two orders of magnitude over a wide range of possible dark matter candidates. This proceedings describes an idea to expand the reach and flexibility of such detectors even further, by adding helium and neon to the xenon to enable searches for very light dark matter and combining high and low Z targets in the same detector. Adding helium or neon to LXe-TPCs has many advantages. First, the helium or neon target benefits from the excellent self-shielding provided by a large liquid xenon detector. Second, themore » same instrumentation, PMTs, and data acquisition can be used. Third, light nuclei are more robust to the systematic uncertainties that affect light WIMP searches. Fourth, helium and neon recoils will likely produce larger signals in liquid xenon than xenon recoils, achieving lower energy thresholds, and further increasing the sensitivity to light WIMPs. Finally, by adding He/Ne in sequence after a Xe-only run, the source of any observed signal can be isolated.« less

Chemical reactions studied at ultra-low temperature in liquid helium clusters

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Huisken, Friedrich; Krasnokutski, Serge A.

Low-temperature reaction rates are important ingredients for astrophysical reaction networks modeling the formation of interstellar matter in molecular clouds. Unfortunately, such data is difficult to obtain by experimental means. In an attempt to study low-temperature reactions of astrophysical interest, we have investigated relevant reactions at ultralow temperature in liquid helium droplets. Being prepared by supersonic expansion of helium gas at high pressure through a nozzle into a vacuum, large helium clusters in the form of liquid droplets constitute nano-sized reaction vessels for the study of chemical reactions at ultra-low temperature. If the normal isotope {sup 4}He is used, the heliummore » droplets are superfluid and characterized by a constant temperature of 0.37 K. Here we present results obtained for Mg, Al, and Si reacting with O{sub 2}. Mass spectrometry was employed to characterize the reaction products. As it may be difficult to distinguish between reactions occurring in the helium droplets before they are ionized and ion-molecule reactions taking place after the ionization, additional techniques were applied to ensure that the reactions actually occurred in the helium droplets. This information was provided by measuring the chemiluminescence light emitted by the products, the evaporation of helium atoms by the release of the reaction heat, or by laser-spectroscopic identification of the reactants and products.« less

Superconducting cable cooling system by helium gas and a mixture of gas and liquid helium

DOEpatents

Dean, John W.

1977-01-01

Thermally contacting, oppositely streaming cryogenic fluid streams in the same enclosure in a closed cycle that changes from a cool high pressure helium gas to a cooler reduced pressure helium fluid comprised of a mixture of gas and boiling liquid so as to be near the same temperature but at different pressures respectively in go and return legs that are in thermal contact with each other and in thermal contact with a longitudinally extending superconducting transmission line enclosed in the same cable enclosure that insulates the line from the ambient at a temperature T.sub.1. By first circulating the fluid in a go leg from a refrigerator at one end of the line as a high pressure helium gas near the normal boiling temperature of helium; then circulating the gas through an expander at the other end of the line where the gas becomes a mixture of reduced pressure gas and boiling liquid at its boiling temperature; then by circulating the mixture in a return leg that is separated from but in thermal contact with the gas in the go leg and in the same enclosure therewith; and finally returning the resulting low pressure gas to the refrigerator for compression into a high pressure gas at T.sub.2 is a closed cycle, where T.sub.1 >T.sub.2, the temperature distribution is such that the line temperature is nearly constant along its length from the refrigerator to the expander due to the boiling of the liquid in the mixture. A heat exchanger between the go and return lines removes the gas from the liquid in the return leg while cooling the go leg.

Interactive FORTRAN IV computer programs for the thermodynamic and transport properties of selected cryogens (fluids pack)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mccarty, R. D.

1980-01-01

The thermodynamic and transport properties of selected cryogens had programmed into a series of computer routines. Input variables are any two of P, rho or T in the single phase regions and either P or T for the saturated liquid or vapor state. The output is pressure, density, temperature, entropy, enthalpy for all of the fluids and in most cases specific heat capacity and speed of sound. Viscosity and thermal conductivity are also given for most of the fluids. The programs are designed for access by remote terminal; however, they have been written in a modular form to allow the user to select either specific fluids or specific properties for particular needs. The program includes properties for hydrogen, helium, neon, nitrogen, oxygen, argon, and methane. The programs include properties for gaseous and liquid states usually from the triple point to some upper limit of pressure and temperature which varies from fluid to fluid.

Helium dilution refrigeration system

DOEpatents

Roach, Patrick R.; Gray, Kenneth E.

1988-01-01

A helium dilution refrigeration system operable over a limited time period, and recyclable for a next period of operation. The refrigeration system is compact with a self-contained pumping system and heaters for operation of the system. A mixing chamber contains .sup.3 He and .sup.4 He liquids which are precooled by a coupled container containing .sup.3 He liquid, enabling the phase separation of a .sup.3 He rich liquid phase from a dilute .sup.3 He-.sup.4 He liquid phase which leads to the final stage of a dilution cooling process for obtaining low temperatures. The mixing chamber and a still are coupled by a fluid line and are maintained at substantially the same level with the still cross sectional area being smaller than that of the mixing chamber. This configuration provides maximum cooling power and efficiency by the cooling period ending when the .sup.3 He liquid is depleted from the mixing chamber with the mixing chamber nearly empty of liquid helium, thus avoiding unnecessary and inefficient cooling of a large amount of the dilute .sup.3 He-.sup.4 He liquid phase.

Helium dilution refrigeration system

DOEpatents

Roach, P.R.; Gray, K.E.

1988-09-13

A helium dilution refrigeration system operable over a limited time period, and recyclable for a next period of operation is disclosed. The refrigeration system is compact with a self-contained pumping system and heaters for operation of the system. A mixing chamber contains [sup 3]He and [sup 4]He liquids which are precooled by a coupled container containing [sup 3]He liquid, enabling the phase separation of a [sup 3]He rich liquid phase from a dilute [sup 3]He-[sup 4]He liquid phase which leads to the final stage of a dilution cooling process for obtaining low temperatures. The mixing chamber and a still are coupled by a fluid line and are maintained at substantially the same level with the still cross sectional area being smaller than that of the mixing chamber. This configuration provides maximum cooling power and efficiency by the cooling period ending when the [sup 3]He liquid is depleted from the mixing chamber with the mixing chamber nearly empty of liquid helium, thus avoiding unnecessary and inefficient cooling of a large amount of the dilute [sup 3]He-[sup 4]He liquid phase. 2 figs.

An efficient cooling loop for connecting cryocooler to a helium reservoir

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Taylor, C.E.; Abbott, C.S.R.; Leitner, D.

2003-09-21

The magnet system of the VENUS ECR Ion Source at LBNL has two 1.5-watt cryocoolers suspended in the cryostat vacuum. Helium vapor from the liquid reservoir is admitted to a finned condenser bolted to the cryocooler 2nd stage and returns as liquid via gravity. Small-diameter flexible tubes allow the cryocoolers to be located remotely from the reservoir. With 3.1 watts load, the helium reservoir is maintained at 4.35 K, 0.05K above the cryocooler temperature. Design, analysis, and performance are presented.

Performance of the Helium Circulation System on a Commercialized MEG

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

T, Takeda; M, Okamoto; T, Miyazaki; K, Katagiri

2012-12-01

We report the performance of a helium circulation system (HCS) mounted on a MEG (Magnetoencephalography) at Nagoya University, Japan. This instrument is the first commercialized version of an HCS. The HCS collects warm helium gas at approximately 300 K and then cools it to approximately 40 K. The gas is returned to the neck tube of a Dewar of the MEG to keep it cold. It also collects helium gas in the region just above the liquid helium surface while it is still cold, re-liquefies the gas and returns it to the Dewar. A special transfer tube (TT) of approximately 3 m length was developed to allow for dual helium streams. This tube separates the HCS using a MEG to reduce magnetic noise. A refiner was incorporated to effectively collect contaminating gases by freezing them. The refiner was equipped with an electric heater to remove the frozen contaminants as gases into the air. A gas flow controller was also developed, which automatically controlled the heater and electric valves to clean up contamination. The developed TT exhibited a very low heat inflow of less than 0.1 W/m to the liquid helium, ensuring efficient operation. The insert tube diameter, which was 1.5 in. was reduced to a standard 0.5 in. size. This dimensional change enabled the HCS to mount onto any commercialized MEG without any modifications to the MEG. The HCS can increase liquid helium in the Dewar by at least 3 liters/Day using two GM cryocoolers (SRDK-415D, Sumitomo Heavy Industries, Ltd.). The noise levels were virtually the same as before this installation.

Space Cryogenics Workshop, University of Wisconsin, Madison, June 22, 23, 1987

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1988-01-01

Papers are presented on liquid helium servicing from the Space Station, performance estimates in the Superfluid Helium On-Orbit Transfer Flight Experiment, an analytical study of He II flow characteristics in the SHOOT transfer line, a Dewar to Dewar model for superfluid helium transfer, and mechanical pumps for superfluid helium transfer in space. Attention is also given to the cavitation characteristics of a small centrifugal pump in He I and He II, turbulent flow pressure drop in various He II transfer system components, slip effects associated with Knudsen transport phenomena in porous media, and an integrated fountain effect pump device for fluid management at low gravity. Other papers are on liquid/vapor phase separation in He-4 using electric fields, an enclosed capillary device for low-gravity management of He II, cavitation in flowing superfluid helium, the long-term performance of the passive thermal control systems of the IRAS spacecraft, and a novel approach to supercritical helium flight cryostat support structures.

Dynamic Simulation of a Helium Liquefier

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Maekawa, R.; Ooba, K.; Nobutoki, M.; Mito, T.

2004-06-01

Dynamic behavior of a helium liquefier has been studied in detail with a Cryogenic Process REal-time SimulaTor (C-PREST) at the National Institute for Fusion Science (NIFS). The C-PREST is being developed to integrate large-scale helium cryogenic plant design, operation and maintenance for optimum process establishment. As a first step of simulations of cooldown to 4.5 K with the helium liquefier model is conducted, which provides a plant-process validation platform. The helium liquefier consists of seven heat exchangers, a liquid-nitrogen (LN2) precooler, two expansion turbines and a liquid-helium (LHe) reservoir. Process simulations are fulfilled with sequence programs, which were implemented with C-PREST based on an existing liquefier operation. The interactions of a JT valve, a JT-bypass valve and a reservoir-return valve have been dynamically simulated. The paper discusses various aspects of refrigeration process simulation, including its difficulties such as a balance between complexity of the adopted models and CPU time.

Shifts due to quantum-mechanical interference from distant neighboring resonances for saturated fluorescence spectroscopy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Marsman, Alain; Horbatsch, Marko; Hessels, Eric A.

2014-05-01

Quantum-mechanical interference with distant neighboring resonances is found to cause shifts for precision saturated fluorescence spectroscopy of the atomic helium 23 S -to- 23 P transitions. The shifts are significant (larger than the experimental uncertainties for measurements of the intervals) despite the fact that the neighboring resonances are separated from the measured resonances by 1400 and 20 000 natural widths. The shifts depend strongly on experimental parameters such as the angular position of the fluorescence detector and the intensity and size of laser beams. These shifts must be considered for the ongoing program of determining the fine-structure constant from the helium 23 P fine structure. The work represents the first study of such interference shifts for saturated fluorescence spectroscopy and follows up on our previous study of similar shifts for laser spectroscopy. This work is supported by NSERC, CRC, ORF, CFI, NIST and SHARCNET.

LOX Tank Helium Removal for Propellant Scavenging

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Chato, David J.

2009-01-01

System studies have shown a significant advantage to reusing the hydrogen and oxygen left in these tanks after landing on the Moon in fuel cells to generate power and water for surface systems. However in the current lander concepts, the helium used to pressurize the oxygen tank can substantially degrade fuel cell power and water output by covering the reacting surface with inert gas. This presentation documents an experimental investigation of methods to remove the helium pressurant while minimizing the amount of the oxygen lost. This investigation demonstrated that significant quantities of Helium (greater than 90% mole fraction) remain in the tank after draining. Although a single vent cycle reduced the helium quantity, large amounts of helium remained. Cyclic venting appeared to be more effective. Three vent cycles were sufficient to reduce the helium to small (less than 0.2%) quantities. Two vent cycles may be sufficient since once the tank has been brought up to pressure after the second vent cycle the helium concentration has been reduced to the less than 0.2% level. The re-pressurization process seemed to contribute to diluting helium. This is as expected since in order to raise the pressure liquid oxygen must be evaporated. Estimated liquid oxygen loss is on the order of 82 pounds (assuming the third vent cycle is not required).

Nonlinear magnetoelectric effect and magnetostriction in piezoelectric CsCuCl{sub 3} in paramagnetic and antiferromagnetic states

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Kharkovskiy, A. I., E-mail: akharkovskiy@inbox.ru; L.F. Vereshchagin Institute for High Pressure Physics RAS, 142190 Troitsk, Moscow; Shaldin, Yu. V.

2016-01-07

The direct nonlinear magnetoelectric (ME) effect and the magnetostriction of piezoelectric CsCuCl{sub 3} single crystals were comprehensively studied over a wide temperature range in stationary magnetic fields of up to 14 T. The direct nonlinear ME effect measurements were also performed in pulsed magnetic fields up to 31 T, at liquid helium temperature in the antiferromagnetic (AF) state for the crystallographic direction in which effect has the maximum value. The nonlinear ME effect was quadratic in the paramagnetic state for the whole range of magnetic fields. In the AF state the phase transition between different configurations of spins manifested itself as plateau-likemore » peculiarity on the nonlinear ME effect. The nonlinear ME effect was saturated by the phase transition to the spin-saturated paramagnetic state. Two contributions to the nonlinear ME effects in CsCuCl{sub 3} were extracted from the experimental data: the intrinsic ME effect originated from the magnetoelectric interactions, and the extrinsic one, which resulted from a magnetostriction-induced piezoelectric effect.« less

Gas propagation following a sudden loss of vacuum in a pipe cooled by He I and He II.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Garceau, N.; Guo, W.; Dodamead, T.

2017-12-01

Many cryogenic systems around the world are concerned with the sudden catastrophic loss of vacuum for cost, preventative damage, safety or other reasons. The experiments in this paper were designed to simulate the sudden vacuum break in the beam-line pipe of a liquid helium cooled superconducting particle accelerator. This paper expands previous research conducted at the National High Magnetic Field Laboratory and evaluates the differences between normal helium (He I) and superfluid helium (He II). For the experiments, a straight pipe and was evacuated and immersed in liquid helium at 4.2 K and below 2.17 K. Vacuum loss was simulated by opening a solenoid valve on a buffer tank filled nitrogen gas. Gas front arrival was observed by a temperature rise of the tube. Preliminary results suggested that the speed of the gas front through the experiment decreased exponentially along the tube for both normal liquid helium and super-fluid helium. The system was modified to a helical pipe system to increase propagation length. Testing and analysis on these two systems revealed there was minor difference between He I and He II despite the difference between the two distinct helium phases heat transfer mechanisms: convection vs thermal counterflow. Furthermore, the results indicated that the temperature of the tube wall above the LHe bath also plays a significant role in the initial front propagation. More systematic measurements are planned in with the helical tube system to further verify the results.

Impact, Spreading and Splashing of Superfluid Drops

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Taborek, Peter; Wallace, Mattew; Mallin, David; Aguirre, Andres; Langley, Kenneth; Thoroddsen, Sigurdur

2017-11-01

We investigate the impact of superfluid and normal liquid helium drops onto glass plates, in a custom-made optical cryostat, over a temperature range from 1.3 - 5 K. The unusual properties of liquid helium allow us to explore ranges of parameters that are difficult to obtain in conventional systems. Even in the normal state with T >2.17K, the viscosity and surface tension of liquid helium are unusually low, so it is easy to prepare drops with Re >30,000 and We >500. We track the spreading radius of the fluid rim, which initially grows as a power law in time with an exponent of 0.5 , while transitioning to Tanner's law at later times. In the superfluid state the rim velocity can exceed 4 m/s, which is significantly higher than the superfluid critical velocity. Here we see no splashing even at Re >100,000. Our experiments take place in an atmosphere of helium gas. In conventional impact splashing the exterior air is incondensable, while our impacts in helium involve a condensable exterior phase, so the dynamics can be expected to be quite different. We study how these differences affect the splashing.

Low temperature binary gas mixtures

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

McIntosh, Glen E.; Leonard, Kenneth R.

2017-12-01

Application of partial pressure technology to combinations of one gas above its critical temperature (helium) mixed with a two-phase liquid (nitrogen) can result in liquid temperatures down to and below the nitrogen triple point. The thermodynamics of this process is developed and an experimental apparatus is described which was used to produce a helium/nitrogen bath temperature of 59.17 K, 4 K lower than the 63.2 K nitrogen triple point and lower than any liquid nitrogen temperature reported in the literature.

Cryogenic Feedthrough Test Rig

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Skaff, Antony

2009-01-01

The cryogenic feedthrough test rig (CFTR) allows testing of instrumentation feedthroughs at liquid oxygen and liquid hydrogen temperature and pressure extremes (dangerous process fluid) without actually exposing the feedthrough to a combustible or explosive process fluid. In addition, the helium used (inert gas), with cryogenic heat exchangers, exposes the feedthrough to that environment that allows definitive leak rates of feedthrough by typical industry-standard helium mass spectrometers.

Statistical Fine Structure of Inhomogeneously Broadened Absorption Lines.

DTIC Science & Technology

1987-07-31

inhomogeneously broadened optical absorption of pentacene n p-terphenyl at liquid helium temperatures... SFS is the actual frequency- ependent, time...statistical fine structure (SFS) in the inhomogeneously broadened optical absorption of pentacene in p-terphenyl at liquid helium temperatures. SFS is the...quite difficult . -2- We have observed for the first time statistical fine structure in the inhomogeneously broadened optical absorption of pentacene

ARIEL E-linac Cryogenic System: Commissioning and First Operational Experience

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Koveshnikov, A.; Bylinskii, I.; Hodgson, G.; Kishi, D.; Laxdal, R.; Ma, Y.; Nagimov, R.; Yosifov, D.

2015-12-01

The Advanced Rare IsotopE Laboratory (ARIEL) is a major expansion of the Isotope Separator and Accelerator (ISAC) facility at TRIUMF. A key part of the ARIEL project is a 10 mA 50 MeV continuous-wave superconducting radiofrequency (SRF) electron linear accelerator (e-linac). The 1.3 GHz SRF cavities are operated at 2 K. HELIAL LL helium liquefier by Air Liquide Advanced Technologies (ALAT) with a tuneable liquid helium (LHe) production was installed and commissioned in Q4’2013 [1]. It provides 4 K liquid helium to one injector and one accelerator cryomodules that were installed and tested in 2014. The 4 K to 2 K liquid helium transition is achieved on-board of each cryomodule. The cryoplant, LHe and LN2 distributions, sub-atmospheric (S/A) system and cryomodules were successfully commissioned and integrated into the e-linac cryogenic system. Required pressure regulation for both 4 K cryoplant in the Dewar and 2 K with the S/A system was achieved under simulated load. Final integration tests confirmed overall stable performance of the cryogenic system with two cryomodules installed. The paper presents details of the cryogenic system commissioning tests as well as highlights of the initial operational experience.

Atomizing, continuous, water monitoring module

DOEpatents

Thompson, C.V.; Wise, M.B.

1997-07-08

A system for continuously analyzing volatile constituents of a liquid is described. The system contains a pump for continuously pumping the liquid to be tested at a predetermined flow rate into an extracting container through a liquid directing tube having an orifice at one end and positioned to direct the liquid into the extracting container at a flow rate sufficient to atomize the liquid within the extracting container. A continuous supply of helium carrier gas at a predetermined flow rate is directed through a tube into the extracting container and co-mingled with the atomized liquid to extract the volatile constituents contained within the atomized liquid. The helium containing the extracted volatile constituents flows out of the extracting container into a mass spectrometer for an analysis of the volatile constituents of the liquid. 3 figs.

Atomizing, continuous, water monitoring module

DOEpatents

Thompson, Cyril V.; Wise, Marcus B.

1997-01-01

A system for continuously analyzing volatile constituents of a liquid is described. The system contains a pump for continuously pumping the liquid to be tested at a predetermined flow rate into an extracting container through a liquid directing tube having an orifice at one end and positioned to direct the liquid into the extracting container at a flow rate sufficient to atomize the liquid within the extracting container. A continuous supply of helium carrier gas at a predetermined flow rate is directed through a tube into the extracting container and co-mingled with the atomized liquid to extract the volatile constituents contained within the atomized liquid. The helium containing the extracted volatile constituents flows out of the extracting container into a mass spectrometer for an analysis of the volatile constituents of the liquid.

An extensive study of Bose-Einstein condensation in liquid helium using Tsallis statistics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Guha, Atanu; Das, Prasanta Kumar

2018-05-01

Realistic scenario can be represented by general canonical ensemble way better than the ideal one, with proper parameter sets involved. We study the Bose-Einstein condensation phenomena of liquid helium within the framework of Tsallis statistics. With a comparatively high value of the deformation parameter q(∼ 1 . 4) , the theoretically calculated value of the critical temperature (Tc) of the phase transition of liquid helium is found to agree with the experimentally determined value (Tc = 2 . 17 K), although they differs from each other for q = 1 (undeformed scenario). This throws a light on the understanding of the phenomenon and connects temperature fluctuation(non-equilibrium conditions) with the interactions between atoms qualitatively. More interactions between atoms give rise to more non-equilibrium conditions which is as expected.

Continuously pumping and reactivating gas pump

DOEpatents

Batzer, T.H.; Call, W.R.

Apparatus for continuous pumping using cycling cryopumping panels. A plurality of liquid helium cooled panels are surrounded by movable nitrogen cooled panels that alternatively expose or shield the helium cooled panels from the space being pumped. Gases condense on exposed helium cooled panels until the nitrogen cooled panels are positioned to isolate the helium cooled panels. The helium cooled panels are incrementally warmed, causing captured gases to accumulate at the base of the panels, where an independant pump removes the gases. After the helium cooled panels are substantially cleaned of condensate, the nitrogen cooled panels are positioned to expose the helium cooled panels to the space being pumped.

Continuously pumping and reactivating gas pump

DOEpatents

Batzer, Thomas H.; Call, Wayne R.

1984-01-01

Apparatus for continuous pumping using cycling cyropumping panels. A plurality of liquid helium cooled panels are surrounded by movable nitrogen cooled panels the alternatively expose or shield the helium cooled panels from the space being pumped. Gases condense on exposed helium cooled panels until the nitrogen cooled panels are positioned to isolate the helium cooled panels. The helium cooled panels are incrementally warmed, causing captured gases to accumulate at the base of the panels, where an independent pump removes the gases. After the helium cooled panels are substantially cleaned of condensate, the nitrogen cooled panels are positioned to expose the helium cooled panels to the space being pumped.

Design and Test of a Liquid Oxygen / Liquid Methane Thruster with Cold Helium Pressurization Heat Exchanger

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Melcher, John C.; Morehead, Robert L.; Atwell, Matthew J.; Hurlbert, Eric A.

2015-01-01

A liquid oxygen / liquid methane 2,000 lbf thruster was designed and tested in conjuction with a nozzle heat exchanger for cold helium pressurization. Cold helium pressurization systems offer significant spacecraft vehicle dry mass savings since the pressurant tank size can be reduced as the pressurant density is increased. A heat exchanger can be incorporated into the main engine design to provide expansion of the pressurant supply to the propellant tanks. In order to study the systems integration of a cold-helium pressurization system, a 2,000 lbf thruster with a nozzle heat exchanger was designed for integration into the Project Morpheus vehicle at NASA Johnson Space Center. The testing goals were to demonstrate helium loading and initial conditioning to low temperatures, high-pressure/low temperature storage, expansion through the main engine heat exchanger, and propellant tank injection/pressurization. The helium pressurant tank was an existing 19 inch diameter composite-overwrap tank, and the targert conditions were 4500 psi and -250 F, providing a 2:1 density advantage compared to room tempatrue storage. The thruster design uses like-on-like doublets in the injector pattern largely based on Project Morpheus main engine hertiage data, and the combustion chamber was designed for an ablative chamber. The heat exchanger was installed at the ablative nozzle exit plane. Stand-alone engine testing was conducted at NASA Stennis Space Center, including copper heat-sink chambers and highly-instrumented spoolpieces in order to study engine performance, stability, and wall heat flux. A one-dimensional thermal model of the integrated system was completed. System integration into the Project Morpheus vehicle is complete, and systems demonstrations will follow.

Design of a 3-Stage ADR for the Soft X-Ray Spectrometer Instrument on the Astro-H Mission

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Shirron, Peter J.; Kimball, Mark O.; Wegel, Donald C.; Canavan, Edgar R.; DiPirro, Michael J.

2011-01-01

The Japanese Astro-H mission will include the Soft X-ray Spectrometer (SXS) instrument, whose 36-pixel detector array of ultra-sensitive x-ray microcalorimeters requires cooling to 50 mK. This will be accomplished using a 3-stage adiabatic demagnetization refrigerator (ADR). The design is dictated by the need to operate with full redundancy with both a superfluid helium dewar at 1.3 K or below, and with a 4.5 K Joule-Thomson (JT) cooler. The ADR is configured as a 2-stage unit that is located in a well in the helium tank, and a third stage that is mounted to the top of the helium tank. The third stage is directly connected through two heat switches to the JT cooler and the helium tank, and manages heat flow between the two. When liquid helium is present, the 2-stage ADR operates in a single-shot manner using the superfluid helium as a heat sink. The third stage may be used independently to reduce the time-average heat load on the liquid to extend its lifetime. When the liquid is depleted, the 2nd and 3rd stages operate as a continuous ADR to maintain the helium tank at as low a temperature as possible - expected to be 1.2 K - and the 1st stage cools from that temperature as a single-stage, single-shot ADR. The ADR s design and operating modes are discussed, along with test results of the prototype 3-stage ADR.

Vacuum pump apparatus

DOEpatents

Batzer, Thomas H.; Call, Wayne R.

1985-01-01

An improved cryopumping apparatus which comprises a cryopumping space which may be alternately opened and closed from the surrounding area by moveable panels, trubular cryopanels within said cryopumping space through which a coolant such as liquid helium may be passed, and an apparatus for spraying liquid argon onto said cylindrical cryopanels in order to enhance the cryogenic entrapment of such low-z ions, atoms, and molecules as hydrogen and helium.

Interface for the rapid analysis of liquid samples by accelerator mass spectrometry

DOEpatents

Turteltaub, Kenneth; Ognibene, Ted; Thomas, Avi; Daley, Paul F; Salazar Quintero, Gary A; Bench, Graham

2014-02-04

An interface for the analysis of liquid sample having carbon content by an accelerator mass spectrometer including a wire, defects on the wire, a system for moving the wire, a droplet maker for producing droplets of the liquid sample and placing the droplets of the liquid sample on the wire in the defects, a system that converts the carbon content of the droplets of the liquid sample to carbon dioxide gas in a helium stream, and a gas-accepting ion source connected to the accelerator mass spectrometer that receives the carbon dioxide gas of the sample in a helium stream and introduces the carbon dioxide gas of the sample into the accelerator mass spectrometer.

Liquid Nitrogen (Oxygen Simulent) Thermodynamic Venting System Test Data Analysis

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hedayat, A.; Nelson, S. L.; Hastings, L. J.; Flachbart, R. H.; Tucker, S. P.

2005-01-01

In designing systems for the long-term storage of cryogens in low gravity space environments, one must consider the effects of thermal stratification on excessive tank pressure that will occur due to environmental heat leakage. During low gravity operations, a Thermodynamic Venting System (TVS) concept is expected to maintain tank pressure without propellant resettling. The TVS consists of a recirculation pump, Joule-Thomson (J-T) expansion valve, and a parallel flow concentric tube heat exchanger combined with a longitudinal spray bar. Using a small amount of liquid extracted by the pump and passing it though the J-T valve, then through the heat exchanger, the bulk liquid and ullage are cooled, resulting in lower tank pressure. A series of TVS tests were conducted at the Marshall Space Flight Center using liquid nitrogen as a liquid oxygen simulant. The tests were performed at fill levels of 90%, 50%, and 25% with gaseous nitrogen and helium pressurants, and with a tank pressure control band of 7 kPa. A transient one-dimensional model of the TVS is used to analyze the data. The code is comprised of four models for the heat exchanger, the spray manifold and injector tubes, the recirculation pump, and the tank. The TVS model predicted ullage pressure and temperature and bulk liquid saturation pressure and temperature are compared with data. Details of predictions and comparisons with test data regarding pressure rise and collapse rates will be presented in the final paper.

Stable Trapping of Multielectron Helium Bubbles in a Paul Trap

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Joseph, E. M.; Vadakkumbatt, V.; Pal, A.; Ghosh, A.

2017-06-01

In a recent experiment, we have used a linear Paul trap to store and study multielectron bubbles (MEBs) in liquid helium. MEBs have a charge-to-mass ratio (between 10^{-4} and 10^{-2} C/kg) which is several orders of magnitude smaller than ions (between 10^6 and 10^8 C/kg) studied in traditional ion traps. In addition, MEBs experience significant drag force while moving through the liquid. As a result, the experimental parameters for stable trapping of MEBs, such as magnitude and frequency of the applied electric fields, are very different from those used in typical ion trap experiments. The purpose of this paper is to model the motion of MEBs inside a linear Paul trap in liquid helium, determine the range of working parameters of the trap, and compare the results with experiments.

Advances in cryogenic engineering. Vols. 35A & 35B - Proceedings of the 1989 Cryogenic Engineering Conference, University of California, Los Angeles, July 24-28, 1989

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fast, R. W.

The book presents a review of literature on superfluid helium, together with papers under the topics on heat and mass transfer in He II; applications of He II for cooling superconducting devices in space; heat transfer to liquid helium and liquid nitrogen; multilayer insulation; applications of superconductivity, including topics on magnets and other devices, magnet stability and coil protection, and cryogenic techniques; and refrigeration for electronics. Other topics discussed include refrigeration of superconducting systems; the expanders, cold compressors, and pumps for liquid helium; dilution refrigerators; magnetic refrigerators; pulse tube refrigerators; cryocoolers for space applications; properties of cryogenic fluids; cryogenic instrumentation; hyperconducting devices (cryogenic magnets); cryogenic applications in space science and technology and in transportation; and miscellaneous cryogenic techniques and applications.

Helium extraction and nitrogen removal from LNG boil-off gas

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xiong, L.; Peng, N.; Liu, L.; Gong, L.

2017-02-01

The helium bearing boil off gas (BOG) from liquid natural gas (LNG) storage tank in LNG plant, which has a helium concentration of about 1%, has attracted the attention in China as a new helium source. As the BOG is usually reused by re-condensing to recover methane, it is likely to cause continuous accumulation of nitrogen in the unit, thus a nitrogen removal process must be integrated. This paper describes a conceptional cryogenic separation system aiming at recovering methane, helium and nitrogen from BOG based on cryogenic distillation and condensation process.

Implementation of two-phase tritium models for helium bubbles in HCLL breeding blanket modules

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fradera, J.; Sedano, L.; Mas de les Valls, E.; Batet, L.

2011-10-01

Tritium self-sufficiency requirement of future DT fusion reactors involves large helium production rates in the breeding blankets; this might impact on the conceptual design of diverse fusion power reactor units, such as Liquid Metal (LM) blankets. Low solubility, long residence-times and high production rates create the conditions for Helium nucleation, which could mean effective T sinks in LM channels. A model for helium nano-bubble formation and tritium conjugate transport phenomena in liquid Pb17.5Li and EUROFER is proposed. In a first approximation, it has been considered that He bubbles can be represented as a passive scalar. The nucleation model is based on the classical theory and includes a simplified bubble growth model. The model captures the interaction of tritium with bubbles and tritium diffusion through walls. Results show the influence of helium cavitation on tritium inventory and the importance of simulating the system walls instead of imposing fixed boundary conditions.

Theoretical research of helium pulsating heat pipe under steady state conditions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xu, D.; Liu, H. M.; Li, L. F.; Huang, R. J.; Wang, W.

2015-12-01

As a new-type heat pipe, pulsating heat pipe (PHP) has several outstanding features, such as great heat transport ability, strong adjustability, small size and simple construction. PHP is a complex two-phase flow system associated with many physical subjects and parameters, which utilizes the pressure and temperature changes in volume expansion and contraction during phase changes to excite the pulsation motion of liquid plugs and vapor bubbles in the capillary tube between the evaporator and the condenser. At present time, some experimental investigation of helium PHP have been done. However, theoretical research of helium PHP is rare. In this paper, the physical and mathematical models of operating mechanism for helium PHP under steady state are established based on the conservation of mass, momentum, and energy. Several important parameters are correlated and solved, including the liquid filling ratio, flow velocity, heat power, temperature, etc. Based on the results, the operational driving force and flow resistances of helium PHP are analysed, and the flow and heat transfer is further studied.

Liquid uranium alloy-helium fission reactor

DOEpatents

Minkov, V.

1984-06-13

This invention describes a nuclear fission reactor which has a core vessel and at least one tandem heat exchanger vessel coupled therewith across upper and lower passages to define a closed flow loop. Nuclear fuel such as a uranium alloy in its liquid phase fills these vessels and flow passages. Solid control elements in the reactor core vessel are adapted to be adjusted relative to one another to control fission reaction of the liquid fuel therein. Moderator elements in the other vessel and flow passages preclude fission reaction therein. An inert gas such as helium is bubbled upwardly through the heat exchanger vessel operable to move the liquid fuel upwardly therein and unidirectionally around the closed loop and downwardly through the core vessel. This helium gas is further directed to heat conversion means outside of the reactor vessels to utilize the heat from the fission reaction to generate useful output. The nuclear fuel operates in the 1200 to 1800/sup 0/C range, and even higher to 2500/sup 0/C.

Construction and Performance of a Superconducting Multipole Wiggler

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hwang, C. S.; Wang, B.; Chen, J. Y.; Chang, C. H.; Chen, H. H.; Fan, T. C.; Lin, F. Y.; Huang, M. H.; Chang, C. C.; Hsu, S. N.; Hsiung, G. Y.; Hsu, K. T.; Chen, J.; Chien, Y. C.; Chen, J. R.; Chen, C. T.

2004-05-01

A 3.2 Tesla superconducting multipole wiggler was designed and fabricated as an X-ray source. The magnet assembly, which consists of 32 pairs of racetrack NbTi superconducting coils with a periodic length of 60 mm, provides 28 effective poles. A 1.4056 m long elliptical cold-bore stainless steel beam duct with taper flanges and a wall thickness of 1 mm, was developed and constructed to fit the ultra-high vacuum condition for electron beam. The magnetic field strength was measured in liquid helium using a cryogenic Hall probe, revealing a field behavior very close to behavior consistent with the designed values. A Hall generator and the stretch wire methods are used to determine the transfer function of the peak field, the first and second integrated field distributions, and the good field region of the magnet. The quench protection of the magnet, the control algorithm for automatic filling of liquid helium, and the boil off rate of liquid helium and liquid nitrogen will also be discussed.

Pressurant requirements for discharge of liquid methane from a 1.52-meter-(5-ft-) diameter spherical tank under both static and slosh conditions

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Dewitt, R. L.; Mcintire, T. O.

1974-01-01

Pressurized expulsion tests were conducted to determine the effect of various physical parameters on the pressurant gas (methane, helium, hydrogen, and nitrogen) requirements during the expulsion of liquid methane from a 1.52-meter-(5-ft-) diameter spherical tank and to compare results with those predicted by an analytical program. Also studied were the effects on methane, helium, and hydrogen pressurant requirements of various slosh excitation frequencies and amplitudes, both with and without slosh suppressing baffles in the tank. The experimental results when using gaseous methane, helium, and hydrogen show that the predictions of the analytical program agreed well with the actual pressurant requirements for static tank expulsions. The analytical program could not be used for gaseous nitrogen expulsions because of the large quantities of nitrogen which can dissolve in liquid methane. Under slosh conditions, a pronounced increase in gaseous methane requirements was observed relative to results obtained for the static tank expulsions. Slight decreases in the helium and hydrogen requirements were noted under similar test conditions.

Molecular Dynamics Simulation of the Thermophysical Properties of Quantum Liquid Helium Using the Feynman-Hibbs Potential

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, J.; Lu, W. Q.

2010-03-01

This paper presents the detailed MD simulation on the properties including the thermal conductivities and viscosities of the quantum fluid helium at different state points. The molecular interactions are represented by the Lennard-Jones pair potentials supplemented by quantum corrections following the Feynman-Hibbs approach and the properties are calculated using the Green-Kubo equations. A comparison is made among the numerical results using LJ and QFH potentials and the existing database and shows that the LJ model is not quantitatively correct for the supercritical liquid helium, thereby the quantum effect must be taken into account when the quantum fluid helium is studied. The comparison of the thermal conductivity is also made as a function of temperatures and pressure and the results show quantum effect correction is an efficient tool to get the thermal conductivities.

Optical Detection and Spectroscopy of Single Molecules in a Solid.

DTIC Science & Technology

1989-03-23

the optical absorption spectrum of single dopant molecules of pentacene in a p-terphenyl host crystal at liquid-helium temperatures. To achieve this...dopant molecules of pentacene in a p-terphenyl host crystal at liquid-helium temperatures. To achieve this, frequency-modulation spectroscopy was combined...solid would provide an important new tool for the study of local absorber-host interactions that would be uncomplicated by the normal averaging over

Statistical Fine Structure in Inhomogeneously Broadened Absorption Lines in Solids.

DTIC Science & Technology

1987-12-22

the inhomogeneously broadened zero-phonon SijSo (0-0) absorption of pentacene molecules in crystals of p-terphenyl at liquid helium temperatures. SFS...structure (SFS) in the inhomogeneously broadened zero-phonon S, +- So (0-0) absorption of pentacene molecules in crystals of p-terphenyl at liquid helium...tile large multiplicity of local environments. Inhomogeneously broadened absorption lines are usually treated as smooth, Gaussian profiles. In recent

Conduction Cooling of a Niobium SRF Cavity Using a Cryocooler

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Feldman, Joshua; Geelhoed, Michael; Dhuley, Ram

Superconducting Radio Frequency (SRF) cavities are the primary choice for accelerating charged particles in high-energy research accelerators. Institutions like Fermilab use SRF cavities because they enable significantly higher gradients and quality factors than normal-conducting RF cavities and DC voltage cavities. To cool the SRF cavities to low temperatures (typically around 2 K), liquid helium refrigerators are used. Producing and maintaining the necessary liquid helium requires large, elaborate cryogenic plants involving dewars, compressors, expansion engines, and recyclers. The cost, complexity, and space required for such plants is part of the reason that industry has not yet adopted SRF-based accelerators. At themore » Illinois Accelerator Research Center (IARC) at Fermilab, our team seeks to make SRF technology accessible not only to large research accelerators, but to industry as well. If we eliminate the complexity associated with liquid helium plants, SRF-based industrial accelerators may finally become a reality. One way to do this is to eliminate the use of liquid helium baths altogether and develop a brand-new cooling technique for SRF cavities: conduction cooling using a cryocooler. Recent advances in SRF technology have made it possible to operate SRF cavities at 4 K, a temperature easily achievable using commercial cryocoolers. Our IARC team is taking advantage of this technology to cool SRF cavities.« less

Analytic Modeling of Pressurization and Cryogenic Propellant

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Corpening, Jeremy H.

2010-01-01

An analytic model for pressurization and cryogenic propellant conditions during all mission phases of any liquid rocket based vehicle has been developed and validated. The model assumes the propellant tanks to be divided into five nodes and also implements an empirical correlation for liquid stratification if desired. The five nodes include a tank wall node exposed to ullage gas, an ullage gas node, a saturated propellant vapor node at the liquid-vapor interface, a liquid node, and a tank wall node exposed to liquid. The conservation equations of mass and energy are then applied across all the node boundaries and, with the use of perfect gas assumptions, explicit solutions for ullage and liquid conditions are derived. All fluid properties are updated real time using NIST Refprop.1 Further, mass transfer at the liquid-vapor interface is included in the form of evaporation, bulk boiling of liquid propellant, and condensation given the appropriate conditions for each. Model validation has proven highly successful against previous analytic models and various Saturn era test data and reasonably successful against more recent LH2 tank self pressurization ground test data. Finally, this model has been applied to numerous design iterations for the Altair Lunar Lander, Ares V Core Stage, and Ares V Earth Departure Stage in order to characterize Helium and autogenous pressurant requirements, propellant lost to evaporation and thermodynamic venting to maintain propellant conditions, and non-uniform tank draining in configurations utilizing multiple LH2 or LO2 propellant tanks. In conclusion, this model provides an accurate and efficient means of analyzing multiple design configurations for any cryogenic propellant tank in launch, low-acceleration coast, or in-space maneuvering and supplies the user with pressurization requirements, unusable propellants from evaporation and liquid stratification, and general ullage gas, liquid, and tank wall conditions as functions of time.

Towards Cryogenic Liquid-Vapor Energy Storage Units for space applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Afonso, Josiana Prado

With the development of mechanical coolers and very sensitive cryogenic sensors, it could be interesting to use Energy Storage Units (ESU) and turn off the cryocooler to operate in a free micro vibration environment. An ESU would also avoid cryogenic systems oversized to attenuate temperature fluctuations due to thermal load variations which is useful particularly for space applications. In both cases, the temperature drift must remain limited to keep good detector performances. In this thesis, ESUs based on the high latent heat associated to liquid-vapor phase change to store energy have been studied. To limit temperature drifts while keeping small size cell at low temperature, a potential solution consists in splitting the ESU in two volumes: a low temperature cell coupled to a cryocooler cold finger through a thermal heat switch and an expansion volume at room temperature to reduce the temperature increase occurring during liquid evaporation. To obtain a vanishing temperature drift, a new improvement has been tested using two-phase nitrogen: a controlled valve was inserted between the two volumes in order to control the cold cell pressure. In addition, a porous material was used inside the cell to turn the ESU gravity independent and suitable for space applications. In this case, experiments reveal not fully understood results concerning both energy storage and liquid-wall temperature difference. To capture the thermal influence of the porous media, a dedicated cell with poorly conductive lateral wall was built and operated with two-phase helium. After its characterization outside the saturation conditions (conduction, convection), experiments were performed, with and without porous media, heating at the top or the bottom of the cell with various heat fluxes and for different saturation temperatures. In parallel, a model describing the thermal response for a cell containing liquid and vapor with a porous medium heated at the top ("against gravity") was developed. The experimental data were then used as a benchmark for this model based on a balance of three forces: capillarity force, gravity force and pressure drop induced by the liquid flow.

Helium transfer from water into quartz crystals: A new approach for porewater dating [rapid communication

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tolstikhin, I.; Gannibal, M.; Tarakanov, S.; Pevzner, B.; Lehmann, B.; Ihly, B.; Waber, H. N.

2005-09-01

Several important fundamental and applied problems require a quantification of slow rates of groundwater flow. To resolve these problems helium appears to be a promising tracer. In this contribution we discuss a new approach, which gives the helium inventory in a rock - pore water system by using the relevant mineral record, i.e., without extraction and investigation of the porewater samples. Some U- and Th-poor minerals such as quartz (quartz separates from Permo-Carboniferous Formation, sandstone-shale interlayering, Molasses Basin, Northern Switzerland, hereafter PCF, are used in this study) contain excessive helium having migrated into their internal helium-accessible volume (HAV) from the surrounding porewater [I.N. Tolstikhin, B.E. Lehmann, H.H. Loosli, A. Gautschi, Helium and argon isotopes in rocks, minerals and related groundwaters: a case study in Northern Switzerland, Geochim. Cosmochim. Acta 60 (1996) 1497-1514]. These volumes are estimated by using helium as a nano-size penetrating tool, i.e., by saturation of the minerals with helium under controlled pressure-temperature conditions and subsequent measurements of the helium-saturated concentrations. In the quartz separates HAV/total volume ratios vary from 0.017% to 0.16%; along with the measured initial (unsaturated) He concentration the HAV gives the internal helium pressure, the mean value obtained for 7 samples (25 sample aliquots) is P = 0.45 ± 0.15 atm (1 σ). The product of helium pressure and solubility (7.35 × 10 - 3 cc STP He/cc H 2O for the temperature and salinity of PCF aquifers reported in [F.J. Pearson, W. Balderer, H.H. Loosli, B.E. Lehmann, A. Matter, T. Peters, H. Schmassmann, A. Gautschi, Applied Isotope Hydrogeology-A Case Study in Northern Switzerland, Elsevier Amsterdam, 1991, 439 pp.]) is the mineral-derived He concentration in the respective porewater, CPW = 0.0035 ± 0.0017 cc He/cc H 2O. This value is in full accord with measured He concentrations in PCF aquifers, CPCF, varying from 0.0045 to 0.0016 cc He/cc H 2O. This agreement validates the proposed approach and also shows that the mineral-porewater helium-concentration equilibrium has been established. Indeed, estimates of the He-migration rates through our quartz samples show that in ˜6000 years the internal pressure should equilibrate with He-concentration in related porewater of PCF, and this time interval is short compared to independent estimates [I.N. Tolstikhin, B.E. Lehmann, H.H. Loosli, A. Gautschi, Helium and argon isotopes in rocks, minerals and related groundwaters: a case study in Northern Switzerland, Geochim. Cosmochim. Acta 60 (1996) 1497-1514]. The helium inventory in the rock-porewater assemblage shows that helium abundance in pore waters is indeed important. In shale samples (with ˜15% porosity) porewaters contain more helium than the host minerals altogether. Porewater helium-concentration profiles, available from the mineral record, along with helium production rates are input parameters allowing model(s) of helium migration through a hydrological structure to be developed. Quite high helium concentrations in PCF porewaters imply slow removal mechanisms, which will be discussed elsewhere.

[The discussion of superconducting MRI magnet transformation without LHe].

PubMed

Yu, Huixian

2014-01-01

In this paper, from the current situation of the domestic use of superconducting MRI, on liquid helium supply and demand crisis in the market, the significance of the transformation without LHe of the superconducting MRI magnet was explained, and according to the enterprise's production process, a number of operating without liquid helium transformation practice and ideas were raised, important value orientation for the domestic manufacture and use of superconducting MRI was provided.

Computation of the properties of liquid neon, methane, and gas helium at low temperature by the Feynman-Hibbs approach.

PubMed

Tchouar, N; Ould-Kaddour, F; Levesque, D

2004-10-15

The properties of liquid methane, liquid neon, and gas helium are calculated at low temperatures over a large range of pressure from the classical molecular-dynamics simulations. The molecular interactions are represented by the Lennard-Jones pair potentials supplemented by quantum corrections following the Feynman-Hibbs approach. The equations of state, diffusion, and shear viscosity coefficients are determined for neon at 45 K, helium at 80 K, and methane at 110 K. A comparison is made with the existing experimental data and for thermodynamical quantities, with results computed from quantum numerical simulations when they are available. The theoretical variation of the viscosity coefficient with pressure is in good agreement with the experimental data when the quantum corrections are taken into account, thus reducing considerably the 60% discrepancy between the simulations and experiments in the absence of these corrections.

Cryogenic measurements of aerojet GaAs n-JFETs

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Goebel, John H.; Weber, Theodore T.

1993-01-01

The spectral noise characteristics of Aerojet gallium arsenide (GaAs) junction field effect transistors (JFET's) have been investigated down to liquid-helium temperatures. Noise characterization was performed with the field effect transistor (FET) in the floating-gate mode, in the grounded-gate mode to determine the lowest noise readings possible, and with an extrinsic silicon photodetector at various detector bias voltages to determine optimum operating conditions. The measurements indicate that the Aerojet GaAs JFET is a quiet and stable device at liquid helium temperatures. Hence, it can be considered a readout line driver or infrared detector preamplifier as well as a host of other cryogenic applications. Its noise performance is superior to silicon (Si) metal oxide semiconductor field effect transistor (MOSFET's) operating at liquid helium temperatures, and is equal to the best Si n channel junction field effect transistor (n-JFET's) operating at 300 K.

Experimental investigation of the heat transfer characteristics of a helium cryogenic thermosyphon

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Long, Z. Q.; Zhang, P.

2013-10-01

The heat transfer performance of a cryogenic thermosyphon filled with helium as the working fluid is investigated experimentally with a G-M cryocooler as the heat sink in this study. The cryogenic thermosyphon acts as a thermal link between the cryocooler and the cooled target (the copper evaporator with a large mass). Helium is charged in different filling ratios, and the cooling down process and the heat transfer characteristics of the cryogenic thermosyphon are investigated. The cooling down process of the cooled target can be significantly accelerated by the presence of helium in the cryogenic thermosyphon and the cooling down period can be further shortened by the increase of filling ratio. The heat transfer mode changes from the liquid-vapor phase change to natural convection as the increase of the heating power applied on the evaporator. The heat transfer limit and thermal resistance are discussed for the liquid-vapor phase change heat transfer, and they can be estimated by empirical correlations. For the natural convection heat transfer, it can be enhanced by increasing the filling ratio, and the natural convection of supercritical helium is much stronger than that of gaseous helium.

Small High-Speed Self-Acting Shaft Seals for Liquid Rocket Engines

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Burcham, R. E.; Boynton, J. L.

1977-01-01

Design analysis, fabrication, and experimental evaluation were performed on three self-acting facetype LOX seal designs and one circumferential-type helium deal design. The LOX seals featured Rayleigh step lift pad and spiral groove geometry for lift augmentation. Machined metal bellows and piston ring secondary seal designs were tested. The helium purge seal featured floating rings with Rayleigh step lift pads. The Rayleigh step pad piston ring and the spiral groove LOX seals were successfully tested for approximately 10 hours in liquid oxygen. The helium seal was successfully tested for 24 hours. The shrouded Rayleigh step hydrodynamic lift pad LOX seal is feasible for advanced, small, high-speed oxygen turbopumps.

Liquid helium-free cryostat and hermetically sealed cryogenic microwave cavity for hyperfine spectroscopy of antiprotonic helium

PubMed Central

Massiczek, O.; Friedreich, S.; Juhász, B.; Widmann, E.; Zmeskal, J.

2011-01-01

The design and properties of a new cryogenic set-up for laser–microwave–laser hyperfine structure spectroscopy of antiprotonic helium – an experiment performed at the CERN-Antiproton Decelerator (AD), Geneva, Switzerland – are described. Similar experiments for 4He have been performed at the AD for several years. Due to the usage of a liquid helium operated cryostat and therefore necessary refilling of coolants, a loss of up to 10% beamtime occurred. The decision was made to change the cooling system to a closed-circuit cryocooler. New hermetically sealed target cells with minimised 3He gas volume and different dimensions of the microwave resonator for measuring the 3He transitions were needed. A new set-up has been designed and tested at Stefan Meyer Institute in Vienna before being used for the 2009 and 2010 beamtimes at the AD. PMID:22267883

Anomalous heat transport and condensation in convection of cryogenic helium

PubMed Central

Urban, Pavel; Schmoranzer, David; Hanzelka, Pavel; Sreenivasan, Katepalli R.; Skrbek, Ladislav

2013-01-01

When a hot body A is thermally connected to a cold body B, the textbook knowledge is that heat flows from A to B. Here, we describe the opposite case in which heat flows from a colder but constantly heated body B to a hotter but constantly cooled body A through a two-phase liquid–vapor system. Specifically, we provide experimental evidence that heat flows through liquid and vapor phases of cryogenic helium from the constantly heated, but cooler, bottom plate of a Rayleigh–Bénard convection cell to its hotter, but constantly cooled, top plate. The bottom plate is heated uniformly, and the top plate is cooled by heat exchange with liquid helium maintained at 4.2 K. Additionally, for certain experimental conditions, a rain of helium droplets is detected by small sensors placed in the cell at about one-half of its height. PMID:23576759

The liquid nitrogen and supercritical helium cooling loop for the jet pumped divertor cryopump

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Obert, W.; Mayaux, C.; Perinic, G.

1994-12-31

A key element for the new experimental phase of the European fusion experiment JET is a new cryopump which will be installed inside the torus in order to pump the new divertor configuration. A forced flow of liquid nitrogen and supercritical helium has been chosen for the cooling of the cryoshields and cryocondensation panels for this cryopump. The reasons for this selection are to minimize the inventory of cryogens (to minimize nuclear heating) good heat transfer conditions and minimum time for transient conditions such as cool-down, regeneration and warm-up. The flow of supercritical helium will be driven by the mainmore » compressor of the refrigerator and enhanced by a dedicated cold ejector. The peak load during the plasma pulse will be absorbed by the high thermal capacity of the bulk supercritical helium inside the cryocondensation panel.« less

Theoretical Studies of Liquid He-4 Near the Superfluid Transition

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Manousakis, Efstratios

2002-01-01

We performed theoretical studies of liquid helium by applying state of the art simulation and finite-size scaling techniques. We calculated universal scaling functions for the specific heat and superfluid density for various confining geometries relevant for experiments such as the confined helium experiment and other ground based studies. We also studied microscopically how the substrate imposes a boundary condition on the superfluid order parameter as the superfluid film grows layer by layer. Using path-integral Monte Carlo, a quantum Monte Carlo simulation method, we investigated the rich phase diagram of helium monolayer, bilayer and multilayer on a substrate such as graphite. We find excellent agreement with the experimental results using no free parameters. Finally, we carried out preliminary calculations of transport coefficients such as the thermal conductivity for bulk or confined helium systems and of their scaling properties. All our studies provide theoretical support for various experimental studies in microgravity.

New generalized corresponding states correlation for surface tension of normal saturated liquids

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yi, Huili; Tian, Jianxiang

2015-08-01

A new simple correlation based on the principle of corresponding state is proposed to estimate the temperature-dependent surface tension of normal saturated liquids. The new correlation contains three coefficients obtained by fitting 17,051 surface tension data of 38 saturated normal liquids. These 38 liquids contain refrigerants, hydrocarbons and some other inorganic liquids. The new correlation requires only the triple point temperature, triple point surface tension and critical point temperature as input and is able to well represent the experimental surface tension data for each of the 38 saturated normal liquids from the triple temperature up to the point near the critical point. The new correlation gives absolute average deviations (AAD) values below 3% for all of these 38 liquids with the only exception being octane with AAD=4.30%. Thus, the new correlation gives better overall results in comparison with other correlations for these 38 normal saturated liquids.

A variable conductance gas switch for intermediate temperature operation of liquid He/liquid N2 cryostats

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Rayner, J. T.; Chuter, T. C.; Mclean, I. S.; Radostitz, J. V.; Nolt, I. G.

1988-01-01

A technique for establishing a stable intermediate temperature stage in liquid He/liquid N2 double vessel cryostats is described. The tertiary cold stage, which can be tuned to any temperature between 10 and 60 K, is ideal for cooling IR sensors for use in astronomy and physics applications. The device is called a variable-conductance gas switch. It is essentially a small chamber, located between the cold stage and liquid helium cold-face, whose thermal conductance may be controlled by varying the pressure of helium gas within the chamber. A key feature of this device is the large range of temperature control achieved with a very small (less than 10 mW) heat input from the cryogenic temperature control switch.

Correlation of Helium Solubility in Liquid Nitrogen

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

VanDresar, Neil T.; Zimmerli, Gregory A.

2012-01-01

A correlation has been developed for the equilibrium mole fraction of soluble gaseous helium in liquid nitrogen as a function of temperature and pressure. Experimental solubility data was compiled and provided by National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST). Data from six sources was used to develop a correlation within the range of 0.5 to 9.9 MPa and 72.0 to 119.6 K. The relative standard deviation of the correlation is 6.9 percent.

Measuring the Heat Load on the Flight ASTRO-H Soft Xray Spectrometer Dewar

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

DiPirro, M.; Shirron, P.; Yoshida, S.; Kanao, K.; Tsunematsu, S.; Fujimoto, R.; Sneiderman, G.; Kimball, M.; Ezoe, Y.; Ishikawa, K.;

Measurement of gas diffusion coefficient in liquid-saturated porous media using magnetic resonance imaging

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Song, Yongchen; Hao, Min; Zhao, Yuechao; Zhang, Liang

2014-12-01

In this study, the dual-chamber pressure decay method and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) were used to dynamically visualize the gas diffusion process in liquid-saturated porous media, and the relationship of concentration-distance for gas diffusing into liquid-saturated porous media at different times were obtained by MR images quantitative analysis. A non-iterative finite volume method was successfully applied to calculate the local gas diffusion coefficient in liquid-saturated porous media. The results agreed very well with the conventional pressure decay method, thus it demonstrates that the method was feasible of determining the local diffusion coefficient of gas in liquid-saturated porous media at different times during diffusion process.

Phenomenological model and phase behavior of saturated and unsaturated lipids and cholesterol.

PubMed

Putzel, G Garbès; Schick, M

2008-11-15

We present a phenomenological theory for the phase behavior of ternary mixtures of cholesterol and saturated and unsaturated lipids, one that describes both liquid and gel phases. It leads to the following description of the mechanism of the phase behavior: In a binary system of the lipids, phase separation occurs when the saturated chains are well ordered, as in the gel phase, simply due to packing effects. In the liquid phase, the saturated ones are not sufficiently well ordered for separation to occur. The addition of cholesterol, however, increases the saturated lipid order to the point that phase separation is once again favorable. Our theory addresses this last mechanism-the means by which cholesterol-mediated ordering of membrane lipids leads to liquid-liquid immiscibility. It produces, for the system above the main chain transition of the saturated lipid, phase diagrams in which there can be liquid-liquid phase separation in the ternary system but not in any of the binary ones, while below that temperature it yields the more common phase diagram in which a gel phase, rich in saturated lipid, appears in addition to the two liquid phases.

Acoustic composition sensor for cryogenic gas mixtures

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Shakkottai, P.; Kwack, E. Y.; Luchik, T. S.; Back, L. H.

1991-01-01

An acoustic sensor useful for the determination of the composition of a gaseous binary mixture in cryogenic liquid spills has been characterized. One version of the instrument traps a known mixture of helium and nitrogen at ambient temperature in a tube which is interrogated by sonic pulses to determine the speed of sound and hence the composition. Experimental data shows that this sensor is quite accurate. The second version uses two unconfined microphones which sense sound pulses. Experimental data acquired during mixing when liquid nitrogen is poured into a vessel of gaseous helium is presented. Data during transient cooling of the tubular sensor containing nitrogen when the sensor is dipped into liquid nitrogen and during transient warm-up when the sensor is withdrawn are also presented. This sensor is being developed for use in the mixing of liquid cryogens with gas evolution in the simulation of liquid hydrogen/liquid oxygen explosion hazards.

Acoustic composition sensor for cryogenic gas mixtures

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shakkottai, P.; Kwack, E. Y.; Luchik, T. S.; Back, L. H.

An acoustic sensor useful for the determination of the composition of a gaseous binary mixture in cryogenic liquid spills has been characterized. One version of the instrument traps a known mixture of helium and nitrogen at ambient temperature in a tube which is interrogated by sonic pulses to determine the speed of sound and hence the composition. Experimental data shows that this sensor is quite accurate. The second version uses two unconfined microphones which sense sound pulses. Experimental data acquired during mixing when liquid nitrogen is poured into a vessel of gaseous helium is presented. Data during transient cooling of the tubular sensor containing nitrogen when the sensor is dipped into liquid nitrogen and during transient warm-up when the sensor is withdrawn are also presented. This sensor is being developed for use in the mixing of liquid cryogens with gas evolution in the simulation of liquid hydrogen/liquid oxygen explosion hazards.

Empirical Correlations for the Solubility of Pressurant Gases in Cryogenic Propellants

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Zimmerli, Gregory A.; Asipauskas, Marius; VanDresar, Neil T.

2010-01-01

We have analyzed data published by others reporting the solubility of helium in liquid hydrogen, oxygen, and methane, and of nitrogen in liquid oxygen, to develop empirical correlations for the mole fraction of these pressurant gases in the liquid phase as a function of temperature and pressure. The data, compiled and provided by NIST, are from a variety of sources and covers a large range of liquid temperatures and pressures. The correlations were developed to yield accurate estimates of the mole fraction of the pressurant gas in the cryogenic liquid at temperature and pressures of interest to the propulsion community, yet the correlations developed are applicable over a much wider range. The mole fraction solubility of helium in all these liquids is less than 0.3% at the temperatures and pressures used in propulsion systems. When nitrogen is used as a pressurant for liquid oxygen, substantial contamination can result, though the diffusion into the liquid is slow.

Autonomous cryogenic sapphire oscillators employing low vibration pulse-tube cryocoolers at NMIJ

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ikegami, Takeshi; Watabe, Ken-ichi; Yanagimachi, Shinya; Takamizawa, Akifumi; Hartnett, John G.

2016-06-01

Two liquid-helium-cooled cryogenic sapphire-resonator oscillators (CSOs), have been modified to operate using cryo-refrigerators and low-vibration cryostats. The Allan deviation of the first CSO was evaluated to be better than 2 x 10-15 for averaging times of 1 s to 30 000 s, which is better than that of the original liquid helium cooled CSO. The Allan deviation of the second CSO is better than 4 x 10-15 from 1 s to 6 000 s averaging time.

Theoretical Issues Involving Traps for Neutral Spin-Polarized Atoms.

DTIC Science & Technology

1984-11-15

U. S. and he has promised to send us his potential curve calculation when he returns to France. In the meantime, we have adopted a Lennard - Jones ...4He for cooling initially because temperatures -1.5 K can be readily achieved with high cooling power by pumping on liquid helium and because 4He is...3 " . He (which is roughly half the vapor pressure of liquid helium at 1.5 K)), each K atom undergoes a very large number of collisions (-10 8/sec

X-band ultralow-noise maser amplifier performance

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Glass, G. W.; Ortiz, G. G.; Johnson, D. L.

1994-01-01

Noise temperature measurements of an 8440-MHz ultralow noise maser amplifier (ULNA) have been performed at subatmospheric, liquid-helium temperatures. The traveling-wave maser was operated while immersed in a liquid helium bath. The lowest input noise temperature measured was 1.43 +/- 0.16 K at a physical temperature of 1.60 K. At this physical temperature, the observed gain per centimeter of ruby was 4.9 dB/cm. The amplifier had a 3-dB bandwidth of 76 MHz.

Design and Manufacturing of the Kstar Tokamak Helium Refrigeration System

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dauguet, P.; Briend, P.; Abe, I.; Fauve, E.; Bernhardt, J. M.; Andrieu, F.; Beauvisage, J.

2008-03-01

The KSTAR (Korean Superconducting Tokamak Advanced Research) project makes intensive use of superconducting (SC) magnets operated at 4.4 K. The cold components of KSTAR require a forced flow of supercritical helium for magnets and structure, boiling liquid helium for current leads, and gaseous helium for thermal shields. A helium refrigeration system has been custom-designed for this project. The purpose of this paper is to give a brief overview of the proposed cryogenic system. The specified thermal loads for the different operating modes are presented. This specification results in the definition of a design mode for the refrigerator. The design and construction of the resulting 9 kW at 4.5-K Helium Refrigeration System (HSR) are presented.

Modulations of Driven Nonlinear Surface Waves on Water and Liquid Helium-4.

DTIC Science & Technology

1985-06-01

loop to control drive amplitude. 63 CHAPTER III. DATA AND INTERPRETATION. Section 5. Cockscombs. 25. Cockscomb in water at f/30. 67 26. Double...annular trough, sealed and then partially filled with normal or superfluid helium, is oscillated vertically and supported 6 . . ... . . . . . 41 700...44 0 .0 0 00 loudspeaker surface wave sealed trough transducer shel oo •Figure 3. Schmatic of the helium experiment. 8 r

Structure Formation in Complex Plasma

DTIC Science & Technology

2011-08-24

Dewer bottle (upper figures) or in the vapor of liquid helium (lower figures). Liq. He Ring electrode Particles Green Laser RF Plasma ... Ring electrode CCD camera Prism mirror Liq. He Glass Tube Liq. N2 Glass Dewar Acrylic particles Gas Helium Green Laser CCD camera Pressure

Evidence for thermal boundary resistance effects on superconducting radiofrequency cavity performances

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Palmieri, Vincenzo; Rossi, Antonio Alessandro; Stark, Sergey Yu; Vaglio, Ruggero

2014-08-01

The majority of the literature on superconducting cavities for particle accelerators concentrates on the interaction of a radiofrequency (RF) electromagnetic field with a superconductor cooled in liquid helium, generally either at a fixed temperature of 4.2 K or 1.8 K, basing the analysis of experimental results on the assumption that the superconductor is at the same temperature as the infinite reservoir of liquid helium. Only a limited number of papers have extended their analysis to the more complex overall system composed of an RF field, a superconductor and liquid helium. Only a few papers have analyzed, for example, the problem of the Kapitza resistance, i.e. the thermal boundary resistance between the superconductor and the superfluid helium. Among them, the general conclusion is that the Kapitza resistance, one of the most controversial and less understood topics in physics, is generally negligible, or not relevant for the performance enhancement of cavities. In our work presented here, studying the performance of 6 GHz niobium (Nb) test cavities, we have discovered and studied a new effect consisting of an abrupt change in the surface resistance versus temperature at the superfluid helium lambda transition Tλ. This abrupt change (or ‘jump’) clearly appears when the RF measurement of a cavity is performed at constant power rather than at a constant field. We have correlated this jump to a change in the thermal exchange regime across the lambda transition, and, through a simple thermal model and further reasonable assumptions, we have calculated the thermal boundary resistance between niobium and liquid helium in the temperature range between 4.2 K and 1.8 K. We find that the absolute values of the thermal resistance both above and below the lambda point are fully compatible with the data reported in the literature for heat transfer to pool boiling helium I (HeI) above Tλ and for the Kapitza interface resistance (below Tλ) between a polished metal surface and superfluid HeII. Finally, based on the well-documented evidence that the surface status of metal to liquid helium influences the heat exchange towards the fluid, and specifically the Kapitza resistance below Tλ, we have tested an anodization process external to the cavity, comparing the performances of the cavity before and after external anodization. The tests were done without breaking the vacuum inside the cavity or modifying the inner superconducting layer in any way, and were repeated on different samples. The results show that when the cavity is externally anodized, both the Q-factor and the maximum accelerating field increase. Again, when the oxide layer is removed, the Q-factor shifts towards a lower level and the maximum accelerating field is also reduced.

Experimental observation of water saturation effects on shear wave splitting in synthetic rock with fractures aligned at oblique angles

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Amalokwu, Kelvin; Chapman, Mark; Best, Angus I.; Sothcott, Jeremy; Minshull, Timothy A.; Li, Xiang-Yang

2015-01-01

Fractured rocks are known to exhibit seismic anisotropy and shear wave splitting (SWS). SWS is commonly used for fractured rock characterization and has been shown to be sensitive to fluid type. The presence of partial liquid/gas saturation is also known to affect the elastic properties of rocks. The combined effect of both fractures and partial liquid/gas saturation is still unknown. Using synthetic, silica-cemented sandstones with aligned penny-shaped voids, we conducted laboratory ultrasonic experiments to investigate the effect fractures aligned at an oblique angle to wave propagation would have on SWS under partial liquid/gas saturation conditions. The result for the fractured rock shows a saturation dependence which can be explained by combining a fractured rock model and a partial saturation model. At high to full water saturation values, SWS decreases as a result of the fluid bulk modulus effect on the quasi-shear wave. This bulk modulus effect is frequency dependent as a result of wave-induced fluid flow mechanisms, which would in turn lead to frequency dependent SWS. This result suggests the possible use of SWS for discriminating between full liquid saturation and partial liquid/gas saturation.

Neutrons on a surface of liquid helium

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Grigoriev, P. D.; Zimmer, O.; Grigoriev, A. D.; Ziman, T.

2016-08-01

We investigate the possibility of ultracold neutron (UCN) storage in quantum states defined by the combined potentials of the Earth's gravity and the neutron optical repulsion by a horizontal surface of liquid helium. We analyze the stability of the lowest quantum state, which is most susceptible to perturbations due to surface excitations, against scattering by helium atoms in the vapor and by excitations of the liquid, comprised of ripplons, phonons, and surfons. This is an unusual scattering problem since the kinetic energy of the neutron parallel to the surface may be much greater than the binding energies perpendicular. The total scattering time of these UCNs at 0.7 K is found to exceed 1 h, and rapidly increases with decreasing temperature. Such low scattering rates should enable high-precision measurements of the sequence of discrete energy levels, thus providing improved tests of short-range gravity. The system might also be useful for neutron β -decay experiments. We also sketch new experimental propositions for level population and trapping of ultracold neutrons above a flat horizontal mirror.

Program user's manual: cryogen system for the analysis for the Mirror Fusion Test Facility

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Not Available

1979-04-01

The Mirror Fusion Test Facility being designed and constructed at the Lawrence Livermore Laboratory requires a liquid helium liquefaction, storage, distribution, and recovery system and a liquid nitrogen storage and distribution system. To provide a powerful analytical tool to aid in the design evolution of this system through hardware, a thermodynamic fluid flow model was developed. This model allows the Lawrence Livermore Laboratory to verify that the design meets desired goals and to play what if games during the design evolution. For example, what if the helium flow rate is changed in the magnet liquid helium flow loop; how doesmore » this affect the temperature, fluid quality, and pressure. This manual provides all the information required to run all or portions of this program as desired. In addition, the program is constructed in a modular fashion so changes or modifications can be made easily to keep up with the evolving design.« less

Thermal stability analysis of a superconducting magnet considering heat flow between magnet surface and liquid helium

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jang, J. Y.; Hwang, Y. J.; Ahn, M. C.; Choi, Y. S.

2018-07-01

This paper represents a numerical calculation method that enables highly-accurate simulations on temperature analysis of superconducting magnets considering the heat flow between the magnet and liquid helium during a quench. A three-dimensional (3D) superconducting magnet space was divided into many cells and the finite-difference method (FDM) was adopted to calculate the superconducting magnet temperatures governed by the heat transfer and joule heating of the each cell during a quench. To enhance the accuracy of the temperature calculations during a quench, the heat flow between the superconducting magnet surface and liquid helium, which lowers the magnet temperatures, was considered in this work. The electrical equation coupled with the governing thermal equation was also applied to calculate the change of the decay of the magnet current related to the joule heating. The proposed FDM method for temperatures calculation of a superconducting magnet during a quench process achieved results that were in good agreement with those obtained from an experiment.

Liquid uranium alloy-helium fission reactor

DOEpatents

Minkov, Vladimir

1986-01-01

This invention teaches a nuclear fission reactor having a core vessel and at least one tandem heat exchanger vessel coupled therewith across upper and lower passages to define a closed flow loop. Nuclear fuel such as a uranium alloy in its liquid phase fills these vessels and flow passages. Solid control elements in the reactor core vessel are adapted to be adjusted relative to one another to control fission reaction of the liquid fuel therein. Moderator elements in the other vessel and flow passages preclude fission reaction therein. An inert gas such as helium is bubbled upwardly through the heat exchanger vessel operable to move the liquid fuel upwardly therein and unidirectionally around the closed loop and downwardly through the core vessel. This helium gas is further directed to heat conversion means outside of the reactor vessels to utilize the heat from the fission reaction to generate useful output. The nuclear fuel operates in the 1200.degree.-1800.degree. C. range, and even higher to 2500.degree. C., limited only by the thermal effectiveness of the structural materials, increasing the efficiency of power generation from the normal 30-35% with 300.degree.-500.degree. C. upper limit temperature to 50-65%. Irradiation of the circulating liquid fuel, as contrasted to only localized irradiation of a solid fuel, provides improved fuel utilization.

Theoretical analysis of start-up power in helium pulsating heat pipe

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Monan; Huang, Rongjin; Xu, Dong; Li, Laifeng

2017-02-01

An analytical model for one-turn helium pulsating heat pipes (PHPs) with single liquid slug and vapor plug is established in present study. When an additional heat power takes place in the evaporating section, temperature and pressure will increase. The pressure wave travels through vapor and liquid phases at different speed, producing a pressure difference in the system, which acts as an exciting force to start up the oscillating motion. Results show that the start-up power of helium PHP is related to the filling ratio. The start-up power increases with the filling ration. However, there exist an upper limit. Furthermore, the start-up power also depends on the inclination angle of PHP. When the inclination angle increases, the heat input needed to start up the oscillating motion decreases. But for one-turn helium PHP, it can not be started up when the inclination angle is up to 90°, equalling to horizontal position,. While the inclination angle ranges between 0° (vertical position) and 75°, it can operate successfully.

The distribution of saturated clusters in wetted granular materials

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Shuoqi; Hanaor, Dorian; Gan, Yixiang

2017-06-01

The hydro-mechanical behaviour of partially saturated granular materials is greatly influenced by the spatial and temporal distribution of liquid within the media. The aim of this paper is to characterise the distribution of saturated clusters in granular materials using an optical imaging method under different water drainage conditions. A saturated cluster is formed when a liquid phase fully occupies the pore space between solid grains in a localized region. The samples considered here were prepared by vibrating mono-sized glass beads to form closely packed assemblies in a rectangular container. A range of drainage conditions were applied to the specimen by tilting the container and employing different flow rates, and the liquid pressure was recorded at different positions in the experimental cell. The formation of saturated clusters during the liquid withdrawal processes is governed by three competing mechanisms arising from viscous, capillary, and gravitational forces. When the flow rate is sufficiently large and the gravity component is sufficiently small, the viscous force tends to destabilize the liquid front leading to the formation of narrow fingers of saturated material. As the water channels along these liquid fingers break, saturated clusters are formed inside the specimen. Subsequently, a spatial and temporal distribution of saturated clusters can be observed. We investigated the resulting saturated cluster distribution as a function of flow rate and gravity to achieve a fundamental understanding of the formation and evolution of such clusters in partially saturated granular materials. This study serves as a bridge between pore-scale behavior and the overall hydro-mechanical characteristics in partially saturated soils.

49 CFR 178.338-11 - Discharge control devices.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... devices. (a) Excess-flow valves are not required. (b) Each liquid filling and liquid discharge line must... tank that is used to transport argon, carbon dioxide, helium, krypton, neon, nitrogen, xenon, or mixtures thereof, each liquid filling and liquid discharge line must be provided with an on-vehicle...

49 CFR 173.316 - Cryogenic liquids in cylinders.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... °F.). (2) The cryogenic liquids of argon, nitrogen, oxygen, helium and neon must be loaded and... 49 Transportation 2 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Cryogenic liquids in cylinders. 173.316 Section... REQUIREMENTS FOR SHIPMENTS AND PACKAGINGS Gases; Preparation and Packaging § 173.316 Cryogenic liquids in...

High speed cryogenic self-acting, shaft seals for liquid rocket turbopumps

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Burcham, R. E.

1983-01-01

Three self acting lift pad liquid oxygen face seals and two self acting gaseous helium circumferential seals for high speed liquid oxygen turbopump were evaluated. The development of a technology for reliable, 10 hour life, multiple start seals for use in high speed liquid oxygen turbopumps is discussed.

A new helium gas bearing turboexpander

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xiong, L. Y.; Chen, C. Z.; Liu, L. Q.; Hou, Y.; Wang, J.; Lin, M. F.

2002-05-01

A new helium gas bearing turboexpander of a helium refrigeration system used for space environment simulation experiments is described in this paper. The main design parameters and construction type of some key parts are presented. An improved calculation of thermodynamic efficiency and instability speed of this turboexpander has been obtained by a multiple objects optimization program. Experiments of examining mechanical and thermodynamic performance have been repeatedly conducted in the laboratory by using air at ambient and liquid nitrogen temperature, respectively. In order to predict the helium turboexpander performance, a similarity principles study has been developed. According to the laboratory and on-the-spot experiments, the mechanical and thermodynamic performances of this helium turboexpander are excellent.

Strain-cycling fatigue behavior of ten structural metals tested in liquid helium (4 K), in liquid nitrogen (78 K), and in ambient air (300 K)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Nachtigall, A. J.

1974-01-01

Strain-cycling fatigue behavior of 10 different structural alloys and metals was investigated in liquid helium (4 K), in liquid nitrogen (78 K), and in ambient air (300 K). At high cyclic lives, fatigue resistance increased with decreasing temperature for all the materials investigated. At low cyclic lives, fatigue resistance generally decreased with decreasing temperature for the materials investigated. Only for Inconel 718 did fatigue resistance increase with decreasing temperature over the entire life range investigated. Comparison of the experimental fatigue behavior with that predicted by the Manson method of universal slopes showed that the fatigue behavior of these materials can be predicted for cryogenic temperatures by using material tensile properties obtained at those same temperatures.

Design of Cryocoolers for Microwatt Superconducting Devices

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Zimmerman, J. E.

1985-01-01

The primary applications of the cryocoolers are for cooling various Josephson devices such as SQUID magnetometers and amplifiers, voltage standards, and microwave mixers and detectors. The common feature of these devices is their extremely low inherent bias power requirement, of the order of 10/1 W per junction. This provides the possibility of designing compact, low-power cryocoolers for these applications. Several concepts were explored and a number of laboratory model cryocoolers were built. These include low-power nonmagnetic regenerative machines of the Stirling or Gifford-McMahon type, three or four-stage Joule-Thomson machines, liquid-helium dewars with integral small cryocoolers to reduce the evaporation rate, and liquid-helium dewars with integral continuously or intermittently operated small helium liquefiers to permit operation of cryogenic devices for indefinite time periods.

Multi-objective Optimization on Helium Liquefier Using Genetic Algorithm

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, H. R.; Xiong, L. Y.; Peng, N.; Meng, Y. R.; Liu, L. Q.

2017-02-01

Research on optimization of helium liquefier is limited at home and abroad, and most of the optimization is single-objective based on Collins cycle. In this paper, a multi-objective optimization is conducted using genetic algorithm (GA) on the 40 L/h helium liquefier developed by Technical Institute of Physics and Chemistry of the Chinese Academy of Science (TIPC, CAS), steady solutions are obtained in the end. In addition, the exergy loss of the optimized system is studied in the case of with and without liquid nitrogen pre-cooling. The results have guiding significance for the future design of large helium liquefier.

The inverse method of measuring resistivity in a rotating magnetic field: a student project

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kraftmakher, Yaakov

2018-07-01

An experiment is proposed for undergraduate laboratories, which can be used as a student project. An inverse method of contactless measuring resistivity in a rotating magnetic field is described: instead of the torque acting on the sample, the torque acting on the coils creating the rotating field is determined. This modification provides significant advantages. Originally, the technique was designed for measurement of the resistivity of metals at liquid helium temperatures and for controlling the purity and physical perfectness of metals. Our aim is to introduce this novelty as a subject of student projects. Liquid helium is rarely available in undergraduate laboratories, so the projects can be limited to liquid nitrogen or room temperatures.

Affect of Air Leakage into a Thermal-Vacuum Chamber on Helium Refrigeration Heat Load

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Garcia, Sam; Meagher, Daniel; Linza, Robert; Saheli, Fariborz; Vargas, Gerardo; Lauterbach, John; Reis, Carl; Ganni, Venkatarao (Rao); Homan, Jonathan

2008-01-01

NASA s Johnson Space Center (JSC) Building 32 houses two large thermal-vacuum chambers (Chamber A and Chamber B). Within these chambers are liquid nitrogen shrouds to provide a thermal environment and helium panels which operate at 20K to provide cryopumping. Some amount of air leakage into the chambers during tests is inevitable. This causes "air fouling" of the helium panel surfaces due to the components of the air that adhere to the panels. The air fouling causes the emittance of the helium panels to increase during tests. The increase in helium panel emittance increases the heat load on the helium refrigerator that supplies the 20K helium for those panels. Planning for thermal-vacuum tests should account for this increase to make sure that the helium refrigerator capacity will not be exceeded over the duration of a test. During a recent test conducted in Chamber B a known-size air leak was introduced to the chamber. Emittance change of the helium panels and the affect on the helium refrigerator was characterized. A description of the test and the results will be presented.

Photo-electron emission directly in superfluid helium

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zavyalov, V. V.; Pyurbeeva, E. B.; Khaldeev, S. I.

2018-03-01

Despite the fact that electron transport in condensed helium has been studied for over half a century [1], observations of new intriguing effects still appear [2]. Alas, the traditional methods of injecting electrons into condensed helium (radioactive-sources, electrical discharge or field emission) lead to generation of helium ions, recombination of which is accompanied by emergence of a large number of excitations. As a result, interpretation of such experiments is not simple and sometimes may be questionable. In this respect, photoelectron emitters, which operate with energies substantially smaller than the ionization energy of helium, are preferable. However, immersion of the photocathode into condensed helium suppresses electron emission. Nevertheless, we managed to achieve electron currents (>20 fA) with the In photocathode immersed directly in liquid superfluid helium. The UV light (λ=254 nm) was guided to the photocathode through a two-meter long Al-covered quartz optical fiber.

SHAD-Nisat: A Composite Study of Shallow Saturation Diving Incorporating Long Duration Air Saturation with Excursions, Deep Nitrox Saturation, and Switch from Nitrogen to Helium

DTIC Science & Technology

1982-08-01

divers who make repeated daily dives and in the process become more tolerant of narcosis. It was planned that Nisat I would be long enough to allow...95% nitrogen, 5% oxygen during the flushing process . The inner lock was isolated by closing the inner lock door and the purging of the 1000 cubic...covered in II«D.H.a. C. Diver subjects All subjects in the SHAD/Nisat program were volunteer naval personnel. Their selection process and all the

The 400W at 1.8K Test Facility at CEA-Grenoble

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Roussel, P.; Girard, A.; Jager, B.; Rousset, B.; Bonnay, P.; Millet, F.; Gully, P.

2006-04-01

A new test facility with a cooling capacity respectively of 400W at 1.8K or 800W at 4.5K, is now under nominal operation in SBT (Low Temperature Department) at CEA Grenoble. It has been recently used for thermohydraulic studies of two phase superfluid helium in autumn 2004. In the near future, this test bench will allow: - to test industrial components at 1.8K (magnets, cavities of accelerators) - to continue the present studies on thermohydraulics of two phase superfluid helium - to develop and simulate new cooling loops for ITER Cryogenics, and other applications such as high Reynolds number flows This new facility consists of a cold box connected to a warm compressor station (one subatmospheric oil ring pump in series with two screw compressors). The cold box, designed by AIR LIQUIDE, comprises two centrifugal cold compressors, a cold turbine, a wet piston expander, counter flow heat exchangers and two phase separators at 4.5K and 1.8K. The new facility uses a Programmable Logic Controller (PLC) connected to a bus for the measurements. The design is modular and will allow the use of saturated fluid flow (two phase flow at 1.8K or 4.5K) or single phase fluid forced flow. Experimental results and cooling capacity in different operation modes are detailed.

Test program, helium II orbital resupply coupling

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hyatt, William S.

1991-01-01

The full scope of this program was to have included development tests, design and production of custom test equipment and acceptance and qualification testing of prototype and protoflight coupling hardware. This program was performed by Ball Aerospace Systems Division, Boulder, Colorado until its premature termination in May 1991. Development tests were performed on cryogenic face seals and flow control devices at superfluid helium (He II) conditions. Special equipment was developed to allow quantified leak detection at large leak rates up to 8.4 x 10(exp -4) SCCS. Two major fixtures were developed and characterized: The Cryogenic Test Fixture (CTF) and the Thermal Mismatch Fixture (Glovebox). The CTF allows the coupling hardware to be filled with liquid nitrogen (LN2), liquid helium (LHe) or sub-cooled liquid helium when hardware flow control valves are either open or closed. Heat leak measurements, internal and external helium leakage measurements, cryogenic proof pressure tests and external load applications are performed in this fixture. Special reusable MLI closures were developed to provide repeatable installations in the CTF. The Thermal Mismatch Fixture allows all design configurations of coupling hardware to be engaged and disengaged while measuring applied forces and torques. Any two hardware components may be individually thermally preconditioned within the range of 117 deg K to 350 deg K prior to engage/disengage cycling. This verifies dimensional compatibility and operation when thermally mismatched. A clean, dry GN2 atmosphere is maintained in the fixture at all times. The first shipset of hardware was received, inspected and cycled at room temperature just prior to program termination.

Saturated liquid density of 1,1-difluoroethane(R 152a) and thermodynamic properties along the vapor-liquid coexistence curve

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Sato, H.; Okada, M.; Uematsu, M.

1987-01-01

Saturated liquid densities of 1,1-difluoroethane (CH/sub 3/CHF/sub 2/) are measured at temperatures from 223 K to 363 K with the estimated uncertainty of +-0.2% by a magnetic densimetry. The experimental results are compared with the available experimental data and some correlations and equations of state. A simple correlation for the saturated liquid density is developed as a function of temperature. This correlation covers the temperature range up to the critical point which reproduces the present experimental results with the percent means deviation of 0.11%. Adding the available experimental data with respect to the vapor pressure, critical parameters, saturated vapor density,more » and the second virial coefficient to the present saturated liquid density data, the parameters of the Redlich-Kwong-Soave equation of state are determined and the thermodynamic properties along the vapor-liquid coexistence curve are derived.« less

Intensification of oily waste waters purification by means of liquid atomization

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Eskin, A. A.; Tkach, N. S.; Kim, M. I.; Zakharov, G. A.

2017-10-01

In this research, a possibility of using liquid atomization for improving the efficiency of purification of wastewater by different methods has been studied. By the introduced method and an experimental setup for wastewater purification, saturation rate increases with its purification by means of dissolved air flotation. Liquid atomization under excess pressure allows to gain a large interfacial area between the saturated liquid and air, which may increase the rate of purified liquid saturation almost twice, compared to the existing methods of saturation. Current disadvantages of liquid atomization used for intensification of wastewater purification include high energy cost and secondary emulsion of polluting agents. It is also known that by means of liquid atomization a process of ozonizing can be intensified. Large contact surface between the purified liquid and ozone-air mixture increases the oxidizing efficiency, which allows to diminish ozone discharge. Liquid atomization may be used for purification of wastewaters by ultraviolet radiation. Small drops of liquid will be proportionally treated by ultraviolet, which makes it possible to do purification even of turbid wastewaters. High-speed liquid motion will prevent the pollution of quartz tubes of ultraviolet lamps.

Design concepts for the ASTROMAG cryogenic system

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Green, M. A.; Castles, S.

1987-01-01

Described is a proposed cryogenic system used to cool the superconducting magnet for the Space Station based ASTROMAG Particle Astrophysics Facility. This 2-meter diameter superconducting magnet will be cooled using stored helium II. The paper presents a liquid helium storage concept which would permit cryogenic lifetimes of up to 3 years between refills. It is proposed that the superconducting coil be cooled using superfluid helium pumped by the thermomechanical effect. It is also proposed that the storage tank be resupplied with helium in orbit. A method for charging and discharging the magnet with minimum helium loss using split gas-cooled leads is discussed. A proposal to use a Stirling cycle cryocooler to extend the storage life of the cryostat will also be presented.

The viscosity of the refrigerant 1,1-difluoroethane along the saturation line

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

van der Gulik, P. S.

1993-07-01

The viscosity coefficient of the refrigerant R152a (1,1-difluoroethane) has been measured along the saturation line both in the saturated liquid and in the saturated vapor. The data have been obtained every 10 K from 243 up to 393 K by means of a vibrating-wire viscometer using the free damped oscillation method. The density along the saturation line was calculated from the equation of state given by Tamatsu et al. with application of the saturated vapor-pressure correlation given by Higashi et al. An interesting result is that in the neighborhood of the critical point, the kinematic viscosity of the saturated liquid seems to coincide with that of the saturated vapor. The results for the saturated liquid are in satisfying agreement with those of Kumagai and Takahashi and of Phillips and Murphy. A comparison of the saturatedvaport data with the unsaturated-vapor data of Takahashi et al. shows some discrepancies.

SHOOT performance testing. [Superfluid Helium On-Orbit Transfer Flight Demonstration

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Dipirro, M. J.; Shirron, P. J.; Volz, S. M.; Schein, M. E.

1991-01-01

The Superfluid Helium On-Orbit Transfer (SHOOT) Flight Demonstration is a shuttle attached payload designed to demonstrate the technology necessary to resupply liquid helium dewars in space. Many SHOOT components will also have use in other aerospace cryogenic systems. The first of two SHOOT dewar systems has been fabricated. The ground performance testing of this dewar is described. The performance tests include measurements of heat leak, impedances of the two vent lines, heat pulse mass gauging accuracy, and superfluid transfer parameters such as flow rate and efficiency. A laboratory dewar was substituted for the second flight dewar for the transfer tests. These tests enable a precise analytical model of the transfer process to be verified. SHOOT performance is thus quantified, except for components such as the liquid acquisition devices and a phase separator which cannot be verified in one gravity.

Energy transfer from a pulsed thermal source to He II below 0.3 K.

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Pfeifer, C. D.; Luszczynski, K.

1973-01-01

Results of measurements of the angular distribution of the energy flux radiated from a pulsed heater immersed in He II at low temperatures (around 230 mK). It is shown that the energy transfer from a pulsed carbon heater at a relatively high temperature to ambient liquid helium maintained at low temperature cannot be adequately described by the phonon-coupling models. The experimental data on the velocity and angular distribution of the energy flux radiated from the plane of the heater indicate that the energy from the heater is transferred to a layer of hot helium adjacent to the surface of the heater and that this layer acts as the effective source of excitations radiated into the ambient liquid helium. The extent and shape of this source depend on the total energy flux produced by the heater.

Thermal Analysis of the ILC Superconductin Quadrupole

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Ross, Ian; /Rose-Hulman Inst., Terre Haute /SLAC

2006-09-13

Critical to a particle accelerator's functioning, superconducting magnets serve to focus and aim the particle beam. The Stanford Linear Accelerator Center (SLAC) has received a prototype superconducting quadrupole designed and built by the Centro de Investigaciones Energ{acute e}ticas, Medioambientales y Tecnol{acute o}gicas (CIEMAT) to be evaluated for the International Linear Collider (ILC) project. To ensure proper functioning of the magnet, the device must be maintained at cryogenic temperatures by use of a cooling system containing liquid nitrogen and liquid helium. The cool down period of a low temperature cryostat is critical to the success of an experiment, especially a prototypemore » setup such as this one. The magnet and the dewar each contain unique heat leaks and material properties. These differences can lead to tremendous thermal stresses. The system was analyzed mathematically, leading to ideal liquid helium and liquid nitrogen flow rates during the magnet's cool-down to 4.2 K, along with a reasonable estimate of how long this cool-down will take. With a flow rate of ten gaseous liters of liquid nitrogen per minute, the nitrogen shield will take approximately five hours to cool down to 77 K. With a gaseous helium flow rate of sixty liters per minute, the magnet will take at least nineteen hours to cool down to a temperature of 4.2 K.« less

Corresponding states correlation for temperature dependent surface tension of normal saturated liquids

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yi, Huili; Tian, Jianxiang

2014-07-01

A new simple correlation based on the principle of corresponding state is proposed to estimate the temperature-dependent surface tension of normal saturated liquids. The correlation is a linear one and strongly stands for 41 saturated normal liquids. The new correlation requires only the triple point temperature, triple point surface tension and critical point temperature as input and is able to represent the experimental surface tension data for these 41 saturated normal liquids with a mean absolute average percent deviation of 1.26% in the temperature regions considered. For most substances, the temperature covers the range from the triple temperature to the one beyond the boiling temperature.

Compressed liquid densities, saturated liquid densities, and vapor pressures of 1,1-difluoroethane

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Defibaugh, D.R.; Morrison, G.

1996-05-01

The compressed liquid densities and vapor pressures of 1,1-difluoroethane (HFC-152a) have been measured, correlated, and compared with other data. The liquid densities were measured with a combined standard uncertainty of {+-}0.05% using a vibrating tube densimeter over a temperature range of 243 K to 371 K and at pressures from near the saturated vapor pressure to 6,500 kPa; thus the data extend nearly to the critical point ({Tc} = 386.41 K and P{sub c} = 4514.7 kPa). The vapor pressures were measured with a combined standard uncertainty of {+-}0.02% using a stainless steel ebulliometer in the temperature range from 280more » K to 335 K. Saturated liquid densities were calculated by extrapolating the compressed liquid isotherms to the saturation pressure.« less

Improved operation of graded-channel SOI nMOSFETs down to liquid helium temperature

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pavanello, Marcelo Antonio; de Souza, Michelly; Ribeiro, Thales Augusto; Martino, João Antonio; Flandre, Denis

2016-11-01

This paper presents the operation of Graded-Channel (GC) Silicon-On-Insulator (SOI) nMOSFETs at low temperatures down to liquid helium temperature in comparison to standard uniformly doped transistors. Devices from two different technologies have been measured and show that the mobility increase rate with temperature for GC SOI transistors is similar to uniformly doped devices for temperatures down to 90 K. However, at liquid helium temperature the rate of mobility increase is larger in GC SOI than in standard devices because of the different mobility scattering mechanisms. The analog properties of GC SOI devices have been investigated down to 4.16 K and show that because of its better transconductance and output conductance, an intrinsic voltage gain improvement with temperature is also obtained for devices in the whole studied temperature range. GC devices are also capable of reducing the impact ionization due to the high electric field in the drain region, increasing the drain breakdown voltage of fully-depleted SOI MOSFETs at any studied temperature and the kink voltage at 4.16 K.

Independent Orbiter Assessment (IOA): Assessment of the orbiter main propulsion system FMEA/CIL, volume 1

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Slaughter, B. C.

1988-01-01

The results of the Independent Orbiter Assessment (IOA) of the Failure Modes and Effects Analysis (FMEA) and Critical Items List (CIL) are presented. The IOA effort first completed an analysis of the Main Propulsion System (MPS) hardware, generating draft failure modes and potential critical items. To preserve independence, this analysis was accomplished without reliance upon the results contained within the NASA FMEA/CIL documentation. The IOA results were then compared to available data from the Rockwell Downey/NASA JSC FMEA/CIL review. The Orbiter MPS is composed of the Propellant Management Subsystem (PMS) consisting of the liquid oxygen (LO2) and liquid hydrogen (LH2) subsystems and the helium subsystem. The PMS is a system of manifolds, distribution lines, and valves by which the liquid propellants pass from the External Tank to the Space Shuttle Main Engine (SSME). The helium subsystem consists of a series of helium supply tanks and their associated regulators, control valves, and distribution lines. Volume 1 contains the MPS description, assessment results, ground rules and assumptions, and some of the IOA worksheets.

Electron mobility on the surface of liquid Helium: influence of surface level atoms and depopulation of lowest subbands

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Grigoriev, P. D., E-mail: grigorev@itp.ac.ru; Dyugaev, A. M.; Lebedeva, E. V.

2008-02-15

The temperature dependence of electron mobility is examined. We calculate the contribution to the electron scattering rate from the surface level atoms (SLAs), proposed in [10]. This contribution is substantial at low temperatures T < 0.5, when the He vapor concentration is exponentially small. We also study the effect of depopulation of the lowest energy subband, which leads to an increase in the electron mobility at high temperature. The results explain certain long-standing discrepancies between the existing theory and experiment on electron mobility on the surface of liquid helium.

Fission of Multielectron Bubbles in Liquid Helium Under Electric Fields

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vadakkumbatt, V.; Ghosh, A.

2017-06-01

Multielectron bubbles (MEBs) are cavities in liquid helium which contain a layer of electrons trapped within few nanometres from their inner surfaces. These bubbles are promising candidates to probe a system of interacting electrons in curved geometries, but have been subjected to limited experimental investigation. Here, we report on the observation of fission of MEBs under strong electric fields, which arises due to fast rearrangement of electrons inside the bubbles, leading to their deformation and eventually instability. We measured the electrons to be distributed unequally between the daughter bubbles which could be used to control the charge density inside MEBs.

Summary and Preliminary Interpretation of Tritium and Dissolved Noble Gas Data from Site 300

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Visser, A.; Singleton, M.; Madrid, V.

2014-01-29

In October 2013, groundwater samples were collected from 10 wells from Site 300 and analyzed by the Environmental Radiochemistry Laboratory at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL). Groundwater samples were analyzed for groundwater age tracers: tritium, the helium isotope ratio of dissolved helium and the concentrations of dissolved noble gases (Helium, Neon, Argon, Krypton, and Xenon). A subset of the samples was also analyzed for excess nitrogen due to saturated zone denitrification. The age-dating data were used to evaluate the degree to which groundwater at a particular monitoring well was derived from pre-modern and/or modern sources. More specifically, the analyses canmore » be used to determine whether the recharge age of the groundwater beneath the site pre-dates anthropogenic activities at the site.« less

A 1.8K refrigeration cryostat with 100 hours continuous cooling

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xu, Dong; Li, Jian; Huang, Rongjin; Li, Laifeng

2017-02-01

A refrigeration cryostat has been developed to produce continuous cooling to a sample below 1.8 K over 100 hours by using a cryocooler. A two-stage 4K G-M cryocooler is used to liquefy helium gas from evacuated vapor and cylinder helium bottle which can be replaced during the cooling process. The liquid helium transfer into superfluid helium in a Joule-Thomson valve in connection with a 1000 m3/h pumping unit. The pressure of evacuated helium vapor is controlled by air bag and valves. A copper decompression chamber, which is designed as a cooling station to control the superfluid helium, is used to cool the sample attached on it uniformly. The sample connects to the copper chamber in cryostat with screw thread. The cryostat can reach the temperature of 1.7 K without load and the continuous working time is more than 100 hours.

Lightweight Liquid Helium Dewar for High-Altitude Balloon Payloads

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kogut, Alan; James, Bryan; Fixsen, Dale

2013-01-01

Astrophysical observations at millimeter wavelengths require large (2-to-5- meter diameter) telescopes carried to altitudes above 35 km by scientific research balloons. The scientific performance is greatly enhanced if the telescope is cooled to temperatures below 10 K with no emissive windows between the telescope and the sky. Standard liquid helium bucket dewars can contain a suitable telescope for telescope diameter less than two meters. However, the mass of a dewar large enough to hold a 3-to-5-meter diameter telescope would exceed the balloon lift capacity. The solution is to separate the functions of cryogen storage and in-flight thermal isolation, utilizing the unique physical conditions at balloon altitudes. Conventional dewars are launched cold: the vacuum walls necessary for thermal isolation must also withstand the pressure gradient at sea level and are correspondingly thick and heavy. The pressure at 40 km is less than 0.3% of sea level: a dewar designed for use only at 40 km can use ultra thin walls to achieve significant reductions in mass. This innovation concerns new construction and operational techniques to produce a lightweight liquid helium bucket dewar. The dewar is intended for use on high-altitude balloon payloads. The mass is low enough to allow a large (3-to-5-meter) diameter dewar to fly at altitudes above 35 km on conventional scientific research balloons without exceeding the lift capability of the balloon. The lightweight dewar has thin (250- micron) stainless steel walls. The walls are too thin to support the pressure gradient at sea level: the dewar launches warm with the vacuum space vented continuously during ascent to eliminate any pressure gradient across the walls. A commercial 500-liter storage dewar maintains a reservoir of liquid helium within a minimal (hence low mass) volume. Once a 40-km altitude is reached, the valve venting the vacuum space of the bucket dewar is closed to seal the vacuum space. A vacuum pump then evacuates the dewar vacuum space to provide the necessary thermal isolation. Liquid helium may then be transferred from the storage dewar into the bucket dewar to cool the telescope inside the bucket dewar. By splitting the functions of helium storage and in-flight thermal isolation, the parasitic mass associated with the dewar pressure vessel is eliminated to achieve factor-of-five or better reduction in mass. The lower mass allows flight on conventional scientific research balloons, even for telescopes 3 to 5 meters in diameter.

Elementary Excitations in Quantum Liquids.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pines, David

1981-01-01

Discusses elementary excitations and their role in condensed matter physics, focusing on quantum plasma, helium liquids, and superconductors. Considers research primarily conducted in the 1950s and concludes with a brief survey of some closely related further developments. (Author/JN)

Effects of the pulse width on the reactive species production and DNA damage in cancer cells exposed to atmospheric pressure microsecond-pulsed helium plasma jets

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Joh, Hea Min; Choi, Ji Ye; Kim, Sun Ja; Kang, Tae Hong; Chung, T. H.

2017-08-01

Plasma-liquid and plasma-cell interactions were investigated using an atmospheric pressure dc microsecond-pulsed helium plasma jet. We investigated the effects of the electrical parameters such as applied voltage and pulse width (determined by the pulse frequency and duty ratio) on the production of reactive species in the gas/liquid phases and on the DNA damage responses in the cancer cells. The densities of reactive species including OH radicals were estimated inside the plasma-treated liquids using a chemical probe method, and the nitrite concentration was detected by Griess assay. Importantly, the more concentration of OH resulted in the more DNA base oxidation and breaks in human lung cancer A549 cells. The data are very suggestive that there is strong correlation between the production of OH in the plasmas/liquids and the DNA damage.

Stabilization of He2(A(sup 3)Sigma(sub u)(+)) molecules in liquid helium by optical pumping for vacuum UV laser

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Zmuidzinas, J. S. (Inventor)

1978-01-01

A technique is disclosed for achieving large populations of metastable spin-aligned He2(a 3 Sigma u +) molecules in superfluid helium to obtain lasing in the vacuum ultraviolet wavelength regime around 0.0800 micron m by electronically exciting liquid (superfluid) helium with a comparatively low-current electron beam and spin aligning the metastable molecules by means of optical pumping with a modestly-powered (100mW) circularly-polarized continuous wave laser operating at, for example, 0.9096 or 0.4650 micron m. Once a high concentration of spin-aligned He2 (a 3 Sigma u +) is achieved with lifetimes of a few milliseconds, a strong microwave signal destroys the spin alignment and induces a quick collisional transition of He2 (a 3 Sigma u +) molecules to the a 1 Sigma u + state and thereby a lasing transition to the X 1 Sigma g + state.

Source localization of brain activity using helium-free interferometer

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Dammers, Jürgen, E-mail: J.Dammers@fz-juelich.de; Chocholacs, Harald; Eich, Eberhard

2014-05-26

To detect extremely small magnetic fields generated by the human brain, currently all commercial magnetoencephalography (MEG) systems are equipped with low-temperature (low-T{sub c}) superconducting quantum interference device (SQUID) sensors that use liquid helium for cooling. The limited and increasingly expensive supply of helium, which has seen dramatic price increases recently, has become a real problem for such systems and the situation shows no signs of abating. MEG research in the long run is now endangered. In this study, we report a MEG source localization utilizing a single, highly sensitive SQUID cooled with liquid nitrogen only. Our findings confirm that localizationmore » of neuromagnetic activity is indeed possible using high-T{sub c} SQUIDs. We believe that our findings secure the future of this exquisitely sensitive technique and have major implications for brain research and the developments of cost-effective multi-channel, high-T{sub c} SQUID-based MEG systems.« less

Low Temperature Physics at Yale in the late 30's through the early 50's

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wheeler, Robert

2006-03-01

The low temperature program at Yale was initiated by C. T. Lane (1904-1991) in the fall of 1937 when he was appointed to the teaching staff as an instructor in the department of Physics. Following his doctorate from McGill in 1929 he investigated the magnetic susceptibilities of ``soft'' metals supported by the National Research Council of Canada, the Commissioners of the 1851 Exhibition and a Sterling Fellowship at Yale. Arranged by Louis McKeehan, with 5000 from the new George Sheffield research fund, he started the construction of a Kapitza type helium liquefier. The machine was largely completed in the fall of 1939, yet liquid helium was not made until early December 1940 due to the need for extensive on line purification of the gas. Returning in 1945 from war research, Lane and Henry A. Fairbank (Ph.D 1944) continued the metals work along with new thrusts into Second Sound , properties of helium^ three impurities in liquid helium and starting in the 50's on rotating He II. In 1933 both Lane and Onsager were awarded Sterling Fellowships, which initiated a stimulating experimental- theoretical exchange continuing until they both retired. The best-known example was the rediscovery at Yale of the deHaas-van Alphen effect, previously observed only in bismuth, in zinc; where upon Onsager and his students provided new insights into our understanding of the Fermi surface of metals. With the development of new instrumentation one observed vast changes in experimental style during this period. The evolution of the production of liquid helium from Lane's device though the Collins machine to the commodity business of today now makes experiments of huge size and importance possible.

Enhanced saturation of sputtered amorphous SiN film frameworks using He- and Ne-Penning effects

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sugimoto, Iwao; Nakano, Satoko; Kuwano, Hiroki

1994-06-01

Optical emission spectroscopy reveals that helium and neon gases enhance the nitridation reactivity of the nitrogen plasma by Penning effects during magnetron sputtering of the silicon target. These excited nitrogen plasmas promote the saturation of frameworks of the resultant silicon nitride films. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, electron spin resonance, and x-ray diffraction analyses provide insight into the structure of these films, and thermal desorption mass spectroscopy reveals the behavior of volatile species in these films.

Calibrating the Helium Pressurization System for the Space Shuttle Liquid-Hydrogen Tank

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2008-01-01

Analysis of the results from the STS-114 tanking tests and subsequent launch called into question existing thermal and mass models of helium pressurization of the liquid hydrogen tank. This hydrogen tank, which makes up the bottom two-thirds of the External Tank, is pressurized prior to launch to avoid cavitation in the Shuttle Main Engine pumps. At about 2 minutes prior to launch, the main vent valve is closed, and pressurized helium flows into the tank ullage space to achieve set point pressure. As the helium gas cools, its pressure drops, calling for additional helium. Subsequent helium flows are provided in short, timed pulses. The number of pulses is taken as a rough leak indicator. An analysis of thermal models by Marshall Space Flight Center showed considerable uncertainty in the pressure-versus-time behavior of the helium ullage space and the ability to predict the number of pulses normally expected. Kennedy Space Center proposed to calibrate the dime-sized orifice, which together with valves, controls the helium flow quantity (Figure 1). Pressure and temperature sensors were installed to provide upstream and downstream measurements necessary to compute flow rate based on the orifice discharge coefficient. An assessment of flow testing with helium indicated an extremely costly use of this critical resource. In order to reduce costs, we proposed removing the orifices from each Mobile Launcher Platform (MLP) and asking Colorado Engineering Experiment Station Inc. (CEESI) to calibrate the flow. CEESI has a high-pressure air flow system with traceable flow meters capable of handling the large flow rates. However, literature research indicated that square-edged orifices of small diameters often exhibit significant hysteresis and nonrepeatability in the vicinity of choked or sonic flow. Fortunately, the MLP orifices behaved relatively well in testing (Figure 2). Using curve fitting of the air-flow data, in conjunction with ASME orifice modeling equations, a method of relating the helium mass flow to measured air flow data was obtained. This analysis showed that the highest uncertainty in flow occurred in the vicinity of the choking pressure ratio, as would be expected. In addition, analysis of typical flow pulses showed that most of the helium flow occurred either well below or well above this uncertain area. The final result is the ability to provide postlaunch estimates of helium mass flows that are within 1.5 percent of the actual value.

Two systems developed for purifying inert atmospheres

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Foster, M. S.; Johnson, C. E.; Kyle, M. L.

1969-01-01

Two systems, one for helium and one for argon, are used for purifying inert atmospheres. The helium system uses an activated charcoal bed at liquid nitrogen temperature to remove oxygen and nitrogen. The argon system uses heated titanium sponge to remove nitrogen and copper wool beds to remove oxygen. Both use molecular sieves to remove water vapor.

A small and light weight heat exchanger for on-board helium refrigerator

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Koizumi, T.; Takahashi, M.; Uchida, T.; Kanazawa, Y.; Suzuki, M.

1983-01-01

A small and light weight heat exchanger used for small helium refrigerator has been developed by Sumitomo Heavy Industries, Ltd. This heat exchanger is a laminated metal heat exchanger which consists of perforated aluminum metal plates and glassfiber reinforced plastic separators. The size is from 100 mm to 28 mm in diameter and about 300 mm in length. The weight is from 2.5 kg to 0.6 kg. Also it can be used between room temperature and liquid helium temperature. The thermal efficiency obtained has been more than 96%. The heat exchanger has been practically used for on-board helium refrigerator in Japanese National Railways' superconducting magnetic levitated trains.

Commissioning of the JT-60SA helium refrigerator

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kamiya, Koji; Natsume, Kyohei; Ohtsu, Kiichi; Oishi, Makoto; Honda, Atsushi; Kashiwa, Yoshitoshi; Kizu, Kaname; Koide, Yoshihiko; Hoa, Christine; Michel, Frederic; Roussel, Pascal; Lamaison, Valerie; Bonne, Francois; Dipietro, Enrico; Cardella, Antonino; Wanner, Manfred; Legrand, Jerome; Pudys, Vincent; Langevin, Baptiste

2017-09-01

The JT-60SA project will use superconducting magnets to confine the plasma and achieve a plasma current with a typical flat top duration of 100 second in purely inductive mode. The helium refrigerator has an equivalent cooling power of 9 kW at 4.5 K providing 3.7 K, 4.5 K, 50 K and 80 K for the diverter cryopump, the superconducting magnets, the HTS current leads, and the thermal shields, respectively. This paper summarizes the JT-60SA helium refrigerator commissioning activities aiming at successful operation of heat load smoothing technology to manage the 12 kW heat pulses by 9 kW cooling power using a 7000 liter liquid helium.

The adsorption of helium atoms on coronene cations

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Kurzthaler, Thomas; Rasul, Bilal; Kuhn, Martin

2016-08-14

We report the first experimental study of the attachment of multiple foreign atoms to a cationic polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH). The chosen PAH was coronene, C{sub 24}H{sub 12}, which was added to liquid helium nanodroplets and then subjected to electron bombardment. Using mass spectrometry, coronene cations decorated with helium atoms were clearly seen and the spectrum shows peaks with anomalously high intensities (“magic number” peaks), which represent ion-helium complexes with added stability. The data suggest the formation of a rigid helium layer consisting of 38 helium atoms that completely cover both faces of the coronene ion. Additional magic numbers canmore » be seen for the further addition of 3 and 6 helium atoms, which are thought to attach to the edge of the coronene. The observation of magic numbers for the addition of 38 and 44 helium atoms is in good agreement with a recent path integral Monte Carlo prediction for helium atoms on neutral coronene. An understanding of how atoms and molecules attach to PAH ions is important for a number of reasons including the potential role such complexes might play in the chemistry of the interstellar medium.« less

Helium Transfer System for the Superconducting Devices at NSRRC

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, H. C.; Hsiao, F. Z.; Chang, S. H.; Chiou, W. S.

2006-04-01

A helium cryogenic plant with a maximum cooling power of 450 W at 4.5K was installed at the end of the year 2003. This plant has provide the cooling power for the test of one superconducting cavity and the commission of one superconducting magnet for nine months. In November 2004, we installed one helium transfer system in NSRRC's storage ring to fulfill the cooling requirement for the operation of one superconducting cavity and two superconducting magnets. This helium transfer system consists of a switch valve box and the nitrogen-shielding multi-channel transfer lines. The averaged heat leak to the helium process line (including the straight section, the joint, the elbow, the coupling) at liquid helium temperature is specified to be less than 0.1 W/m at 4.2K; the total heat leak of the switching valve box to helium process lines is less than 16 W at 4.2K. In this paper we present the function, design parameters and test result of the helium transfer system. Commissioning results of both the cavity and the magnets using this helium transfer system will be shown as well.

Hydrogen and helium recycling from a JxB -force convected liquid metal Ga 67In 20.5Sn 12.5 under steady state plasma bombardment

DOE PAGES

Hirooka, Yoshi; Bi, Hailin; Shimada, Michiya; ...

2016-07-20

A series of first-of-a-kind laboratory-scale experiments on the JxB-force convected liquid metal divertor concept have been carried out in the temperature range from room temperature to ~200 °C, employing a eutectic alloy: Ga 67In 20.5Sn 12.5, the melting point of which is 10.5 °C. The electrical current conducted through the alloy is set at about 70A and the magnetic field is set at about 700 G. Finally, it has reproducibly been observed that hydrogen as well as helium particle recycling is noticeably reduced under steady state plasma bombardment when the liquid is convected by the JxB force.

Hydrogen and helium recycling from a JxB -force convected liquid metal Ga 67In 20.5Sn 12.5 under steady state plasma bombardment

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Hirooka, Yoshi; Bi, Hailin; Shimada, Michiya

A series of first-of-a-kind laboratory-scale experiments on the JxB-force convected liquid metal divertor concept have been carried out in the temperature range from room temperature to ~200 °C, employing a eutectic alloy: Ga 67In 20.5Sn 12.5, the melting point of which is 10.5 °C. The electrical current conducted through the alloy is set at about 70A and the magnetic field is set at about 700 G. Finally, it has reproducibly been observed that hydrogen as well as helium particle recycling is noticeably reduced under steady state plasma bombardment when the liquid is convected by the JxB force.

Magnetic levitation on a type-I superconductor as a practical demonstration experiment for students

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Osorio, M. R.; Lahera, D. E.; Suderow, H.

2012-09-01

We describe and discuss an experimental set-up which allows undergraduate and graduate students to view and study magnetic levitation on a type-I superconductor. The demonstration can be repeated many times using one readily available 25 l liquid helium dewar. We study the equilibrium position of a magnet that levitates over a lead bowl immersed in a liquid hand-held helium cryostat. We combine the measurement of the position of the magnet with simple analytical calculations. This provides a vivid visualization of magnetic levitation from the balance between pure flux expulsion and gravitation. The experiment contrasts and illustrates the case of magnetic levitation with high temperature type-II superconductors using liquid nitrogen, where levitation results from partial flux expulsion and vortex physics.

Characteristics of a gelled liquid hyprogen polyphenylene oxide (PPO) foam open-cell insulation system, phase 1

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1973-01-01

A large scale gel production and storage facility and a small scale facility, the latter used for detailed visual examination of the gel/PPO foam interface, were developed. A subcontract was given to investigate techniques for the production of gelled liquid hydrogen, develop a process design for scale-up to a 1.89 cu m (500 gallon) gel production and storage facility, determine gel transfer characteristics, determine the solubility rate of gaseous helium in the gel, and investigate the gross gel/PPO foam interfacial phenomena. An inside-tank process for scaled-up production of gelled liquid hydrogen was selected. No detectable gel structure degradation occurred during repeated shearing. The viscosity of gelled liquid hydrogen at shear rates of 300/sec and higher is 2 to 5-fold greater than that of neat liquid hydrogen. No clogging problems were encountered during the transfer of gelled liquid hydrogen through warmed transfer lines. The solubility rate of helium in liquid hydrogen was significantly reduced by the presence of gel structure. The boil-off rates from gelled liquid hydrogen were reduced from 25 to 50 percent compared to those observed for the neat liquid hydrogen under compatible conditions. The polyphenylene oxide (PPO) foam insulation was found to be compatible with liquid ethane.

Liquid Hydrogen Regulated Low Pressure High Flow Pneumatic Panel AFT Arrow Analysis

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Jones, Kelley, M.

2013-01-01

Project Definition: Design a high flow pneumatic regulation panel to be used with helium and hydrogen. The panel will have two circuits, one for gaseous helium (GHe) supplied from the GHe Movable Storage Units (MSUs) and one for gaseous hydrogen (GH2) supplied from an existing GH2 Fill Panel. The helium will supply three legs; to existing panels and on the higher pressure leg and Simulated Flight Tanks (SFTs) for the lower pressure legs. The hydrogen line will pressurize a 33,000 gallon vacuum jacketed vessel.

Confinement-Driven Phase Separation of Quantum Liquid Mixtures

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Prisk, T. R.; Pantalei, C.; Kaiser, H.; Sokol, P. E.

2012-08-01

We report small-angle neutron scattering studies of liquid helium mixtures confined in Mobil Crystalline Material-41 (MCM-41), a porous silica glass with narrow cylindrical nanopores (d=3.4nm). MCM-41 is an ideal model adsorbent for fundamental studies of gas sorption in porous media because its monodisperse pores are arranged in a 2D triangular lattice. The small-angle scattering consists of a series of diffraction peaks whose intensities are determined by how the imbibed liquid fills the pores. Pure He4 adsorbed in the pores show classic, layer-by-layer film growth as a function of pore filling, leaving the long range symmetry of the system intact. In contrast, the adsorption of He3-He4 mixtures produces a structure incommensurate with the pore lattice. Neither capillary condensation nor preferential adsorption of one helium isotope to the pore walls can provide the symmetry-breaking mechanism. The scattering is consistent with the formation of randomly distributed liquid-liquid microdomains ˜2.3nm in size, providing evidence that confinement in a nanometer scale capillary can drive local phase separation in quantum liquid mixtures.

Control of plasma-liquid interaction of atmospheric DC glow discharge using liquid electrode

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shirai, Naoki; Aoki, Ryuta; Nito, Aihito; Aoki, Takuya; Uchida, Satoshi; Tochikubo, Fumiyoshi

2014-10-01

Atmospheric plasma in contact with liquid have a variety of interesting phenomena and applications. Previously, we investigated the fundamental characteristics of an atmospheric dc glow discharge using a liquid electrode with a miniature helium flow. We tried to control the plasma-liquid interaction by changing the plasma parameter such as gas species, liquid, and applied voltage. Sheath flow system enables another gas (N2, O2, Ar) flow to around the helium core flow. It can control the gas species around the discharge. When liquid (NaCl aq.) cathode DC discharge is generated, Na emission (588 nm) can be observed from liquid surface with increasing discharge current. Na emission strongly depends on the discharge current and liquid temperature. However, when Ar sheath flow is used, the intensity of Na becomes weak. When liquid anode DC discharge is generated, self-organized luminous pattern formation can be observed at the liquid surface. The pattern depends on existence of oxygen gas in gap. By changing the oxygen gas ratio in the gap, variety of pattern formation can be observed. The discharge in contact with liquid also can be used for synthesis of metal nanoparticles at plasma-liquid interface. Size and shape of nanoparticles depend on discharge gases. This work was supported financially in part by a Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research on Innovative Areas (No 21110007) from MEXT, Japan.

MESSENGER Observations of the Spatial Distribution of Planetary Ions Near Mercury

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Zurbuchen, Thomas H.; Raines, Jim M.; Slavin, James A.; Gershman, Daniel J.; Gilbert, Jason A.; Gloeckler, George; Anderson, Brian J.; Baker, Daniel N.; Korth, Haje; Krimigis, Stamatios M.;

CONTINUOUSLY SENSITIVE BUBBLE CHAMBER

DOEpatents

Good, R.H.

1959-08-18

A radiation detector of the bubble chamber class is described which is continuously sensitive and which does not require the complex pressure cycling equipment characteristic of prior forms of the chamber. The radiation sensitive element is a gas-saturated liquid and means are provided for establishing a thermal gradient across a region of the liquid. The gradient has a temperature range including both the saturation temperature of the liquid and more elevated temperatures. Thus a supersaturated zone is created in which ionizing radiations may give rise to visible gas bubbles indicative of the passage of the radiation through the liquid. Additional means are provided for replenishing the supply of gas-saturated liquid to maintaincontinuous sensitivity.

A novel high-temperature ejector-topping power cycle

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Freedman, B.Z.; Lior, N.

1994-01-01

A novel, patented topping power cycle is described that takes its energy from a very high-temperature heat source and in which the temperature of the heat sink is still high enough to operate another, conventional power cycle. The top temperatures heat source is used to evaporate a low saturation pressure liquid, which serves as the driving fluid for compressing the secondary fluid in an ejector. Due to the inherently simple construction of ejectors, they are well suited for operation at temperatures higher than those that can be used with gas turbines. The gases exiting from the ejector transfer heat tomore » the lower temperature cycle, and are separated by condensing the primary fluid. The secondary gas is then used to drive a turbine. For a system using sodium as the primary fluid and helium as the secondary fluid, and using a bottoming Rankine steam cycle, the overall thermal efficiency can be at least 11 percent better than that of conventional steam Rankine cycles.« less

Germanium resistance thermometer calibration at superfluid helium temperatures

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mason, F. C.

1985-01-01

The rapid increase in resistance of high purity semi-conducting germanium with decreasing temperature in the superfluid helium range of temperatures makes this material highly adaptable as a very sensitive thermometer. Also, a germanium thermometer exhibits a highly reproducible resistance versus temperature characteristic curve upon cycling between liquid helium temperatures and room temperature. These two factors combine to make germanium thermometers ideally suited for measuring temperatures in many cryogenic studies at superfluid helium temperatures. One disadvantage, however, is the relatively high cost of calibrated germanium thermometers. In space helium cryogenic systems, many such thermometers are often required, leading to a high cost for calibrated thermometers. The construction of a thermometer calibration cryostat and probe which will allow for calibrating six germanium thermometers at one time, thus effecting substantial savings in the purchase of thermometers is considered.

Realization of mechanical rotation in superfluid helium

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gordon, E. B.; Kulish, M. I.; Karabulin, A. V.; Matyushenko, V. I.; Dyatlova, E. V.; Gordienko, A. S.; Stepanov, M. E.

2017-09-01

The possibility of using miniaturized low-power electric motors submerged in superfluid helium for organization of rotation inside a cryostat has been investigated. It has been revealed that many of commercial micromotors can operate in liquid helium consuming low power. Turret with 5 sample holders, assembled on the base of stepper motor, has been successfully tested in experiments on the nanowire production in quantized vortices of superfluid helium. Application of the stepper motor made it possible in a single experiment to study the effect of various experimental parameters on the yield and quality of the nanowires. The promises for continuous fast rotation of the bath filled by superfluid helium by using high-speed brushless micromotor were outlined and tested. Being realized, this approach will open new possibility to study the guest particles interaction with the array of parallel linear vortices in He II.

Timing Characterization of Helium-4 Fast Neutron Detector with EJ-309 Organic Liquid Scintillator

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liang, Yinong; Zhu, Ting; Enqvist, Andreas

2018-01-01

Recently, the Helium-4 gas fast neutron scintillation detectors is being used in time-sensitive measurements, such time-of-flight and multiplicity counting. In this paper, a set of time aligned signals was acquired in a coincidence measurement using the Helium-4 gas detectors and EJ-309 liquid scintillators. The high-speed digitizer system is implanted with a trigger moving average window (MAW) unit combing with its constant fraction discriminator (CFD) feature. It can calculate a "time offset" to the timestamp value to get a higher resolution timestamp (up to 50 ps), which is better than the digitizer's time resolution (4 ns) [1]. The digitized waveforms were saved to the computer hard drive and post processed with digital analysis code to determine the difference of their arrival times. The full-width at half-maximum (FWHM) of the Gaussian fit was used as to examine the resolution. For the cascade decay of Cobalt-60 (1.17 and 1.33 MeV), the first version of the Helium-4 detector with two Hamamatsu R580 photomultipliers (PMT) installed at either end of the cylindrical gas chamber (20 cm in length and 4.4 cm in diameter) has a time resolution which is about 3.139 ns FWHM. With improved knowledge of the timing performance, the Helium-4 scintillation detectors are excellent for neutron energy spectrometry applications requiring high temporal and energy resolutions.

Superconducting bearings for a LHe transfer pump

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kloeppel, S.; Muehsig, C.; Funke, T.; Haberstroh, C.; Hesse, U.; Lindackers, D.; Zielke, S.; Sass, P.; Schoendube, R.

2017-12-01

Superconducting bearings are used in a number of applications for high speed, low loss suspension. Most of these applications suspend a warm shaft and thus require continuous cooling, which leads to additional power consumption. Therefore, it seems advantageous to use these bearings in systems that are inherently cold. One respective application is a submerged pump for the transfer of liquid helium into mobile dewars. Centrifugal pumps require tight sealing clearances, especially for low viscosity fluids and small sizes. This paper covers the design and qualification of superconducting YBCO bearings for a laboratory sized liquid helium transfer pump. Emphasis is given to the axial positioning, which strongly influences the achievable volumetric efficiency.

Nitrogen gas propagation in a liquid helium cooled vacuum tube following a sudden vacuum loss

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dhuley, R. C.; Van Sciver, S. W.

2017-02-01

We present experimental measurements and analysis of propagation of the nitrogen gas that was vented to a high vacuum tube immersed in liquid helium (LHe). The scenario resembles accidental venting of atmospheric air to a SRF beam-line and was investigated to understand how the in-flowing air would propagate in such geometry. The gas front propagation speed in the tube was measured using pressure probes and thermometers installed at regular intervals over the tube length. The experimental data show the front speed to decrease along the vacuum tube. The empirical and analytical models developed to characterize the front deceleration are summarized.

Fiber-based confocal microscope for cryogenic spectroscopy.

PubMed

Högele, Alexander; Seidl, Stefan; Kroner, Martin; Karrai, Khaled; Schulhauser, Christian; Sqalli, Omar; Scrimgeour, Jan; Warburton, Richard J

2008-02-01

We describe the design and performance of a fiber-based confocal microscope for cryogenic operation. The microscope combines positioning at low temperatures along three space coordinates of millimeter translation and nanometer precision with high stability and optical performance at the diffraction limit. It was successfully tested under ambient conditions as well as at liquid nitrogen (77 K) and liquid helium (4 K) temperatures. The compact nonmagnetic design provides for long term position stability against helium refilling transfers, temperature sweeps, as well as magnetic field variation between -9 and 9 T. As a demonstration of the microscope performance, applications in the spectroscopy of single semiconductor quantum dots are presented.

Czech cryogenic fluid dynamics inspired by Russ Donnelly

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Skrbek, Ladislav

2015-11-01

Following nearly five years of work along with Russ in Eugene on cryogenic turbulent convection and quantum grid turbulence, two laboratories in Prague and in Brno have been established to continue experimental research in cryogenic fluid dynamics using all three forms of cryogenic 4He - cold helium gas, normal liquid He I and superfluid He - as excellent multi-purpose working fluids. We review some of our investigations of very high Rayleigh number cryogenic thermal convection and classical and quantum turbulence in liquid helium. In particular, we discuss heat transfer efficiency of turbulent Rayleigh-Benard convection and the role of non-Oberbeck-Boussinesq conditions on possible transition to its ultimate regime; our second sound attenuation experiments probing both steady state and decaying coflow, counterflow and pure superflow of He II through channels of square cross-section including the concept of effective kinematic viscosity. We then introduce visualization experiments of classical and quantum flows of liquid helium using micron-size hydogen/deuterium particles and our recent results on transition to quantum turbulence based on the revisited experiments with a torsionally oscillating disc. Supported by GACR P203/11/0442 and 203/14/02005S.

Emergency relief venting of the infrared telescope liquid helium dewar, second edition

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Urban, E. W.

1981-01-01

An updated analysis is made of the emergency relief venting of the liquid helium dewar of the Spacelab 2 Infrared Telescope experiment in the event of a massive failure of the dewar guard vacuum. Such a failure, resulting from a major accident, could cause rapid heating and pressurization of the liquid helium in the dewar and lead to relief venting through the emergency relief system. The heat input from an accident is estimated for various fluid conditions in the dewar and the relief process considered as it takes place through one or both of the emergency relief paths. It was previously assumed that the burst diaphragms in the dewar relief paths would rupture at a pressure of 65 psi differential or 4.4 atmospheres. In fact, it has proved necessary to use burst diaphragms in the dewar which rupture at 115 psid or 7.8 atmospheres. An analysis of this case was carried out and shows that when the high pressure diaphragm rupture occurs, the dewar pressure falls within 8 s to below the 4.4 atmospheres for which the original analysis was performed, and thereafter it remains below that level.

Spray Bar Zero-Gravity Vent System for On-Orbit Liquid Hydrogen Storage

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hastings, L. J.; Flachbart, R. H.; Martin, J. J.; Hedayat, A.; Fazah, M.; Lak, T.; Nguyen, H.; Bailey, J. W.

2003-01-01

During zero-gravity orbital cryogenic propulsion operations, a thermodynamic vent system (TVS) concept is expected to maintain tank pressure control without propellant resettling. In this case, a longitudinal spray bar mixer system, coupled with a Joule-Thompson (J-T) valve and heat exchanger, was evaluated in a series of TVS tests using the 18 cu m multipurpose hydrogen test bed. Tests performed at fill levels of 90, 50, and 25 percent, coupled with heat tank leaks of about 20 and 50 W, successfully demonstrated tank pressure control within a 7-kPa band. Based on limited testing, the presence of helium constrained the energy exchange between the gaseous and liquid hydrogen (LH2) during the mixing cycles. A transient analytical model, formulated to characterize TVS performance, was used to correlate the test data. During self-pressurization cycles following tank lockup, the model predicted faster pressure rise rates than were measured; however, once the system entered the cyclic self-pressurization/mixing/venting operational mode, the modeled and measured data were quite similar. During a special test at the 25-percent fill level, the J-T valve was allowed to remain open and successfully reduced the bulk LH2 saturation pressure from 133 to 70 kPa in 188 min.

Recirculating 1-K-Pot for Pulse-Tube Cryostats

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Paine, Christopher T.; Naylor, Bret J.; Prouve, Thomas

2013-01-01

A paper describes a 1-K-pot that works with a commercial pulse tube cooler for astrophysics instrumentation testbeds that require temperatures <1.7 K. Pumped liquid helium-4 cryostats were commonly used to achieve this temperature. However, liquid helium-4 cryostats are being replaced with cryostats using pulse tube coolers. The closed-cycle 1K-pot system for the pulse tube cooler requires a heat exchanger on the pulse tube, a flow restriction, pump-out line, and pump system that recirculates helium-4. The heat exchanger precools and liquefies helium- 4 gas at the 2.5 to 3.5 K pulse tube cold head. This closed-cycle 1-K-pot system was designed to work with commercially available laboratory pulse tube coolers. It was built using common laboratory equipment such as stainless steel tubing and a mechanical pump. The system is self-contained and requires only common wall power to operate. The lift of 15 mW at 1.1 K and base temperature of 0.97 K are provided continuously. The system can be scaled to higher heat lifts of .30 to 50 mW if desired. Ground-based telescopes could use this innovation to improve the efficiency of existing cryo

Cryogen-free operation of the Soft X-ray Spectrometer instrument

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sneiderman, Gary A.; Shirron, Peter J.; Fujimoto, Ryuichi; Bialas, Thomas G.; Boyce, Kevin R.; Chiao, Meng P.; DiPirro, Michael J.; Eckart, Megan E.; Hartz, Leslie; Ishisaki, Yoshitaka; Kelley, Richard L.; Kilbourne, Caroline A.; Masters, Candace; McCammon, Dan; Mitsuda, Kazuhisa; Noda, Hirofumi; Porter, Frederick S.; Szymkowiak, Andrew E.; Takei, Yoh; Tsujimoto, Masahiro; Yoshida, Seiji

2016-07-01

The Soft X-ray Spectrometer (SXS) is the first space-based instrument to implement redundancy in the operation of a sub-Kelvin refrigerator. The SXS cryogenic system consists of a superfluid helium tank and a combination of Stirling and Joule-Thompson (JT) cryocoolers that support the operation of a 3-stage adiabatic demagnetization refrigerator (ADR). When liquid helium is present, the x-ray microcalorimeter detectors are cooled to their 50 mK operating temperature by two ADR stages, which reject their heat directly to the liquid at 1.1 K. When the helium is depleted, all three ADR stages are used to accomplish detector cooling while rejecting heat to the JT cooler operating at 4.5 K. Compared to the simpler helium mode operation, the cryogen-free mode achieves the same instrument performance by controlling the active cooling devices within the cooling system differently. These include the three ADR stages and four active heat switches, provided by NASA, and five cryocoolers, provided by JAXA. Development and verification details of this capability are presented within this paper and offer valuable insights into the challenges, successes, and lessons that can benefit other missions, particularly those employing cryogen-free cooling systems.

On-Orbit Operation of the Adiabatic Demagnetization Refrigerator on the Astro-H/Hitomi Soft X-ray Spectrometer Instrument

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Shirron, Peter; Kimball, Mark; James, Bryan; Muench, Theodore; Canavan, Edgar; DiPirro, Michael; Bialas, Thomas; Sneiderman, Gary; Boyce, Kevin; Kilbourne, Caroline;

Design and on-orbit operation of the adiabatic demagnetization refrigerator on the Hitomi Soft X-ray Spectrometer instrument

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shirron, Peter J.; Kimball, Mark O.; James, Bryan L.; Muench, Theodore; Canavan, Edgar R.; DiPirro, Michael J.; Bialas, Thomas G.; Sneiderman, Gary A.; Boyce, Kevin R.; Kilbourne, Caroline A.; Porter, Frederick S.; Kelley, Richard L.; Fujimoto, Ryuichi; Takei, Yoh; Yoshida, Seiji; Mitsuda, Kazuhisa

2016-07-01

The Soft X-ray Spectrometer instrument on the Astro-H observatory contains a 6x6 array of x-ray microcalorimeters, which is cooled to 50 mK by an adiabatic demagnetization refrigerator (ADR). The ADR consists of three stages in order to provide stable detector cooling using either a 1.2 K superfluid helium bath or a 4.5 K Joule-Thomson (JT) cryocooler as its heat sink. When liquid helium is present, two of the ADR's stages are used to single-shot cool the detectors while rejecting heat to the helium. After the helium is depleted, all three stages are used to cool both the helium tank (to about 1.5 K) and the detectors (to 50 mK) using the JT cryocooler as its heat sink. The Astro-H observatory, renamed Hitomi after its successful launch in February 2016, carried approximately 36 liters of helium into orbit. On day 5, the helium had cooled sufficiently (<1.4 K) to allow operation of the ADR. This paper describes the design, operation and on-orbit performance of the ADR.

Low gravity phase separator

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Smoot, G. F.; Pope, W. L.; Smith, L. (Inventor)

1977-01-01

An apparatus is described for phase separating a gas-liquid mixture as might exist in a subcritical cryogenic helium vessel for cooling a superconducting magnet at low gravity such as in planetary orbit, permitting conservation of the liquid and extended service life of the superconducting magnet.

Commissioning of a new helium pipeline

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2000-01-01

At the commissioning of a new high-pressure helium pipeline at Kennedy Space Center, participants cut the lines to helium-filled balloons. From left, they are Center Director Roy Bridges; Michael Butchko, president, SGS; Pierre Dufour, president and CEO, Air Liquide America Corporation; David Herst, director, Delta IV Launch Sites; Pamela Gillespie, executive administrator, office of Congressman Dave Weldon; and Col. Samuel Dick, representative of the 45th Space Wing. The nine-mile-long buried pipeline will service launch needs at the new Delta IV Complex 37 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station. It will also serve as a backup helium resource for Shuttle launches. Nearly one launch's worth of helium will be available in the pipeline to support a Shuttle pad in an emergency. The line originates at the Helium Facility on KSC and terminates in a meter station at the perimeter of the Delta IV launch pad. Others at the ceremony were Jerry Jorgensen, pipeline project manager, Space Gateway Support (SGS), and Ramon Lugo, acting executive director, JPMO.

Commissioning of a new helium pipeline

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2000-01-01

At the commissioning of a new high-pressure helium pipeline at Kennedy Space Center, participants watch as helium-filled balloons take to the sky after their lines were cut. From left, they are Center Director Roy Bridges; Michael Butchko, president, SGS; Pierre Dufour, president and CEO, Air Liquide America Corporation; David Herst, director, Delta IV Launch Sites; Pamela Gillespie, executive administrator, office of Congressman Dave Weldon; and Col. Samuel Dick, representative of the 45th Space Wing. The nine-mile-long buried pipeline will service launch needs at the new Delta IV Complex 37 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station. It will also serve as a backup helium resource for Shuttle launches. Nearly one launch's worth of helium will be available in the pipeline to support a Shuttle pad in an emergency. The line originates at the Helium Facility on KSC and terminates in a meter station at the perimeter of the Delta IV launch pad. Others at the ceremony were Jerry Jorgensen, pipeline project manager, Space Gateway Support (SGS), and Ramon Lugo, acting executive director, JPMO.

Quantum transition and decoherence of levitating polaron on helium film thickness under an electromagnetic field

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kenfack, S. C.; Fotue, A. J.; Fobasso, M. F. C.; Djomou, J.-R. D.; Tiotsop, M.; Ngouana, K. S. L.; Fai, L. C.

2017-12-01

We have studied the transition probability and decoherence time of levitating polaron in helium film thickness. By using a variational method of Pekar type, the ground and the first excited states of polaron are calculated above the liquid-helium film placed on the polar substrate. It is shown that the polaron transits from the ground to the excited state in the presence of an external electromagnetic field in the plane. We have seen that, in the helium film, the effects of the magnetic and electric fields on the polaron are opposite. It is also shown that the energy, transition probability and decoherence time of the polaron depend sensitively on the helium film thickness. We found that decoherence time decreases as a function of increasing electron-phonon coupling strength and the helium film thickness. It is seen that the film thickness can be considered as a new confinement in our system and can be adjusted in order to reduce decoherence.

Optomechanics in a Levitated Droplet of Superfluid Helium

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Brown, Charles; Harris, Glen; Harris, Jack

2017-04-01

A critical issue common to all optomechanical systems is dissipative coupling to the environment, which limits the system's quantum coherence. Superfluid helium's extremely low optical and mechanical dissipation, as well as its high thermal conductivity and its ability cool itself via evaporation, makes the mostly uncharted territory of superfluid optomechanics an exciting avenue for exploring quantum effects in macroscopic objects. I will describe ongoing work that aims to exploit the unique properties of superfluid helium by constructing an optomechanical system consisting of a magnetically levitated droplet of superfluid helium., The optical whispering gallery modes (WGMs) of the droplet, as well as the mechanical oscillations of its surface, should offer exceptionally low dissipation, and should couple to each other via the usual optomechanical interactions. I will present recent progress towards this goal, and also discuss the background for this work, which includes prior demonstrations of magnetic levitation of superfluid helium, high finesse WGMs in liquid drops, and the self-cooling of helium drops in vacuum.

Quantitative study of sniffer leak rate and pressure drop leak rate of liquid nitrogen panels of SST-1 tokamak

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pathan, F. S.; Khan, Z.; Semwal, P.; Raval, D. C.; Joshi, K. S.; Thankey, P. L.; Dhanani, K. R.

2008-05-01

Steady State Super-conducting (SST-1) Tokamak is in commissioning stage at Institute for Plasma Research. Vacuum chamber of SST-1 Tokamak consists of 1) Vacuum vessel, an ultra high vacuum (UHV) chamber, 2) Cryostat, a high vacuum (HV) chamber. Cryostat encloses the liquid helium cooled super-conducting magnets (TF and PF), which require the thermal radiation protection against room temperature. Liquid nitrogen (LN2) cooled panels are used to provide thermal shield around super-conducting magnets. During operation, LN2 panels will be under pressurized condition and its surrounding (cryostat) will be at high vacuum. Hence, LN2 panels must have very low leak rate. This paper describes an experiment to study the behaviour of the leaks in LN2 panels during sniffer test and pressure drop test using helium gas.

A fast response, low heat generating activation method for LHe level sensors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Choudhury, Anup; Sahu, Santosh; Kanjilal, Dinakar

2018-06-01

A superconducting liquid helium (LHe) level sensor of length 300 mm has been fabricated based on the principle of differential heat transfer characteristic in helium gas compared to that in liquid. The sensor wire used has a diameter of 38 μm, and the wire was obtained from a pack of multifilament wires. A full thermo-electrical characterisation of the sensor was carried out in a dedicated setup. Its dynamic thermal response was also studied to understand its timing characteristics at different liquid levels and excitation currents. Based on the sensor characterisation, a new level measurement technique is evaluated which can reduce the heat load going to LHe during sensor activation without compromising on its sensitivity or accuracy. The timing response with this technique will make the level detection faster compared to the conventional techniques.

Commissioning of a new helium pipeline

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2000-01-01

At the commissioning of a new high-pressure helium pipeline at Kennedy Space Center, Ramon Lugo, acting executive director, JPMO , presents a plaque to Center Director Roy Bridges. The pipeline will service launch needs at the new Delta IV Complex 37 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station. Others at the ceremony were Jerry Jorgensen, pipeline project manager, Space Gateway Support (SGS); Col. Samuel Dick, representative of the 45th Space Wing; David Herst, director, Delta IV Launch Sites; Pierre Dufour, president and CEO, Air Liquide America Corporation; and Michael Butchko, president, SGS. The nine-mile-long buried pipeline will also serve as a backup helium resource for Shuttle launches. Nearly one launch's worth of helium will be available in the pipeline to support a Shuttle pad in an emergency. The line originates at the Helium Facility on KSC and terminates in a meter station at the perimeter of the Delta IV launch pad.

Commissioning of a new helium pipeline

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2000-01-01

Jerry Jorgensen, pipeline project manager, Space Gateway Support (SGS) presents an award of appreciation to H.T. Everett, KSC Propellants manager, at the commissioning of a new high-pressure helium pipeline at Kennedy Space Center. The pipeline will service launch needs at the new Delta IV Complex 37 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station. The nine-mile-long buried pipeline will also serve as a backup helium resource for Shuttle launches. Nearly one launch's worth of helium will be available in the pipeline to support a Shuttle pad in an emergency. The line originates at the Helium Facility on KSC and terminates in a meter station at the perimeter of the Delta IV launch pad. Others at the ceremony were Center Director Roy Bridges;); Col. Samuel Dick, representative of the 45th Space Wing; Ramon Lugo, acting executive director, JPMO; David Herst, director, Delta IV Launch Sites; Pierre Dufour, president and CEO, Air Liquide America Corporation; and Michael Butchko, president, SGS.

Commissioning of a new helium pipeline

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2000-01-01

Jerry Jorgensen welcomes the audience to the commissioning of a new high-pressure helium pipeline at Kennedy Space Center. Jorgensen, with Space Gateway Support (SGS), is the pipeline project manager. To the right is Ramon Lugo, acting executive director, JPMO. Others at the ceremony were Center Director Roy Bridges; Col. Samuel Dick, representative of the 45th Space Wing; David Herst, director, Delta IV Launch Sites; Pierre Dufour, president and CEO, Air Liquide America Corporation; and Michael Butchko, president, SGS. The pipeline will service launch needs at the new Delta IV Complex 37 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station. The nine-mile-long buried pipeline will also serve as a backup helium resource for Shuttle launches. Nearly one launch's worth of helium will be available in the pipeline to support a Shuttle pad in an emergency. The line originates at the Helium Facility on KSC and terminates in a meter station at the perimeter of the Delta IV launch pad.

Commissioning of a new helium pipeline

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2000-01-01

Center Director Roy Bridges addresses the audience at the commissioning of a new high-pressure helium pipeline at Kennedy Space Center that will service launch needs at the new Delta IV Complex 37 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station. The nine-mile- long buried pipeline will also serve as a backup helium resource for Shuttle launches. Nearly one launch's worth of helium will be available in the pipeline to support a Shuttle pad in an emergency. The line originates at the Helium Facility on KSC and terminates in a meter station at the perimeter of the Delta IV launch pad. Others at the ceremony were Jerry Jorgensen, pipeline project manager, Space Gateway Support (SGS); Col. Samuel Dick, representative of the 45th Space Wing; Ramon Lugo, acting executive director, JPMO; David Herst, director, Delta IV Launch Sites; Pierre Dufour, president and CEO, Air Liquide America Corporation; and Michael Butchko, president, SGS.

Advantages of cryopumping with liquid hydrogen instead of helium refrigerators

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Anderson, J. W.; Tueller, J. E.

1972-01-01

Open loop hydrogen vaporizers and helium refrigerators are compared for operational complexity, installation and operating cost, and safety requirements. Data from two vacuum chambers using helium refrigerators are used to provide comparative data. In general, the use of hydrogen is attractive in the larger systems, even when extra safety precautions are taken. Emotional resistance to the use of hydrogen because of safety requirements is considered great. However, the experience gained in the handling of large quantities of cryogenics, particularly hydrogen and liquefied natural gases, should be considered in the design of open loop hydrogen cooling systems.

Liquid acquisition devices for superfluid helium transfer

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Dipirro, M. J.

1990-01-01

To transfer superfluid helium (He II) in the milli-g or micro-g environment in orbit, it is necessary to provide a reasonably steady supply of liquid to the inlet of the pump in the supply dewar. To accomplish this without providing an artificial gravity through acceleration requires a liquid acquisition device. Fluid swirl and electrostatic devices have been proposed to orientate the fluid. However, the simplest mechanisms appear to be the use of surface tension or the thermomechanical effect. This paper examines four concepts for providing He II to the inlet of a thermomechanical pump. The devices are a distributed thermomechanical pump, a distributed pump with a main thermomechanical pump, a screened channel system and a vane/sponge combination. Calculations on the efficiency of these types of liquid acquisition devices are made using laboratory data from tests involving small scale devices where applicable. These calculations show that the latter two types of liquid acquisition devices are the most efficient. Questions as to the probability of cavitation and the effect of the residual shuttle acceleration on their operation remain to be answered, however.

Crystallization from high temperature solutions of Si in Cu/Al solvent

DOEpatents

Ciszek, Theodore F.; Wang, Tihu

1996-01-01

A liquid phase epitaxy method for forming thin crystalline layers of device quality silicon having less than 3.times.10.sup.16 Cu atoms/cc impurity, comprising: preparing a saturated liquid solution of Si in a Cu/Al solvent at about 20 to about 40 at. % Si at a temperature range of about 850.degree. to about 1100.degree. C. in an inert gas; immersing or partially immersing a substrate in the saturated liquid solution; super saturating the solution by lowering the temperature of the saturated solution; holding the substrate in the saturated solution for a period of time sufficient to cause Si to precipitate out of solution and form a crystalline layer of Si on the substrate; and withdrawing the substrate from the solution.

Crystallization from high temperature solutions of Si in Cu/Al solvent

DOEpatents

Ciszek, T.F.; Wang, T.

1996-08-13

A liquid phase epitaxy method is disclosed for forming thin crystalline layers of device quality silicon having less than 3{times}10{sup 16} Cu atoms/cc impurity, comprising: preparing a saturated liquid solution of Si in a Cu/Al solvent at about 20 to about 40 at. % Si at a temperature range of about 850 to about 1100 C in an inert gas; immersing or partially immersing a substrate in the saturated liquid solution; super saturating the solution by lowering the temperature of the saturated solution; holding the substrate in the saturated solution for a period of time sufficient to cause Si to precipitate out of solution and form a crystalline layer of Si on the substrate; and withdrawing the substrate from the solution. 3 figs.

SQUID-Detected MRI in the Limit of Zero Static Field

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Kelso, Nathan Dean

2009-12-14

This thesis describes an implementation of the so-called"zero-field MRI" (ZFMRI) pulse sequence, which allows for imaging in an arbitrarily low B 0 field. The ZFMRI sequence created an effective unidirectional gradient field by using a train of pi pulses to average out the concomitant gradient components during encoding. The signals were acquired using a low-transition temperature dc Superconducting QUantum Interference Device (low-Tc dc SQUID) coupled to a first-order axial gradiometer. The experiments were carried out in a liquid helium dewar which was magnetically shielded with a single-layer mu-metal can around the outside and a superconducting Pb can contained within themore » helium space. We increased the filling factor of the custom-made, double-walled Pyrex insert by placing the liquid alcohol sample, at a temperature of approximately -50 degrees C, at the center of one loop of the superconducting gradiometer, which was immersed in the helium bath.« less

Infrared absorptivities of transition metals at room and liquid-helium temperatures.

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Jones, M. C.; Palmer, D. C.; Tien, C. L.

1972-01-01

Evaluation of experimental data concerning the normal spectral absorptivities of the transition metals, nickel, iron, platinum, and chromium, at both room and liquid-helium temperatures in the wavelength range from 2.5 to 50 microns. The absorptivities were derived from reflectivity measurements made relative to a room-temperature vapor-deposited gold reference mirror. The absorptivity of the gold reference mirror was measured calorimetrically, by use of infrared laser sources. Investigation of various methods of sample-surface preparation resulted in the choice of a vacuum-annealing process as the final stage. The experimental results are discussed on the basis of the anomalous-skin-effect theory modified for multiple conduction bands. As predicted, the results approach a single-band model toward the longer wavelengths. Agreement between theory and experiment is considerably improved by taking into account the modification of the relaxation time due to the photon-electron-phonon interaction proposed by Holstein (1954) and Gurzhi (1958); but, particularly at helium temperatures, the calculated curve is consistently below the experimental results.

Holographic particle detection

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bowen, Theodore

1988-01-01

The feasibility was studied of developing a novel particle track detector based on the detection of 1p-1s emission radiation from electron bubbles in liquid helium. The principles, design, construction, and initial testing of the detection system have been described in previous reports. The main obstacle encountered was the construction of the liquid-helium tight infrared windows. Despite numerous efforts in testing and redesigning the windows, the problem of window leakage at low temperature persisted. Due to limited time and resources, attention was switched to investigating the possibility of using room-temperature liquid as the detection medium. A possible mechanism was the detection of de-excitation radiation emitted from localized electrons in common liquids where electrons exhibit low mobilities, as suggested in the previous report. The purity of the liquid is critical in this method as the dissolved impurities (such as oxygen), even in trace amounts, will act as scavengers of electrons. Another mechanism is discussed whereby the formation of the superoxide ions by electron scavenging behavior of dissolved oxygen is exploited to detect the track of ionizing particles. An experiment to measure the ionization current produced in a liquid by a pulsed X-ray beam in order to study propertiies of the ions is also reported.

High resolution Fouier transform spectrometer Serial No. 091002: Instruction manual

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1971-01-01

A description of the spectrometer and procedures for its operation, maintenance, alignments, adjustments, and control functions are presented. The interferometer spectrometer is a modified Model 296 capable of 0.5/cm resolution over the spectral region of 5 to 15 microns configured for operation with the optical head at a temperature of approximately 80 K. Details are given on the optical system and the electronic circuits. The detector used with the optical head is mercury doped germanium kept at a temperature of about 4 K by means of liquid helium. Electronic schematics, and instruction manuals for handling the liquid helium dewars, tape recorder for analog outputs, and playback console are included.

Development of a motorized cryovalve for the control of superfluid liquid helium

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lorell, K. R.; Aubrun, J-N.; Zacharie, D. F.; Frank, D. J.

1988-01-01

Recent advances in the technology of infrared detectors have made possible a wide range of scientific measurements and investigations. One of the requirements for the use of sensitive IR detectors is that the entire instrument be cooled to temperatures approaching absolute zero. The cryogenic cooling system for these instruments is commonly designed as a large dewar containing liquid helium which completely surrounds the apparatus. Thus, there is a need for a remotely controlled, motorized cryovalve that is simple, reliable, and compact and can operate over extended periods of time in cryo-vac conditions. The design, development, and test of a motorized cryovalve with application to a variety of cryogenic systems currently under development is described.

Far-Infrared Photometry with an 0.4-Meter Liquid Helium Cooled Balloon-Borne Telescope. Ph.D. Thesis

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Jacobson, M. R.

1977-01-01

A 0.4-meter aperture, liquid helium cooled multichannel far-infrared balloon-borne telescope was constructed to survey the galactic plane. Nine new sources, above a 3-sigma confidence level of 1300 Jy, were identified. Although two-thirds of the scanned area was more than 10 degrees from the galactic plane, no sources were detected in that region; all nine fell within 10 degrees and eight of those within 4 degrees of the galactic equator. Correlations with visible, compact H lines associated with radio continuum and with sources displaying spectra steeply rising between 11 and 20 microns were noted, while stellar objects were not detected.

SOME EXPERIMENTS ON THE TURBULENCE AND MUTUAL FRICTION IN LIQUID HELIUM (in French)

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Kramers, H.C.

1962-05-01

Recent experiments on the hydrodynamic properties of liquid helium II, performed in the Kamerlingh Onnes Laboratorium (Leiden), are discussed on the basis of the twofluid model. Staas and Taconis measured temperature and pressure gradients occurring in a narrow circular capillary in the presence of a heat current. They discovered a turbulent phenomenon, very analogous to ordinary classical turbulence. The attenuation of second sound was studied by Wiarda and the present author in its dependence on a simultaneous continuous heat current. The method employed proves to be very suitable for a study of the so-called mutual friction and of phenomena occurringmore » in the critical velocity region. (auth)« less

Solid Hydrogen Experiments for Atomic Propellants

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Palaszewski, Bryan

2001-01-01

This paper illustrates experiments that were conducted on the formation of solid hydrogen particles in liquid helium. Solid particles of hydrogen were frozen in liquid helium, and observed with a video camera. The solid hydrogen particle sizes, their molecular structure transitions, and their agglomeration times were estimated. article sizes of 1.8 to 4.6 mm (0.07 to 0. 18 in.) were measured. The particle agglomeration times were 0.5 to 11 min, depending on the loading of particles in the dewar. These experiments are the first step toward visually characterizing these particles, and allow designers to understand what issues must be addressed in atomic propellant feed system designs for future aerospace vehicles.

Quantum Dots obtained by LPE from under-saturated In-As liquid phases on GaAs substrates

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ortiz, F. E.; Mishurnyi, V.; Gorbatchev, A.; De Anda, F.; Prutskij, T.

2011-01-01

In this work we inform about quantum dots (QD) obtained by Liquid Phase Epitaxy (LPE) on GaAs substrates from under-saturated In-As liquid phases. In our processes, we have prepared saturated In-rich liquid phases by dissolving an InAs wafer at one of the temperatures interval from 450 to 414 C for 60 minutes. The contact between In-As liquid phase and the GaAs substrate was always done at a constant temperature of 444 C for 5 seconds. Thus, the growth temperature for most of the samples was higher than the liquidus temperature. We think that the growth driving force is related to a transient process that occurs when the system is trying to reach equilibrium. Under the atom force microscope (AFM) we have observed nano-islands on the surfaces of the samples obtained from under-saturated liquid phases prepared at 438, 432 and 426 C. The 25 K photoluminescence spectrum shows a peak at a 1.33 eV, in addition to the GaAs related line.

Characterization of Emissions from Liquid Fuel and Propane Open Burns

EPA Science Inventory

The comparative combustion emissions of using jet propellant (JP-5) liquid fuel pools or a propane manifold grid to simulate the effects of accidental fires was investigated. A helium-filled tethered aerostat was used to maneuver an instrument package into the open fire plumes ...

Cold Helium Gas Pressurization For Spacecraft Cryogenic Propulsion Systems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Morehead, Robert L.; Atwell. Matthew J.; Hurlbert, Eric A.; Melcher, J. C.

2017-01-01

To reduce the dry mass of a spacecraft pressurization system, helium pressurant may be stored at low temperature and high pressure to increase mass in a given tank volume. Warming this gas through an engine heat exchanger prior to tank pressurization both increases the system efficiency and simplifies the designs of intermediate hardware such as regulators, valves, etc. since the gas is no longer cryogenic. If this type of cold helium pressurization system is used in conjunction with a cryogenic propellant, though, a loss in overall system efficiency can be expected due to heat transfer from the warm ullage gas to the cryogenic propellant which results in a specific volume loss for the pressurant, interpreted as the Collapse Factor. Future spacecraft with cryogenic propellants will likely have a cold helium system, with increasing collapse factor effects as vehicle sizes decrease. To determine the collapse factor effects and overall implementation strategies for a representative design point, a cold helium system was hotfire tested on the Integrated Cryogenic Propulsion Test Article (ICPTA) in a thermal vacuum environment at the NASA Glenn Research Center Plum Brook Station. The ICPTA vehicle is a small lander-sized spacecraft prototype built at NASA Johnson Space Center utilizing cryogenic liquid oxygen/liquid methane propellants and cryogenic helium gas as a pressurant to operate one 2,800lbf 5:1 throttling main engine, two 28lbf Reaction Control Engines (RCE), and two 7lbf RCEs (Figure 1). This vehicle was hotfire tested at a variety of environmental conditions at NASA Plum Brook, ranging from ambient temperature/simulated high altitude, deep thermal/high altitude, and deep thermal/high vacuum conditions. A detailed summary of the vehicle design and testing campaign may be found in Integrated Cryogenic Propulsion Test Article Thermal Vacuum Hotfire Testing, AIAA JPC 2017.

More effective wet turboexpander for the nuclotron helium refrigerators

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Agapov, N. N.; Batin, V. I.; Davydov, A. B.; Khodzhibagian, H. G.; Kovalenko, A. D.; Perestoronin, G. A.; Sergeev, I. I.; Stulov, V. L.; Udut, V. N.

2002-05-01

In order to raise the efficiency of cryogenic refrigerators and liquefiers, it is very important to replace the JT process, which involves large losses of exergy, by the improved process of adiabatic expansion. This paper presents test results of the second-generation wet turboexpander for the Nuclotron helium refrigerators. A rotor is fixed vertically by a combination of gas and hydrostatic oil bearings. The turbines are capable to operate at a speed of 300,000 revolutions per minute. The power generated by the turbine goes into friction in the oil bearings. The design of the new wet turboexpander was executed in view of those specific conditions, which arise due to the operation at liquid helium temperature. The application of this new expansion machine increases the efficiency of the Nuclotron helium refrigerators by 25%.

Simplified Methodology to Estimate the Maximum Liquid Helium (LHe) Cryostat Pressure from a Vacuum Jacket Failure

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ungar, Eugene K.; Richards, W. Lance

2015-01-01

The aircraft-based Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy (SOFIA) is a platform for multiple infrared astronomical observation experiments. These experiments carry sensors cooled to liquid helium temperatures. The liquid helium supply is contained in large (i.e., 10 liters or more) vacuum-insulated dewars. Should the dewar vacuum insulation fail, the inrushing air will condense and freeze on the dewar wall, resulting in a large heat flux on the dewar's contents. The heat flux results in a rise in pressure and the actuation of the dewar pressure relief system. A previous NASA Engineering and Safety Center (NESC) assessment provided recommendations for the wall heat flux that would be expected from a loss of vacuum and detailed an appropriate method to use in calculating the maximum pressure that would occur in a loss of vacuum event. This method involved building a detailed supercritical helium compressible flow thermal/fluid model of the vent stack and exercising the model over the appropriate range of parameters. The experimenters designing science instruments for SOFIA are not experts in compressible supercritical flows and do not generally have access to the thermal/fluid modeling packages that are required to build detailed models of the vent stacks. Therefore, the SOFIA Program engaged the NESC to develop a simplified methodology to estimate the maximum pressure in a liquid helium dewar after the loss of vacuum insulation. The method would allow the university-based science instrument development teams to conservatively determine the cryostat's vent neck sizing during preliminary design of new SOFIA Science Instruments. This report details the development of the simplified method, the method itself, and the limits of its applicability. The simplified methodology provides an estimate of the dewar pressure after a loss of vacuum insulation that can be used for the initial design of the liquid helium dewar vent stacks. However, since it is not an exact tool, final verification of the dewar pressure vessel design requires a complete, detailed real fluid compressible flow model of the vent stack. The wall heat flux resulting from a loss of vacuum insulation increases the dewar pressure, which actuates the pressure relief mechanism and results in high-speed flow through the dewar vent stack. At high pressures, the flow can be choked at the vent stack inlet, at the exit, or at an intermediate transition or restriction. During previous SOFIA analyses, it was observed that there was generally a readily identifiable section of the vent stack that would limit the flow – e.g., a small diameter entrance or an orifice. It was also found that when the supercritical helium was approximated as an ideal gas at the dewar condition, the calculated mass flow rate based on choking at the limiting entrance or transition was less than the mass flow rate calculated using the detailed real fluid model2. Using this lower mass flow rate would yield a conservative prediction of the dewar’s wall heat flux capability. The simplified method of the current work was developed by building on this observation.

Tests of by-pass diodes at cryogenic temperatures for the KATRIN magnets

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Gil, W.; Bolz, H.; Jansen, A.

The Karlsruhe Tritium Neutrino experiment (KATRIN) requires a series of superconducting solenoid magnets for guiding beta-electrons from the source to the detector. By-pass diodes will operate at liquid helium temperatures to protect the superconducting magnets and bus bars in case of quenches. The operation conditions of the by-pass diodes depend on the different magnet systems of KATRIN. Therefore, different diode stacks are designed with adequate copper heat sinks assuming adiabatic conditions. The by-pass diode stacks have been submitted to cold tests both at liquid nitrogen and liquid helium temperatures for checking operation conditions. This report presents the test set upmore » and first results of the diode characteristics at 300 K and 77 K, as well as of endurance tests of the diode stacks at constant current load at 77 K and 4.2 K.« less

Cryogenic spray vaporization in high-velocity helium, argon and nitrogen gasflows

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ingebo, Robert D.

1993-01-01

Effects of gas properties on cryogenic liquid-jet atomization in high-velocity helium, nitrogen, and argon gas flows were investigated. Volume median diameter, D(sub v.5e), data were obtained with a scattered-light scanning instrument. By calculating the change in spray drop size, -Delta D(sub v.5)(exp 2), due to droplet vaporization, it was possible to calculate D(sub v.5C). D(sub v.5C) is the unvaporized characteristic drop size formed at the fuel-nozzle orifice. This drop size was normalized with respect to liquid-jet diameter, D(sub O). It was then correlated with several dimensionless groups to give an expression for the volume median diameter of cryogenic LN2 sprays. This expression correlates drop size D(sub v.5c) with aerodynamic and liquid-surface forces so that it can be readily determined in the design of multiphase-flow propellant injectors for rocket combustors.

Magnetization and magnetoresistance of common alloy wires used in cryogenic instrumentation.

PubMed

Abrecht, M; Adare, A; Ekin, J W

2007-04-01

We present magnetization and magnetoresistance data at liquid-helium and liquid-nitrogen temperatures for wire materials commonly used for instrumentation wiring of specimens, sensors, and heaters in cryogenic probes. The magnetic susceptibilities in Systeme International units at 4.2 K were found to be: Manganin 1.25x10(-2), Nichrome 5.6x10(-3), and phosphor bronze -3.3x10(-5), indicating that phosphor bronze is the most suitable for high-field applications. We also show the ferromagnetic hysteresis loop of Constantan wire at liquid-helium temperature. The magnetoresistance of these four wires was relatively small: the changes in resistance at 4 K due to a 10 T transverse magnetic field are -2.56% for Constantan, -2.83% for Manganin, +0.69% for Nichrome, and +4.5% for phosphor bronze, compared to about +188% for a typical copper wire under the same conditions.

Calorimetry of a Bose–Einstein-condensed photon gas

PubMed Central

Damm, Tobias; Schmitt, Julian; Liang, Qi; Dung, David; Vewinger, Frank; Weitz, Martin; Klaers, Jan

2016-01-01

Phase transitions, as the condensation of a gas to a liquid, are often revealed by a discontinuous behaviour of thermodynamic quantities. For liquid helium, for example, a divergence of the specific heat signals the transition from the normal fluid to the superfluid state. Apart from liquid helium, determining the specific heat of a Bose gas has proven to be a challenging task, for example, for ultracold atomic Bose gases. Here we examine the thermodynamic behaviour of a trapped two-dimensional photon gas, a system that allows us to spectroscopically determine the specific heat and the entropy of a nearly ideal Bose gas from the classical high temperature to the Bose-condensed quantum regime. The critical behaviour at the phase transition is clearly revealed by a cusp singularity of the specific heat. Regarded as a test of quantum statistical mechanics, our results demonstrate a quantitative agreement with its predictions at the microscopic level. PMID:27090978

CFD Modeling of Helium Pressurant Effects on Cryogenic Tank Pressure Rise Rates in Normal Gravity

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Grayson, Gary; Lopez, Alfredo; Chandler, Frank; Hastings, Leon; Hedayat, Ali; Brethour, James

2007-01-01

A recently developed computational fluid dynamics modeling capability for cryogenic tanks is used to simulate both self-pressurization from external heating and also depressurization from thermodynamic vent operation. Axisymmetric models using a modified version of the commercially available FLOW-3D software are used to simulate actual physical tests. The models assume an incompressible liquid phase with density that is a function of temperature only. A fully compressible formulation is used for the ullage gas mixture that contains both condensable vapor and a noncondensable gas component. The tests, conducted at the NASA Marshall Space Flight Center, include both liquid hydrogen and nitrogen in tanks with ullage gas mixtures of each liquid's vapor and helium. Pressure and temperature predictions from the model are compared to sensor measurements from the tests and a good agreement is achieved. This further establishes the accuracy of the developed FLOW-3D based modeling approach for cryogenic systems.

Filling of orbital fluid management systems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Merino, F.; Blatt, M. H.; Thies, N. C.

1978-01-01

A study was performed with three objectives: (1) analyze fluid management system fill under orbital conditions; (2) determine what experimentation is needed; and (3) develop an experimental program. The fluid management system was a 1.06m (41.7 in) diameter pressure vessel with screen channel device. Analyses were conducted using liquid hydrogen and N2O4. The influence of helium and autogenous pressurization systems was considered. Analyses showed that fluid management system fill will be more difficult with a cryogen than with an earth storable. The key to a successful fill with cryogens is in devising techniques for filling without vent liquid, and removing trapped vapor from the screen device at tank fill completion. This will be accomplished with prechill, fill, and vapor condensation processes. Refill will require a vent and purge process, to dilute the residual helium, prior to introducing liquid. Neither prechill, chill, nor purge processes will be required for earth storables.

Magnetization and magnetoresistance of common alloy wires used in cryogenic instrumentation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Abrecht, M.; Adare, A.; Ekin, J. W.

2007-04-01

We present magnetization and magnetoresistance data at liquid-helium and liquid-nitrogen temperatures for wire materials commonly used for instrumentation wiring of specimens, sensors, and heaters in cryogenic probes. The magnetic susceptibilities in Systeme International units at 4.2 K were found to be: Manganin 1.25×10-2, Nichrome 5.6×10-3, and phosphor bronze -3.3×10-5, indicating that phosphor bronze is the most suitable for high-field applications. We also show the ferromagnetic hysteresis loop of Constantan wire at liquid-helium temperature. The magnetoresistance of these four wires was relatively small: the changes in resistance at 4 K due to a 10 T transverse magnetic field are -2.56% for Constantan, -2.83% for Manganin, +0.69% for Nichrome, and +4.5% for phosphor bronze, compared to about +188% for a typical copper wire under the same conditions.

The SHOOT cryogenic components - Testing and applicability to other flight programs

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Dipirro, Michael J.; Schein, Michael E.; Boyle, Robert F.; Figueroa, Orlando; Lindauer, David A.; Mchugh, Daniel C.; Shirron, P. J.

1990-01-01

Cryogenic components and techniques for the superfluid helium on-orbit transfer (SHOOT) flight demonstration are described. Instrumentation for measuring liquid quantity, position, flow rate, temperature, and pressure has been developed using the data obtained from the IRAS, Cosmic Background Explorer, and Spacelab 2 helium dewars. Topics discussed include valves and burst disks, fluid management devices, structural/thermal components, instrumentation, and ground support equipment and performance test apparatus.

Performance studies of Cryocooler based cryosorption pumps with indigenous activated carbons for fusion applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kasthurirengan, S.; Vivek, G. A.; Verma, Ravi; Behera, Upendra; Udgata, Swarup; Gangradey, Ranjana

2017-02-01

Cryosorption pumps are the only solution for pumping helium and hydrogen in fusion systems, due to their high pumping speeds and suitability in harsh environments. Their development requires the right Activated Carbons (ACs) and suitable adhesives to bind them to metallic panels with liquid helium (LHe) flow channels. However, their performance evaluation will require large quantities of LHe. Alternatively, these pumps can be built with small size panels adhered with ACs and cooled by a cryocooler. The paper describes the development of a cryopump using a commercial cryocooler (Sumitomo RDK415D), with 1.5W@4.2 K, integrated with small size AC panel mounted on 2nd stage, with the 1st stage acting as radiation shield. Under no load, the cryopump reaches the ultimate pressure of 2.1E-7 mbar. The pump is built using panels with different indigenously developed ACs such as granules, pellets, ACF-FK2 and activated carbon of knitted IPR cloth. We present the experimental results of pumping speeds for gases such as nitrogen, argon and helium using the procedures outlined by American Vacuum Society (AVS). These studies will enable to arrive at the right ACs and adhesives for the development of large scale cryosorption pumps with liquid helium flow.

Transport of viruses through saturated and unsaturated columns packed with sand

USGS Publications Warehouse

Anders, R.; Chrysikopoulos, C.V.

2009-01-01

Laboratory-scale virus transport experiments were conducted in columns packed with sand under saturated and unsaturated conditions. The viruses employed were the male-specific RNA coliphage, MS2, and the Salmonella typhimurium phage, PRD1. The mathematical model developed by Sim and Chrysikopoulos (Water Resour Res 36:173-179, 2000) that accounts for processes responsible for removal of viruses during vertical transport in one-dimensional, unsaturated porous media was used to fit the data collected from the laboratory experiments. The liquid to liquid-solid and liquid to air-liquid interface mass transfer rate coefficients were shown to increase for both bacteriophage as saturation levels were reduced. The experimental results indicate that even for unfavorable attachment conditions within a sand column (e.g., phosphate-buffered saline solution; pH = 7.5; ionic strength = 2 mM), saturation levels can affect virus transport through porous media. ?? Springer Science+Business Media B.V. 2008.

Development of a low cost, low temperature cryocooler using the Gifford McMahon cycle

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ramanayaka, A.; Mani, R.

2008-03-01

Although Helium is the second most abundant element, its concentration in the earth's atmosphere is fairly low and constant, as the portion that escapes from the atmosphere is replace by new emission. Historically, Helium was extracted as a byproduct of natural gas production, and stored in gas fields in a National Helium Reserve, in an attempt to conserve this interesting element. National policy has changed and the cost of liquid Helium has increased rapidly in the recent past. These new circumstances have created new interest in alternative eco-friendly methods to realizing and maintaining low temperatures in the laboratory. There have been number of successful attempts at making low temperature closed cycle Helium refrigerators by modifying an existing closed cycle system, and usually the regenerator has been replaced in order to achieve the desired results. Here, we discus our attempt to fabricate a low cost, low temperature closed cycle Helium refrigerator starting from a 15K Gifford McMahon system. We reexamine the barriers to realizing lower temperature here and our attempts at overcoming them.

Gas-partitioning tracer test to qualify trapped gas during recharge

USGS Publications Warehouse

Heilweil, Victor M.; Kip, Solomon D.; Perkins, Kim S.; Ellett, Kevin M.

2004-01-01

Dissolved helium and bromide tracers were used to evaluate trapped gas during an infiltration pond experiment. Dissolved helium preferentially partitioned into trapped gas bubbles, or other pore air, because of its low solubility in water. This produced observed helium retardation factors of as much as 12 relative to bromide. Numerical simulations of helium breakthrough with both equilibrium and kinetically limited advection/dispersion/retardation did not match observed helium concentrations. However, better fits were obtained by including a decay term representing the diffusive loss of helium through interconnected, gas-filled pores. Calculations indicate that 7% to more than 26% of the porosity beneath the pond was filled with gas. Measurements of laboratory hydraulic properties indicate that a 10% decrease in saturation would reduce the hydraulic conductivity by at least one order of magnitude in the well-sorted sandstone, but less in the overlying soils. This is consistent with in situ measurements during the experiment, which show steeper hydraulic gradients in sandstone than in soil. Intrinsic permeability of the soil doubled during the first six months of the experiment, likely caused by a combination of dissolution and thermal contraction of trapped gas. Managers of artificial recharge basins may consider minimizing the amount of trapped gas by using wet, rather than dry, tilling to optimize infiltration rates, particularly in well-sorted porous media in which reintroduced trapped gas may cause substantial reductions in permeability. Trapped gas may also inhibit the amount of focused infiltration that occurs naturally during ephemeral flood events along washes and playas.

Gas-partitioning tracer test to quantify trapped gas during recharge

USGS Publications Warehouse

Heilweil, V.M.; Solomon, D.K.; Perkins, K.S.; Ellett, K.M.

2004-01-01

Dissolved helium and bromide tracers were used to evaluate trapped gas during an infiltration pond experiment. Dissolved helium preferentially partitioned into trapped gas bubbles, or other pore air, because of its low solubility in water. This produced observed helium retardation factors of as much as 12 relative to bromide. Numerical simulations of helium breakthrough with both equilibrium and kinetically limited advection/dispersion/retardation did not match observed helium concentrations. However, better fits were obtained by including a decay term representing the diffusive loss of helium through interconnected, gas-filled pores. Calculations indicate that 7% to more than 26% of the porosity beneath the pond was filled with gas. Measurements of laboratory hydraulic properties indicate that a 10% decrease in saturation would reduce the hydraulic conductivity by at least one order of magnitude in the well-sorted sandstone, but less in the overlying soils. This is consistent with in situ measurements during the experiment, which show steeper hydraulic gradients in sandstone than in soil. Intrinsic permeability of the soil doubled during the first six months of the experiment, likely caused by a combination of dissolution and thermal contraction of trapped gas. Managers of artificial recharge basins may consider minimizing the amount of trapped gas by using wet, rather than dry, tilling to optimize infiltration rates, particularly in well-sorted porous media in which reintroduced trapped gas may cause substantial reductions in permeability. Trapped gas may also inhibit the amount of focused infiltration that occurs naturally during ephemeral flood events along washes and playas.

Ultralow noise performance of an 8.4-GHz maser-feedhorn system

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Johnson, D. L.; Petty, S. M.; Kovatch, J. J.; Glass, G. W.

1990-01-01

A total system noise temperature of 6.6 K was demonstrated with an 8.4-GHz traveling wave maser and feedhorn operating in a cryogenic environment. Both the maser and feedhorn were inserted in the helium cryostat, with the maser operating in the 1.6-K liquid bath and the feedhorn cooled in the helium gas, with a temperature gradient along the horn ranging from the liquid bath temperature at its lower end to room temperature at its top. The ruby maser exhibited 43 dB of gain with a bandwidth of 76 MHz(-3 dB) centered at 8400 MHz. Discussions of the maser, cooled feedhorn, and cryostat designs are presented along with a discussion of the noise temperature measurements.

Cryogenic scanning tunneling microscope with a magnetic coarse approach

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Davydov, D. N.; Deltour, R.; Horii, N.; Timofeev, V. A.; Grokholski, A. S.

1993-11-01

A compact, rigid, and reliable cryogenic scanning tunneling microscope (CSTM) with a vertical electromagnetic coarse approach system was developed. This device can be used for topographic and local tunneling spectroscopy studies at liquid nitrogen and helium temperatures. Minimal step sizes of 28 nm for the electromagnetic translation device were achieved. The additional possibility of a coarse approach operation in the inertial slip-stick mode, without electromagnets, was successfully tested, making this STM compatible with external magnetic fields. A simple technique for characterizing the STM rigidity has been developed. Preliminary data, taken with this instrument are presented, demonstrating the achievement, at liquid helium temperature, of atomic resolution for topographic studies, and also the possibility of measuring simultaneously superconducting energy gap spectra.

Thermal performance evaluation of the infrared telescope dewar subsystem

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Urban, E. W.

1986-01-01

Thermal performance evaluations (TPE) were conducted with the superfluid helium dewar of the Infrared Telescope (IRT) experiment from November 1981 to August 1982. Test included measuring key operating parameters, simulating operations with an attached instrument cryostat and validating servicing, operating and safety procedures. Test activities and results are summarized. All objectives are satisfied except for those involving transfer of low pressure liquid helium (LHe) from a supply dewar into the dewar subsystem.

Quantum Dynamics of Helium Clusters

DTIC Science & Technology

1993-03-01

the structure of both these and the HeN clusters in the body fixed frame by computing principal moments of inertia, thereby avoiding the...8217 of helium clusters, with the modification that we subtract 0.96 K from the computed values so that lor sufficiently large clusters we recover the...phonon spectrum of liquid He. To get a picture of these spectra one needs to compute the structure functions 51. Monte Carlo random walk simulations

70. VIEW OF FUEL APRON FROM EAST SIDE OF LAUNCH ...

Library of Congress Historic Buildings Survey, Historic Engineering Record, Historic Landscapes Survey

70. VIEW OF FUEL APRON FROM EAST SIDE OF LAUNCH PAD. ROCKET FUEL TANKS ON LEFT; GASEOUS NITROGEN AND HELIUM TANKS IN CENTER; AND A LARGE LIQUID NITROGEN TANK ON RIGHT. SKID 1 FOR GASEOUS NITROGEN TRANSFER AND SKID 5 FOR HELIUM TRANSFER IN THE CENTER RIGHT PORTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPH. - Vandenberg Air Force Base, Space Launch Complex 3, Launch Pad 3 East, Napa & Alden Roads, Lompoc, Santa Barbara County, CA

KSC-00padig074

NASA Image and Video Library

2000-11-02

At the commissioning of a new high-pressure helium pipeline at Kennedy Space Center, participants cut the lines to helium-filled balloons. From left, they are Center Director Roy Bridges; Michael Butchko, president, SGS; Pierre Dufour, president and CEO, Air Liquide America Corporation; David Herst, director, Delta IV Launch Sites; Pamela Gillespie, executive administrator, office of Congressman Dave Weldon; and Col. Samuel Dick, representative of the 45th Space Wing. The nine-mile-long buried pipeline will service launch needs at the new Delta IV Complex 37 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station. It will also serve as a backup helium resource for Shuttle launches. Nearly one launch’s worth of helium will be available in the pipeline to support a Shuttle pad in an emergency. The line originates at the Helium Facility on KSC and terminates in a meter station at the perimeter of the Delta IV launch pad. Others at the ceremony were Jerry Jorgensen, pipeline project manager, Space Gateway Support (SGS), and Ramon Lugo, acting executive director, JPMO

KSC-00padig075

NASA Image and Video Library

2000-11-02

At the commissioning of a new high-pressure helium pipeline at Kennedy Space Center, participants watch as helium-filled balloons take to the sky after their lines were cut. From left, they are Center Director Roy Bridges; Michael Butchko, president, SGS; Pierre Dufour, president and CEO, Air Liquide America Corporation; David Herst, director, Delta IV Launch Sites; Pamela Gillespie, executive administrator, office of Congressman Dave Weldon; and Col. Samuel Dick, representative of the 45th Space Wing. The nine-mile-long buried pipeline will service launch needs at the new Delta IV Complex 37 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station. It will also serve as a backup helium resource for Shuttle launches. Nearly one launch’s worth of helium will be available in the pipeline to support a Shuttle pad in an emergency. The line originates at the Helium Facility on KSC and terminates in a meter station at the perimeter of the Delta IV launch pad. Others at the ceremony were Jerry Jorgensen, pipeline project manager, Space Gateway Support (SGS), and Ramon Lugo, acting executive director, JPMO

KSC00padig075

NASA Image and Video Library

2000-11-02

At the commissioning of a new high-pressure helium pipeline at Kennedy Space Center, participants watch as helium-filled balloons take to the sky after their lines were cut. From left, they are Center Director Roy Bridges; Michael Butchko, president, SGS; Pierre Dufour, president and CEO, Air Liquide America Corporation; David Herst, director, Delta IV Launch Sites; Pamela Gillespie, executive administrator, office of Congressman Dave Weldon; and Col. Samuel Dick, representative of the 45th Space Wing. The nine-mile-long buried pipeline will service launch needs at the new Delta IV Complex 37 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station. It will also serve as a backup helium resource for Shuttle launches. Nearly one launch’s worth of helium will be available in the pipeline to support a Shuttle pad in an emergency. The line originates at the Helium Facility on KSC and terminates in a meter station at the perimeter of the Delta IV launch pad. Others at the ceremony were Jerry Jorgensen, pipeline project manager, Space Gateway Support (SGS), and Ramon Lugo, acting executive director, JPMO

Analysis of dewar and transfer line cooldown in Superfluid Helium On-Orbit Transfer Flight Experiment (SHOOT)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ng, Y. S.; Lee, J. H.

1989-01-01

The Superfluid Helium On-Orbit Transfer Flight Experiment (SHOOT) is designed to demonstrate the techniques and components required for orbital superfluid (He II) replenishment of observatories and satellites. One of the tasks planned in the experiment is to cool a warm cryogen tank and a warm transfer line to liquid helium temperature. A math model, based on single-phase vapor flow heat transfer, has been developed to predict the cooldown time, component temperature histories, and helium consumption rate, for various initial conditions of the components and for the thermomechanical pump heater powers of 2 W and 0.5 W. This paper discusses the model and the analytical results, which can be used for planning the experiment operations and determining the pump heater power required for the cooldown operation.

Large Scale Helium Liquefaction and Considerations for Site Services for a Plant Located in Algeria

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Froehlich, P.; Clausen, J. J.

2008-03-01

The large-scale liquefaction of helium extracted from natural gas is depicted. Based on a block diagram the process chain, starting with the pipeline downstream of the natural-gas plant to the final storage of liquid helium, is explained. Information will be provided about the recent experiences during installation and start-up of a bulk helium liquefaction plant located in Skikda, Algeria, including part-load operation based on a reduced feed gas supply. The local working and ambient conditions are described, including challenging logistic problems like shipping and receiving of parts, qualified and semi-qualified subcontractors, basic provisions and tools on site, and precautions to sea water and ambient conditions. Finally, the differences in commissioning (technically and evaluation of time and work packages) to European locations and standards will be discussed.

Integrated fountain effect pump device for fluid management at low gravity

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yuan, S. W. K.; Frank, D. J.

1988-02-01

To transfer He II in space, the supply tank must be drained at low gravity. Conventional capillary devices such as the gallery system make use of the capillary retention capability of the screens for fluid management. Liquid helium is collected into gallery channels and then conveyed to the downstream fountain effect pump (FEP) or mechanical pump. In this Paper, a new fluid management device is proposed. The screens along the gallery channels are replaced by porous plugs which are responsible for both the fluid retention and pumping (by mechanical effect) of He II. No downstream pump is needed. The plugs in contact with liquid helium on both sides act as FEPs, and plugs exposed to vapour on one side behave as vapour-liquid phase separators (VLPSs). The total net transfer rate of He II into the receiving tank is the mass flow rate through the FEP minus the liquid loss from the VLPS plugs. The performance of the integrated FEP device (IFD) was analysed. The possibility of liquid breakthrough in the IFD was studied. The IFD is a very promising system for the fluid management of He II at low gravity.

Testing the Effects of Helium Pressurant on Thermodynamic Vent System Performance with Liquid Hydrogen

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Flachbart, R. H.; Hastings, L. J.; Hedayat, A.; Nelson, S.; Tucker, S.

2006-01-01

In support of the development of a zero gravity pressure control capability for liquid hydrogen, testing was conducted at the Marshall Space Flight Center using the Multipurpose Hydrogen Test Bed (MHTB) to evaluate the effects of helium pressurant on the performance of a spray bar thermodynamic vent system (TVS). Fourteen days of testing was performed in August - September 2005, with an ambient heat leak of about 70-80 watts and tank fill levels of 90%, 50%, and 25%. The TVS successfully controlled the tank pressure within a +/- 3.45 kPa (+/- 0.5 psi) band with various helium concentration levels in the ullage. Relative to pressure control with an "all hydrogen" ullage, the helium presence resulted in 10 to 30 per cent longer pressure reduction durations, depending on the fill level, during the mixing/venting phase of the control cycle. Additionally, the automated control cycle was based on mixing alone for pressure reduction until the pressure versus time slope became positive, at which time the Joule-Thomson vent was opened. Testing was also conducted to evaluate thermodynamic venting without the mixer operating, first with liquid then with vapor at the recirculation line inlet. Although ullage stratification was present, the ullage pressure was successfully controlled without the mixer operating. Thus, if vapor surrounded the pump inlet in a reduced gravity situation, the ullage pressure can still be controlled by venting through the TVS Joule Thomson valve and heat exchanger. It was evident that the spray bar configuration, which extends almost the entire length of the tank, enabled significant thermal energy removal from the ullage even without the mixer operating. Details regarding the test setup and procedures are presented in the paper. 1

California GAMA Special Study. Development of a Capability for the Analysis of Krypton-85 in Groundwater Samples

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Visser, Ate; Bibby, Richard K.; Moran, Jean E.

A capability for the analysis of krypton-85 ( 85Kr) in groundwater samples was developed at LLNL. Samples are collected by extracting gas from 2000-4000 L of groundwater at the well, yielding approximately 0.2 cm 3 STP krypton. Sample collection takes 1 to 4 hours. Krypton is purified in the laboratory using a combination of molecular sieve and activated charcoal traps, and transferred to a liquid scintillation vial. The 85Kr activity is measured by liquid scintillation on a Quantulus 1220 liquid scintillation counter from PerkinElmer. The detection limit for a typical 0.2 cm 3Kr sample size is 11% of the presentmore » day activity in air, corresponding to the decay corrected activity in air in 1987. The typical measurement uncertainty is below 10% for recently recharged samples. Six groundwater samples were collected, purified and counted. 85Kr was not detected in any of the samples counted at LLNL. 85Kr was detected by the low level counting laboratory of Bern University in all samples between 1.5 and 6.6 decays per minute per cm 3 krypton, corresponding to decay corrected activities in air between 1971 and 1985. The new capability is an excellent complement to tritium-helium, expanding the existing suite of age dating tools available to the GAMA program ( 35S, 3H/ 3He, 14C and radiogenic helium). 85Kr can replace 3H/ 3He in settings where 3H/ 3He ages are impossible to determine (for example where terrigenic helium overwhelms tritiogenic helium) and provides additional insight into travel time distributions in complex mixed groundwater systems.« less

Experimental gaze at nonlinear phenomena

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Libchaber, A.

1988-09-20

Experimental observations of nonlinear problems in physics are presented, including liquid crystal phase transformations, convection of mercury, and the transition to turbulence in helium gas thermal convection./aip/.

86. VIEW OF LIQUID NITROGEN STORAGE FACILITY LOCATED DIRECTLY WEST ...

Library of Congress Historic Buildings Survey, Historic Engineering Record, Historic Landscapes Survey

86. VIEW OF LIQUID NITROGEN STORAGE FACILITY LOCATED DIRECTLY WEST OF THE SLC-3W FUEL APRON. NOTE HEAT EXCHANGER IN BACKGROUND. CAMERA TOWER LOCATED DIRECTLY IN FRONT OF LIQUID NITROGEN STORAGE TANK. NITROGEN AND HELIUM GAS STORAGE TANKS AT SOUTH END OF FUEL APRON IN LOWER RIGHT CORNER. - Vandenberg Air Force Base, Space Launch Complex 3, Launch Pad 3 West, Napa & Alden Roads, Lompoc, Santa Barbara County, CA

Optical Detection Of Cryogenic Leaks

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wyett, Lynn M.

1988-01-01

Conceptual system identifies leakage without requiring shutdown for testing. Proposed device detects and indicates leaks of cryogenic liquids automatically. Detector makes it unnecessary to shut equipment down so it can be checked for leakage by soap-bubble or helium-detection methods. Not necessary to mix special gases or other materials with cryogenic liquid flowing through equipment.

A cryogenic tensile testing apparatus for micro-samples cooled by miniature pulse tube cryocooler

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, L. B.; Liu, S. X.; Gu, K. X.; Zhou, Y.; Wang, J. J.

2015-12-01

This paper introduces a cryogenic tensile testing apparatus for micro-samples cooled by a miniature pulse tube cryocooler. At present, tensile tests are widely applied to measure the mechanical properties of materials; most of the cryogenic tensile testing apparatus are designed for samples with standard sizes, while for non-standard size samples, especially for microsamples, the tensile testing cannot be conducted. The general approach to cool down the specimens for tensile testing is by using of liquid nitrogen or liquid helium, which is not convenient: it is difficult to keep the temperature of the specimens at an arbitrary set point precisely, besides, in some occasions, liquid nitrogen, especially liquid helium, is not easily available. To overcome these limitations, a cryogenic tensile testing apparatus cooled by a high frequency pulse tube cryocooler has been designed, built and tested. The operating temperatures of the developed tensile testing apparatus cover from 20 K to room temperature with a controlling precision of ±10 mK. The apparatus configurations, the methods of operation and some cooling performance will be described in this paper.

Subcritical crack growth of selected aerospace pressure vessel materials

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hall, L. R.; Bixler, W. D.

1972-01-01

This experimental program was undertaken to determine the effects of combined cyclic/sustained loads, stress level, and crack shape on the fatigue crack growth rate behavior of cracks subjected to plane strain conditions. Material/environment combinations tested included: 2219-T87 aluminum plate in gaseous helium, room air, and 3.5% NaCl solution at room temperature, liquid nitrogen, and liquid hydrogen; 5Al-2.5 Sn (ELI) titanium plate in liquid nitrogen and liquid hydrogen and 6AL-4V (ELI) STA titanium plate in gaseous helium and methanol at room temperature. Most testing was accomplished using surface flawed specimens instrumented with a clip gage to continuously monitor crack opening displacements at the specimen surface. Tapered double cantilever beam specimens were also tested. Static fracture and ten hour sustained load tests were conducted to determine fracture toughness and apparent threshold stress intensity values. Cyclic tests were performed using sinusoidal loading profiles at 333 MHz (20 cpm) and trapezoidal loading profiles at both 8.3 MHz (0.5 cpm) and 3.3 MHz (0.2 cpm). Data were evaluated using modified linear elastic fracture mechanics parameters.

BASD: SIRTF Telescope Instrument Changeout and Cryogen Replenishment (STICCR) study

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mord, A. J.; Urbach, A. R.; Poyer, M. E.; Andreozzi, L. C.; Hermanson, L. A.; Snyder, H. A.; Blalock, W. R.; Haight, R. P.

1985-01-01

The Space Infrared Telescope Facility (SIRTF) is a long-life cryogenically cooled space-based telescope for infrared astronomy from 2 micrometer to 700 miocrometers currently under study by NASA-ARC, and planned for launch in approximately the mid 90's. SIRTF will operate as a multi-user facility, initially carrying 3 instruments at the focal plane. It will be cooled to below 2 K by superfluid liquid helium to achieve radiometric sensitivity limited only by the statistical fluctuations in the natural infrared background radiation over most of its spectral range. The lifetime of the mission will be limited by the lifetime of the liquid helium supply, and is currently baselined to be 2 years. The telescope changes required to allow in-space replenishment of the 2,000 liter superfluid helium tank are investigated. A preliminary design for the space services equipment is also developed. The impacts of basing the equipment and servicing on the space station are investigated. Space replenishment and changeout of instruments requires changes to the telescope design and preliminary concepts are presented.

SIRTF Telescope Instrument Changeout and Cryogen Replenishment (STICCR) Study

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Nast, T. C.; Frank, D.; Liu, C. K.; Parmley, R. T.; Jaekle, D.; Builteman, H.; Schmidt, J.; Frederking, T. H. K.

1985-01-01

The Space Infrared Telescope Facility (SIRTF) is a long-life cryogenically cooled space-based telescope for infrared astronomy from 2 to 700 micrometers. SIRTF is currently under study by NASA-ARC (Reference AP) and planned for launch in approximately the mid 1990s. SIRTF will operate as a multiuser facility, initially carrying three instruments at the focal plane. It will be cooled to below 2 K by superfluid liquid helium to achieve radiometric sensitivity limited only by the statistical fluctuations in the natural infrared background radiation over most of its spectral range. The lifetime of the mission will be limited by the lifetime of the liquid helium supply, and baseline is currently to be 2 years. The telescope changes required to allow in-space replenishment of the 4,000-L superfluid helium tank was investigated. A preliminary design for the space services equipment was also developed. The impacts of basing the equipment and servicing on the space station were investigated. Space replenishment and changeout of instruments required changes to the telescope design. Preliminary concepts are presented.

Scaled equation of state parameters for gases in the critical region

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Sengers, J. M. H. L.; Greer, W. L.; Sengers, J. V.

1976-01-01

In the light of recent theoretical developments, the paper presents an accurate characterization of anomalous thermodynamic behavior of xenon, helium 4, helium 3, carbon dioxide, steam and oxygen in the critical region. This behavior is associated with long range fluctuations in the system and the physical properties depend primarily on a single variable, namely, the correlation length. A description of the thermodynamic behavior of fluids in terms of scaling laws is formulated, and the two successfully used scaled equations of state (NBS equation and Linear Model parametric equation) are compared. Methods for fitting both equations to experimental equation of state data are developed and formulated, and the optimum fit for each of the two scaled equations of the above gases are presented and the results are compared. By extending the experimental data for the above one-component fluids to partially miscible binary liquids, superfluid liquid helium, ferromagnets and solids exhibiting order-disorder transitions, the principle of universality is concluded. Finally by using this principle, the critical regions for nine additional fluids are described.

The 1.3 GHz SRF Injector Cryomodule for VECC - designed and manufactured at TRIUMF

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ahammed, M.; Harmer, P.; Kishi, D.; Kolb, P.; Koveshnikov, A.; Laxdal, R.; Ma, Y.; Mondal, M.; Muller, N.; Nagimov, R.; Naik, V.; Saha, S.; Zvyagintsev, V.

2017-02-01

The combined R&D efforts of engineers and scientists from both TRIUMF and VECC have resulted in production of a superconducting Injector Cryomodule operating at 1.3 GHz. The design utilizes a unique box cryomodule with a top-loading cold mass. Liquid helium supplied at 4.4 K is converted to superfluid helium-II on board the cryomodule. A 4 K phase separator, 4 K / 2 K heat exchanger and Joule-Thompson valve are installed on the cryomodule to produce 2 K liquid helium. Two identical (by their parameters) cryomodules have been manufactured at TRIUMF. The Injector Cryomodule (ICM) has been tested and commissioned in June of 2014 and is the first cryomodule for the ARIEL e-linac at TRIUMF. The Injector Cryomodule for VECC (VECC ICM) is currently at the finishing stage of its assembly and will undergo cryogenic tests in Q1 of 2016 followed by RF and beam tests at TRIUMF before being shipped to India. The particularities of the design as well as results of the cryogenic and RF performance are presented in this paper.

Characterisation and optimisation of flexible transfer lines for liquid helium. Part I: Experimental results

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dittmar, N.; Haberstroh, Ch.; Hesse, U.; Krzyzowski, M.

2016-04-01

The transfer of liquid helium (LHe) into mobile dewars or transport vessels is a common and unavoidable process at LHe decant stations. During this transfer reasonable amounts of LHe evaporate due to heat leak and pressure drop. Thus generated helium gas needs to be collected and reliquefied which requires a huge amount of electrical energy. Therefore, the design of transfer lines used at LHe decant stations has been optimised to establish a LHe transfer with minor evaporation losses which increases the overall efficiency and capacity of LHe decant stations. This paper presents the experimental results achieved during the thermohydraulic optimisation of a flexible LHe transfer line. An extensive measurement campaign with a set of dedicated transfer lines equipped with pressure and temperature sensors led to unique experimental data of this specific transfer process. The experimental results cover the heat leak, the pressure drop, the transfer rate, the outlet quality, and the cool-down and warm-up behaviour of the examined transfer lines. Based on the obtained results the design of the considered flexible transfer line has been optimised, featuring reduced heat leak and pressure drop.

RETENTION OF LIQUID CONTAMINANTS IN LAYERED SOILS. (R825549C063)

EPA Science Inventory

Observations of organic contaminant liquids retained in layered soil profiles indicate contaminant saturations much greater than residual, where residual saturation would be expected, if one assumes a static distribution of fluid pressure. It is theorized that the increased re...

Thermodynamic properties of saturated liquid parahydrogen charted for important temperature range

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mc Carty, R. D.; Roder, H. M.

1967-01-01

Six entropy diagrams for parahydrogen in or near the saturated liquid state cover the temperature range from 29.16 degrees to 42.48 degrees R with pressures to 100 psia and mixtures of the liquid and vapor phases to 0.003 quality. The diagrams are printed in color, are 19 by 30 inches in size, and are suitable for wall mounting.

Paramagnetic Attraction of Impurity-Helium Solids

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bernard, E. P.; Boltnev, R. E.; Khmelenko, V. V.; Lee, D. M.

2003-01-01

Impurity-helium solids are formed when a mixture of impurity and helium gases enters a volume of superfluid helium. Typical choices of impurity gas are hydrogen deuteride, deuterium, nitrogen, neon and argon, or a mixture of these. These solids consist of individual impurity atoms and molecules as well as clusters of impurity atoms and molecules covered with layers of solidified helium. The clusters have an imperfect crystalline structure and diameters ranging up to 90 angstroms, depending somewhat on the choice of impurity. Immediately following formation the clusters aggregate into loosely connected porous solids that are submerged in and completely permeated by the liquid helium. Im-He solids are extremely effective at stabilizing high concentrations of free radicals, which can be introduced by applying a high power RF dis- charge to the impurity gas mixture just before it strikes the super fluid helium. Average concentrations of 10(exp 19) nitrogen atoms/cc and 5 x 10(exp 18) deuterium atoms/cc can be achieved this way. It shows a typical sample formed from a mixture of atomic and molecular hydrogen and deuterium. It shows typical sample formed from atomic and molecular nitrogen. Much of the stability of Im-He solids is attributed to their very large surface area to volume ratio and their permeation by super fluid helium. Heat resulting from a chance meeting and recombination of free radicals is quickly dissipated by the super fluid helium instead of thermally promoting the diffusion of other nearby free radicals.

KSC-2012-3055

NASA Image and Video Library

2012-05-23

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – A NASA Railroad train crosses the railroad’s Jay Jay Railroad Bridge north of Launch Complex 39 at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The train is on its way to the Florida East Coast Railway interchange in Titusville, Fla., where the train’s helium tank cars, a liquid oxygen tank car, and a liquid hydrogen dewar or tank car will be transferred for delivery to the SpaceX engine test complex outside McGregor, Texas. The helium tank cars are positioned in the front and rear of the train. The long, thin tank car in the middle was used for liquid hydrogen, followed by a much larger tank car used for liquid oxygen. The railroad cars were needed in support of the Space Shuttle Program but currently are not in use by NASA following the completion of the program in 2011. Originally, the tankers belonged to the U.S. Bureau of Mines. At the peak of the shuttle program, there were approximately 30 cars in the fleet. About half the cars were returned to the bureau as launch activity diminished. Five tank cars are being loaned to SpaceX and repurposed to support their engine tests in Texas. Eight cars previously were shipped to California on loan to support the SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launches from Space Launch Complex-4 on Vandenberg Air Force Base. SpaceX already has three helium tank cars previously used for the shuttle program at Space Launch Complex-40 on Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida. For more information, visit http://www.nasa.gov/spacex. Photo credit: NASA/Jim Grossmann

KSC-2012-3054

NASA Image and Video Library

2012-05-23

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – A NASA Railroad train crosses the railroad’s Jay Jay Railroad Bridge north of Launch Complex 39 at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The train is on its way to the Florida East Coast Railway interchange in Titusville, Fla., where the train’s helium tank cars, a liquid oxygen tank car, and a liquid hydrogen dewar or tank car will be transferred for delivery to the SpaceX engine test complex outside McGregor, Texas. The helium tank cars are positioned in the front and rear of the train. The long, thin tank car in the middle was used for liquid hydrogen, followed by a much larger tank car used for liquid oxygen. The railroad cars were needed in support of the Space Shuttle Program but currently are not in use by NASA following the completion of the program in 2011. Originally, the tankers belonged to the U.S. Bureau of Mines. At the peak of the shuttle program, there were approximately 30 cars in the fleet. About half the cars were returned to the bureau as launch activity diminished. Five tank cars are being loaned to SpaceX and repurposed to support their engine tests in Texas. Eight cars previously were shipped to California on loan to support the SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launches from Space Launch Complex-4 on Vandenberg Air Force Base. SpaceX already has three helium tank cars previously used for the shuttle program at Space Launch Complex-40 on Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida. For more information, visit http://www.nasa.gov/spacex. Photo credit: NASA/Jim Grossmann

Porous plug phase separator and superfluid film flow suppression system for the soft x-ray spectrometer onboard ASTRO-H

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ezoe, Yuichiro; Ishikawa, Kumi; Mitsuishi, Ikuyuki; Ohashi, Takaya; Mitsuda, Kazuhisa; Fujimoto, Ryuichi; Murakami, Masahide; Kanao, Kenichi; Yoshida, Seiji; Tsunematsu, Shoji; DiPirro, Michael; Shirron, Peter

2016-07-01

Suppression of super fluid helium flow is critical for the Soft X-ray Spectrometer onboard ASTRO-H (Hitomi). In nominal operation, a small helium gas flow of 30 μg/s must be safely vented and a super fluid film flow must be sufficiently small <2 μg/s. To achieve a life time of the liquid helium, a porous plug phase separator and a film flow suppression system composed of an orifice, a heat exchanger, and knife edge devices are employed. In this paper, design, on-ground testing results and in-orbit performance of the porous plug and the film flow suppression system are described.

Equation of state of fluid helium at high temperatures and densities

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cai, Lingcang; Chen, Qifeng; Gu, Yunjun; Zhang, Ying; Zhou, Xianming; Jing, Fuqian

2005-03-01

Hugoniot curves and shock temperatures of gas helium with initial temperature 293 K and three initial pressures 0.6, 1.2, and 5.0 MPa were measured up to 15000 K using a two-stage light-gas gun and transient radiation pyrometer. It was found that the calculated Hugoniot EOS of gas helium at the same initial pressure using Saha equation with Debye-Hückel correction was in good agreement with the experimental data. The curve of the calculated shock wave velocity with the particle velocity of gas helium which is shocked from the initial pressure 5 MPa and temperature 293 K, i.e., the D ≈ u relation, D= C 0+λ u ( u<10 km/s, λ=1.32) in a low pressure region, is approximately parallel with the fitted D ≈ u (λ=1.36) of liquid helium from the experimental data of Nellis et al. Our calculations show that the Hugoniot parameter λ is independent of the initial density p{in0}. The D≈ u curves of gas helium will transfer to another one and approach a limiting value of compression when their temperature elevates to about 18000 K and the ionization degree of the shocked gas helium reaches 10-3.

Magnetically driven cold valve for 4He

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bueno, J.; Blaauwgeers, R.; Partapsing, R.; Taminiau, I.; Jochemsen, R.

2006-08-01

We have designed a low temperature valve for liquid helium, which uses a magnetic field gradient and a permanent magnet to close. For closing, it presses a small ruby ball onto a Torlon seat. We present a small valve that is easy to build and easily controlled via two wires. It has a fast response, reliable, and has the advantage that there is no dead volume change on closing and no additional helium line is required to operate.

Research Investigation Directed Toward Extending the Useful Range of the Electromagnetic Spectrum. [atomic spectra and electronic structure of alkali metals

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hartmann, S. R.; Happer, W.

1974-01-01

The report discusses completed and proposed research in atomic and molecular physics conducted at the Columbia Radiation Laboratory from July 1972 to June 1973. Central topics described include the atomic spectra and electronic structure of alkali metals and helium, molecular microwave spectroscopy, the resonance physics of photon echoes in some solid state systems (including Raman echoes, superradiance, and two photon absorption), and liquid helium superfluidity.

Observation of Wigner crystal phase and ripplon-limited mobility behavior in monolayer CVD MoS2 with grain boundary.

PubMed

Chen, Jyun-Hong; Zhong, Yuan-Liang; Li, Lain-Jong; Chen, Chii-Dong

2018-06-01

Two-dimensional electron gas (2DEG) is crucial in condensed matter physics and is present on the surface of liquid helium and at the interface of semiconductors. Monolayer MoS 2 of 2D materials also contains 2DEG in an atomic layer as a field effect transistor (FET) ultrathin channel. In this study, we synthesized double triangular MoS 2 through a chemical vapor deposition method to obtain grain boundaries for forming a ripple structure in the FET channel. When the temperature was higher than approximately 175 K, the temperature dependence of the electron mobility μ was consistent with those in previous experiments and theoretical predictions. When the temperature was lower than approximately 175 K, the mobility behavior decreased with the temperature; this finding was also consistent with that of the previous experiments. We are the first research group to explain the decreasing mobility behavior by using the Wigner crystal phase and to discover the temperature independence of ripplon-limited mobility behavior at lower temperatures. Although these mobility behaviors have been studied on the surface of liquid helium through theories and experiments, they have not been previously analyzed in 2D materials and semiconductors. We are the first research group to report the similar temperature-dependent mobility behavior of the surface of liquid helium and the monolayer MoS 2 .

A cryogenically cooled, multidetector spectrometer for infrared astronomy

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Witteborn, F. C.; Bregman, J. D.

1984-01-01

A liquid helium-cooled, 24 detector grating spectrometer was developed and used for low resolution astronomical observations in the 5 to 14 micron spectral range. The instrument operated on the 91 cm Kuiper Airborne Observatory, the 3 m IRTF (Mauna Kea), the 3 m Shane telescope Observatory, the 3 m Shane telescope (Lick Observatory), and the 152 cm NASA and University of Arizona telescope. The detectors are discrete Si:Bi photoconductors with individual metal oxide semiconductor field effect transistor preamplifiers operating at 4 K. The system uses a liquid helium-cooled slit, order-sorter filter, collimator mirror, grating, and camera mirror arranged in a Czerny-Turner configuration with a cold stop added between the collimator mirror and the grating. The distances between components are chosen so that the collimator mirror images the secondary mirror of the telescope onto the cold stop, thus providing a very effective baffle. Scattered radiation is effectively reduced by using liquid helium-cooled, black baffles to divide the spectrometer into three separate compartments. The system noise-equivalent flux density, when used on the 152 cm telescope from 8 to 13 microns with a resolving power of 50, is 4.4 x 10 to the minus 17th power W/sq cm micron square root of Hz. The main applications are for measuring continuum radiation levels and solid state emission and absorption features in regions of star and planet formation.

Observation of Wigner crystal phase and ripplon-limited mobility behavior in monolayer CVD MoS2 with grain boundary

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, Jyun-Hong; Zhong, Yuan-Liang; Li, Lain-Jong; Chen, Chii-Dong

2018-06-01

Two-dimensional electron gas (2DEG) is crucial in condensed matter physics and is present on the surface of liquid helium and at the interface of semiconductors. Monolayer MoS2 of 2D materials also contains 2DEG in an atomic layer as a field effect transistor (FET) ultrathin channel. In this study, we synthesized double triangular MoS2 through a chemical vapor deposition method to obtain grain boundaries for forming a ripple structure in the FET channel. When the temperature was higher than approximately 175 K, the temperature dependence of the electron mobility μ was consistent with those in previous experiments and theoretical predictions. When the temperature was lower than approximately 175 K, the mobility behavior decreased with the temperature; this finding was also consistent with that of the previous experiments. We are the first research group to explain the decreasing mobility behavior by using the Wigner crystal phase and to discover the temperature independence of ripplon-limited mobility behavior at lower temperatures. Although these mobility behaviors have been studied on the surface of liquid helium through theories and experiments, they have not been previously analyzed in 2D materials and semiconductors. We are the first research group to report the similar temperature-dependent mobility behavior of the surface of liquid helium and the monolayer MoS2.

A Dual Operational Refrigerator/Flow Cryostat with Wide Bore Medium Field Magnet for Application Demonstration

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Young, E. A.; Bailey, W. O. S.; Al-Mosawi, M. K.; Beduz, C.; Yang, Y.; Chappell, S.; Twin, A.

Since stand alone cryocooler systems have become more widely available, there has been increased commercial interest in superconductor applications in the temperature range intermediate to liquid helium and liquid nitrogen. There are however few facilities that have large in-field bore size with variable temperatures. A large bore system can reduce costs associated with full scale demonstration magnets by testing smaller coils and qualify medium length (up to meters) conductors. A 5 T, wide bore, (170 mm) Nb3Sn Oxford Instrument magnet has been integrated into a custom built dual mode refrigerator/helium flow cryostat with 600A HTS current leads. In one mode the system can be used with zero field without cost of liquid helium relying for cooling on a Sumitomo GM cryocooler with 1.5W at 4.2K: (no He) this can be used either as the sole characterisation method, or as a preliminary check before more expensive and extensive measurements are taken. The first measurements using MgB2 wire from 10 to 20K were made using a transient current step of ∼5s duration, as opposed to a DC measurement. This has the advantage of not requiring thermal equilibrium to be achieved at nominal current. The feasibility of this technique for determining critical transport properties is discussed.

Irradiation creep and precipitation in a ferritic ODS steel under helium implantation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, J.; Jung, P.; Pouchon, M. A.; Rebac, T.; Hoffelner, W.

2008-02-01

Ferritic oxide dispersion strengthened (ODS) steel, PM2000, has been homogeneously implanted with helium under uniaxial tensile stresses from 20 to 250 MPa to maximum doses of about 0.75 dpa (3000 ppm He) with displacement damage rates of 5.5 × 10 -6 dpa/s at temperatures of 573, 673 and 773 K. Straining of a miniaturized dog-bone specimen under helium implantation was monitored by linear variable displacement transformer (LVDT) and meanwhile by their resistance also measured by four-pole technique. Creep compliance was almost constant at 5.7 × 10 -6 dpa -1 MPa -1 for temperatures below 673 K and increased to 18 × 10 -6 dpa -1 MPa -1 at 773 K. The resistivity of PM2000 samples decreased with dose and showed a tendency to saturation. Subsequent transmission electron microscopy observations indicated the formation of ordered Fe 3- xCr xAl precipitates during implantation. Correlations between the microstructure and resistivity are discussed.

KSC00padig072

NASA Image and Video Library

2000-11-02

Center Director Roy Bridges addresses the audience at the commissioning of a new high-pressure helium pipeline at Kennedy Space Center that will service launch needs at the new Delta IV Complex 37 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station. The nine-mile-long buried pipeline will also serve as a backup helium resource for Shuttle launches. Nearly one launch’s worth of helium will be available in the pipeline to support a Shuttle pad in an emergency. The line originates at the Helium Facility on KSC and terminates in a meter station at the perimeter of the Delta IV launch pad. Others at the ceremony were Jerry Jorgensen, pipeline project manager, Space Gateway Support (SGS); Col. Samuel Dick, representative of the 45th Space Wing; Ramon Lugo, acting executive director, JPMO; David Herst, director, Delta IV Launch Sites; Pierre Dufour, president and CEO, Air Liquide America Corporation; and Michael Butchko, president, SGS

KSC-00padig072

NASA Image and Video Library

2000-11-02

Center Director Roy Bridges addresses the audience at the commissioning of a new high-pressure helium pipeline at Kennedy Space Center that will service launch needs at the new Delta IV Complex 37 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station. The nine-mile-long buried pipeline will also serve as a backup helium resource for Shuttle launches. Nearly one launch’s worth of helium will be available in the pipeline to support a Shuttle pad in an emergency. The line originates at the Helium Facility on KSC and terminates in a meter station at the perimeter of the Delta IV launch pad. Others at the ceremony were Jerry Jorgensen, pipeline project manager, Space Gateway Support (SGS); Col. Samuel Dick, representative of the 45th Space Wing; Ramon Lugo, acting executive director, JPMO; David Herst, director, Delta IV Launch Sites; Pierre Dufour, president and CEO, Air Liquide America Corporation; and Michael Butchko, president, SGS

KSC-00padig073

NASA Image and Video Library

2000-11-02

Jerry Jorgensen, pipeline project manager, Space Gateway Support (SGS) presents an award of appreciation to H.T. Everett, KSC Propellants manager, at the commissioning of a new high-pressure helium pipeline at Kennedy Space Center. The pipeline will service launch needs at the new Delta IV Complex 37 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station. The nine-mile-long buried pipeline will also serve as a backup helium resource for Shuttle launches. Nearly one launch’s worth of helium will be available in the pipeline to support a Shuttle pad in an emergency. The line originates at the Helium Facility on KSC and terminates in a meter station at the perimeter of the Delta IV launch pad. Others at the ceremony were Center Director Roy Bridges;); Col. Samuel Dick, representative of the 45th Space Wing; Ramon Lugo, acting executive director, JPMO; David Herst, director, Delta IV Launch Sites; Pierre Dufour, president and CEO, Air Liquide America Corporation; and Michael Butchko, president, SGS

KSC-00padig071

NASA Image and Video Library

2000-11-02

At the commissioning of a new high-pressure helium pipeline at Kennedy Space Center, Ramon Lugo, acting executive director, JPMO , presents a plaque to Center Director Roy Bridges. The pipeline will service launch needs at the new Delta IV Complex 37 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station. Others at the ceremony were Jerry Jorgensen, pipeline project manager, Space Gateway Support (SGS); Col. Samuel Dick, representative of the 45th Space Wing; David Herst, director, Delta IV Launch Sites; Pierre Dufour, president and CEO, Air Liquide America Corporation; and Michael Butchko, president, SGS. The nine-mile-long buried pipeline will also serve as a backup helium resource for Shuttle launches. Nearly one launch’s worth of helium will be available in the pipeline to support a Shuttle pad in an emergency. The line originates at the Helium Facility on KSC and terminates in a meter station at the perimeter of the Delta IV launch pad

KSC-00padig070

NASA Image and Video Library

2000-11-02

Jerry Jorgensen welcomes the audience to the commissioning of a new high-pressure helium pipeline at Kennedy Space Center. Jorgensen, with Space Gateway Support (SGS), is the pipeline project manager. To the right is Ramon Lugo, acting executive director, JPMO. Others at the ceremony were Center Director Roy Bridges; Col. Samuel Dick, representative of the 45th Space Wing; David Herst, director, Delta IV Launch Sites; Pierre Dufour, president and CEO, Air Liquide America Corporation; and Michael Butchko, president, SGS. The pipeline will service launch needs at the new Delta IV Complex 37 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station. The nine-mile-long buried pipeline will also serve as a backup helium resource for Shuttle launches. Nearly one launch’s worth of helium will be available in the pipeline to support a Shuttle pad in an emergency. The line originates at the Helium Facility on KSC and terminates in a meter station at the perimeter of the Delta IV launch pad

KSC00padig071

NASA Image and Video Library

2000-11-02

At the commissioning of a new high-pressure helium pipeline at Kennedy Space Center, Ramon Lugo, acting executive director, JPMO , presents a plaque to Center Director Roy Bridges. The pipeline will service launch needs at the new Delta IV Complex 37 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station. Others at the ceremony were Jerry Jorgensen, pipeline project manager, Space Gateway Support (SGS); Col. Samuel Dick, representative of the 45th Space Wing; David Herst, director, Delta IV Launch Sites; Pierre Dufour, president and CEO, Air Liquide America Corporation; and Michael Butchko, president, SGS. The nine-mile-long buried pipeline will also serve as a backup helium resource for Shuttle launches. Nearly one launch’s worth of helium will be available in the pipeline to support a Shuttle pad in an emergency. The line originates at the Helium Facility on KSC and terminates in a meter station at the perimeter of the Delta IV launch pad

KSC00padig073

NASA Image and Video Library

2000-11-02

Jerry Jorgensen, pipeline project manager, Space Gateway Support (SGS) presents an award of appreciation to H.T. Everett, KSC Propellants manager, at the commissioning of a new high-pressure helium pipeline at Kennedy Space Center. The pipeline will service launch needs at the new Delta IV Complex 37 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station. The nine-mile-long buried pipeline will also serve as a backup helium resource for Shuttle launches. Nearly one launch’s worth of helium will be available in the pipeline to support a Shuttle pad in an emergency. The line originates at the Helium Facility on KSC and terminates in a meter station at the perimeter of the Delta IV launch pad. Others at the ceremony were Center Director Roy Bridges;); Col. Samuel Dick, representative of the 45th Space Wing; Ramon Lugo, acting executive director, JPMO; David Herst, director, Delta IV Launch Sites; Pierre Dufour, president and CEO, Air Liquide America Corporation; and Michael Butchko, president, SGS

Helium-3 and helium-4 acceleration by high power laser pulses for hadron therapy

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Bulanov, S. S.; Esarey, E.; Schroeder, C. B.

The laser driven acceleration of ions is considered a promising candidate for an ion source for hadron therapy of oncological diseases. Though proton and carbon ion sources are conventionally used for therapy, other light ions can also be utilized. Whereas carbon ions require 400 MeV per nucleon to reach the same penetration depth as 250 MeV protons, helium ions require only 250 MeV per nucleon, which is the lowest energy per nucleon among the light ions (heavier than protons). This fact along with the larger biological damage to cancer cells achieved by helium ions, than that by protons, makes thismore » species an interesting candidate for the laser driven ion source. Two mechanisms (magnetic vortex acceleration and hole-boring radiation pressure acceleration) of PW-class laser driven ion acceleration from liquid and gaseous helium targets are studied with the goal of producing 250 MeV per nucleon helium ion beams that meet the hadron therapy requirements. We show that He3 ions, having almost the same penetration depth as He4 with the same energy per nucleon, require less laser power to be accelerated to the required energy for the hadron therapy.« less

Helium-3 and helium-4 acceleration by high power laser pulses for hadron therapy

DOE PAGES

Bulanov, S. S.; Esarey, E.; Schroeder, C. B.; ...

2015-06-24

The laser driven acceleration of ions is considered a promising candidate for an ion source for hadron therapy of oncological diseases. Though proton and carbon ion sources are conventionally used for therapy, other light ions can also be utilized. Whereas carbon ions require 400 MeV per nucleon to reach the same penetration depth as 250 MeV protons, helium ions require only 250 MeV per nucleon, which is the lowest energy per nucleon among the light ions (heavier than protons). This fact along with the larger biological damage to cancer cells achieved by helium ions, than that by protons, makes thismore » species an interesting candidate for the laser driven ion source. Two mechanisms (magnetic vortex acceleration and hole-boring radiation pressure acceleration) of PW-class laser driven ion acceleration from liquid and gaseous helium targets are studied with the goal of producing 250 MeV per nucleon helium ion beams that meet the hadron therapy requirements. We show that He3 ions, having almost the same penetration depth as He4 with the same energy per nucleon, require less laser power to be accelerated to the required energy for the hadron therapy.« less

LRO-LAMP Observations of Lunar Exospheric Helium

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Grava, Cesare; Retherford, Kurt D.; Hurley, Dana M.; Feldman, Paul D.; Gladstone, Randy; Greathouse, Thomas K.; Cook, Jason C.; Stern, Alan; Pryor, Wayne R.; Halekas, Jasper S.; Kaufmann, David E.

2015-11-01

We present results from Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter’s (LRO) UV spectrograph LAMP (Lyman-Alpha Mapping Project) campaign to study the lunar atmosphere. Two kinds of off-nadir maneuvers (lateral rolls and pitches towards and opposite the direction of motion of LRO) were performed to search for resonantly scattering species, increasing the illuminated line-of-sight (and hence the signal from atoms resonantly scattering the solar photons) compared to previously reported LAMP “twilight observations” [Cook & Stern, 2014]. Helium was the only element distinguishable on a daily basis, and we present latitudinal profiles of its line-of-sight column density in December 2013. We compared the helium line-of-sight column densities with solar wind alpha particle fluxes measured from the ARTEMIS (Acceleration, Reconnection, Turbulence, & Electrodynamics of Moon’s Interaction with the Sun) twin spacecraft. Our data show a correlation with the solar wind alpha particle flux, confirming that the solar wind is the main source of the lunar helium, but not with a 1:1 relationship. Assuming that the lunar soil is saturated with helium atoms, our results suggest that not all of the incident alpha particles are converted to thermalized helium, allowing for a non-negligible fraction (~50 %) to escape as suprathermal helium or simply backscattered from the lunar surface. We also support the finding by Benna et al. [2015] and Hurley et al. [2015], that a non-zero contribution from endogenic helium, coming from radioactive decay of 232Th and 238U within the mantle, is present, and is estimated to be (4.5±1.2) x 106 He atoms cm-2 s-1. Finally, we compare LAMP-derived helium surface density with the one recorded by the mass spectrometer LACE (Lunar Atmospheric Composition Experiment) deployed on the lunar surface during the Apollo 17 mission, finding good agreement between the two measurements. These LRO off-nadir maneuvers allow LAMP to provide unique coverage of local solar time and latitude of the lunar exospheric helium, allowing for a better understanding of the temporal and spatial structure of the lunar exosphere.

Enhanced water vapour flow in silica microchannels and interdiffusive water vapour flow through anodic aluminium oxide (AAO) membranes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lei, Wenwen; McKenzie, David R.

2015-12-01

Enhanced liquid water flows through carbon nanotubes reinvigorated the study of moisture permeation through membranes and micro- and nano-channels. The study of water vapour through micro-and nano-channels has been neglected even though water vapour is as important as liquid water for industry, especially for encapsulation of electronic devices. Here we measure moisture flow rates in silica microchannels and interdiffusive water vapour flows in anodic aluminium oxide (AAO) membrane channels for the first time. We construct theory for the flow rates of the dominant modes of water transport through four previously defined standard configurations and benchmark it against our new measurements. The findings show that measurements of leak behaviour made using other molecules, such as helium, are not reliable. Single phase water vapour flow is overestimated by a helium measurement, while Washburn or capillary flow is underestimated or for all channels when boundary slip applies, to an extent that depends on the slip length for the liquid phase flows.

Liquid Acquisition Device Hydrogen Outflow Testing on the Cryogenic Propellant Storage and Transfer Engineering Design Unit

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Zimmerli, Greg; Statham, Geoff; Garces, Rachel; Cartagena, Will

2015-01-01

As part of the NASA Cryogenic Propellant Storage and Transfer (CPST) Engineering Design Unit (EDU) testing with liquid hydrogen, screen-channel liquid acquisition devices (LADs) were tested during liquid hydrogen outflow from the EDU tank. A stainless steel screen mesh (325x2300 Dutch T will weave) was welded to a rectangular cross-section channel to form the basic LAD channel. Three LAD channels were tested, each having unique variations in the basic design. The LADs fed a common outflow sump at the aft end of the 151 cu. ft. volume aluminum tank, and included a curved section along the aft end and a straight section along the barrel section of the tank. Wet-dry sensors were mounted inside the LAD channels to detect when vapor was ingested into the LADs during outflow. The use of warm helium pressurant during liquid hydrogen outflow, supplied through a diffuser at the top of the tank, always led to early breakdown of the liquid column. When the tank was pressurized through an aft diffuser, resulting in cold helium in the ullage, LAD column hold-times as long as 60 minutes were achieved, which was the longest duration tested. The highest liquid column height at breakdown was 58 cm, which is 23 less than the isothermal bubble-point model value of 75 cm. This paper discusses details of the design, construction, operation and analysis of LAD test data from the CPST EDU liquid hydrogen test.

Experiment of low resistance joints for the ITER correction coil.

PubMed

Liu, Huajun; Wu, Yu; Wu, Weiyue; Liu, Bo; Shi, Yi; Guo, Shuai

2013-01-01

A test method was designed and performed to measure joint resistance of the ITER correction coil (CC) in liquid helium (LHe) temperature. A 10 kA superconducting transformer was manufactured to provide the joints current. The transformer consisted of two concentric layer-wound superconducting solenoids. NbTi superconducting wire was wound in the primary coil and the ITER CC conductor was wound in the secondary coil. The primary and the secondary coils were both immersed in liquid helium of a 300 mm useful bore diameter cryostat. Two ITER CC joints were assembled in the secondary loop and tested. The current of the secondary loop was ramped to 9 kA in several steps. The two joint resistances were measured to be 1.2 nΩ and 1.65 nΩ, respectively.

Heat operated cryogenic electrical generator

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wang, T. G.; Saffren, M. M.; Elleman, D. D. (Inventor)

1975-01-01

An electrical generator useful for providing electrical power in deep space, is disclosed. The electrical generator utilizes the unusual hydrodynamic property exhibited by liquid helium as it is converted to and from a superfluid state to cause opposite directions of rotary motion for a rotor cell thereof. The physical motion of the rotor cell was employed to move a magnetic field provided by a charged superconductive coil mounted on the exterior of the cell. An electrical conductor was placed in surrounding proximity to the cell to interact with the moving magnetic field provided by the superconductive coil and thereby generate electrical energy. A heat control arrangement was provided for the purpose of causing the liquid helium to be partially converted to and from a superfluid state by being cooled and heated, respectively.

Formation of bubbly horizon in liquid-saturated porous medium by surface temperature oscillation.

PubMed

Goldobin, Denis S; Krauzin, Pavel V

2015-12-01

We study nonisothermal diffusion transport of a weakly soluble substance in a liquid-saturated porous medium in contact with a reservoir of this substance. The surface temperature of the porous medium half-space oscillates in time, which results in a decaying solubility wave propagating deep into the porous medium. In this system, zones of saturated solution and nondissolved phase coexist with ones of undersaturated solution. The effect is first considered for the case of annual oscillation of the surface temperature of water-saturated ground in contact with the atmosphere. We reveal the phenomenon of formation of a near-surface bubbly horizon due to temperature oscillation. An analytical theory of the phenomenon is developed. Further, the treatment is extended to the case of higher frequency oscillations and the case of weakly soluble solids and liquids.

Automatic PID Control Loops Design for Performance Improvement of Cryogenic Turboexpander

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Joshi, D. M.; Patel, H. K.; Shah, D. K.

2015-04-01

Cryogenics field involves temperature below 123 K which is much less than ambient temperature. In addition, many industrially important physical processes—from fulfilling the needs of National Thermonuclear Fusion programs, superconducting magnets to treatment of cutting tools and preservation of blood cells, require extreme low temperature. The low temperature required for liquefaction of common gases can be obtained by several processes. Liquefaction is the process of cooling or refrigerating a gas to a temperature below its critical temperature so that liquid can be formed at some suitable pressure which is below the critical pressure. Helium liquefier is used for the liquefaction process of helium gas. In general, the Helium Refrigerator/Liquefier (HRL) needs turboexpander as expansion machine to produce cooling effect which is further used for the production of liquid helium. Turboexpanders, a high speed device that is supported on gas bearings, are the most critical component in many helium refrigeration systems. A very minor fault in the operation and manufacturing or impurities in the helium gas can destroy the turboexpander. However, since the performance of expanders is dependent on a number of operating parameters and the relations between them are quite complex, the instrumentation and control system design for turboexpander needs special attention. The inefficiency of manual control leads to the need of designing automatic control loops for turboexpander. Proper design and implementation of the control loops plays an important role in the successful operation of the cryogenic turboexpander. The PID control loops has to be implemented with accurate interlocks and logic to enhance the performance of the cryogenic turboexpander. For different normal and off-normal operations, speeds will be different and hence a proper control method for critical rotational speed avoidance is must. This paper presents the design of PID control loops needed for the efficient performance of cryogenic turboexpander (Radial Inflow type) to ensure that the control systems meet the technical conditions and constraints more accurately and ensure the equipment safety.

Dynamic Measurements Near the Lambda-point in a Low-G Simulator on the Ground

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Israelsson, U. E.; Strayer, D. M.; Chui, T. C. P.; Duncan, R. V.

1993-01-01

The properties of liquid helium very near the lambda-transition in the presence of a heat current has received recent theoretical and experimental attention. In this regime, gravity induced pressure effects place severe constraints on the types of experiments that can be performed. A new experiment is described which largely overcomes these difficulties by magnetostrictively canceling gravity influences in the helium sample with a suitable magnetic coil. Design limitations of the technique and a discussion of proposed experiments is presented.

Dynamic Measurements Near the Lambda-point in a Low-gravity Simulator on the Ground

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Israelsson, U. E.; Strayer, D. M.; Chui, T. C. P.; Larson, M.; Duncan, R. V.

1993-01-01

The properties of liquid helium very near the lambda-transition in the presence of a heat current has received recent theoretical and experimental attention. In this regime, gravity induced pressure effects place severe constraints on the types of experiments that can be performed. A new experiment is described which largely overcomes these difficulties by magnetostrictively canceling gravity influences in the helium sample with a suitable magnetic coil. Design limitations of the technique and a discussion of proposed experiments is presented.

KSC-97PC1457

NASA Image and Video Library

1997-09-15

United States Microgravity Payload-4 (USMP-4) experiments are prepared to be flown on Space Shuttle mission STS-87 in the Space Station Processing Facility at Kennedy Space Center (KSC). Here, a technician is monitoring the Confined Helium Experiment, or CHeX, that will use microgravity to study one of the basic influences on the behavior and properties of materials by using liquid helium confined between silicon disks. CHeX and several other experiments are scheduled for launch aboard STS-87 on Nov. 19 from KSC

Compact, ultra-low vibration, closed-cycle helium recycler for uninterrupted operation of MEG with SQUID magnetometers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Chao; Sun, Limin; Lichtenwalter, Ben; Zerkle, Brent; Okada, Yoshio

2016-06-01

A closed-cycle helium recycler was developed for continuous uninterrupted operation for magnetometer-based whole-head magnetoencephalography (MEG) systems. The recycler consists of a two stage 4 K pulse-tube cryocooler and is mounted on the roof of a magnetically shielded room (MSR). A flexible liquid helium (LHe) return line on the recycler is inserted into the fill port of the MEG system in the MSR through a slotted opening in the ceiling. The helium vapor is captured through a line that returns the gas to the top of the recycler assembly. A high-purity helium gas cylinder connected to the recycler assembly supplies the gas, which, after it is liquefied, increases the level of LHe in the MEG system during the start-up phase. No storage tank for evaporated helium gas nor a helium gas purifier is used. The recycler is capable of liquefying helium with a rate of ∼17 L/d after precooling the MEG system. It has provided a fully maintenance-free operation under computer control for 7 months without refill of helium. Although the recycler is used for single-orientation operation at this initial testing site, it is designed to operate at ±20° orientations, allowing the MEG system to be tilted for supine and reclining positions. Vibration of the recycler is dampened to an ultra-low level by using several vibration isolation methods, which enables uninterrupted operation during MEG measurements. Recyclers similar to this system may be quite useful even for MEG systems with 100% magnetometers.

High-performance MgB2 superconducting wires for use under liquid-helium-free conditions fabricated using an internal Mg diffusion process

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ye, ShuJun; Song, Minghui; Matsumoto, Akiyoshi; Togano, Kazumasa; Takeguchi, Masaki; Ohmura, Takahito; Kumakura, Hiroaki

2013-12-01

MgB2 has a superconducting transition temperature (Tc) of 39 K, which is much higher than that for practical metallic superconductors. Thus, it is hoped that MgB2 can not only replace metallic superconductors, but can be used under liquid-helium-free conditions, for example, at temperatures of 10-20 K that can easily be achieved using cryocooling systems. However, to date, the reported critical current density (Jc) for MgB2 wires is not high enough for large-scale applications in liquid-helium-free conditions. In the present study, successful fabrication of high-performance MgB2 superconducting wires was carried out using an internal Mg diffusion (IMD) process, involving a p-dimethylbenzene (C8H10) pre-treatment of carbon-coated B powder with nanometer-sized particles. The resulting wires exhibited the highest ever Jc of 1.2 × 105 A cm-2 at 4.2 K and 10 T, and an engineering critical current density (Je) of about 1 × 104 A cm-2. Not only in 4.2 K, but also in 10 K, the Jc values for the wires fabricated in the present study are in fact higher than that for Nb-Ti wires at 4.2 K for the magnetic fields at which the measurements were carried out. At 20 K and 5 T, the Jc and Je were about 7.6 × 105 A cm-2 and 5.3 × 103 A cm-2, respectively, which are the highest values reported for MgB2 wires to date. The results of a detailed microstructural analysis suggested that the main reason for the superior electrical performance was the high density of the MgB2 layer rather than just the small grain size, and that the critical current could be further increased by suitable control of the microstructure. These high-performance IMD-processed MgB2 wires are thus promising superconductors for applications such as magnetic resonance imaging and maglev trains that can operate under liquid-helium-free conditions.

Physicochemical properties of the AC-excited helium discharges using a water electrode

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hafiz, Imran Ahmad QAZI; Yiying, XIN; Muhammad Ajmal, KHAN; Heping, LI; Lu, ZHOU; Chengyu, BAO

2018-07-01

In this paper, the AC-excited helium discharges generated between the powered needle electrode enclosed in a conical quartz tube and the grounded de-ionized water electrode are investigated. The current and voltage waveforms exhibit a transition from the glow-like to streamer-like mode discharges, which forms a stable cone-shaped structure at the gas–liquid interface. In this region, the air and water vapor diffusion initiate various physical–chemical processes leading to substantial changes of the primary species emission intensities (e.g., OH, N2, NO, and O) and the rotational temperatures. The experimentally measured rotational temperature at the gas–liquid interface is 870 K from the N2(C–B) band with a power input of 26 W. With the prolongation of the discharge time, significant changes in the discharge voltage and current, discharge emission patterns, instantaneous concentrations of the secondary species (e.g., H2O2, {{{NO}}}2-, and {{{NO}}}3-) in the liquid phase, pH values and electrical conductivities of the liquids are observed experimentally. The present study is helpful for deepening the understandings to the basic physical–chemical processes in the discharges in contact with liquids, especially to those occurring in the vicinity of the gas–liquid interface, and also for promoting existing and potential applications of such type of discharges in the fields of environmental protection, biomedicine, agriculture, and so on.

Nucleation of Bubbles by Electrons in Liquid Helium-4

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yang, Y.; Sirisky, S.; Wei, W.; Seidel, G. M.; Maris, H. J.

2018-02-01

We report on experiments in which we study cavitation resulting from electrons in liquid helium. Electrons are introduced into the liquid by a radioactive source. After an electron comes to rest in the liquid, it forces open a small cavity referred to as an electron bubble. To study cavitation, a sound pulse is generated by means of a hemispherical piezoelectric transducer producing a large-amplitude pressure oscillation at the acoustic focus. If an electron is in the vicinity of the focus and the negative-going pressure swing exceeds a critical value, a cavitation bubble is produced which can be detected by light scattering. Two distinct critical pressures P_{el} and P_{rare} have been measured. The first corresponds to cavitation resulting from the application of a reduced pressure to liquid containing an electron which has already formed an electron bubble. The second is the critical pressure needed to lead to cavitation when an electron enters the liquid at a time and place where there is already a reduced pressure. We have measured these two pressures as a function of temperature and consider possible explanations for the difference between them. In addition to these clearly seen cavitation thresholds, there are some cavitation events that have been detected with a threshold that is at an even smaller negative pressure than P_{el} and P_{rare}.

Design and demonstrate the performance of cryogenic components representative of space vehicles: Start basket liquid acquisition device performance analysis

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1987-01-01

The objective was to design, fabricate and test an integrated cryogenic test article incorporating both fluid and thermal propellant management subsystems. A 2.2 m (87 in) diameter aluminum test tank was outfitted with multilayer insulation, helium purge system, low-conductive tank supports, thermodynamic vent system, liquid acquisition device and immersed outflow pump. Tests and analysis performed on the start basket liquid acquisition device and studies of the liquid retention characteristics of fine mesh screens are discussed.

Controlled Cold Helium Spill Test in the LHC Tunnel at CERN

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Koettig, T.; Casas-Cubillos, J.; Chorowski, M.; Dufay-Chanat, L.; Grabowski, M.; Jedrusyna, A.; Lindell, G.; Nonis, M.; Vauthier, N.; van Weelderen, R.; Winkler, T.; Bremer, J.

The helium cooled magnets of the LHC particle accelerator are installed in a confined space, formed by a 27 km circumference 3.8 m diameter underground tunnel. The vacuum enclosures of the superconducting LHC magnets are protected by a lift plate against excessive overpressure created by eventual leaks from the magnet helium bath, or from the helium supply headers. A three-meter long no stay zone has been defined centered to these plates, based on earlier scale model studies, to protect the personnel against the consequences of an eventual opening of such a lift plate. More recently several simulation studies have been carried out modelling the propagation of the resulting helium/air mixture along the tunnel in case of such a cold helium release at a rate in the range of 1 kg/s. To validate the different scale models and simulation studies, real life mock-up tests have been performed in the LHC, releasing about 1000 liter of liquid helium under standard operational tunnel conditions. Data recorded during these tests include oxygen level, temperature and flow speed as well as video recordings, taken up- and downstream of the spill point (-100 m to +200 m) with respect to the ventilation direction in the LHC tunnel. The experimental set-up and measurement results are presented. Generic effects found during the tests will be discussed to allow the transposal to possible cold helium release cases in similar facilities.

Thermodynamics of hydrogen-helium mixtures at high pressure and finite temperature

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hubbard, W. B.

1972-01-01

A technique is reviewed for calculating thermodynamic quantities for mixtures of light elements at high pressure, in the metallic state. Ensemble averages are calculated with Monte Carlo techniques and periodic boundary conditions. Interparticle potentials are assumed to be coulombic, screened by the electrons in dielectric function theory. This method is quantitatively accurate for alloys at pressures above about 10 Mbar. An alloy of equal parts hydrogen and helium by mass appears to remain liquid and mixed for temperatures above about 3000 K, at pressures of about 15 Mbar. The additive volume law is satisfied to within about 10%, but the Gruneisen equation of state gives poor results. A calculation at 1300 K shows evidence of a hydrogen-helium phase separation.

Nonlinear dynamics of a two-dimensional Wigner solid on superfluid helium

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Monarkha, Yu. P.

2018-04-01

Nonlinear dynamics and transport properties of a 2D Wigner solid (WS) on the free surface of superfluid helium are theoretically studied. The analysis is nonperturbative in the amplitude of the WS velocity. An anomalous nonlinear response of the liquid helium surface to the oscillating motion of the WS is shown to appear when the driving frequency is close to subharmonics of the frequency of a capillary wave (ripplon) whose wave vector coincides with a reciprocal-lattice vector. As a result, the effective mass of surface dimples formed under electrons and the kinetic friction acquire sharp anomalies in the low-frequency range, which affects the mobility and magnetoconductivity of the WS. The results obtained here explain a variety of experimental observations reported previously.

The Redundant Compressor System for the Helium Cryogenic Plant at TPS

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, H. C.; Tsai, H. H.; Lin, T. F.; Chiou, W. S.; Chang, S. H.; Hsiao, F. Z.; Liao, W. R.; Chuang, P. S. D.

2017-02-01

Recommissioning the 700-W helium cryogenic system was completed in 2014 and it entered service in 2015. The main target of this system is a stable supply of liquid helium to the superconducting RF cavities at Taiwan Photo Source. The annual maintenance of the compressor of the plant causes operation of the system to be suspended at least two weeks. To avoid such a long suspension for the cryogenic plant, we installed a redundant compressor system for the cryogenic plant in 2015. We can switch to this redundant compressor system and restart the cryogenic system in a few minutes. In this paper we present the configuration, local testing and long-term operation of this redundant compressor system.

Stainless Steel to Titanium Bimetallic Transitions

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Kaluzny, J. A.; Grimm, C.; Passarelli, D.

In order to use stainless steel piping in an LCLS-II (Linac Coherent Light Source Upgrade) cryomodule, stainless steel to titanium bimetallic transitions are needed to connect the stainless steel piping to the titanium cavity helium vessel. Explosion bonded stainless steel to titanium transition pieces and bimetallic transition material samples have been tested. A sample transition tube was subjected to tests and x-ray examinations between tests. Samples of the bonded joint material were impact and tensile tested at room temperature as well as liquid helium temperature. The joint has been used successfully in horizontal tests of LCLS-II cavity helium vessels andmore » is planned to be used in LCLS-II cryomodules. Results of material sample and transition tube tests will be presented.« less

System of cryogenic security of the superconducting accelerator of relativistic nuclei-nuclotron

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Agapov, N. N.; Lipchenko, V. I.; Mazarskij, V. L.; Makarov, L. G.; Sukhanova, A. K.

The system of cryogenic security of the Nuclotron (superconducting accelerator of relativistic nuclei) is described. The system consists of three helium liquefiers KGU-16004/5. Refrigeration in each liquefier is performed by three preliminary cool-down turboexpanders and a vapor-liquid turboexpander. In this case the refrigeration of the KGU-1600/4.5 liquefiers reaches 1700 W. The system of gas preparation is composed of driers operating at the surrounding temperature. Purification from the admixtures of oxygen, nitrogen, neon, hydrogen and other gases is carried out in low-temperature blocks built in the helium liquefiers KGU-1600/4.5. To store the helium, there are ten 20 cu m receivers under a pressure of 3MPA.

Vortex rings in Bose gas

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Belyaev, S. T., E-mail: bst@kiae.ru

2016-06-15

We consider excitations that exist, in addition to phonons, in the ideal Bose gas at zero temperature. These excitations are vortex rings whose energy spectrum is similar to the roton one in liquid helium.

Experimental investigation on pressurization performance of cryogenic tank during high-temperature helium pressurization process

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lei, Wang; Yanzhong, Li; Yonghua, Jin; Yuan, Ma

2015-03-01

Sufficient knowledge of thermal performance and pressurization behaviors in cryogenic tanks during rocket launching period is of importance to the design and optimization of a pressurization system. In this paper, ground experiments with liquid oxygen (LO2) as the cryogenic propellant, high-temperature helium exceeding 600 K as the pressurant gas, and radial diffuser and anti-cone diffuser respectively at the tank inlet were performed. The pressurant gas requirements, axial and radial temperature distributions, and energy distributions inside the propellant tank were obtained and analyzed to evaluate the comprehensive performance of the pressurization system. It was found that the pressurization system with high-temperature helium as the pressurant gas could work well that the tank pressure was controlled within a specified range and a stable discharging liquid rate was achieved. For the radial diffuser case, the injected gas had a direct impact on the tank inner wall. The severe gas-wall heat transfer resulted in about 59% of the total input energy absorbed by the tank wall. For the pressurization case with anti-cone diffuser, the direct impact of high-temperature gas flowing toward the liquid surface resulted in a greater deal of energy transferred to the liquid propellant, and the percentage even reached up to 38%. Moreover, both of the two cases showed that the proportion of energy left in ullage to the total input energy was quite small, and the percentage was only about 22-24%. This may indicate that a more efficient diffuser should be developed to improve the pressurization effect. Generally, the present experimental results are beneficial to the design and optimization of the pressurization system with high-temperature gas supplying the pressurization effect.

Zero boil-off methods for large-scale liquid hydrogen tanks using integrated refrigeration and storage

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Notardonato, W. U.; Swanger, A. M.; E Fesmire, J.; Jumper, K. M.; Johnson, W. L.; Tomsik, T. M.

2017-12-01

NASA has completed a series of tests at the Kennedy Space Center to demonstrate the capability of using integrated refrigeration and storage (IRAS) to remove energy from a liquid hydrogen (LH2) tank and control the state of the propellant. A primary test objective was the keeping and storing of the liquid in a zero boil-off state, so that the total heat leak entering the tank is removed by a cryogenic refrigerator with an internal heat exchanger. The LH2 is therefore stored and kept with zero losses for an indefinite period of time. The LH2 tank is a horizontal cylindrical geometry with a vacuum-jacketed, multilayer insulation system and a capacity of 125,000 liters. The closed-loop helium refrigeration system was a Linde LR1620 capable of 390W cooling at 20K (without any liquid nitrogen pre-cooling). Three different control methods were used to obtain zero boil-off: temperature control of the helium refrigerant, refrigerator control using the tank pressure sensor, and duty cycling (on/off) of the refrigerator as needed. Summarized are the IRAS design approach, zero boil-off control methods, and results of the series of zero boil-off tests.

Zero Boil-Off Methods for Large Scale Liquid Hydrogen Tanks Using Integrated Refrigeration and Storage

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Notardonato, W. U.; Swanger, A. M.; Fesmire, J. E.; Jumper, K. M.; Johnson, W. L.; Tomsik, T. M.

2017-01-01

NASA has completed a series of tests at the Kennedy Space Center to demonstrate the capability of using integrated refrigeration and storage (IRAS) to remove energy from a liquid hydrogen (LH2) tank and control the state of the propellant. A primary test objective was the keeping and storing of the liquid in a zero boil-off state, so that the total heat leak entering the tank is removed by a cryogenic refrigerator with an internal heat exchanger. The LH2 is therefore stored and kept with zero losses for an indefinite period of time. The LH2 tank is a horizontal cylindrical geometry with a vacuum-jacketed, multi-layer insulation system and a capacity of 125,000 liters. The closed-loop helium refrigeration system was a Linde LR1620 capable of 390W cooling at 20K (without any liquid nitrogen pre-cooling). Three different control methods were used to obtain zero boil-off: temperature control of the helium refrigerant, refrigerator control using the tank pressure sensor, and duty cycling (on/off) of the refrigerator as needed. Summarized are the IRAS design approach, zero boil-off control methods, and results of the series of zero boil-off tests.

Uniform data system standardizes technical computations and the purchasing of commercially important gases

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Johnson, V. J.; Mc Carty, R. D.; Roder, H. M.

1970-01-01

Integrated tables of pressure, volume, and temperature for the saturated liquid, from the triple point to the critical point of the gases, have been developed. Tables include definition of saturated liquid curve. Values are presented in metric and practical units. Advantages of the new tables are discussed.

Liquid metal boiling inception

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Sabin, C. M.; Poppendiek, H. F.; Mouritzen, G.; Meckel, P. T.; Cloakey, J. E.

1972-01-01

An experimental study of the inception of boiling in potassium in forced convection is reported. The boiler consisted of a 0.19-inch inside diameter, niobium-1% zirconium boiler tube approximately six feet long. Heating was accomplished by direct electrical tube wall conduction. Experiments were performed with both all-liquid fill and two-phase fill startup sequences and with a range of flow rates, saturation temperatures, inert gas levels, and fill liquid temperatures. Superheat of the liquid above the equilibrium saturation temperature was observed in all the experiments. Incipient boiling liquid superheat ranged from a few degrees to several hundred. Comparisons of these data with other data and with several analytical treatments are presented.

Analysis and Design of the NASA Langley Cryogenic Pressure Box

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Glass, David E.; Stevens, Jonathan C.; Vause, R. Frank; Winn, Peter M.; Maguire, James F.; Driscoll, Glenn C.; Blackburn, Charles L.; Mason, Brian H.

1999-01-01

A cryogenic pressure box was designed and fabricated for use at NASA Langley Research Center (LaRC) to subject 72 in. x 60 in. curved panels to cryogenic temperatures and biaxial tensile loads. The cryogenic pressure box is capable of testing curved panels down to -423 F (20K) with 54 psig maximum pressure on the concave side, and elevated temperatures and atmospheric pressure on the convex surface. The internal surface of the panel is cooled by high pressure helium as that is cooled to -423 F by liquid helium heat exchangers. An array of twelve independently controlled fans circulate the high pressure gaseous helium to provide uniform cooling on the panel surface. The load introduction structure, consisting of four stainless steel load plates and numerous fingers attaching the load plates to the test panel, is designed to introduce loads into the test panel that represent stresses that will he observed in the actual tank structure. The load plates are trace cooled with liquid nitrogen to reduce thermal gradients that may result in bending the load plates, and thus additional stresses in the test panel. The design of the cryogenic systems, load introduction structure, and control system are discussed in this report.

Study of Charge Build Up in UCN Storage Cell

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Broering, Mark; Abney, Josh; Swank, Christopher; Filippone, Bradley; Yao, Weijun; Korsch, Wolfgang

2017-09-01

The neutron EDM collaboration at the Spallation Neutron Source(ORNL) is using ultra-cold neutrons in superfluid helium to improve the nEDM limit by about two orders of magnitude. These neutrons will be stored in target cells located in a strong, stable electric field. Local radiation will generate charged particles which may build up on the target cell walls reducing field strength over time. The field changes need to be kept below 1%, making it necessary to study this cell charging behavior, determine its effect on the experiment and find ways to mitigate this. In order to study this cell charging effect, a compact test setup was designed. Using this scaled down model, charged particles are generated by a 137Cs source and the electric field is monitored via the electo-optic Kerr effect. Liquid nitrogen has a much stronger response to electric fields than helium, making it an ideal candidate for first tests. Cell charging effects have been observed in liquid nitrogen. These results along with the experimental technique and progress toward a superfluid helium measurement will also be presented. This research is supported by DOE Grants: DE-FG02-99ER41101, DE-AC05-00OR22725.

Characterisation and optimisation of flexible transfer lines for liquid helium. Part II: Thermohydraulic modelling

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dittmar, N.; Haberstroh, Ch.; Hesse, U.; Krzyzowski, M.

2016-10-01

In part one of this publication experimental results for a single-channel transfer line used at liquid helium (LHe) decant stations are presented. The transfer of LHe into mobile dewars is an unavoidable process since the places of storage and usage are generally located apart from each other. The experimental results have shown that reasonable amounts of LHe evaporate due to heat leak and pressure drop. Thus, generated helium cold gas has to be collected and reliquefied, demanding a huge amount of electrical energy. Although this transfer process is common in cryogenic laboratories, no existing code could be found to model it. Therefore, a thermohydraulic model has been developed to model the LHe flow at operating conditions using published heat transfer and pressure drop correlations. This paper covers the basic equations used to calculate heat transfer and pressure drop, as well as the validation of the thermohydraulic code, and its application within the optimisation process. The final transfer line design features reduced heat leak and pressure drop values based on a combined measurement and modelling campaign in the range of 0.112 < pin < 0.148 MPa, 190 < G < 450 kg/(m2 s), and 0.04 < xout < 0.12.

Helium gas bubble trapped in liquid helium in high magnetic field

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bai, H.; Hannahs, S. T.; Markiewicz, W. D.; Weijers, H. W.

2014-03-01

High magnetic field magnets are used widely in the area of the condensed matter physics, material science, chemistry, geochemistry, and biology at the National High Magnetic Field Laboratory. New high field magnets of state-of-the-art are being pursued and developed at the lab, such as the current developing 32 T, 32 mm bore fully superconducting magnet. Liquid Helium (LHe) is used as the coolant for superconducting magnets or samples tested in a high magnetic field. When the magnetic field reaches a relatively high value the boil-off helium gas bubble generated by heat losses in the cryostat can be trapped in the LHe bath in the region where BzdBz/dz is less than negative 2100 T2/m, instead of floating up to the top of LHe. Then the magnet or sample in the trapped bubble region may lose efficient cooling. In the development of the 32 T magnet, a prototype Yttrium Barium Copper Oxide coil of 6 double pancakes with an inner diameter of 40 mm and an outer diameter of 140 mm was fabricated and tested in a resistive magnet providing a background field of 15 T. The trapped gas bubble was observed in the tests when the prototype coil was ramped up to 7.5 T at a current of 200 A. This letter reports the test results on the trapped gas bubble and the comparison with the analytical results which shows they are in a good agreement.

Solid Hydrogen Experiments for Atomic Propellants: Particle Formation, Imaging, Observations, and Analyses

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Palaszewski, Bryan

2005-01-01

This report presents particle formation observations and detailed analyses of the images from experiments that were conducted on the formation of solid hydrogen particles in liquid helium. Hydrogen was frozen into particles in liquid helium, and observed with a video camera. The solid hydrogen particle sizes and the total mass of hydrogen particles were estimated. These newly analyzed data are from the test series held on February 28, 2001. Particle sizes from previous testing in 1999 and the testing in 2001 were similar. Though the 2001 testing created similar particles sizes, many new particle formation phenomena were observed: microparticles and delayed particle formation. These experiment image analyses are some of the first steps toward visually characterizing these particles, and they allow designers to understand what issues must be addressed in atomic propellant feed system designs for future aerospace vehicles.

Superfluid helium 2 liquid-vapor phase separation: Technology assessment

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lee, J. M.

1984-01-01

A literature survey of helium 2 liquid vapor phase separation is presented. Currently, two types of He 2 phase separators are being investigated: porous, sintered metal plugs and the active phase separator. The permeability K(P) shows consistency in porous plug geometric characterization. Both the heat and mass fluxes increase with K(P). Downstream pressure regulation to adjust for varying heat loads and both temperatures is possible. For large dynamic heat loads, the active phase separator shows a maximum heat rejection rate of up to 2 W and bath temperature stability of 0.1 mK. Porous plug phase separation performance should be investigated for application to SIRTF and, in particular, that plugs of from 10 to the minus ninth square centimeters to 10 to the minus eighth square centimeters in conjunction with downstream pressure regulation be studied.

Acoustic Characterization of Fluorinert FC-43 Liquid with Helium Gas Bubbles: Numerical Experiments

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Vanhille, Christian; Pantea, Cristian; Sinha, Dipen N.

In this work, we define the acoustic characteristics of a biphasic fluid consisting of static helium gas bubbles in liquid Fluorinert FC-43 and study the propagation of ultrasound of finite amplitudes in this medium. Very low sound speed and high sound attenuation are found, in addition to a particularly high acoustic nonlinear parameter. This result suggests the possibility of using this medium as a nonlinear enhancer in various applications. In particular, parametric generation of low ultrasonic frequencies is studied in a resonator cavity as a function of driving pressure showing high conversion efficiency. This work suggests that this medium couldmore » be used for applications such as parametric arrays, nondestructive testing, diagnostic medicine, sonochemistry, underwater acoustics, and ultrasonic imaging and to boost the shock formation in fluids.« less

Acoustic Characterization of Fluorinert FC-43 Liquid with Helium Gas Bubbles: Numerical Experiments

DOE PAGES

Vanhille, Christian; Pantea, Cristian; Sinha, Dipen N.

2017-01-19

In this work, we define the acoustic characteristics of a biphasic fluid consisting of static helium gas bubbles in liquid Fluorinert FC-43 and study the propagation of ultrasound of finite amplitudes in this medium. Very low sound speed and high sound attenuation are found, in addition to a particularly high acoustic nonlinear parameter. This result suggests the possibility of using this medium as a nonlinear enhancer in various applications. In particular, parametric generation of low ultrasonic frequencies is studied in a resonator cavity as a function of driving pressure showing high conversion efficiency. This work suggests that this medium couldmore » be used for applications such as parametric arrays, nondestructive testing, diagnostic medicine, sonochemistry, underwater acoustics, and ultrasonic imaging and to boost the shock formation in fluids.« less

Porous plug for Gravity Probe B

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Suwen; Everitt, C. W. Francis; Frank, David J.; Lipa, John A.; Muhlfelder, Barry F.

2015-11-01

The confinement of superfluid helium for a Dewar in space poses a unique challenge due to its propensity to minimize thermal gradients by essentially viscous-free counterflow. This poses the risk of losing liquid through a vent pipe, reducing the efficiency of the cooling process. To confine the liquid helium in the Gravity Probe B (GP-B) flight Dewar, a porous plug technique was invented at Stanford University. Here, we review the history of the porous plug and its development, and describe the physics underlying its operation. We summarize a few missions that employed porous plugs, some of which preceded the launch of GP-B. The design, manufacture and flight performance of the GP-B plug are described, and its use resulted in the successful operation of the 2441 l flight Dewar on-orbit for 17.3 months.

New Propellants and Cryofuels

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Palasezski, Bryan; Sullivan, Neil S.; Hamida, Jaha; Kokshenev, V.

2006-01-01

The proposed research will investigate the stability and cryogenic properties of solid propellants that are critical to NASA s goal of realizing practical propellant designs for future spacecraft. We will determine the stability and thermal properties of a solid hydrogen-liquid helium stabilizer in a laboratory environment in order to design a practical propellant. In particular, we will explore methods of embedding atomic species and metallic nano-particulates in hydrogen matrices suspended in liquid helium. We will also measure the characteristic lifetimes and diffusion of atomic species in these candidate cryofuels. The most promising large-scale advance in rocket propulsion is the use of atomic propellants; most notably atomic hydrogen stabilized in cryogenic environments, and metallized-gelled liquid hydrogen (MGH) or densified gelled hydrogen (DGH). The new propellants offer very significant improvements over classic liquid oxygen/hydrogen fuels because of two factors: (1) the high energy-release, and (ii) the density increase per unit energy release. These two changes can lead to significant reduced mission costs and increased payload to orbit weight ratios. An achievable 5 to 10 percent improvement in specific impulse for the atomic propellants or MGH fuels can result in a doubling or tripling of system payloads. The high-energy atomic propellants must be stored in a stabilizing medium such as solid hydrogen to inhibit or delay their recombination into molecules. The goal of the proposed research is to determine the stability and thermal properties of the solid hydrogen-liquid helium stabilizer. Magnetic resonance techniques will be used to measure the thermal lifetimes and the diffusive motions of atomic species stored in solid hydrogen grains. The properties of metallic nano-particulates embedded in hydrogen matrices will also be studied and analyzed. Dynamic polarization techniques will be developed to enhance signal/noise ratios in order to be able to detect low concentrations of the introduced species. The required lifetimes for atomic hydrogen and other species can only be realized at low temperatures to avoid recombination of atoms before use as a fuel.

Low gravity quenching of hot tubes with cryogens

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Antar, Basil N.; Collins, Frank G.; Kawaji, M.

1992-01-01

An experimental proceedure for examining flow boiling in low gravity environment is presented. The proceedure involves both ground based and KC-135 flight experiments. Two experimental apparati were employed, one for studying subcooled liquid boiling and another for examining saturated liquid boiling. For the saturated flow experiments, liquid nitrogen was used while freon 113 was used for the subcooled flow experiments. The boiling phenomenon was investigated in both cases using flow visualization techniques as well as tube wall temperature measurements. The flow field in both cases was established by injecting cold liquid in a heated tube whose temperature was set above the saturation values. The tubes were both vertically and horizontally supported with the liquid injected from the lower end of the tube. The results indicate substantial differences in the flow patterns established during boiling between the ground based, (1-g), experiments and the flight experiments, (low-g). These differences in the flow patterns will be discussed and some explanations will be offered.

Forced Two-Phase Helium Cooling Scheme for the Mu2e Transport Solenoid

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Tatkowski, G.; Cheban, S.; Dhanaraj, N.

2015-01-01

The Mu2e Transport Solenoid (TS) is an S-shaped magnet formed by two separate but similar magnets, TS-u and TS-d. Each magnet is quarter-toroid shaped with a centerline radius of approximately 3 m utilizing a helium cooling loop consisting of 25 to 27 horizontal-axis rings connected in series. This cooling loop configuration has been deemed adequate for cooling via forced single phase liquid helium; however it presents major challenges to forced two-phase flow such as “garden hose” pressure drop, concerns of flow separation from tube walls, difficulty of calculation, etc. Even with these disadvantages, forced two-phase flow has certain inherent advantagesmore » which make it a more attractive option than forced single phase flow. It is for this reason that the use of forced two-phase flow was studied for the TS magnets. This paper will describe the analysis using helium-specific pressure drop correlations, conservative engineering approach, helium properties calculated and updated at over fifty points, and how the results compared with those in literature. Based on the findings, the use of forced-two phase helium is determined to be feasible for steady-state cooling of the TS solenoids« less

Solubility of Sulfur in Shergottitic Silicate Melts Up to 0.8 GPA: Implications for S Contents of Shergottites

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Righter, K.; Pando, K.M.; Danielson, L.

2009-01-01

Shergottites have high S contents (1300 to 4600 ppm; [1]), but it is unclear if they are sulfide saturated or under-saturated. This issue has fundamental implications for determining the long term S budget of the martian surface and atmosphere (from mantle degassing), as well as evolution of the highly siderophile elements (HSE) Au, Pd, Pt, Re, Rh, Ru, Ir, and Os, since concentrations of the latter are controlled by sulfide stability. Resolution of sulfide saturation depends upon temperature, pressure, oxygen fugacity (and FeO), and magma composition [2]. Expressions derived from experimental studies allow prediction of S contents, though so far they are not calibrated for shergottitic liquids [3-5]. We have carried out new experiments designed to test current S saturation models, and then show that existing calibrations are not suitable for high FeO and low Al2O3 compositions characteristic of shergottitic liquids. The new results show that existing models underpredict S contents of sulfide saturated shergottitic liquids by a factor of 2.

Phase relations in the system NaCl-KCl-H2O: V. Thermodynamic-PTX analysis of solid-liquid equilibria at high temperatures and pressures

USGS Publications Warehouse

Sterner, S.M.; Chou, I.-Ming; Downs, R.T.; Pitzer, Kenneth S.

1992-01-01

The Gibbs energies of mixing for NaCl-KCl binary solids and liquids and solid-saturated NaCl-KCl-H2O ternary liquids were modeled using asymmetric Margules treatments. The coefficients of the expressions were calibrated using an extensive array of binary solvus and solidus data, and both binary and ternary liquidus data. Over the PTX range considered, the system exhibits complete liquid miscibility among all three components and extensive solid solution along the anhydrous binary. Solid-liquid and solid-solid phase equilibria were calculated by using the resulting equations and invoking the equality of chemical potentials of NaCl and KCl between appropriate phases at equilibrium. The equations reproduce the ternary liquidus and predict activity coefficients for NaCl and KCl components in the aqueous liquid under solid-saturation conditions between 673 and 1200 K from vapor saturation up to 5 kbar. In the NaCl-KCl anhydrous binary system, the equations describe phase equilibria and predict activity coefficients of the salt components for all stable compositions of solid and liquid phases between room temperature and 1200 K and from 1 bar to 5 kbar. ?? 1992.

Quantifying multiscale porosity and fracture aperture distribution in granite cores using computed tomography

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wenning, Quinn; Madonna, Claudio; Joss, Lisa; Pini, Ronny

2017-04-01

Knowledge of porosity and fracture (aperture) distribution is key towards a sound description of fluid transport in low-permeability rocks. In the context of geothermal energy development, the ability to quantify the transport properties of fractures is needed to in turn quantify the rate of heat transfer, and, accordingly, to optimize the engineering design of the operation. In this context, core-flooding experiments coupled with non-invasive imaging techniques (e.g., X-Ray Computed Tomography - X-Ray CT) represent a powerful tool for making direct observations of these properties under representative geologic conditions. This study focuses on quantifying porosity and fracture aperture distribution in a fractured westerly granite core by using two recently developed experimental protocols. The latter include the use of a highly attenuating gas [Vega et al., 2014] and the application of the so-called missing CT attenuation method [Huo et al., 2016] to produce multidimensional maps of the pore space and of the fractures. Prior to the imaging experiments, the westerly granite core (diameter: 5 cm, length: 10 cm) was thermally shocked to induce micro-fractured pore space; this was followed by the application of the so-called Brazilian method to induce a macroscopic fracture along the length of the core. The sample was then mounted in a high-pressure aluminum core-holder, exposed to a confining pressure and placed inside a medical CT scanner for imaging. An initial compressive pressure cycle was performed to remove weak asperities and reduce the hysteretic behavior of the fracture with respect to effective pressure. The CT scans were acquired at room temperature and 0.5, 5, 7, and 10 MPa effective pressure under loading and unloading conditions. During scanning the pore fluid pressure was undrained and constant, and the confining pressure was regulated at the desired pressure with a high precision pump. Highly transmissible krypton and helium gases were used as saturating fluids to obtain a sufficiently high contrast in the acquired CT images (˜ 474 HU). 3D reconstructions of the sample have been prepared in terms of porosity at a maximum resolution of (0.24×0.24×1) mm3 . Porosity is estimated via the X-ray saturation technique, where porosity is a function of the difference between CT numbers of pure helium and krypton and the difference between the CT numbers of an individual voxel saturated with helium and krypton, respectively. Applying this method with krypton and helium is advantageous for low permeable samples where achieving complete water saturation is difficult. This allows for quantification of voxel-by-voxel-porosity distribution where the whole core porosity is less than 2%. The fracture aperture is assessed using the measured missing CT attenuation method. Use of the medical CT scanner to estimate intrinsic rock properties requires careful voxel-by-voxel consideration and appraisal of the uncertainty, which can be reduced by subtracting multiple slices taken at the exact same location. These results show that core-scale porosity and fracture distribution heterogeneity play an important role in fluid saturation and heat extraction potential in geothermal systems. Huo, D., Pini, R., and Benson, S.M., 2016, A calibration-free approach for measuring fracture aperture distributions using X-ray computed tomography: Geosphere, v. 12, no. 2, p. 558-571, doi:10.1130/GES01175.1. Vega, B., Dutta, A., and Kovscek, A.R., 2014, CT imaging of low-permeability, dual-porosity systems using high X-ray contrast gas: Transport in Porous Media, v. 101, p. 81-97, doi:10.1007/s11242-013-0232-0.

Numerical simulation of superheated vapor bubble rising in stagnant liquid

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Samkhaniani, N.; Ansari, M. R.

2017-09-01

In present study, the rising of superheated vapor bubble in saturated liquid is simulated using volume of fluid method in OpenFOAM cfd package. The surface tension between vapor-liquid phases is considered using continuous surface force method. In order to reduce spurious current near interface, Lafaurie smoothing filter is applied to improve curvature calculation. Phase change is considered using Tanasawa mass transfer model. The variation of saturation temperature in vapor bubble with local pressure is considered with simplified Clausius-Clapeyron relation. The couple velocity-pressure equation is solved using PISO algorithm. The numerical model is validated with: (1) isothermal bubble rising and (2) one-dimensional horizontal film condensation. Then, the shape and life time history of single superheated vapor bubble are investigated. The present numerical study shows vapor bubble in saturated liquid undergoes boiling and condensation. It indicates bubble life time is nearly linear proportional with bubble size and superheat temperature.

Apparatus and methods for determining gas saturation and porosity of a formation penetrated by a gas filled or liquid filled borehole

DOEpatents

Wilson, Robert D.

2001-03-27

Methods and apparatus are disclosed for determining gas saturation, liquid saturation, porosity and density of earth formations penetrated by a well borehole. Determinations are made from measures of fast neutron and inelastic scatter gamma radiation induced by a pulsed, fast neutron source. The system preferably uses two detectors axially spaced from the neutron source. One detector is preferably a scintillation detector responsive to gamma radiation, and a second detector is preferably an organic scintillator responsive to both neutron and gamma radiation. The system can be operated in cased boreholes which are filled with either gas or liquid. Techniques for correcting all measurements for borehole conditions are disclosed.

Final report on the Controlled Cold Helium Spill Test in the LHC tunnel at CERN

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dufay-Chanat, L.; Bremer, J.; Casas-Cubillos, J.; Chorowski, M.; Grabowski, M.; Jedrusyna, A.; Lindell, G.; Nonis, M.; Koettig, T.; Vauthier, N.; van Weelderen, R.; Winkler, T.

2015-12-01

The 27 km circumference LHC underground tunnel is a space in which the helium cooled LHC magnets are installed. The vacuum enclosures of the superconducting magnets are protected by over-pressure safety relief devices that open whenever cold helium escapes either from the magnet cold enclosure or from the helium supply headers, into this vacuum enclosure. A 3-m long no stay zone around these devices is defined based on scale model studies, protecting the personnel against cold burns or asphyxia caused by such a helium release event. Recently, several simulation studies have been carried out modelling the propagation of the helium/air mixture, resulting from the opening of such a safety device, along the tunnel. The released helium flows vary in the range between 1 kg/s and 0.1 kg/s. To validate these different simulation studies, real life mock-up tests have been performed inside the LHC tunnel, releasing helium flow rates of 1 kg/s, 0.3 kg/s and 0.1 kg/s. For each test, up to 1000 liters of liquid helium were released under standard operational tunnel conditions. The data recorded include oxygen concentration, temperature and flow speed measurements, and video footage used to assess qualitatively the visibility. These measurements have been made in the up- and downstream directions, with respect to the air ventilation flow, of the spill point. This paper presents the experimental set-up under which these release tests were made, the effects of these releases on the atmospheric tunnel condition as a function of the release flow rate. We discuss the modification to the personnel access conditions to the LHC tunnel that are presently implemented as a result of these tests.

David Lee, Douglas Osheroff, Superfluidity, and Helium 3

Science.gov Websites

, and experimental searches for new magnetically ordered two dimensional phases of both solid and liquid non-federal websites. Their policies may differ from this site. Website Policies/Important Links U.S

Mixed refrigerant cycle with neon, hydrogen, and helium for cooling sc power transmission lines

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kloeppel, S.; Dittmar, N.; Haberstroh, Ch; Quack, H.

2017-02-01

The use of superconductors in very long power transmission lines requires a reliable and effective cooling. Since the use of cryocoolers does not appear feasible for very long distances, a cryogenic refrigeration cycle needs to be developed. For cooling superconducting cables based on MgB2 (T c = 39 K), liquid hydrogen (LH2) is the obvious cooling agent. For recooling LH2, one would need a refrigeration cycle providing temperatures at around 20 K. For this purpose, one could propose the use of a helium refrigeration cycle. But the very low molecular weight of helium restricts the use of turbo compressors, which limits the overall efficiency. In order to increase the molecular weight of the refrigerant a mixture of cryogens could be used, allowing the use of a turbo compressor. Temperatures below the triple point of neon are achieved by phase separation. This paper presents a possible layout of a refrigeration cycle utilizing a three component mixture of neon, hydrogen, and helium.

Helium refrigeration system for hydrogen liquefaction applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nair, J. Kumar, Sr.; Menon, RS; Goyal, M.; Ansari, NA; Chakravarty, A.; Joemon, V.

2017-02-01

Liquid hydrogen around 20 K is used as cold moderator for generating “cold neutron beam” in nuclear research reactors. A cryogenic helium refrigeration system is the core upon which such hydrogen liquefaction applications are built. A thermodynamic process based on reversed Brayton cycle with two stage expansion using high speed cryogenic turboexpanders (TEX) along with a pair of compact high effectiveness process heat exchangers (HX), is well suited for such applications. An existing helium refrigeration system, which had earlier demonstrated a refrigeration capacity of 470 W at around 20 K, is modified based on past operational experiences and newer application requirements. Modifications include addition of a new heat exchanger to simulate cryogenic process load and two other heat exchangers for controlling the temperatures of helium streams leading out to the application system. To incorporate these changes, cryogenic piping inside the cold box is suitably modified. This paper presents process simulation, sizing of new heat exchangers as well as fabrication aspects of the modified cryogenic process piping.

Pressure drop and He II flow through fine mesh screens

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Maddocks, J. R.; van Sciver, S. W.

1989-05-01

Fluid acquisition systems for He II transfer devices will utilize gallery arms to ensure that the fluid encounters the pump inlet. In near term experiments such as Superfluid Helium on Orbit Transfer (SHOOT), the preferred configuration consists of several rectangular channels which have one side made from a Dutch weave stainless steel screen having 325 x 2300 wires per inch. The effective pore diameter for this screen is about 5 microns. The present paper reports on measurements of pressure drop across a screen when it is subjected to a flow of liquid helium. The experiment measures the time rate of change of the level in two different helium reservoirs connected by a screen-blocked channel. Results with normal helium are compared with predictions based on the Armour-Cannon (1968) equations. The He II data show considerable deviation from the classical result. A discussion of the He II pressure drop results in terms of two fluid hydrodynamics is included.

Pressure drop and He II flow through fine mesh screens

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Maddocks, J. R.; Van Sciver, S. W.

1989-01-01

Fluid acquisition systems for He II transfer devices will utilize gallery arms to ensure that the fluid encounters the pump inlet. In near term experiments such as Superfluid Helium on Orbit Transfer (SHOOT), the preferred configuration consists of several rectangular channels which have one side made from a Dutch weave stainless steel screen having 325 x 2300 wires per inch. The effective pore diameter for this screen is about 5 microns. The present paper reports on measurements of pressure drop across a screen when it is subjected to a flow of liquid helium. The experiment measures the time rate of change of the level in two different helium reservoirs connected by a screen-blocked channel. Results with normal helium are compared with predictions based on the Armour-Cannon (1968) equations. The He II data show considerable deviation from the classical result. A discussion of the He II pressure drop results in terms of two fluid hydrodynamics is included.

Helium cluster isolation spectroscopy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Higgins, John Paul

Clusters of helium, each containing ~103- 104 atoms, are produced in a molecular beam and are doped with alkali metal atoms (Li, Na, and K) and large organic molecules. Electronic spectroscopy in the visible and UV regions of the spectrum is carried out on the dopant species. Since large helium clusters are liquid and attain an equilibrium internal temperature of 0.4 K, they interact weakly with atoms or molecules absorbed on their surface or resident inside the cluster. The spectra that are obtained are characterized by small frequency shifts from the positions of the gas phase transitions, narrow lines, and cold vibrational temperatures. Alkali atoms aggregate on the helium cluster surface to form dimers and trimers. The spectra of singlet alkali dimers exhibit the presence of elementary excitations in the superfluid helium cluster matrix. It is found that preparation of the alkali molecules on the surface of helium clusters leads to the preferential formation of high-spin, van der Waals bound, triplet dimers and quartet trimers. Four bound-bound and two bound-free transitions are observed in the triplet manifold of the alkali dimers. The quartet trimers serve as an ideal system for the study of a simple unimolecular reaction in the cold helium cluster environment. Analysis of the lowest quartet state provides valuable insight into three-body forces in a van der Waals trimer. The wide range of atomic and molecular systems studied in this thesis constitutes a preliminary step in the development of helium cluster isolation spectroscopy, a hybrid technique combining the advantages of high resolution spectroscopy with the synthetic, low temperature environment of matrices.

Mathematical Model of Bubble Sloshing Dynamics for Cryogenic Liquid Helium in Orbital Spacecraft Dewar Container

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hung, R. J.; Pan, H. L.

1995-01-01

A generalized mathematical model is investigated of sloshing dynamics for dewar containers, partially filled with a liquid of cryogenic superfluid helium 2, driven by both gravity gradient and jitter accelerations applicable to two types of scientific spacecrafts, which are eligible to carry out spinning motion and/or slew motion to perform scientific observations during normal spacecraft operation. Two examples are given for the Gravity Probe-B (GP-B) with spinning motion, and the Advanced X-Ray Astrophysics Facility-Spectroscopy (AXAF-S) with slew motion, which are responsible for the sloshing dynamics. Explicit mathematical expressions for the modelling of sloshing dynamics to cover these forces acting on the spacecraft fluid systems are derived. The numerical computation of sloshing dynamics will be based on the noninertial frame spacecraft bound coordinate, and we will solve the time-dependent three-dimensional formulations of partial differential equations subject to initial and boundary conditions. Explicit mathematical expressions of boundary conditions lo cover capillary force effects on the liquid-vapor interface in microgravity environments are also derived. Results of the simulations of the mathematical model are illustrated.

Self-bound droplets of a dilute magnetic quantum liquid

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schmitt, Matthias; Wenzel, Matthias; Böttcher, Fabian; Ferrier-Barbut, Igor; Pfau, Tilman

2016-11-01

Self-bound many-body systems are formed through a balance of attractive and repulsive forces and occur in many physical scenarios. Liquid droplets are an example of a self-bound system, formed by a balance of the mutual attractive and repulsive forces that derive from different components of the inter-particle potential. It has been suggested that self-bound ensembles of ultracold atoms should exist for atom number densities that are 108 times lower than in a helium droplet, which is formed from a dense quantum liquid. However, such ensembles have been elusive up to now because they require forces other than the usual zero-range contact interaction, which is either attractive or repulsive but never both. On the basis of the recent finding that an unstable bosonic dipolar gas can be stabilized by a repulsive many-body term, it was predicted that three-dimensional self-bound quantum droplets of magnetic atoms should exist. Here we report the observation of such droplets in a trap-free levitation field. We find that this dilute magnetic quantum liquid requires a minimum, critical number of atoms, below which the liquid evaporates into an expanding gas as a result of the quantum pressure of the individual constituents. Consequently, around this critical atom number we observe an interaction-driven phase transition between a gas and a self-bound liquid in the quantum degenerate regime with ultracold atoms. These droplets are the dilute counterpart of strongly correlated self-bound systems such as atomic nuclei and helium droplets.

Self-bound droplets of a dilute magnetic quantum liquid.

PubMed

Schmitt, Matthias; Wenzel, Matthias; Böttcher, Fabian; Ferrier-Barbut, Igor; Pfau, Tilman

2016-11-10

Self-bound many-body systems are formed through a balance of attractive and repulsive forces and occur in many physical scenarios. Liquid droplets are an example of a self-bound system, formed by a balance of the mutual attractive and repulsive forces that derive from different components of the inter-particle potential. It has been suggested that self-bound ensembles of ultracold atoms should exist for atom number densities that are 10 8 times lower than in a helium droplet, which is formed from a dense quantum liquid. However, such ensembles have been elusive up to now because they require forces other than the usual zero-range contact interaction, which is either attractive or repulsive but never both. On the basis of the recent finding that an unstable bosonic dipolar gas can be stabilized by a repulsive many-body term, it was predicted that three-dimensional self-bound quantum droplets of magnetic atoms should exist. Here we report the observation of such droplets in a trap-free levitation field. We find that this dilute magnetic quantum liquid requires a minimum, critical number of atoms, below which the liquid evaporates into an expanding gas as a result of the quantum pressure of the individual constituents. Consequently, around this critical atom number we observe an interaction-driven phase transition between a gas and a self-bound liquid in the quantum degenerate regime with ultracold atoms. These droplets are the dilute counterpart of strongly correlated self-bound systems such as atomic nuclei and helium droplets.

Light dark matter in superfluid helium: Detection with multi-excitation production

DOE PAGES

Knapen, Simon; Lin, Tongyan; Zurek, Kathryn M.

2017-03-22

We examine in depth a recent proposal to utilize superfluid helium for direct detection of sub-MeV mass dark matter. For sub-keV recoil energies, nuclear scattering events in liquid helium primarily deposit energy into long-lived phonon and roton quasiparticle excitations. If the energy thresholds of the detector can be reduced to the meV scale, then dark matter as light as ~MeV can be reached with ordinary nuclear recoils. If, on the other hand, two or more quasiparticle excitations are directly produced in the dark matter interaction, the kinematics of the scattering allows sensitivity to dark matter as light as ~keV atmore » the same energy resolution. We present in detail the theoretical framework for describing excitations in superfluid helium, using it to calculate the rate for the leading dark matter scattering interaction, where an off-shell phonon splits into two or more higher-momentum excitations. Here, we validate our analytic results against the measured and simulated dynamic response of superfluid helium. Finally, we apply this formalism to the case of a kinetically mixed hidden photon in the superfluid, both with and without an external electric field to catalyze the processes.« less

Separation behaviors of actinides from rare-earths in molten salt electrorefining using saturated liquid cadmium cathode

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kato, Tetsuya; Inoue, Tadashi; Iwai, Takashi; Arai, Yasuo

2006-10-01

Electrorefining in the molten LiCl-KCl eutectic salt containing actinide (An) and rare-earth (RE) elements was conducted to recover An elements up to 10 wt% into liquid cadmium (Cd) cathode, which is much higher than the solubility of the An elements in liquid Cd at the experimental temperature of 773 K. In the saturated Cd cathode, the An and RE elements were recovered forming a PuCd 11 type compound, MCd 11 (M = An and RE elements). The separation factors of element M against Pu defined as [M/Pu in Cd alloy (cathode)]/[M/Pu in molten salt] were calculated for the saturated Cd cathode including MCd 11. The separation factors were 0.011, 0.044, 0.064, and 0.064 for La, Ce, Pr, and Nd, respectively. These values were a little differed from 0.014, 0.038, 0.044, and 0.043 for the equilibrium unsaturated liquid Cd, respectively. The above slight differences were considered to be caused by the solid phase formation in the saturated Cd cathode and the electrochemical transfer of the An and RE elements in the molten salt.

Combined buoyancy and flow direction effects on saturated boiling critical heat flux in liquid nitrogen

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Papell, S. S.

1972-01-01

Buoyancy effects on the critical heat flux and general data trends for a liquid nitrogen internal flow system were determined by comparison of upflow and downflow data under identical test conditions. The test section had a 1.28 cm diameter flow passage and a 30.5 cm heated length which was subjected to uniform heat fluxes through resistance heating. Test conditions covered a range of pressures from 3.4 to 10.2 atm, inlet velocities from 0.23 to 3.51 m/sec, with the liquid nitrogen temperature at saturated inlet conditions. Data comparisons showed that the critical heat flux for downflow could be up to 36 percent lower than for upflow. A nonmonotonic relationship between the critical heat flux and velocity was determined for upflow but not for downflow. A limiting inlet velocity of 4.12 m/sec was determined to be the minimum velocity required to completely suppress the influence of buoyancy on the critical heat flux for this saturated inlet flow system. A correlation of this limiting fluid velocity is presented that was developed from previously published subcooled liquid nitrogen data and the saturated data of this investigation.

Superconductor shields test chamber from ambient magnetic fields

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hildebrandt, A. F.

1965-01-01

Shielding a test chamber for magnetic components enables it to maintain a constant, low magnetic field. The chamber is shielded from ambient magnetic fields by a lead foil cylinder maintained in a superconducting state by liquid helium.

MOSFET's for Cryogenic Amplifiers

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Dehaye, R.; Ventrice, C. A.

1987-01-01

Study seeks ways to build transistors that function effectively at liquid-helium temperatures. Report discusses physics of metaloxide/semiconductor field-effect transistors (MOSFET's) and performances of these devices at cryogenic temperatures. MOSFET's useful in highly sensitive cryogenic preamplifiers for infrared astronomy.

Magnetic resonance studies of atomic hydrogen at zero field and low temperature: Recombination and binding on liquid helium

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jochemsen, R.; Morrow, M.; Berlinsky, A. J.; Hardy, W. N.

1982-07-01

Magnetic resonance studies at zero field are reported for atomic hydrogen gas confined in a closed glass bulb with helium-coated walls for T < 1 K in a dilution refrigerator. Low-energy r.f. discharge pulses have been used to produce H atoms at temperatures as low as T = 0.06 K. The atom density nH (10 9 < nH < 10 13) measured by the strength of the free induction decay signal, follows a second-order rate equation {dn H}/{dt} = -Kn H2. At the lowest temperatures recombination is dominated by the process H + H+ wall → H 2 + wall. From the temperature dependence of the rate constant K we have determined the binding energy of H on liquid 4He and 3He, and also the cross section for recombination on the surface.

Solid Hydrogen Experiments for Atomic Propellants: Particle Formation Energy and Imaging Analyses

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Palaszewski, Bryan

2002-01-01

This paper presents particle formation energy balances and detailed analyses of the images from experiments that were conducted on the formation of solid hydrogen particles in liquid helium during the Phase II testing in 2001. Solid particles of hydrogen were frozen in liquid helium and observed with a video camera. The solid hydrogen particle sizes and the total mass of hydrogen particles were estimated. The particle formation efficiency is also estimated. Particle sizes from the Phase I testing in 1999 and the Phase II testing in 2001 were similar. Though the 2001 testing created similar particles sizes, many new particle formation phenomena were observed. These experiment image analyses are one of the first steps toward visually characterizing these particles and it allows designers to understand what issues must be addressed in atomic propellant feed system designs for future aerospace vehicles.

Solid Hydrogen Experiments for Atomic Propellants: Image Analyses

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Palaszewski, Bryan

2002-01-01

This paper presents the results of detailed analyses of the images from experiments that were conducted on the formation of solid hydrogen particles in liquid helium. Solid particles of hydrogen were frozen in liquid helium, and observed with a video camera. The solid hydrogen particle sizes, their agglomerates, and the total mass of hydrogen particles were estimated. Particle sizes of 1.9 to 8 mm (0.075 to 0.315 in.) were measured. The particle agglomerate sizes and areas were measured, and the total mass of solid hydrogen was computed. A total mass of from 0.22 to 7.9 grams of hydrogen was frozen. Compaction and expansion of the agglomerate implied that the particles remain independent particles, and can be separated and controlled. These experiment image analyses are one of the first steps toward visually characterizing these particles, and allow designers to understand what issues must be addressed in atomic propellant feed system designs for future aerospace vehicles.

Liquid helium cryostat with internal fluorescence detection for x-ray absorption studies in the 2-6 keV energy region

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

McFarlane Holman, Karen L.; Latimer, Matthew J.; Yachandra, Vittal K.

2004-06-01

X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS) in the intermediate x-ray region (2-6 keV) for dilute biological samples has been limited because of detector/flux limitations and inadequate cryogenic instrumentation. We have designed and constructed a new tailpiece/sample chamber for a commercially available liquid helium cooled cryostat which overcomes difficulties related to low fluorescence signals by using thin window materials and incorporating an internal photodiode detector. With the apparatus, XAS data at the Cl, S, and Ca K edges have been collected on frozen solutions and biological samples at temperatures down to 60 K. A separate chamber has been incorporated for collecting room-temperature spectra of standard compounds (for energy calibration purposes) which prevents contamination of the cryostat chamber and allows the sample to remain undisturbed, both important concerns for studying dilute and radiation-sensitive samples.

Thermal performance of gaseous-helium-purged tank-mounted multilayer insulation system during ground-hold and space-hold thermal cycling and exposure to water vapor

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Sumner, I. E.

1978-01-01

An experimental investigation was conducted to determine (1) the ground-hold and space-hold thermal performance of a multilayer insulation (MLI) system mounted on a spherical, liquid-hydrogen propellant tank and (2) the degradation to the space-hold thermal performance of the insulation system that resulted from both thermal cycling and exposure to moisture. The propellant tank had a diameter of 1.39 meters (4.57ft). The MLI consisted of two blankets of insulation; each blanket contained 15 double-aluminized Mylar radiation shields separated by double silk net spacers. Nineteen tests simulating basic cryogenic spacecraft thermal (environmental) conditions were conducted. These tests typically included initial helium purge, liquid-hydrogen fill and ground-hold, ascent, space-hold, and repressurization. No significant degradation of the space-hold thermal performance due to thermal cycling was noted.

Design considerations for a micro-g superfluid helium fluid acquisition system

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lee, J. M.

1989-01-01

The general description, the operation, and the design of a superfluid helium (SFHe) fluid acquisition system (FAS) for use under microgravity conditions is presented. For the type of FAS considered here, where fine-mesh woven screens are used to retain flowing SFHe within a gallery arm (flow) channel, those forces which determine the flow dynamics are the micro-g accelerations, liquid surface tension, and tensile strength and cumulative pressure drops along a flow path that begins at the bulk liquid and ends at the entrance to a pump. For this case, the dimensionless number, N(T) is written as the ratio between the pressure drop across the screen and the surface tension forces at the screen for low fluid velocities. Static Bond number measurements have bene taken for SFHe using 325 x 2300 twilled Dutch screen and have indicated a screen pore hydraulic radius of 0.00031 cm.

Cryogenic Testing of High Current By-Pass Diode Stacks for the Protection of the Superconducting Magnets in the LHC

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gharib, A.; Hagedorn, D.; Della Corte, A.; Fiamozzi Zignani, C.; Turtu, S.; Brown, D.; Rout, C.

2004-06-01

For the protection of the LHC superconducting magnets, about 2100 specially developed by-pass diodes were manufactured by DYNEX SEMICONDUCTOR LTD (Lincoln, GB) and about 1300 of these diodes were mounted into diode stacks and submitted to tests at cryogenic temperatures. To date about 800 dipole diode stacks and about 250 quadrupole diode stacks for the protection of the superconducting lattice dipole and lattice quadrupole magnets have been assembled at OCEM (Bologna,Italy) and successfully tested in liquid helium at ENEA (Frascati, Italy). This report gives an overview of the test results obtained so far. After a short description of the test installations and test procedures, a statistical analysis is presented for test data during diode production as well as for the performance of the diode stacks during testing in liquid helium, including failure rates and degradation of the diodes.

Towards spontaneous parametric down-conversion at low temperatures

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Akatiev, Dmitrii; Boldyrev, Kirill; Kuzmin, Nikolai; Latypov, Ilnur; Popova, Marina; Shkalikov, Andrey; Kalachev, Alexey

2017-10-01

The possibility of observing spontaneous parametric down-conversion in doped nonlinear crystals at low temperatures, which would be useful for combining heralded single-photon sources and quantum memories, is studied theoretically. The ordinary refractive index of a lithium niobate crystal doped with magnesium oxide LiNbO3:MgO is measured at liquid nitrogen and helium temperatures. On the basis of the experimental data, the coefficients of the Sellmeier equation are determined for the temperatures from 5 to 300 K. In addition, a poling period of the nonlinear crystal has been calculated for observing type-0 spontaneous parametric down-conversion (ooo-synchronism) at the liquid helium temperature under pumping at the wavelength of λp = 532 nm and emission of the signal field at the wavelength of λs = 794 nm, which corresponds to the resonant absorption line of Tm3+ doped ions.

Water saturation effects on P-wave anisotropy in synthetic sandstone with aligned fractures

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Amalokwu, Kelvin; Chapman, Mark; Best, Angus I.; Minshull, Timothy A.; Li, Xiang-Yang

2015-08-01

The seismic properties of rocks are known to be sensitive to partial liquid or gas saturation, and to aligned fractures. P-wave anisotropy is widely used for fracture characterization and is known to be sensitive to the saturating fluid. However, studies combining the effect of multiphase saturation and aligned fractures are limited even though such conditions are common in the subsurface. An understanding of the effects of partial liquid or gas saturation on P-wave anisotropy could help improve seismic characterization of fractured, gas bearing reservoirs. Using octagonal-shaped synthetic sandstone samples, one containing aligned penny-shaped fractures and the other without fractures, we examined the influence of water saturation on P-wave anisotropy in fractured rocks. In the fractured rock, the saturation related stiffening effect at higher water saturation values is larger in the direction across the fractures than along the fractures. Consequently, the anisotropy parameter `ε' decreases as a result of this fluid stiffening effect. These effects are frequency dependent as a result of wave-induced fluid flow mechanisms. Our observations can be explained by combining a frequency-dependent fractured rock model and a frequency-dependent partial saturation model.

Commissioning of a 20 K Helium Refrigeration System for NASA-JSC Chamber A

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Homan, J.; Redman, R.; Ganni, V.; Sidi-Yekhlef, A.; Knudsen, P.; Norton, R.; Lauterbach, J.; Linza, R.; Vargas, G.

2013-01-01

A new 20 K helium refrigerator installed at NASA Johnson Space Center s Space Environment Simulation Laboratory (SESL) was successfully commissioned and tested in 2012. The refrigerator is used to create a deep space environment within SESL s Chamber A to perform ground testing of the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST). The chamber previously and currently still has helium cryo-pumping panels (CPP) and liquid nitrogen shrouds used to create low earth orbit environments. Now with the new refrigerator and new helium shrouds the chamber can create a deep space environment. The process design, system analysis, specification development, and commissioning oversight were performed by the cryogenics department at Jefferson Lab, while the contracts and system installation was performed by the ESC group at JSC. Commissioning data indicate an inverse coefficient of performance better than 70 W/W for a 18 kW load at 20 K (accounting for liquid nitrogen pre-cooling power) that remains essentially constant down to one third of this load. Even at 10 percent of the maximum capacity, the performance is better than 150 W/W at 20 K. The refrigerator exceeded all design goals and demonstrated the ability to support a wide load range from 10 kW at 15 K to 100 kW at 100 K. The refrigerator is capable of operating at any load temperature from 15 K to ambient with tight temperature stability. The new shroud (36 tons of aluminum) can be cooled from room temperature to 20 K in 24 hours. This paper will outline the process design and commissioning results.

Commissioning of a 20 K helium refrigeration system for NASA-JSC Chamber-A

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Homan, J.; Redman, R.; Ganni, V.; Sidi-Yekhlef, A.; Knudsen, P.; Norton, R.; Lauterbach, J.; Linza, R.; Vargas, G.

2014-01-01

A new 20 K helium refrigerator installed at NASA Johnson Space Center's Space Environment Simulation Laboratory (SESL) was successfully commissioned and tested in 2012. The refrigerator is used to create a deep space environment within SESL's Chamber A to perform ground testing of the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST). The chamber previously and currently still has helium cryo-pumping panels (CPP) and liquid nitrogen shrouds used to create low earth orbit environments. Now with the new refrigerator and new helium shrouds the chamber can create a deep space environment. The process design, system analysis, specification development, and commissioning oversight were performed by the cryogenics department at Jefferson Lab, while the contracts and system installation was performed by the ESC group at JSC. Commissioning data indicate an inverse coefficient of performance better than 70 W/W for a 18 kW load at 20 K (accounting for liquid nitrogen pre-cooling power) that remains essentially constant down to one third of this load. Even at 10 percent of the maximum capacity, the performance is better than 150 W/W at 20 K. The refrigerator exceeded all design goals and demonstrated the ability to support a wide load range from 10 kW at 15 K to 100 kW at 100 K. The refrigerator is capable of operating at any load temperature from 15 K to ambient with tight temperature stability. The new shroud (23 metric tons of aluminum) can be cooled from room temperature to 20 K in 24 hours. This paper will outline the design, project execution and commissioning results.

Commercial helium reserves, continental rifting and volcanism

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ballentine, C. J.; Barry, P. H.; Hillegonds, D.; Fontijn, K.; Bluett, J.; Abraham-James, T.; Danabalan, D.; Gluyas, J.; Brennwald, M. S.; Pluess, B.; Seneshens, D.; Sherwood Lollar, B.

2017-12-01

Helium has many industrial applications, but notably provides the unique cooling medium for superconducting magnets in medical MRI scanners and high energy beam lines. In 2013 the global supply chainfailed to meet demand causing significant concern - the `Liquid Helium Crisis' [1]. The 2017 closure of Quatar borders, a major helium supplier, is likely to further disrupt helium supply, and accentuates the urgent need to diversify supply. Helium is found in very few natural gas reservoirs that have focused 4He produced by the dispersed decay (a-particle) of U and Th in the crust. We show here, using the example of the Rukwa section of the Tanzanian East African Rift, how continental rifting and local volcanism provides the combination of processes required to generate helium reserves. The ancient continental crust provides the source of 4He. Rifting and associated magmatism provides the tectonic and thermal mechanism to mobilise deep fluid circulation, focusing flow to the near surface along major basement faults. Helium-rich springs in the Tanzanian Great Rift Valley were first identified in the 1950's[2]. The isotopic compositions and major element chemistry of the gases from springs and seeps are consistent with their release from the crystalline basement during rifting [3]. Within the Rukwa Rift Valley, helium seeps occur in the vicinity of trapping structures that have the potential to store significant reserves of helium [3]. Soil gas surveys over 6 prospective trapping structures (1m depth, n=1486) show helium anomalies in 5 out of the 6 at levels similar to those observed over a known helium-rich gas reservoir at 1200m depth (7% He - Harley Dome, Utah). Detailed macroseep gas compositions collected over two days (n=17) at one site allows us to distinguish shallow gas contributions and shows the deep gas to contain between 8-10% helium, significantly increasing resource estimates based on uncorrected values (1.8-4.2%)[2,3]. The remainder of the deep gas is dominantly N2 with trace levels of hydrocarbons, H2, CO2 and Ar. [1] http://www.aps.org/policy/reports/popareports/upload/HeliumReport.pdf [2] T.C. James (1966) Transactions London Institution of Mining and Metallurgy 168-174, B1-18 [3] Danabalan et al. (2016), Goldschmidt Abstract, 4150

A Tabletop Persistent-Mode, Liquid-Helium-Free, 1.5-T/90-mm MgB2 “Finger” MRI Magnet for Osteoporosis Screening: Two Design Options

PubMed Central

Park, Dongkeun; Bascuñán, Juan; Michael, Philip C.; Iwasa, Yukikazu

2017-01-01

In this paper we present two design options for a tabletop liquid-helium-free, persistent-mode 1.5-T/90-mm MgB2 “finger” MRI magnet for osteoporosis screening. Both designs, one with and the other without an iron yoke, satisfy the following criteria: 1) 1.5-T center field with a 90-mm room-temperature bore for a finger to be placed at the magnet center; 2) spatial field homogeneity of <5 ppm over a 20-mm diameter of spherical volume (DSV); 3) persistent-mode operation with temporal stability of <0.1 ppm/hr; 4) liquid-helium-free operation; 5) 5-gauss fringe field radius of <50 cm from the magnet center; and 6) small and light enough for placement on an exam table. Although the magnet is designed to operate nominally at 10 K, maintained by a cryocooler, it has a 5-K temperature margin to keep its 1.5-T persistent field up to 15 K. The magnet will be immersed in a volume of solid nitrogen (SN2) that provides additional thermal mass when the cryocooler is switched off to provide a vibration-free measurement environment. The SN2 enables the magnet to maintain its persistent field over a period of time sufficient for quiescent measurement, while still limiting the magnet operating temperature to ≤15 K. We discuss first pros and cons of each design, and then further studies of our proposed MgB2 finger MRI magnet. PMID:29456437

A Tabletop Persistent-Mode, Liquid-Helium-Free, 1.5-T/90-mm MgB2 "Finger" MRI Magnet for Osteoporosis Screening: Two Design Options.

PubMed

Park, Dongkeun; Bascuñán, Juan; Michael, Philip C; Iwasa, Yukikazu

2018-04-01

In this paper we present two design options for a tabletop liquid-helium-free, persistent-mode 1.5-T/90-mm MgB 2 "finger" MRI magnet for osteoporosis screening. Both designs, one with and the other without an iron yoke, satisfy the following criteria: 1) 1.5-T center field with a 90-mm room-temperature bore for a finger to be placed at the magnet center; 2) spatial field homogeneity of <5 ppm over a 20-mm diameter of spherical volume (DSV); 3) persistent-mode operation with temporal stability of <0.1 ppm/hr; 4) liquid-helium-free operation; 5) 5-gauss fringe field radius of <50 cm from the magnet center; and 6) small and light enough for placement on an exam table. Although the magnet is designed to operate nominally at 10 K, maintained by a cryocooler, it has a 5-K temperature margin to keep its 1.5-T persistent field up to 15 K. The magnet will be immersed in a volume of solid nitrogen (SN 2 ) that provides additional thermal mass when the cryocooler is switched off to provide a vibration-free measurement environment. The SN 2 enables the magnet to maintain its persistent field over a period of time sufficient for quiescent measurement, while still limiting the magnet operating temperature to ≤15 K. We discuss first pros and cons of each design, and then further studies of our proposed MgB 2 finger MRI magnet.

Buoyancy effects on the vapor condensation rate on a horizontal liquid surface

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hasan, Mohammad M.; Lin, Chin-Shun

1989-01-01

The results are presented of a numerical study of the effects of buoyancy on the direct condensation of saturated or nearly saturated vapor on a horizontal liquid surface in a cylindrical tank. The liquid motion beneath the liquid-vapor interface is induced by an axisymmetric laminar jet of subcooled liquid. Analysis and numerical results show that the dominant parameter which determines the influence of buoyancy on the condensation rate is the Richardson number. However, the effect of buoyancy on the condensation rate cannot be quantified in terms of the Richardson number alone. The critical value of the Richardson number below which the condensation rate is not significantly reduced depends on the Reynolds number as well as the Prandtl number.

Viscosity of the saturated liquid phase of three fluorinated ethanes: R152a, R143a, and R125

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Ripple, D.; Defibaugh, D.

1997-03-01

Data are reported for the viscosity of three saturated liquids over a temperature range from 255 K to 323 K. The liquids studied are the fluorinated compounds 1,1-difluoroethane (R152a), 1,1,1-trifluoroethane (R143a), and pentafluoroethane (R125). A capillary viscometer constructed of stainless steel and sapphire was used to obtain the data. The viscosity measurements have an expanded uncertainty of 2.4%. A free volume model of viscosity was used to correlate the data.

Thermal analyses for initial operations of the soft x-ray spectrometer onboard the Hitomi satellite

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Noda, Hirofumi; Mitsuda, Kazuhisa; Okamoto, Atsushi; Ezoe, Yuichiro; Ishikawa, Kumi; Fujimoto, Ryuichi; Yamasaki, Noriko; Takei, Yoh; Ohashi, Takaya; Ishisaki, Yoshitaka; Mitsuishi, Ikuyuki; Yoshida, Seiji; DiPirro, Michel; Shirron, Peter

2018-01-01

The soft x-ray spectrometer (SXS) onboard the Hitomi satellite achieved a high-energy resolution of ˜4.9 eV at 6 keV with an x-ray microcalorimeter array cooled to 50 mK. The cooling system utilizes liquid helium, confined in zero gravity by means of a porous plug (PP) phase separator. For the PP to function, the helium temperature must be kept lower than the λ point of 2.17 K in orbit. To determine the maximum allowable helium temperature at launch, taking into account the uncertainties in both the final ground operations and initial operation in orbit, we constructed a thermal mathematical model of the SXS dewar and PP vent and carried out time-series thermal simulations. Based on the results, the maximum allowable helium temperature at launch was set at 1.7 K. We also conducted a transient thermal calculation using the actual temperatures at launch as initial conditions to determine flow and cooling rates in orbit. From this, the equilibrium helium mass flow rate was estimated to be ˜34 to 42 μg/s, and the lifetime of the helium mode was predicted to be ˜3.9 to 4.7 years. This paper describes the thermal model and presents simulation results and comparisons with temperatures measured in the orbit.

Independent Orbiter Assessment (IOA): Analysis of the orbiter main propulsion system

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mcnicoll, W. J.; Mcneely, M.; Holden, K. A.; Emmons, T. E.; Lowery, H. J.

1987-01-01

The results of the Independent Orbiter Assessment (IOA) of the Failure Modes and Effects Analysis (FMEA) and Critical Items List (CIL) are presented. The IOA approach features a top-down analysis of the hardware to determine failure modes, criticality, and potential critical items (PCIs). To preserve independence, this analysis was accomplished without reliance upon the results contained within the NASA FMEA/CIL documentation. The independent analysis results for the Orbiter Main Propulsion System (MPS) hardware are documented. The Orbiter MPS consists of two subsystems: the Propellant Management Subsystem (PMS) and the Helium Subsystem. The PMS is a system of manifolds, distribution lines and valves by which the liquid propellants pass from the External Tank (ET) to the Space Shuttle Main Engines (SSMEs) and gaseous propellants pass from the SSMEs to the ET. The Helium Subsystem consists of a series of helium supply tanks and their associated regulators, check valves, distribution lines, and control valves. The Helium Subsystem supplies helium that is used within the SSMEs for inflight purges and provides pressure for actuation of SSME valves during emergency pneumatic shutdowns. The balance of the helium is used to provide pressure to operate the pneumatically actuated valves within the PMS. Each component was evaluated and analyzed for possible failure modes and effects. Criticalities were assigned based on the worst possible effect of each failure mode. Of the 690 failure modes analyzed, 349 were determined to be PCIs.

Application of time-resolved shadowgraph imaging and computer analysis to study micrometer-scale response of superfluid helium

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sajjadi, Seyed; Buelna, Xavier; Eloranta, Jussi

2018-01-01

Application of inexpensive light emitting diodes as backlight sources for time-resolved shadowgraph imaging is demonstrated. The two light sources tested are able to produce light pulse sequences in the nanosecond and microsecond time regimes. After determining their time response characteristics, the diodes were applied to study the gas bubble formation around laser-heated copper nanoparticles in superfluid helium at 1.7 K and to determine the local cavitation bubble dynamics around fast moving metal micro-particles in the liquid. A convolutional neural network algorithm for analyzing the shadowgraph images by a computer is presented and the method is validated against the results from manual image analysis. The second application employed the red-green-blue light emitting diode source that produces light pulse sequences of the individual colors such that three separate shadowgraph frames can be recorded onto the color pixels of a charge-coupled device camera. Such an image sequence can be used to determine the moving object geometry, local velocity, and acceleration/deceleration. These data can be used to calculate, for example, the instantaneous Reynolds number for the liquid flow around the particle. Although specifically demonstrated for superfluid helium, the technique can be used to study the dynamic response of any medium that exhibits spatial variations in the index of refraction.

In-orbit performance of a helium dewar for the soft X-ray spectrometer onboard ASTRO-H

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yoshida, Seiji; Miyaoka, Mikio; Kanao, Ken'ichi; Tsunematsu, Shoji; Otsuka, Kiyomi; Hoshika, Shunji; Narasaki, Katsuhiro; Mitsuda, Kazuhisa; Yamasaki, Noriko; Takei, Yoh; Fujimoto, Ryuichi; Ezoe, Yuichiro; Sato, Yoichi; Okamoto, Atsushi; Noda, Hirofumi; DiPirro, Michael; Shirron, Peter

2018-04-01

ASTRO-H was an X-ray astronomy satellite that the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) developed to study the evolution of the universe and physical phenomena yet to be discovered. The primary scientific instrument of ASTRO-H was the Soft X-ray Spectrometer (SXS). Its detectors were to be cooled to 50 m K using a complex cryogenic system with a multistage adiabatic demagnetization refrigerator (ADR) developed by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), and a cryogenic system developed by Sumitomo Heavy Industries, Ltd. (SHI). SHI's cryogenic system was required to cool the ADR's heatsink to 1.3 K or less in orbit for three years or longer. To meet these requirements, SHI developed a hybrid cryogenic system consisting of a liquid helium tank, a 4 K Joule-Thomson cooler, and two two-stage Stirling coolers. ASTRO-H was launched from Tanegashima Space Center on February 17, 2016. The initial operation of the SXS cryogenic system in orbit was completed successfully. The cooling performance was as expected and could have exceeded the lifetime requirement of three years. This paper describes results of ground tests, results of top-off filling of superfluid liquid helium just before launch, and cooling performance in orbit.

Liquid?solid helium interface: some conceptual questions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Leggett, A. J.

2003-12-01

I raise, and discuss qualitatively, some conceptual issues concerning the interface between the crystalline solid and superfluid liquid phases of 4He emphasizing, in particular, the fact that the ground-state wave functions of the two phases are prima facie qualitatively quite different, in that the superfluid liquid phase possesses off-diagonal long-range order (ODLRO), while the crystalline solid does not. The fact that the statics and dynamics of the interface do not appear to be particularly sensitive to the presence of ODLRO in the liquid is tentatively explained by the fact that because of a subtlety associated with the Bose statistics obeyed by the atoms, the solid and liquid wave functions are not locally very different.

Dual liquid and gas chromatograph system

DOEpatents

Gay, D.D.

A chromatographic system is described that utilizes one detection system for gas chromatographic and micro-liquid chromatographic determinations. The detection system is a direct-current, atmospheric-pressure, helium plasma emission spectrometer. The detector utilizes a nontransparent plasma source unit which contains the plasma region and two side-arms which receive effluents from the micro-liquid chromatograph and the gas chromatograph. The dual nature of this chromatographic system offers: (1) extreme flexibility in the samples to be examined; (2) extreme low sensitivity; (3) element selectivity; (4) long-term stability; (5) direct correlation of data from the liquid and gas samples; (6) simpler operation than with individual liquid and gas chromatographs, each with different detection systems; and (7) cheaper than a commercial liquid chromatograph and a gas chromatograph.

Dual liquid and gas chromatograph system

DOEpatents

Gay, Don D.

1985-01-01

A chromatographic system that utilizes one detection system for gas chromatographic and micro-liquid chromatographic determinations. The detection system is a direct-current, atmospheric-pressure, helium plasma emission spectrometer. The detector utilizes a non-transparent plasma source unit which contains the plasma region and two side-arms which receive effluents from the micro-liquid chromatograph and the gas chromatograph. The dual nature of this chromatographic system offers: (1) extreme flexibility in the samples to be examined; (2) extremely low sensitivity; (3) element selectivity; (4) long-term stability; (5) direct correlation of data from the liquid and gas samples; (6) simpler operation than with individual liquid and gas chromatographs, each with different detection systems; and (7) cheaper than a commercial liquid chromatograph and a gas chromatograph.

Thermodynamic analysis and economical evaluation of two 310-80 K pre-cooling stage configurations for helium refrigeration and liquefaction cycle

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhu, Z. G.; Zhuang, M.; Jiang, Q. F.; Y Zhang, Q.; Feng, H. S.

2017-12-01

In 310-80 K pre-cooling stage, the temperature of the HP helium stream reduces to about 80 K where nearly 73% of the enthalpy drop from room temperature to 4.5 K occurs. Apart from the most common liquid nitrogen pre-cooling, another 310-80 K pre-cooling configuration with turbine is employed in some helium cryoplants. In this paper, thermodynamic and economical performance of these two kinds of 310-80 K pre-cooling stage configurations has been studied at different operating conditions taking discharge pressure, isentropic efficiency of turbines and liquefaction rate as independent parameters. The exergy efficiency, total UA of heat exchangers and operating cost of two configurations are computed. This work will provide a reference for choosing 310-80 K pre-cooling stage configuration during design.

Superfluid helium leak sealant study

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Vorreiter, J. W.

1981-01-01

Twenty-one leak specimens were fabricated in the ends of stainless steel and aluminum tubes. Eighteen of these tubes were coated with a copolymer material to seal the leak. The other three specimens were left uncoated and served as control specimens. All 21 tubes were cold shocked in liquid helium 50 times and then the leak rate was measured while the tubes were submerged in superfluid helium at 1.7 K. During the cold shocks two of the coated specimens were mechanically damaged and eliminated from the test program. Of the remaining 16 coated specimens one suffered a total coating failure and resulting high leak rate. Another three of the coated specimens suffered partial coating failures. The leak rates of the uncoated specimens were also measured and reported. The significance of various leak rates is discussed in view of the infrared astronomical satellite (IRAS) Dewar performance.

Measurements of Thermal Conductivity of Superfluid Helium Near its Transition Temperature T(sub lambda) in a 2D Confinement

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Jerebets, Sergei

2004-01-01

We report our recent experiments on thermal conductivity measurements of superfluid He-4 near its phase transition in a two-dimensional (2D) confinement under saturated vapor pressure. A 2D confinement is created by 2-mm- and 1-mm-thick glass capillary plates, consisting of densely populated parallel microchannels with cross-sections of 5 x 50 and 1 x 10 microns, correspondingly. A heat current (2 < Q < 400 nW/sq cm) was applied along the channels long direction. High-resolution measurements were provided by DC SQUID-based high-resolution paramagnetic salt thermometers (HRTs) with a nanokelvin resolution. We might find that thermal conductivity of confined helium is finite at the bulk superfluid transition temperature. Our 2D results will be compared with those in a bulk and 1D confinement.

Space shuttle orbital maneuvering engine platelet injector program

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1975-01-01

A platelet-face injector for the fully reusable orbit maneuvering system OMS on the space shuttle was evaluated as a means of obtaining additional design margin and low cost. Performance, heat transfer, and combustion stability were evaluated over the anticipated range of OMS operating conditions. The effects of acoustic cavity configuration on combustion stability, including cavity depth, open area, inlet contour, and other parameters, were investigated using sea level bomb tests. Prototype injector and chamber behavior was evaluated for a variety of conditions; these tests examined the effects of film cooling, helium saturated propellants, chamber length, inlet conditions, and operating point, on performance, heat transfer and engine transient behavior. Helium bubble ingestion into both propellant circuits was investigated, as was chugging at low pressure operation, and hot and cold engine restart with and without a purge.

AN EXPERIMENTAL STUDY OF COMPLETE DISSOLUTION OF A NONAQUEOUS PHASE LIQUID IN SATURATED POROUS MEDIA

EPA Science Inventory

The attenuation of gamma radiation was utilized to measure changing residual trichloroethylene (TCE) saturation in an otherwise water-saturated porous medium as clean water was flushed through the medium. A front over which dissolution actively occurred was observed. Once develop...

Advances in cryogenic engineering. Vols. 37A & 37B - Proceedings of the 1991 Cryogenic Engineering Conference, Univ. of Alabama, Huntsville, June 11-14, 1991

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Fast, Ronald W. (Editor)

1991-01-01

The present volume on advances in cryogenic engineering discusses heat and mass transfer in helium, heat transfer in cryogenic fluids, thermoacoustic oscillations, and insulation. Attention is given to applications of superconductivity with reference to magnetic stability and coil protection, cryogenic techniques, and refrigeration for electronics and superconducting systems. Topics addressed include compressors, expanders, and pumps for liquid helium, magnetic refrigerators, pulse tube refrigerators, and cryocoolers. Also examined are properties of cryogenic fluids, cryogenic applications in transportion and space science and technology, and cryogenic instrumentation.

A technician monitors the CHeX, a USMP-4 experiment which will be flown on STS-87, in the SSPF

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1997-01-01

United States Microgravity Payload-4 (USMP-4) experiments are prepared to be flown on Space Shuttle mission STS-87 in the Space Station Processing Facility at Kennedy Space Center (KSC). Here, a technician is monitoring the Confined Helium Experiment, or CHeX, that will use microgravity to study one of the basic influences on the behavior and properties of materials by using liquid helium confined between silicon disks. CHeX and several other experiments are scheduled for launch aboard STS-87 on Nov. 19 from KSC.

Voluminous arc dacites as amphibole reaction-boundary liquids

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Blatter, Dawnika L.; Sisson, Thomas W.; Hankins, W. Ben

2017-05-01

Dacites dominate the large-volume, explosive eruptions in magmatic arcs, and compositionally similar granodiorites and tonalites constitute the bulk of convergent margin batholiths. Shallow, pre-eruptive storage conditions are well known for many dacitic arc magmas through melt inclusions, Fe-Ti oxides, and experiments, but their potential origins deeper in the crust are not well determined. Accordingly, we report experimental results identifying the P-T-H2O conditions under which hydrous dacitic liquid may segregate from hornblende (hbl)-gabbroic sources either during crystallization-differentiation or partial melting. Two compositions were investigated: (1) MSH-Yn-1 dacite (SiO2: 65 wt%) from Mount St. Helens' voluminous Yn tephra and (2) MSH-Yn-1 + 10% cpx to force saturation with cpx and map a portion of the cpx + melt = hbl peritectic reaction boundary. H2O-undersaturated (3, 6, and 9 wt% H2O) piston cylinder experiments were conducted at pressures, temperatures, and fO2 appropriate for the middle to lower arc crust (400, 700, and 900 MPa, 825-1100 °C, and the Re-ReO2 buffer ≈ Ni-NiO + 2). Results for MSH-Yn-1 indicate near-liquidus equilibrium with a cpx-free hbl-gabbro residue (hbl, plg, magnetite, ± opx, and ilmeno-hematite) with 6-7 wt% dissolved H2O, 925 °C, and 700-900 MPa. Opx disappears down-temperature consistent with the reaction opx + melt = hbl. Cpx-added phase relations are similar in that once 10% cpx crystallizes, multiple saturation is attained with cpx, hbl, and plg, +/- opx, at 6-7 wt% dissolved H2O, 940 °C, and 700-900 MPa. Plg-hbl-cpx saturated liquids diverge from plg-hbl-opx saturated liquids, consistent with the MSH-Yn-1 dacite marking a liquid composition along a peritectic distributary reaction boundary where hbl appears down-temperature as opx + cpx are consumed. The abundance of saturating phases along this distributary peritectic (liquid + hbl + opx + cpx + plg + oxides) reduces the variance, so liquids are restricted to dacite-granodiorite-tonalite compositions. Higher-K dacites than the Yn would also saturate with biotite, further limiting their compositional diversity. Theoretical evaluation of the energetics of peritectic melting of pargasitic amphiboles indicates that melting and crystallization of amphibole occur abruptly, proximal to amphibole's high-temperature stability limit, which causes the system to dwell thermally under the conditions that produce dacitic compositions. This process may account for the compositional homogeneity of dacites, granodiorites, and tonalites in arc settings, but their relative mobility compared to rhyolitic/granitic liquids likely accounts for their greater abundance.

Experimental study of nanofluidics and phase transitions of normal and superfluid 4He

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Velasco, Angel Enriques

This thesis addresses the experimental results of two different research topics. The first is the experimental work of pressure driven flows in the smallest, single nanotubes ever investigated. The nanotube boundary conditions and slip lengths from argon, nitrogen, water, and helium experiments were analyzed and compared to macroscopic boundary conditions. The second research topic discusses the work on ellipsometric and quartz microbalance measurements of the 2D superfluid phase diagram of 4He on alkali substrates. Ellipsometric results of sodium on HOPG provide the first evidence of the existence of the 2D critical point on an intermediate strength substrate. Pressure driven flows through single nanopores and microtubes were measured with a calibrated mass spectrometer with pressure drops up to 30 Atm. The nanopores were between 30 nm to 600 nm in diameter and etched in mica and PET membranes of several microns thickness. Microtubes several inches long of fused quartz and nickel material were tested with diameters between 1.8 micron and 25 micron. For 4He and argon gas we observed the flow transition between the free molecular and continuum regimes at 293 K and 77 K. No discrepancy between the macroscopic theory and the 30 nm nanopore data was found. Because of the exceptionally low viscosity of gaseous helium the laminar-turbulent transition could also be observed within these submicron channels. The small viscosity of 4He was too small to dampen inertial effects at a Reynolds number of 2000. In addition to single phase gas flows, our experimental technique also allows us to investigate flows in which the nano or micro scale pipe is either partially or completely filled with liquids. The position of the intrinsic liquid/vapor interface was important for understanding this type of flow. Strong evaporation and cooling at the liquid-vapor interface can lead to freezing for conventional fluids such as nitrogen and water, which in turn leads to complex intermittent flows. The second portion of this thesis presents the experimental results on the 2D superfluid phase diagram of helium on alkali metals. A simultaneous measurement of the total and superfluid film thickness were done with a combination of a photoelastic modulated ellipsometer and a quartz crystal microbalance. Sodium and lithium films were ablated onto the gold electrodes of a QCM at 4 K. The adsorption isotherms of 4He were controlled by increasing the chemical potential from vacuum to bulk coexistence. The behavior of helium films are dependent on the strength of the substrate potential. For strong potentials such as gold and graphite the initial layers solidify while for the weaker substrate cesium films do not grow. Lithium and sodium were predicted to be intermediate in strength and for a mobile, helium film to directly grow on its surface. In addition to the superfluid transition a liquid/vapor coexistence region was predicted to also exist directly on an intermediate strength substrate. Our simultaneous QCM and ellipsometer measurements showed no clear evidence for the coexistence of 2D liquid/vapor on sodium or lithium. The gold electrodes which supported the alkali films were suspected of being too rough. We then ablated sodium on atomically smooth HOPG and the ellipsometer measured a discontinuous step at 0.5 K implying a liquid/vapor coexistence which decreased in size until it disappeared at the critical temperature T≈0.7 K. This is the first experimental evidence of a 2D critical point on sodium. (Abstract shortened by UMI.).

Study on the Dynamic Performance of the Helium Turboexpander for EAST Subsystems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, Shuangtao; Yang, Shanju; Fu, Bao; Zhang, Qiyong; Hou, Yu

2015-06-01

An increase of the cooling capacities in the liquid helium temperature area is required by Experimental Advanced Superconducting Tokamak (EAST) due to the extension of its subsystems in the near future. Limited by the heat exchangers, cryogenic pipes, and cryogenic valves, it is difficult to enlarge the present EAST helium system. 102 W@4.5 K level helium cryogenic systems are needed in view of feasibility and economy. A turboexpander is the key component of a helium cryogenic system. In this article, a hydrostatic gas lubricated cryogenic helium turboexpander for a 900 W@4.5 K cryogenic helium system was developed for the EAST updated subsystem by the Institute of Plasma Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences and the Institute of Cryogenic and Refrigeration of Xi'an Jiaotong University. The main components, such as gas bearings, expansion wheel, shaft, and brake wheel, were briefly presented. The dynamic performance of the journal and thrust gas bearings was investigated numerically. The rotordynamic performance of the developed turboexpander was studied experimentally. The results show that the axial and radial load capacities supplied by the journal gas bearing and thrust gas bearing are enough to balance the axial force and radial force of the rotor. A 43% overspeed operation was achieved, which validated the reasonable design of the turboexpander. supported by Joint Funds of the National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 11176023), National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 51306135), and partially supported by the China Postdoctoral Science Foundation (No. 2013M532040) and Special Financial Grant of China Postdoctoral Science Foundation (No. 2014T70917)

Technologies for Refueling Spacecraft On-Orbit

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Chato, David J.

2000-01-01

This paper discusses the current technologies for on-orbit refueling of spacecraft. The findings of 55 references are reviewed and summarized. Highlights include: (1) the Russian Progress system used by the International Space Station; (2) a flight demonstration of superfluid helium transfer; and (3) ground tests of large cryogenic systems. Key technologies discussed include vapor free liquid outflow, control of fluid inflow to prevent liquid venting, and quick disconnects for on-orbit mating of transfer lines.

Wetting Transitions in ^4He/^3He Mixtures on Cesium

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ross, David

1997-03-01

Over the last several years, helium on cesium has proven to be an ideal model system for the study of wetting and wetting transitions(E. Cheng, M.W. Cole, W.F. Saam, and J. Treiner, Phys. Rev. Lett. 67), 1007 (1991).^,(J.E. Rutledge and P. Taborek, Phys. Rev. Lett. 69), 937 (1992).^,(D. Ross, J.E. Rutledge, and P. Taborek, Phys. Rev. Lett. 76), 2350 (1996).. This presentation will focus on the adsorption of binary liquid mixtures of the helium isotopes, ^3He and ^4He, on cesium substrates over a range of temperatures extending from 0.2 K to 1.0 K. The results, spanning ^3He concentrations from 0 to 1, constitute the first experimentally constructed complete wetting phase diagram for a two component liquid at a weakly binding substrate. The wetting behavior is particularly interesting in the vicinity of bulk liquid phase separation. A wetting transition of the ^4He rich liquid between the ^3He rich liquid and the cesium substrate has been found with Tw = 0.53 K. The surface phase transition line associated with this wetting transition is found to extend to both sides of the bulk phase separation line. On the ^3He rich side it is a prewetting line, and on the ^4He rich side it becomes a line of triple point induced dewetting transitions. General arguments indicate that this behavior should be typical of a large class of binary liquid mixtures at weakly binding substrates.

Final Commissioning of the Superconducting Heavy Ion Linear Accelerator at IUAC, Delhi

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Datta, Tripti Sekhar; Choudhury, Anup; Chacko, Jacob; Kar, Soumen; Antony, Joby; Babu, Suresh; Kumar, Manoj; Mathuria, D. S.; Sahu, Santosh; Kanjilal, Dinakar

The superconducting linac as a booster of the 15UD Pelletron accelerator was partly commissioned with one linac module housing eight quarter wave bulk niobium cavities along with the superbuncher and rebuncher cryomodules. Subsequently two more linac cryomodules were added to have in total 24 cavities for acceleration. In addition, a new Linde helium refrigerator of capacity 750 W @ 4.2 K was installed in parallel to the earlier CCI refrigerator. The new refrigerator was integrated with the earlier cryogenics network system through a specially designed liquid helium distribution line without any valve box. The cooling philosophy with this new system is modified to have a faster cool down rate in the critical zone (150 - 70 K) to avoid Q disease. The helium gas pressure fluctuation in the cavities is reduced significantly to have stable RF locking. The full linac is being operated and beams with higher energy are being delivered to the users. The present paper will highlight the performance of the new cryogenic system with respect to cool down rate, and helium pressure fluctuation.

Performance of the helium dewar and the cryocoolers of the Hitomi soft x-ray spectrometer

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fujimoto, Ryuichi; Takei, Yoh; Mitsuda, Kazuhisa; Yamasaki, Noriko Y.; Tsujimoto, Masahiro; Koyama, Shu; Ishikawa, Kumi; Sugita, Hiroyuki; Sato, Yoichi; Shinozaki, Keisuke; Okamoto, Atsushi; Kitamoto, Shunji; Hoshino, Akio; Sato, Kosuke; Ezoe, Yuichiro; Ishisaki, Yoshitaka; Yamada, Shinya; Seta, Hiromi; Ohashi, Takaya; Tamagawa, Toru; Noda, Hirofumi; Sawada, Makoto; Tashiro, Makoto; Yatsu, Yoichi; Mitsuishi, Ikuyuki; Kanao, Kenichi; Yoshida, Seiji; Miyaoka, Mikio; Tsunematsu, Shoji; Otsuka, Kiyomi; Narasaki, Katsuhiro; DiPirro, Michael J.; Shirron, Peter J.; Sneiderman, Gary A.; Kilbourne, Caroline A.; Porter, Frederick Scott; Chiao, Meng P.; Eckart, Megan E.

2018-01-01

The soft x-ray spectrometer (SXS) was a cryogenic high-resolution x-ray spectrometer onboard the Hitomi (ASTRO-H) satellite that achieved energy resolution of 5 eV at 6 keV, by operating the detector array at 50 mK using an adiabatic demagnetization refrigerator (ADR). The cooling chain from room temperature to the ADR heat sink was composed of two-stage Stirling cryocoolers, a He4 Joule-Thomson cryocooler, and superfluid liquid helium and was installed in a dewar. It was designed to achieve a helium lifetime of more than 3 years with a minimum of 30 L. The satellite was launched on February 17, 2016, and the SXS worked perfectly in orbit, until March 26 when the satellite lost its function. It was demonstrated that the heat load on the helium tank was about 0.7 mW, which would have satisfied the lifetime requirement. This paper describes the design, results of ground performance tests, prelaunch operations, and initial operation and performance in orbit of the flight dewar and the cryocoolers.

Proof-of-principle demonstration of a virtual flow meter-based transducer for gaseous helium monitoring in particle accelerator cryogenics

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Arpaia, P.; Technology Department, European Organization for Nuclear Research; Blanco, E.

2015-07-15

A transducer based on a virtual flow meter is proposed for monitoring helium distribution and consumption in cryogenic systems for particle accelerators. The virtual flow meter allows technical and economical constraints, preventing installation of physical instruments in all the needed measurement points, to be overcome. Virtual flow meter performance for the alternative models of Samson [ http://www.samson.de (2015)] and Sereg-Schlumberger [ http://www.slb.com/ (2015)] is compared with the standard IEC 60534-2-1 [Industrial-process control valves—Part 2-1: Flow capacity—sizing equations for fluid flow under installed conditions (2011), https://webstore.iec.ch/publication/2461], for a large temperature range, for both gaseous and liquid helium phases, and for differentmore » pressure drops. Then, the calibration function of the transducer is derived. Finally, the experimental validation for the helium gaseous state on the test station for superconducting magnets in the laboratory SM18 [Pirotte et al., AIP Conf. Proc. 1573, 187 (2014)] at CERN is reported.« less

Online helium inventory monitoring of JLab cryogenic systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hasan, N.; Knudsen, P.; Wright, M.

2017-12-01

There are five cryogenic plants at Jefferson Lab which support the LINAC, experiment hall end-stations and test facility. The majority of JLab’s helium inventory, which is around 15 tons, is allocated in the LINAC cryo-modules, with the majority of the balance of helium distributed at the cryogenic-plant level mainly as stored gas and liquid for stable operation. Due to the organic evolution of the five plants and independent actions within the experiment halls, the traditional inventory management strategy suffers from rapid identification of potential leaks. This can easily result in losses many times higher than the normally accepted (average) loss rate. A real-time program to quickly identify potential excessive leakage was developed and tested. This program was written in MATLAB© for portability, easy diagnostics and modification. It interfaces directly with EPICS to access the cryogenic system state, and with and NIST REFPROP© for real fluid properties. This program was validated against the actual helium offloaded into the system. The present paper outlines the details of the inventory monitoring program, its validation and a sample of the achieved results.

Gas density effect on dropsize of simulated fuel sprays

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ingebo, Robert D.

1989-01-01

Two-phase flow in pneumatic two-fluid fuel nozzles was investigated experimentally to determine the effect of atomizing-gas density and gas mass-flux on liquid-jet breakup in sonic-velocity gas-flow. Dropsize data were obtained for the following atomizing-gases: nitrogen; argon; carbon dioxide; and helium. They were selected to cover a gas molecular-weight range of 4 to 44. Atomizing-gas mass-flux ranged from 6 to 50 g/sq cm-sec and four differently sized two-fluid fuel nozzles were used having orifice diameters that varied from 0.32 to 0.56 cm. The ratio of liquid-jet diameter to SMD, D sub o/D sub 32, was correlated with aerodynamic and liquid-surface forces based on the product of the Weber and Reynolds number, We*Re, and gas-to-liquid density ratio, rho sub g/rho sub l. To correlate spray dropsize with breakup forces produced by using different atomizing-gases, a new molecular-scale dimensionless group was derived. The derived dimensionless group was used to obtain an expression for the ratio of liquid-jet diameter to SMD, D sub o/D sub 32. The mathematical expression of this phenomenon incorporates the product of the Weber and Reynolds number, liquid viscosity, surface tension, acoustic gas velocity, the RMS velocity of gas molecules, the acceleration of gas molecules due to gravity, and gas viscosity. The mathematical expression encompassing these parameters agrees well with the atomization theory for liquid-jet breakup in high velocity gas flow. Also, it was found that at the same gas mass-flux, helium was considerably more effective than nitrogen in producing small droplet sprays with SMD's in the order of 5 micrometers.

Leakage Through a Channel Formed by a Gasket, a Sealing Surface, and a Filament Trapped Between Them

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Russell, John; Adams, Frederick

1996-01-01

Plumbing for the transport of liquid Hydrogen or liquid Oxygen at the Kennedy Space Center (KSC) is very critical. Every piece of hardware for handling such a hazardous cryogen is subject to testing prior to installation and use. Safe, realistic testing of all such hardware is prohibitively expensive, which leads, perforce, to expidients such as: (1) lead testing with non-flammable tracer fluids (e.g, liquid nitrogen) and (2) leak testing with room temperature tracer fluids (e.g. liquid helium). Such expedients undermine the realism of the tests. If however, one could apply rational fluid dynamics methods to derive a general analytical expression with which one could relate the throughput of gaseous Helium through a given leak channel to the throughput of liquid Hydrogen through the same channel, then one could recover much of the information that one would otherwise forfeit through these expedients. These facts lead to the following questions: (1) What would be an example of a generic flaw in a gasket?; and (2) How can one calculate the flow of fluid in it? The report addresses these questions. It considers a particular leak geometry, namely one formed by a gasket, a sealing surface, and a filament trapped between them (so that the cross section of the leak channel is a flat bottomed curvilinear triangle, two sides of which are circular arcs and which has cusps on all three corners).

Progress in magnetic sensor technology for sea mine detection

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Clem, Ted R.

1997-07-01

A superconducting magnetic-field gradiometer developed in the 1980's has been demonstrated infusion with acoustic sensors to enhance shallow water sea mine detection and classification, especially for buried mine detection and the reduction of acoustic false alarm rates. This sensor incorporated niobium bulk and wire superconducting components cooled by liquid helium to a temperature of 4 degrees K. An advanced superconducting gradiometer prototype is being developed to increase sensitivity and detection range. This sensor features all thin film niobium superconducting components and a new liquid helium cooling concept. In the late 1980's, a new class of 'high Tc' superconductors was discovered with critical temperatures above the boiling point of liquid nitrogen. The use of liquid nitrogen refrigeration offers new opportunities for this sensor technology, providing significant reduction in the size of sensor packages and in the requirements for cryogenic support and logistics. As a result of this breakthrough, a high Tc sensor concept using liquid nitrogen refrigeration has been developed for mine reconnaissance applications and a test article of that concept is being fabricated and evaluated. In addition to these developments in sensor technology, new signal processing approaches and recent experimental results have ben obtained to demonstrate an enhanced D/C capability. In this paper, these recent advances in sensor development and new results for an enhanced D/C capability will be reviewed and a current perspective on the role of magnetic sensors for mine detection and classification will be addressed.

Paradoxes of thermodynamics of swelling equilibria of polymers in liquids and vapors.

PubMed

Davankov, Vadim A; Pastukhov, Alexander V

2011-12-29

An automatic registration of the changing size of a single spherical microbead of a cross-linked polymer was applied for studying the swelling process of the bead by the sorption of vapors and/or liquids. Many representatives of all three basic types of polymeric networks, gel-type, hypercrosslinked, and macroporous, were examined. Only the first two display large volume changes and prove suitable for following the kinetics and extent of swelling by the above dilatometric technique. The results unambiguously prove that swelling of all polymeric networks in liquids is always higher than in corresponding saturated vapors (Schroeder's paradox). The general nature of this phenomenon implies that the absolute activity of any sorbate in its liquid form is always larger than in the form of its saturated vapor. Surprisingly, gels with any solvent contents, which fall into the broad range between the vapor-equilibrated and liquid-equilibrated extreme contents, retain their volumes constant in the saturated vapor atmosphere. This paradox of a wide range of gels swollen to a different extent and, nevertheless, standing in equilibrium with saturated vapor is explained by the specificity of the network polymers, namely, that the energy of the solvent-polymer interactions is easily compensated by the energy of remaining between-chain interactions at any solvent content in the above range. Therefore, the strain-free swollen gels do not generate enhanced vapor pressure, but neither display the ability to take up more sorbate from its vapor. © 2011 American Chemical Society

Simplified liquid oxygen propellant conditioning concepts

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Cleary, N. L.; Holt, K. A.; Flachbart, R. H.

1995-01-01

Current liquid oxygen feed systems waste propellant and use hardware, unnecessary during flight, to condition the propellant at the engine turbopumps prior to launch. Simplified liquid oxygen propellant conditioning concepts are being sought for future launch vehicles. During a joint program, four alternative propellant conditioning options were studied: (1) passive recirculation; (2) low bleed through the engine; (3) recirculation lines; and (4) helium bubbling. The test configuration for this program was based on a vehicle design which used a main recirculation loop that was insulated on the downcomer and uninsulated on the upcomer. This produces a natural convection recirculation flow. The test article for this program simulated a feedline which ran from the main recirculation loop to the turbopump. The objective was to measure the temperature profile of this test article. Several parameters were varied from the baseline case to determine their effects on the temperature profile. These parameters included: flow configuration, feedline slope, heat flux, main recirculation loop velocity, pressure, bleed rate, helium bubbling, and recirculation lines. The heat flux, bleed rate, and recirculation configurations produced the greatest changes from the baseline temperature profile. However, the temperatures in the feedline remained subcooled. Any of the options studied could be used in future vehicles.

Influence of Two-Phase Thermocapillary Flow on Cryogenic Liquid Retention in Microscopic Pores

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Schmidt, G. R.; Nadarajah, A.; Chung, T. J.; Karr, G. R.

1994-01-01

Previous experiments indicate that the bubble point pressure of spacecraft liquid hydrogen acquisition devices is reduced substantially when the ullage is pressurized with heated hydrogen vapor. The objective is to determine whether the two-phase thermocapillary convection arising from thermodynamic non-equilibrium along the porous surfaces of such devices could lead to this observed degradation in retention performance. We also examine why retention capability appears to be unaffected by pressurization with heated helium or direct heating through the porous structure. Computational assessments based on coupled solution of the flowfield and liquid free surface indicate that for highly wetting fluids in small pores, dynamic pressure and vapor recoil dictate surface morphology and drive meniscus deformation. With superheating, the two terms exert the same influence on curvature and promote mechanical equilibrium, but with subcooling, the pressure distribution produces a suction about the pore center-line that degrades retention. This result points to thermocapillary-induced deformation arising from condensation as the cause for retention loss. It also indicates that increasing the level of non-equilibrium by reducing accommodation coefficient restricts deformation and explains why retention failure does not occur with direct screen heating or helium pressurization.

Air Liquides Contribution to the CERN Lhc Refrigeration System

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dauguet, P.; Gistau-Baguer, G. M.; Briend, P.; Hilbert, B.; Monneret, E.; Villard, J. C.; Marot, G.; Delcayre, F.; Mantileri, C.; Hamber, F.; Courty, J. C.; Hirel, P.; Cohu, A.; Moussavi, H.

2008-03-01

The Large Hadron Collider (LHC) is the largest particle accelerator in the world. It is a superconducting machine over 27 km in circumference. Its magnets and cavities require helium refrigeration and liquefaction over the temperature range of 1.8 K to 300 K. This is the largest cryogenic system in the world with respect to the needed cryogenic power: 144-kW equivalent power at 4.5 K. The LHC cryogenic system is composed of 8×18 kW at 4.5 K refrigerators, 8×2.4 kW at 1.8 K systems, 5 main valve boxes, more than 27 km of helium transfer lines and around 300 service modules connecting the transfer line to the magnet and cavity strings. More than half of these components have been designed, manufactured, installed and commissioned by Air Liquide. Due to the huge size of the project, the engineering, construction and commissioning of the equipment has lasted for 8 years, from the first order of equipment in 1998 to final commissioning in 2006. Specifications, architecture and the Air Liquide design of major components of the LHC Refrigeration System are presented in this paper.

Cavity optomechanics in a levitated helium drop

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Childress, L.; Schmidt, M. P.; Kashkanova, A. D.; Brown, C. D.; Harris, G. I.; Aiello, A.; Marquardt, F.; Harris, J. G. E.

2017-12-01

We describe a proposal for a type of optomechanical system based on a drop of liquid helium that is magnetically levitated in vacuum. In the proposed device, the drop would serve three roles: its optical whispering-gallery modes would provide the optical cavity, its surface vibrations would constitute the mechanical element, and evaporation of He atoms from its surface would provide continuous refrigeration. We analyze the feasibility of such a system in light of previous experimental demonstrations of its essential components: magnetic levitation of mm-scale and cm-scale drops of liquid He , evaporative cooling of He droplets in vacuum, and coupling to high-quality optical whispering-gallery modes in a wide range of liquids. We find that the combination of these features could result in a device that approaches the single-photon strong-coupling regime, due to the high optical quality factors attainable at low temperatures. Moreover, the system offers a unique opportunity to use optical techniques to study the motion of a superfluid that is freely levitating in vacuum (in the case of 4He). Alternatively, for a normal fluid drop of 3He, we propose to exploit the coupling between the drop's rotations and vibrations to perform quantum nondemolition measurements of angular momentum.

3-D Distribution of Retained Colloids in Unsaturated Porous Media

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Morales, V. L.; Perez-Reche, F. J.; Holzner, M.; Kinzelbach, W. K.; Otten, W.

2013-12-01

It is well accepted that colloid transport processes in porous media differ substantially between water saturated and unsaturated conditions. Differences are frequently ascribed to colloid immobilization by association with interfaces with the gas, as well as to restrictions of the liquid medium through which colloids are transported. Such factors depend on interfacial conditions provided by the water saturation of the porous medium. Yet, the current understanding of the importance of colloid retention at gas interfaces is based on observations of single pores or two-dimensional pore network representations, leaving open the question of their statistical significance when all pores in the medium are considered. In order to address this question, column experiments were performed using a model porous medium of glass beads through which colloidal silver particles were transported for conditions of varying water content. X-ray microtomography was subsequently employed as a non-destructive imaging technique to obtain pore-scale information of the entire column regarding: i) the presence and distribution of the four main locations where colloids can become retained (interfaces with the liquid-solid, gas-liquid and gas-solid, and the bulk liquid), ii) deposition profiles of colloids along the column classified by the available retention location, iii) morphological characteristics of the deposited colloidal aggregates, and iv) channel widths of 3-dimensional pore-water network representations. The results presented provide, for the first time, a direct statistical evaluation on the significance of colloid retention by attachment to the liquid-solid, gas-liquid, gas-solid interfaces, and by straining in the bulk liquid. Additionally, an effective-pore structure characteristic is proposed to improve predictions of mass removal by straining under various water saturations. A) Unsaturated conditions. B) Saturated conditions. Left: Tomograph slice illustrating with false coloring Regions Of Interest corresponding to retention locations at the gas-liquid (purple), gas-solid (white) and solid-liquid interface (blue), and the bulk liquid (teal). Right: Deposition profiles of silver colloids (Ag) per retention location (T: total, GLI: gas-liquid interface, GSI: gas-solid interface, SLI: solid-liquid interface, L: bulk liquid) (Top). Depth profiles of the volume occupied by each retention location (Middle). Normalized deposition profiles of silver volume retained by its corresponding retention-location volume (Bottom).

New correlation for the temperature-dependent viscosity for saturated liquids

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tian, Jianxiang; Zhang, Laibin

2016-11-01

Based on the recent progress on both the temperature dependence of surface tension [H. L. Yi, J. X. Tian, A. Mulero and I. Cachading, J. Therm. Anal. Calorim. 126 (2016) 1603, and the correlation between surface tension and viscosity of liquids [J. X. Tian and A. Mulero, Ind. Eng. Chem. Res. 53 (2014) 9499], we derived a new multiple parameter correlation to describe the temperature-dependent viscosity of liquids. This correlation is verified by comparing with data from NIST Webbook for 35 saturated liquids including refrigerants, hydrocarbons and others, in a wide temperature range from the triple point temperature to the one very near to the critical temperature. Results show that this correlation predicts the NIST data with high accuracy with absolute average deviation (AAD) less than 1% for 21 liquids and more than 3% for only four liquids, and is clearly better than the popularly used Vogel-Fulcher-Tamman (VFT) correlation.

Handheld low-temperature plasma probe for portable "point-and-shoot" ambient ionization mass spectrometry.

PubMed

Wiley, Joshua S; Shelley, Jacob T; Cooks, R Graham

2013-07-16

We describe a handheld, wireless low-temperature plasma (LTP) ambient ionization source and its performance on a benchtop and a miniature mass spectrometer. The source, which is inexpensive to build and operate, is battery-powered and utilizes miniature helium cylinders or air as the discharge gas. Comparison of a conventional, large-scale LTP source against the handheld LTP source, which uses less helium and power than the large-scale version, revealed that the handheld source had similar or slightly better analytical performance. Another advantage of the handheld LTP source is the ability to quickly interrogate a gaseous, liquid, or solid sample without requiring any setup time. A small, 7.4-V Li-polymer battery is able to sustain plasma for 2 h continuously, while the miniature helium cylinder supplies gas flow for approximately 8 continuous hours. Long-distance ion transfer was achieved for distances up to 1 m.

Second sound shock waves and critical velocities in liquid helium 2. Ph.D. Thesis

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Turner, T. N.

1979-01-01

Large amplitude second-sound shock waves were generated and the experimental results compared to the theory of nonlinear second-sound. The structure and thickness of second-sound shock fronts are calculated and compared to experimental data. Theoretically it is shown that at T = 1.88 K, where the nonlinear wave steepening vanishes, the thickness of a very weak shock must diverge. In a region near this temperature, a finite-amplitude shock pulse evolves into an unusual double-shock configuration consisting of a front steepened, temperature raising shock followed by a temperature lowering shock. Double-shocks are experimentally verified. It is experimentally shown that very large second-sound shock waves initiate a breakdown in the superfluidity of helium 2, which is dramatically displayed as a limit to the maximum attainable shock strength. The value of the maximum shock-induced relative velocity represents a significant lower bound to the intrinsic critical velocity of helium 2.

Thermodynamic Performance of the 3-Stage ADR for the Astro-H Soft X-Ray Spectrometer Instrument

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Shirron, Peter J.; Kimball, Mark O.; James, Bryan L.; Muench, Theodore; DiPirro, Michael J.; Bialas, Thomas G.; Sneiderman, Gary A.; Porter, Frederick S.; Kelley, Richard L.

2015-01-01

The Soft X-ray Spectrometer (SXS) instrument[1] on Astro-H[2] will use a 3-stage ADR[3] to cool the microcalorimeter array to 50 mK. In the primary operating mode, two stages of the ADR cool the detectors using superfluid helium at =1.20 K as the heat sink[4]. In the secondary mode, which is activated when the liquid helium is depleted, the ADR uses a 4.5 K Joule-Thomson cooler as its heat sink. In this mode, all three stages operate together to continuously cool the (empty) helium tank and singleshot cool the detectors. The flight instrument - dewar, ADR, detectors and electronics - were integrated in 2014 and have since undergone extensive performance testing. This paper presents a thermodynamic analysis of the ADR's operation, including cooling capacity, heat rejection to the heat sinks, and various measures of efficiency.

Are sdAs helium core stars?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pelisoli, Ingrid; Kepler, S. O.; Koester, Detlev

2017-12-01

Evolved stars with a helium core can be formed by non-conservative mass exchange interaction with a companion or by strong mass loss. Their masses are smaller than 0.5 M⊙. In the database of the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS), there are several thousand stars which were classified by the pipeline as dwarf O, B and A stars. Considering the lifetimes of these classes on the main sequence, and their distance modulus at the SDSS bright saturation, if these were common main sequence stars, there would be a considerable population of young stars very far from the galactic disk. Their spectra are dominated by Balmer lines which suggest effective temperatures around 8 000-10 000 K. Several thousand have significant proper motions, indicative of distances smaller than 1 kpc. Many show surface gravity in intermediate values between main sequence and white dwarf, 4.75 < log g < 6.5, hence they have been called sdA stars. Their physical nature and evolutionary history remains a puzzle. We propose they are not H-core main sequence stars, but helium core stars and the outcomes of binary evolution. We report the discovery of two new extremely-low mass white dwarfs among the sdAs to support this statement.

Investigation of two and three parameter equations of state for cryogenic fluids

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Jenkins, Susan L.; Majumdar, Alok K.; Hendricks, Robert C.

1990-01-01

Two-phase flows are a common occurrence in cryogenic engines and an accurate evaluation of the heat-transfer coefficient in two-phase flow is of significant importance in their analysis and design. The thermodynamic equation of state plays a key role in calculating the heat transfer coefficient which is a function of thermodynamic and thermophysical properties. An investigation has been performed to study the performance of two- and three-parameter equations of state to calculate the compressibility factor of cryogenic fluids along the saturation loci. The two-parameter equations considered here are van der Waals and Redlich-Kwong equations of state. The three-parameter equation represented here is the generalized Benedict-Webb-Rubin (BWR) equation of Lee and Kesler. Results have been compared with the modified BWR equation of Bender and the extended BWR equations of Stewart. Seven cryogenic fluids have been tested; oxygen, hydrogen, helium, nitrogen, argon, neon, and air. The performance of the generalized BWR equation is poor for hydrogen and helium. The van der Waals equation is found to be inaccurate for air near the critical point. For helium, all three equations of state become inaccurate near the critical point.

Real-gas effects 1: Simulation of ideal gas flow by cryogenic nitrogen and other selected gases

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hall, R. M.

1980-01-01

The thermodynamic properties of nitrogen gas do not thermodynamically approximate an ideal, diatomic gas at cryogenic temperatures. Choice of a suitable equation of state to model its behavior is discussed and the equation of Beattie and Bridgeman is selected as best meeting the needs for cryogenic wind tunnel use. The real gas behavior of nitrogen gas is compared to an ideal, diatomic gas for the following flow processes: isentropic expansion; normal shocks; boundary layers; and shock wave boundary layer interactions. The only differences in predicted pressure ratio between nitrogen and an ideal gas that may limit the minimum operating temperatures of transonic cryogenic wind tunnels seem to occur at total pressures approaching 9atmospheres and total temperatures 10 K below the corresponding saturation temperature, where the differences approach 1 percent for both isentropic expansions and normal shocks. Several alternative cryogenic test gases - air, helium, and hydrogen - are also analyzed. Differences in air from an ideal, diatomic gas are similar in magnitude to those of nitrogen. Differences for helium and hydrogen are over an order of magnitude greater than those for nitrogen or air. Helium and hydrogen do not approximate the compressible flow of an ideal, diatomic gas.

Gas propagation in a liquid helium cooled vacuum tube following a sudden vacuum loss

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dhuley, Ram C.

This dissertation describes the propagation of near atmospheric nitrogen gas that rushes into a liquid helium cooled vacuum tube after the tube suddenly loses vacuum. The loss-of-vacuum scenario resembles accidental venting of atmospheric air to the beam-line of a superconducting radio frequency particle accelerator and is investigated to understand how in the presence of condensation, the in-flowing air will propagate in such geometry. In a series of controlled experiments, room temperature nitrogen gas (a substitute for air) at a variety of mass flow rates was vented to a high vacuum tube immersed in a bath of liquid helium. Pressure probes and thermometers installed on the tube along its length measured respectively the tube pressure and tube wall temperature rise due to gas flooding and condensation. At high mass in-flow rates a gas front propagated down the vacuum tube but with a continuously decreasing speed. Regression analysis of the measured front arrival times indicates that the speed decreases nearly exponentially with the travel length. At low enough mass in-flow rates, no front propagated in the vacuum tube. Instead, the in-flowing gas steadily condensed over a short section of the tube near its entrance and the front appeared to `freeze-out'. An analytical expression is derived for gas front propagation speed in a vacuum tube in the presence of condensation. The analytical model qualitatively explains the front deceleration and flow freeze-out. The model is then simplified and supplemented with condensation heat/mass transfer data to again find the front to decelerate exponentially while going away from the tube entrance. Within the experimental and procedural uncertainty, the exponential decay length-scales obtained from the front arrival time regression and from the simplified model agree.

Dynamics of Superfluid Helium in Low-Gravity

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Frank, David J.

1997-01-01

This report summarizes the work performed under a contract entitled 'Dynamics of Superfluid Helium in Low Gravity'. This project performed verification tests, over a wide range of accelerations of two Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) codes of which one incorporates the two-fluid model of superfluid helium (SFHe). Helium was first liquefied in 1908 and not until the 1930s were the properties of helium below 2.2 K observed sufficiently to realize that it did not obey the ordinary physical laws of physics as applied to ordinary liquids. The term superfluidity became associated with these unique observations. The low temperature of SFHe and it's temperature unifonrmity have made it a significant cryogenic coolant for use in space applications in astronomical observations with infrared sensors and in low temperature physics. Superfluid helium has been used in instruments such as the Shuttle Infrared Astronomy Telescope (IRT), the Infrared Astronomy Satellite (IRAS), the Cosmic Background Observatory (COBE), and the Infrared Satellite Observatory (ISO). It is also used in the Space Infrared Telescope (SIRTF), Relativity Mission Satellite formally called Gravity Probe-B (GP-B), and the Test of the Equivalence Principle (STEP) presently under development. For GP-B and STEP, the use of SFHE is used to cool Superconducting Quantum Interference Detectors (SQUIDS) among other parts of the instruments. The Superfluid Helium On-Orbit Transfer (SHOOT) experiment flown in the Shuttle studied the behavior of SFHE. This experiment attempted to get low-gravity slosh data, however, the main emphasis was to study the low-gravity transfer of SFHE from tank to tank. These instruments carried tanks of SFHE of a few hundred liters to 2500 liters. The capability of modeling the behavior of SFHE is important to spacecraft control engineers who must design systems that can overcome disturbances created by the movement of the fluid. In addition instruments such as GP-B and STEP are very sensitive to quasi-steady changes in the mass distribution of the liquid. The CFD codes were used to model the fluid's dynamic motion. Tests in one-g were performed with the main emphasis on being able to compute the actual damping of the fluid. A series of flights on the NASA Lewis reduced gravity DC-9 aircraft were performed with the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) Low Temperature Flight Facility and a superfluid Test Cell. The data at approximately 0.04g, lg and 2g were used to determine if correct fundamental frequencies can be predicted based on the acceleration field. Tests in zero gravity were performed to evaluate zero gravity motion.

Viscosity of saturated R152a measured with a vibrating wire viscometer

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

van der Gulik, P. S.

1995-07-01

Earlier reported values of the viscosity coefficient of the refrigerant R152a (1,1-difluoroethane) have been recalculated with an improved value for the mechanical damping of the vibrating wire viscometer. The measurements were taken along the saturation line both in the saturated liquid and in the saturated vapor every 10 K from 243 up to 393 K by means of a vibrating wire viscometer The damping of the vibration of the wire is a measure for the viscosity provided that the mechanical damping is subtracted. The latter is usually measured in vacuum. It turns out that the damping value measured in this way depends on the vacuum pressure and on the way the wire has been handled before. It appeared that the damping applied previously, measured after 6 days of pumping, is too small, resulting in values of the viscosity coefficient which are too large. The effect on the data for the saturated-liquid viscosity is small, but the new saturated-vapor viscosity data agree much better with the unsaturated-vapor data reported by Takahashi et al.

HAER Level II Documentation of Launch Complexes 1/2, 3/4, 9/10, 14, and 34 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Florida

DTIC Science & Technology

2016-06-01

Helium was used for first stage pressurization, for upper-stage in-flight storage spheres, and for liquid oxygen tank bubbling to prevent temperature ...LOX liquid oxygen MFL Missile Firing Laboratory MIPR Military Interdepartmental Purchase Request MTTP multi-service tactics, techniques, and...TR-16-1 vi Introduction Background Congress codified the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966 (NHPA), the nation’s most effective cultural

Design and experimental investigation of a cryogenic system for environmental test applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yan, Lutao; Li, Hong; Liu, Yue; Han, Che; Lu, Tian; Su, Yulei

2015-04-01

This paper is concerned with the design, development and performance testing of a cryogenic system for use in high cooling power instruments for ground-based environmental testing. The system provides a powerful tool for a combined environmental test that consists of high pressure and cryogenic temperatures. Typical cryogenic conditions are liquid hydrogen (LH2) and liquid oxygen (LO2), which are used in many fields. The cooling energy of liquid nitrogen (LN2) and liquid helium (LHe) is transferred to the specimen by a closed loop of helium cycle. In order to minimize the consumption of the LHe, the optimal design of heat recovery exchangers has been used in the system. The behavior of the system is discussed based on experimental data of temperature and pressure. The results show that the temperature range from room temperature to LN2 temperature can be achieved by using LN2, the pressurization process is stable and the high test pressure is maintained. Lower temperatures, below 77 K, can also be obtained with LHe cooling, the typical cooling time is 40 min from 90 K to 22 K. Stable temperatures of 22 K at the inlet of the specimen have been observed, and the system in this work can deliver to the load a cooling power of several hundred watts at a pressure of 0.58 MPa.

Stable high-power saturable absorber based on polymer-black-phosphorus films

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mao, Dong; Li, Mingkun; Cui, Xiaoqi; Zhang, Wending; Lu, Hua; Song, Kun; Zhao, Jianlin

2018-01-01

Black phosphorus (BP), a rising two-dimensional material with a layer-number-dependent direct bandgap of 0.3-1.5 eV, is very interesting for optoelectronics applications from near- to mid-infrared wavebands. In the atmosphere, few-layer BP tends to be oxidized or degenerated during interacting with lasers. Here, we fabricate few-layer BP nanosheets based on a liquid exfoliation method using N-methylpyrrolidone as the dispersion liquid. By incorporating BP nanosheets with polymers (polyvinyl alcohol or high-melting-point polyimide), two flexible filmy BP saturable absorbers are fabricated to realize passive mode locking in erbium-doped fiber lasers. The polymer-BP saturable absorber, especially the polyimide-BP saturable absorber, can prevent the oxidation or water-induced etching under high-power laser illuminations, providing a promising candidate for Q-switchers, mode lockers, and light modulators.

Wide temperature range seal for demountable joints

DOEpatents

Sixsmith, Herbert; Valenzuela, Javier A.; Nutt, William E.

1991-07-23

The present invention is directed to a seal for demountable joints operating over a wide temperature range down to liquid helium temperatures. The seal has anti-extrusion guards which prevent extrusion of the soft ductile sealant material, which may be indium or an alloy thereof.

Computer program for calculating thermodynamic and transport properties of fluids

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hendricks, R. C.; Braon, A. K.; Peller, I. C.

1975-01-01

Computer code has been developed to provide thermodynamic and transport properties of liquid argon, carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, fluorine, helium, methane, neon, nitrogen, oxygen, and parahydrogen. Equation of state and transport coefficients are updated and other fluids added as new material becomes available.

146. FUEL LINE TO SKID 2 (FUEL LOADER) IN FUEL ...

Library of Congress Historic Buildings Survey, Historic Engineering Record, Historic Landscapes Survey

146. FUEL LINE TO SKID 2 (FUEL LOADER) IN FUEL CONTROL ROOM (215), LSB (BLDG. 751). LIQUID NITROGEN/HELIUM HEAT EXCHANGER ON RIGHT. - Vandenberg Air Force Base, Space Launch Complex 3, Launch Pad 3 East, Napa & Alden Roads, Lompoc, Santa Barbara County, CA

Performance Evaluation of the Gravity Probe B Design

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Francis, Ronnie; Wells, Eugene M.

1996-01-01

This report documents the simulation of the Lockheed Martin designed Gravity Probe B (GPB) spacecraft developed tool by bd Systems Inc using the TREETOPS simulation. This study quantifies the effects of flexibility and liquid helium slosh on GPB spacecraft control performance. The TREETOPS simulation tool permits the simulation of flexible structures given that a flexible body model of the structure is available. For purposes of this study, a flexible model of the GPB spacecraft was obtained from Lockheed Martin. To model the liquid helium slosh effects, computational fluid dynamics (CFD) results' were obtained, and used to develop a dynamic model of the slosh effects. The flexible body and slosh effects were incorporated separately into the TREETOPS simulation, which places the vehicle in a 650 km circular polar orbit and subjects the spacecraft to realistic environmental disturbances and sensor error quantities. In all of the analysis conducted in this study the spacecraft is pointed at an inertially fixed guide star (GS) and is rotating at a constant rate about this line of sight.

Cryogenic and Simulated Fuel Jet Breakup in Argon, Helium and Nitrogen Gas Flows

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ingebo, Robert D.

1995-01-01

Two-phase flow atomization of liquid nitrogen jets was experimentally investigated. They were co-axially injected into high-velocity gas flows of helium, nitrogen and argon, respectively, and atomized internally inside a two-fluid fuel nozzle. Cryogenic sprays with relatively high specific surface areas were produced, i.e., ratios of surface area to volume were fairly high. This was indicated by values of reciprocal Sauter mean diameters, RSMD's, as measured with a scattered- light scanning instrument developed at NASA Lewis Research Center. Correlating expressions were derived for the three atomizing gases over a gas temperature range of 111 to 422 K. Also, the correlation was extended to include waterjet breakup data that had been previously obtained in simulating fuel jet breakup in sonic velocity gas flow. The final correlating expression included a new dimensionless molecular-scale acceleration group. It was needed to correlate RSMD data, for LN2 and H2O sprays, with the fluid properties of the liquid jets and atomizing gases used in this investigation.

Versatile variable temperature and magnetic field scanning probe microscope for advanced material research

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jung, Jin-Oh; Choi, Seokhwan; Lee, Yeonghoon; Kim, Jinwoo; Son, Donghyeon; Lee, Jhinhwan

2017-10-01

We have built a variable temperature scanning probe microscope (SPM) that covers 4.6 K-180 K and up to 7 T whose SPM head fits in a 52 mm bore magnet. It features a temperature-controlled sample stage thermally well isolated from the SPM body in good thermal contact with the liquid helium bath. It has a 7-sample-holder storage carousel at liquid helium temperature for systematic studies using multiple samples and field emission targets intended for spin-polarized spectroscopic-imaging scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) study on samples with various compositions and doping conditions. The system is equipped with a UHV sample preparation chamber and mounted on a two-stage vibration isolation system made of a heavy concrete block and a granite table on pneumatic vibration isolators. A quartz resonator (qPlus)-based non-contact atomic force microscope (AFM) sensor is used for simultaneous STM/AFM operation for research on samples with highly insulating properties such as strongly underdoped cuprates and strongly correlated electron systems.

Porous plug phase separator and superfluid film flow suppression system for the soft x-ray spectrometer onboard Hitomi

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ezoe, Yuichiro; DiPirro, Michael; Fujimoto, Ryuichi; Ishikawa, Kumi; Ishisaki, Yoshitaka; Kanao, Kenichi; Kimball, Mark; Mitsuda, Kazuhisa; Mitsuishi, Ikuyuki; Murakami, Masahide; Noda, Hirofumi; Ohashi, Takaya; Okamoto, Atsushi; Satoh, Yohichi; Sato, Kosuke; Shirron, Peter; Tsunematsu, Shoji; Yamaguchi, Hiroya; Yoshida, Seiji

2018-01-01

When using superfluid helium in low-gravity environments, porous plug phase separators are commonly used to vent boil-off gas while confining the bulk liquid to the tank. Invariably, there is a flow of superfluid film from the perimeter of the porous plug down the vent line. For the soft x-ray spectrometer onboard ASTRO-H (Hitomi), its approximately 30-liter helium supply has a lifetime requirement of more than 3 years. A nominal vent rate is estimated as ˜30 μg/s, equivalent to ˜0.7 mW heat load. It is, therefore, critical to suppress any film flow whose evaporation would not provide direct cooling of the remaining liquid helium. That is, the porous plug vent system must be designed to both minimize film flow and to ensure maximum extraction of latent heat from the film. The design goal for Hitomi is to reduce the film flow losses to <2 μg/s, corresponding to a loss of cooling capacity of <40 μW. The design adopts the same general design as implemented for Astro-E and E2, using a vent system composed of a porous plug, combined with an orifice, a heat exchanger, and knife-edge devices. Design, on-ground testing results, and in-orbit performance are described.

Non-equilibrium thermodynamics, heat transport and thermal waves in laminar and turbulent superfluid helium

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mongiovì, Maria Stella; Jou, David; Sciacca, Michele

2018-01-01

This review paper puts together some results concerning non equilibrium thermodynamics and heat transport properties of superfluid He II. A one-fluid extended model of superfluid helium, which considers heat flux as an additional independent variable, is presented, its microscopic bases are analyzed, and compared with the well known two-fluid model. In laminar situations, the fundamental fields are density, velocity, absolute temperature, and heat flux. Such a theory is able to describe the thermomechanical phenomena, the propagation of two sounds in liquid helium, and of fourth sound in superleak. It also leads in a natural way to a two-fluid model on purely macroscopical grounds and allows a small amount of entropy associated with the superfluid component. Other important features of liquid He II arise in rotating situations and in superfluid turbulence, both characterized by the presence of quantized vortices (thin vortex lines whose circulation is restricted by a quantum condition). Such vortices have a deep influence on the transport properties of superfluid helium, as they increase very much its thermal resistance. Thus, heat flux influences the vortices which, in turn, modify the heat flux. The dynamics of vortex lines is the central topic in turbulent superfluid helium. The model is generalized to take into account the vortices in different cases of physical interest: rotating superfluids, counterflow superfluid turbulence, combined counterflow and rotation, and mass flow in addition to heat flow. To do this, the averaged vortex line density per unit volume L, is introduced and its dynamical equations are considered. Linear and non-linear evolution equations for L are written for homogeneous and inhomogeneous, isotropic and anisotropic situations. Several physical experiments are analyzed and the influence of vortices on the effective thermal conductivity of turbulent superfluid helium is found. Transitions from laminar to turbulent flows, from diffusive to ballistic regimes, from isotropic to anisotropic situations, are analyzed, thus providing a wide range of practical applications. Besides the steady-state effective thermal conductivity, the propagation of harmonic waves is also studied, motivated by the fact that vortex line density is experimentally detected via the attenuation of second sound and because it provides dynamical information on heat transport and thermal waves which complement the static information of the thermal conductivity.

Technical challenges involved in supporting the Lambda Point Experiment

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Petrac, D.; Israelsson, U.; Otth, D.; Simmons, L.; Staats, J.; Thompson, A.

1990-01-01

The Lambda Point Experiment (LPE) is one of the instruments included in the U.S. Microgravity Payload Mission 1 planned for one of the Space Shuttle flights in 1992. The objective of the experiment is to measure the heat capacity of liquid helium within a narrow interval around the transition between superfluid and normal helium (the lambda point) with an unprecedented temperature resolution of about 10 to the -10th. Multiple technical challenges are presented in the areas of structural support, safety analysis, and modal frequency tests. This paper describes the technical challenges of JPL's multidisciplinary involvement in support of these experiments in microgravity.

Ice versus liquid water saturation in simulations of the indian summer monsoon

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Glazer, Russell H.; Misra, Vasubandhu

2018-02-01

At the same temperature, below 0 °C, the saturation vapor pressure (SVP) over ice is slightly less than the SVP over liquid water. Numerical models use the Clausius-Clapeyron relation to calculate the SVP and relative humidity, but there is not a consistent method for the treatment of saturation above the freezing level where ice and mixed-phase clouds may be present. In the context of current challenges presented by cloud microphysics in climate models, we argue that a better understanding of the impact that this treatment has on saturation-related processes like cloud formation and precipitation, is needed. This study explores the importance of the SVP calculation through model simulations of the Indian summer monsoon (ISM) using the regional spectral model (RSM) at 15 km grid spacing. A combination of seasonal and multiyear simulations is conducted with two saturation parameterizations. In one, the SVP over liquid water is prescribed through the entire atmospheric column (woIce), and in another the SVP over ice is used above the freezing level (wIce). When SVP over ice is prescribed, a thermodynamic drying of the middle and upper troposphere above the freezing level occurs due to increased condensation. In the wIce runs, the model responds to the slight decrease in the saturation condition by increasing, relative to the SVP over liquid water only run, grid-scale condensation of water. Increased grid-scale mean seasonal precipitation is noted across the ISM region in the simulation with SVP over ice prescribed. Modification of the middle and upper troposphere moisture results in a decrease in mean seasonal mid-level cloud amount and an increase in high cloud amount when SVP over ice is prescribed. Multiyear simulations strongly corroborate the qualitative results found in the seasonal simulations regarding the impact of ice versus liquid water SVP on the ISM's mean precipitation and moisture field. The mean seasonal rainfall difference over All India between wIce and woIce is around 10% of the observed interannual variability of seasonal All India rainfall.

Subsurface capture of carbon dioxide

DOEpatents

Blount, Gerald; Siddal, Alvin A.; Falta, Ronald W.

2014-07-22

A process and apparatus of separating CO.sub.2 gas from industrial off-gas source in which the CO.sub.2 containing off-gas is introduced deep within an injection well. The CO.sub.2 gases are dissolved in the, liquid within the injection well while non-CO.sub.2 gases, typically being insoluble in water or brine, are returned to the surface. Once the CO.sub.2 saturated liquid is present within the injection well, the injection well may be used for long-term geologic storage of CO.sub.2 or the CO.sub.2 saturated liquid can be returned to the surface for capturing a purified CO.sub.2 gas.

Liquid oxygen/liquid hydrogen boost/vane pump for the advanced orbit transfer vehicles auxiliary propulsion system

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gluzek, F.; Mokadam, R. G.; To, I. H.; Stanitz, J. D.; Wollschlager, J.

1979-01-01

A rotating, positive displacement vane pump with an integral boost stage was designed to pump saturated liquid oxygen and liquid hydrogen for auxiliary propulsion system of orbit transfer vehicle. This unit is designed to ingest 10% vapor by volume, contamination free liquid oxygen and liquid hydrogen. The final pump configuration and the predicted performance are included.

Wide temperature range seal for demountable joints

DOEpatents

Sixsmith, H.; Valenzuela, J.A.; Nutt, W.E.

1991-07-23

The present invention is directed to a seal for demountable joints operating over a wide temperature range down to liquid helium temperatures. The seal has anti-extrusion guards which prevent extrusion of the soft ductile sealant material, which may be indium or an alloy thereof. 6 figures.

Measuring Poisson Ratios at Low Temperatures

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Boozon, R. S.; Shepic, J. A.

1987-01-01

Simple extensometer ring measures bulges of specimens in compression. New method of measuring Poisson's ratio used on brittle ceramic materials at cryogenic temperatures. Extensometer ring encircles cylindrical specimen. Four strain gauges connected in fully active Wheatstone bridge self-temperature-compensating. Used at temperatures as low as liquid helium.

Liquid propellant thermal conditioning system test program

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bullard, B. R.

1972-01-01

Results are presented from more than 1500 hours of testing on a liquid hydrogen thermal conditioning unit. Test parameters included: mixer and vent flow rates; tank size; ullage volume; pressurant gas; pressurant temperature; pressure level; and heat rate. Gaseous hydrogen and helium were used as pressurants. Analytical models were developed to correlate the test data and relate the performance to that anticipated in zero gravity. Experimental and theoretical results are presented which relate the variables controlling vapor condensation at a moving interface.

Constraining spacetime nonmetricity with neutron spin rotation in liquid 4 He

DOE PAGES

Lehnert, Ralf; Snow, W. M.; Xiao, Zhi; ...

2017-09-10

General spacetime nonmetricity coupled to neutrons is studied. In this context, it is shown that certain nonmetricity components can generate a rotation of the neutron's spin. Available data on this effect obtained from slow-neutron propagation in liquid helium are then used to constrain isotropic nonmetricity components at the level of 10 -22GeV. These results represent the first limit on the nonmetricity ζ( 6) 2S 000 parameter as well as the first measurement of nonmetricity inside matter.

Pumping and Depressurizing of Insulation Materials

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Porter, Amber

2010-01-01

The Fluids Testing and Technology Branch is a group that researches and tests efficient ways to use various Cryogenic Fluids, such as Liquid Nitrogen or Liquid Helium, in ground and space systems. Their main goal is to develop new technologies involving Cryogenic temperatures as well as making sure the existing technologies are understood. During my time here a lot of insulation testing has been done which is where insulation systems are tested for cryogenic systems that are in space for long durations.

Vapors-liquid phase separator. [infrared telescope heat sink

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Frederking, T. H. K.; Brown, G. S.; Chuang, C.; Kamioka, Y.; Kim, Y. I.; Lee, J. M.; Yuan, S. W. K.

1980-01-01

The use of porous plugs, mostly with in the form of passive devices with constant area were considered as vapor-liquid phase separators for helium 2 storage vessels under reduced gravity. The incorporation of components with variable cross sectional area as a method of flow rate modification was also investigated. A particular device which uses a shutter-type system for area variation was designed and constructed. This system successfully permitted flor rate changes of up to plus or minus 60% from its mean value.

Subcooled Liquid Oxygen Cryostat for Magneto-Archimedes Particle Separation by Density

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hilton, D. K.; Celik, D.; Van Sciver, S. W.

2008-03-01

An instrument for the separation of particles by density (sorting) is being developed that uses the magneto-archimedes effect in liquid oxygen. With liquid oxygen strongly paramagnetic, the magneto-archimedes effect is an extension of diamagnetic levitation in the sense of increasing the effective buoyancy of a particle. The instrument will be able to separate ensembles of particles from 100 μm to 100 nm in size, and vertically map or mechanically deliver the separated particles. The instrument requires a column of liquid oxygen that is nearly isothermal, free of thermal convection, subcooled to prevent nucleate boiling, and supported against the strong magnetic field used. Thus, the unique cryostat design that meets these requirements is described in the present article. It consists in part of a column of liquid nitrogen below for cooling the liquid oxygen, with the liquid oxygen pressurized by helium gas to prevent nucleate boiling.

An Interpolation Method for Obtaining Thermodynamic Properties Near Saturated Liquid and Saturated Vapor Lines

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Nguyen, Huy H.; Martin, Michael A.

2004-01-01

The two most common approaches used to formulate thermodynamic properties of pure substances are fundamental (or characteristic) equations of state (Helmholtz and Gibbs functions) and a piecemeal approach that is described in Adebiyi and Russell (1992). This paper neither presents a different method to formulate thermodynamic properties of pure substances nor validates the aforementioned approaches. Rather its purpose is to present a method to generate property tables from existing property packages and a method to facilitate the accurate interpretation of fluid thermodynamic property data from those tables. There are two parts to this paper. The first part of the paper shows how efficient and usable property tables were generated, with the minimum number of data points, using an aerospace industry standard property package. The second part describes an innovative interpolation technique that has been developed to properly obtain thermodynamic properties near the saturated liquid and saturated vapor lines.

The Liquid Nitrogen System for Chamber A: A Change from Original Forced Flow Design to a Natural Flow (Thermo Siphon) System

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Homan, Jonathan; Montz, Michael; Sidi-Yekhlef, Ahmed; Ganni, Venkatarao (Rao); Knudsen, Peter; Garcia, Sam; Linza, Robert; Meagher, Daniel; Lauterbauch, John

2008-01-01

NASA Johnson Space Center (JSC) in Houston is currently supplementing its 20K helium refrigeration system to meet the new requirements for testing the James Web Space Telescope in the environmental control Chamber-A (65 dia x 120 high) in Building 32. The new system is required to meet the various operating modes which include a high 20K heat load, a required temperature stability at the load, rapid (but controlled) cool down and warm up and bake out of the chamber. This paper will present the proposed modifications to the existing helium system(s) to incorporate the new requirements and the integration of the new helium refrigerator with the existing two 3.5KW 20K helium refrigerators. In addition, the floating pressure process control philosophy to achieve high efficiency over the operating range (40% to 100% of the refrigeration system capacity), and the required temperature stability of +/- 0.25 K at the load will be discussed. The refrigeration systems ability to naturally seek the operating conditions under various loads and thus minimizing operator involvement and the over all improvements to the system operability and the reliability will be explained.

Preliminary results for a higher-precision measurement of the helium n=2 triplet P fine structure

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kato, K.; Skinner, T. D. G.; George, M. C.; Fitzakerley, D. W.; Vutha, A. C.; Storry, C. H.; Bezginov, N.; Valdez, T.; Hessels, E. A.

2017-04-01

Preliminary results for a higher-precision measurement of the n=2 triplet P J=1 to J=2 fine-structure interval in atomic helium are presented. A beam of metastable helium atoms is created in a liquid-nitrogen-cooled dc-discharge source, and is intensified using a 2D-MOT. These atoms are excited to the 2 triplet P state, and undergo a frequency-offset separated-oscillatory-field (FOSOF) microwave experiment. Only atoms which undergo a microwave transition, in the time-separated microwave fields are laser-excited to a Rydberg state and then Stark ionized and counted. Our new experimental design has eliminated the major systematic effects of previous experiments, and has led to a substantial improvement in the signal-to-noise ratio of the collected data. Our final improved measurement (with an expected uncertainty of less than 100 Hz) will allow for a test of 2-electron QED-theory in the helium n=2 triplet P system, and will be an important step towards obtaining a precise determination of the fine-structure constant. This research is supported by NSERC, CRC, CFI and NIST.

Commissioning and Operational Experience with 1 kW Class Helium Refrigerator/Liquefier for SST-1

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dhard, C. P.; Sarkar, B.; Misra, Ruchi; Sahu, A. K.; Tanna, V. L.; Tank, J.; Panchal, P.; Patel, J. C.; Phadke, G. D.; Saxena, Y. C.

2004-06-01

The helium refrigerator/liquefier (R/L) for the Steady State Super conducting Tokamak (SST-1) has been developed with very stringent specifications for the different operational modes. The total refrigeration capacity is 650 W at 4.5 K and liquefaction capacity of 200 l/h. A cold circulation pump is used for the forced flow cooling of 300 g/s supercritical helium (SHe) for the magnet system (SCMS). The R/L has been designed also to absorb a 200 W transient heat load of the SCMS. The plant consists of a compressor station, oil removal system, on-line purifier, Main Control Dewar (MCD) with associated heat exchangers, cold circulation pump and warm gas management system. An Integrated Flow Control and Distribution System (IFDCS) has been designed, fabricated and installed for distribution of SHe in the toroidal and poloidal field coils as well as liquid helium for cooling of 10 pairs of current leads. A SCADA based control system has been designed using PLC for R/L as well as IFDCS. The R/L has been commissioned and required parameters were achieved confirming to the process. All the test results and commissioning experiences are discussed in this paper.

Theory of Positron Annihilation in Helium-Filled Bubbles in Plutonium

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Sterne, P A; Pask, J E

2003-02-13

Positron annihilation lifetime spectroscopy is a sensitive probe of vacancies and voids in materials. This non-destructive measurement technique can identify the presence of specific defects in materials at the part-per-million level. Recent experiments by Asoka-Kumar et al. have identified two lifetime components in aged plutonium samples--a dominant lifetime component of around 182 ps and a longer lifetime component of around 350-400ps. This second component appears to increase with the age of the sample, and accounts for only about 5 percent of the total intensity in 35 year-old plutonium samples. First-principles calculations of positron lifetimes are now used extensively to guidemore » the interpretation of positron lifetime data. At Livermore, we have developed a first-principles finite-element-based method for calculating positron lifetimes for defects in metals. This method is capable of treating system cell sizes of several thousand atoms, allowing us to model defects in plutonium ranging in size from a mono-vacancy to helium-filled bubbles of over 1 nm in diameter. In order to identify the defects that account for the observed lifetime values, we have performed positron lifetime calculations for a set of vacancies, vacancy clusters, and helium-filled vacancy clusters in delta-plutonium. The calculations produced values of 143ps for defect-free delta-Pu and 255ps for a mono-vacancy in Pu, both of which are inconsistent with the dominant experimental lifetime component of 182ps. Larger vacancy clusters have even longer lifetimes. The observed positron lifetime is significantly shorter than the calculated lifetimes for mono-vacancies and larger vacancy clusters, indicating that open vacancy clusters are not the dominant defect in the aged plutonium samples. When helium atoms are introduced into the vacancy cluster, the positron lifetime is reduced due to the increased density of electrons available for annihilation. For a mono-vacancy in Pu containing one helium atom, the calculated lifetime is 190 ps, while a di-vacancy containing two helium atoms has a positron lifetime of 205 ps. In general, increasing the helium density in a vacancy cluster or He-filled bubble reduces the positron lifetime, so that the same lifetime value can arise fi-om a range of vacancy cluster sizes with different helium densities. In order to understand the variation of positron lifetime with vacancy cluster size and helium density in the defect, we have performed over 60 positron lifetime calculations with vacancy cluster sizes ranging from 1 to 55 vacancies and helium densities ranging fi-om zero to five helium atoms per vacancy. The results indicate that the experimental lifetime of 182 ps is consistent with the theoretical value of 190 ps for a mono-vacancy with a single helium atom, but that slightly better agreement is obtained for larger clusters of 6 or more vacancies containing 2-3 helium atoms per vacancy. For larger vacancy clusters with diameters of about 3-5 nm or more, the annihilation with helium electrons dominates the positron annihilation rate; the observed lifetime of 180ps is then consistent with a helium concentration in the range of 3 to 3.5 Hehacancy, setting an upper bound on the helium concentration in the vacancy clusters. In practice, the single lifetime component is most probably associated with a family of helium-filled bubbles rather than with a specific unique defect size. The longer 350-400ps lifetime component is consistent with a relatively narrow range of defect sizes and He concentration. At zero He concentration, the lifetime values are matched by small vacancy clusters containing 6-12 vacancies. With increasing vacancy cluster size, a small amount of He is required to keep the lifetime in the 350-400 ps range, until the value saturates for larger helium bubbles of more than 50 vacancies (bubble diameter > 1.3 nm) at a helium concentration close to 1 He/vacancy. These results, taken together with the experimental data, indicate that the features observed in TEM data by Schwartz et al are not voids, but are in fact helium-filled bubbles with a helium pressure of around 2-3 helium atoms per vacancy, depending on the bubble size. This is consistent with the conclusions of recently developed models of He-bubble growth in aged plutonium.« less

The two-phase flow IPTT method for measurement of nonwetting-wetting liquid interfacial areas at higher nonwetting saturations in natural porous media

PubMed Central

Zhong, Hua; Ouni, Asma El; Lin, Dan; Wang, Bingguo; Brusseau, Mark L

2017-01-01

Interfacial areas between nonwetting-wetting (NW-W) liquids in natural porous media were measured using a modified version of the interfacial partitioning tracer test (IPTT) method that employed simultaneous two-phase flow conditions, which allowed measurement at NW saturations higher than trapped residual saturation. Measurements were conducted over a range of saturations for a well-sorted quartz sand under three wetting scenarios of primary drainage (PD), secondary imbibition (SI), and secondary drainage (SD). Limited sets of experiments were also conducted for a model glass-bead medium and for a soil. The measured interfacial areas were compared to interfacial areas measured using the standard IPTT method for liquid-liquid systems, which employs residual NW saturations. In addition, the theoretical maximum interfacial areas estimated from the measured data are compared to specific solid surface areas measured with the N2/BET method and estimated based on geometrical calculations for smooth spheres. Interfacial areas increase linearly with decreasing water saturation over the range of saturations employed. The maximum interfacial areas determined for the glass beads, which have no surface roughness, are 32±4 and 36±5 cm−1 for PD and SI cycles, respectively. The values are similar to the geometric specific solid surface area (31±2 cm−1) and the N2/BET solid surface area (28±2 cm−1). The maximum interfacial areas are 274±38, 235±27, and 581±160 cm−1 for the sand for PD, SI, and SD cycles, respectively, and ~7625 cm−1 for the soil for PD and SI. The maximum interfacial areas for the sand and soil are significantly larger than the estimated smooth-sphere specific solid surface areas (107±8 cm−1 and 152±8 cm−1, respectively), but much smaller than the N2/BET solid surface area (1387±92 cm−1 and 55224 cm−1, respectively). The NW-W interfacial areas measured with the two-phase flow method compare well to values measured using the standard IPTT method. PMID:28959079

Experimental investigation of water distribution in a two-phase zone during gravity-dominated evaporation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cejas, Cesare M.; Castaing, Jean-Christophe; Hough, Larry; Frétigny, Christian; Dreyfus, Rémi

2017-12-01

We characterize the water repartition within the partially saturated (two-phase) zone (PSZ) during evaporation from mixed wettable porous media by controlling the wettability of glass beads, their sizes, and as well the surrounding relative humidity. Here, capillary numbers are low and under these conditions, the percolating front is stabilized by gravity. Using experimental and numerical analyses, we find that the PSZ saturation decreases with the Bond number, where packing of smaller particles have higher saturation values than packing made of larger particles. Results also reveal that the extent (height) of the PSZ, as well as water saturation in the PSZ, both increase with wettability. We also numerically calculate the saturation exclusively contained in connected liquid films and results show that values are less than the expected PSZ saturation. These results strongly reflect that the two-phase zone is not solely made up of connected capillary networks but also made of disconnected water clusters or pockets. Moreover, we also find that global saturation (PSZ + full wet zone) decreases with wettability, confirming that greater quantity of water is lost via evaporation with increasing hydrophilicity. These results show that connected liquid films are favored in more-hydrophilic systems while disconnected water pockets are favored in less-hydrophilic systems.

Crystallization of accessory phases in magmas by local saturation adjacent to phenocrysts

USGS Publications Warehouse

Bacon, C.R.

1989-01-01

Accessory minerals commonly occur attached to or included in the major crystalline phases of felsic and some intermediate igneous rocks. Apatite is particularly common as inclusions, but Fe-Ti oxides, pyrrhotite, zircon, monazite, chevkinite and xenotime are also known from silicic rocks. Accessories may nucleate near the host crystal/ liquid interface as a result of local saturation owing to formation of a differentiated chemical boundary layer in which accessory mineral solubility would be lower than in the surrounding liquid. Differentiation of this boundary layer would be greatest adjacent to ferromagnesian phenocrysts, especially Fe-Ti oxides; it is with oxides that accessories are most commonly associated in rocks. A boundary layer may develop if the crystal grows more rapidly than diffusion can transport incorporated and rejected elements to and from the phenocryst. Diffusion must dominate over convection as a mode of mass transfer near the advancing crystal/liquid interface in order for a boundary layer to exist. Accumulation of essential structural constituent elements of accessory minerals owing to their slow diffusion in evolved silicate melt also may force local saturation, but this is not a process that applies to all cases. Local saturation is an attractive mechanism for enhancing fractionation during crystallization differentiation. If accessory minerals attached to or included in phenocrysts formed because of local saturation, their host phenocrysts must have grown rapidly when accessories nucleated in comparison to lifetimes of magma reservoirs. Some inconsistencies remain in a local saturation origin for accessory phases that cannot be evaluated without additional information. ?? 1989.

Ames Research Center cryogenics program

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kittel, Peter

1987-01-01

Viewgraphs describe the Ames Research Center's cryogenics program. Diagrams are given of a fluid management system, a centrifugal pump, a flow meter, a liquid helium test facility, an extra-vehicular activity coupler concept, a dewar support with passive orbital disconnect, a pulse tube refrigerator, a dilution refrigerator, and an adiabatic demagnetization cooler.

Luminescent Processes Elucidated by Simple Experiments on ZnS.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Schwankner, R.; And Others

1981-01-01

Describes some impurity-related optical properties of semiconductors, with special emphasis on the luminescence of zinc sulfide (ZnS). Presents and interprets five experiments using a ZnS screen, ultraviolet lamp, transparent Dewar liquid nitrogen, and a helium/neon gas base. Includes application of luminescence measurements to archaeology. (SK)

Search for Neutrinos from the Sun

DOE R&D Accomplishments Database

Davis, Raymond Jr.

1968-09-01

A solar neutrino detection system has been built to observe the neutrino radiation from the sun. The detector uses 3,900,000 liters of tetrachloroethylene as the neutrino capturing medium. Argon is removed from the liquid by sweeping with helium gas, and counted in a small low level proportional counter. The recovery efficiency of the system was tested with Ar{sup 36} by the isotope dilution method, and also with Ar{sup 37} produced in the liquid by fast neutrons. These tests demonstrate that Ar{sup 37} produced in the liquid by neutrino capture can be removed with a 95 percent efficiency by the procedure used.

Numerical studies of the surface tension effect of cryogenic liquid helium

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hung, R. J.

1994-01-01

The generalized mathematical formulation of sloshing dynamics for partially filled liquid of cryogenic superfluid helium II in dewar containers driven by both the gravity gradient and jitter accelerations applicable to scientific spacecraft which is eligible to carry out spinning motion and/or slew motion for the purpose of performing scientific observation during the normal spacecraft operation is investigated. An example is given with Gravity Probe-B (GP-B) spacecraft which is responsible for the sloshing dynamics. The jitter accelerations include slew motion, spinning motion, atmospheric drag on the spacecraft, spacecraft attitude motions arising from machinery vibrations, thruster firing, pointing control of spacecraft, crew motion, etc. Explicit mathematical expressions to cover these forces acting on the spacecraft fluid systems are derived. The numerical computation of sloshing dynamics has been based on the non-inertia frame spacecraft bound coordinate, and solve time-dependent, three-dimensional formulations of partial differential equations subject to initial and boundary conditions. The explicit mathematical expressions of boundary conditions to cover capillary force effect on the liquid vapor interface in microgravity environments are also derived. The formulations of fluid moment and angular moment fluctuations in fluid profiles induced by the sloshing dynamics, together with fluid stress and moment fluctuations exerted on the spacecraft dewar containers, have been derived.

Numerical Investigation of LO2 and LCH4 Storage Tanks on the Lunar Surface

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Moder, Jeff; Barsi, Stephen; Kassemi, Mohammad

2008-01-01

Currently NASA is developing technologies to enable human exploration of the lunar surface for duration of up to 210 days. While trade studies are still underway, a cryogenic ascent stage using liquid oxygen (LO2) and liquid methane (LCH4) is being considered for the Altair lunar lander. For a representative Altair cryogenic ascent stage, we present a detailed storage analysis of the LO2 and LCH4 propellant tanks on the lunar surface for durations of up to 210 days. Both the LO2 and LCH4 propellant tanks are assumed to be pressurized with gaseous helium at launch. A two-phase lumped-vapor computational fluid dynamics model has been developed to account for the presence of a noncondensable gas in the ullage. The CFD model is used to simulate the initial pressure response of the propellant tanks while they are subjected to representative heat leak rates on the lunar surface. Once a near stationary state is achieved within the liquid phase, multizone model is used to extrapolate the solution farther in time. For fixed propellant mass and tank size, the long-term pressure response for different helium mass fractions in both the LO2 and LCH4 tanks is examined.

Impedance magnitude optimization of the regenerator in Stirling pulse tube cryocoolers working at liquid-helium temperatures

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cao, Q.; Qiu, L. M.; Zhi, X. Q.; Han, L.; Gan, Z. H.; Zhang, X. B.; Zhang, X. J.; Sun, D. M.

2013-12-01

The impedance magnitude is important for the design and operation of a Stirling pulse tube cryocooler (SPTC). However, the influence of the impedance magnitude on the SPTC working at liquid-helium temperatures is still not clear due to the complexity of refrigeration mechanism at this temperature range. In this study, the influence of the impedance magnitude on the viscous and thermal losses has been investigated, which contributes to the overall refrigeration efficiency. Different from the previous study at liquid nitrogen temperatures, it has been found and verified experimentally that a higher impedance magnitude may result in a larger mass flow rate accompanied with larger losses in the warmer region, hence the refrigeration efficiency is lowered. Numerical simulation is carried out in SPTCs of different geometry dimensions and working parameters, and the experimental study is carried out in a three-stage SPTC. A minimum no-load refrigeration temperature is achieved with an appropriate impedance magnitude that is determined by the combination of frequency and precooling temperature. A lowest temperature of 4.76 K is achieved at 28 Hz and a precooling temperature of 22.6 K, which is the lowest temperature ever achieved with He-4 for SPTCs. Impedance magnitude optimization is clearly an important consideration for the design of a 4 K SPTC.

High-Temperature (940 °C) furnace in 18/20 T cold bore magnet

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Ze; Hou, Yubin; Feng, Qiyuan; Dong, Hongliang; Lu, Qingyou

2018-01-01

We present a high-temperature furnace that can work continuously in an 18/20 T cold bore magnet. A specially designed liquid nitrogen (LN2) jacket is between the high-temperature parts of the furnace and the liquid helium in the magnet Dewar. With LN2 serving as the cooling medium, the calculated value of radiation received by the liquid helium (LHe) is as low as 0.004 W. The furnace can be put into LHe Dewar directly. Together with the magnet, the furnace can provide experimental conditions of a strong static magnetic field and temperatures up to 940 °C. A cobalt oxide synthesis in solution was carried out at 200 °C with and without a 15 T magnetic field for 8 h. Differences in material structure with the applied field were observed in transmission electron micrographs of the products. A Co film sample was treated at 900 °C with and without a 6.8 T magnetic field for 30 min. The scanning electron micrographs of the treated samples show that magnetic field had a clear effect on the heat treatment process. These two applications confirmed the performance of the furnace both in high magnetic field and at high temperature.

Infiltration behaviour of elemental mercury DNAPL in fully and partially water saturated porous media

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

D'Aniello, Andrea; Hartog, Niels; Sweijen, Thomas; Pianese, Domenico

2018-02-01

Mercury is a contaminant of global concern due to its harmful effects on human health and for the detrimental consequences of its release in the environment. Sources of liquid elemental mercury are usually anthropogenic, such as chlor-alkali plants. To date insight into the infiltration behaviour of liquid elemental mercury in the subsurface is lacking, although this is critical for assessing both characterization and remediation approaches for mercury DNAPL contaminated sites. Therefore, in this study the infiltration behaviour of elemental mercury in fully and partially water saturated systems was investigated using column experiments. The properties affecting the constitutive relations governing the infiltration behaviour of liquid Hg0, and PCE for comparison, were determined using Pc(S) experiments with different granular porous media (glass beads and sands) for different two- and three-phase configurations. Results showed that, in water saturated porous media, elemental mercury, as PCE, acted as a non-wetting fluid. The required entry head for elemental mercury was higher (from about 5 to 7 times). However, due to the almost tenfold higher density of mercury, the required NAPL entry heads of 6.19 cm and 12.51 cm for mercury to infiltrate were 37.5% to 20.7% lower than for PCE for the same porous media. Although Leverett scaling was able to reproduce the natural tendency of Hg0 to be more prone than PCE to infiltrate in water saturated porous media, it considerably underestimated Hg0 infiltration capacity in comparison with the experimental results. In the partially water saturated system, in contrast with PCE, elemental mercury also acted as a nonwetting fluid, therefore having to overcome an entry head to infiltrate. The required Hg0 entry heads (10.45 and 15.74 cm) were considerably higher (68.9% and 25.8%) than for the water saturated porous systems. Furthermore, in the partially water saturated systems, experiments showed that elemental mercury displaced both air and water, depending on the initial water distribution within the pores. This indicates that the conventional wettability hierarchy, in which the NAPL has an intermediate wetting state between the air and the water phases, is not valid for liquid elemental mercury. Therefore, for future modelling of elemental mercury DNAPL infiltration behaviour in variably water saturated porous media, a different formulation of the governing constitutive relations will be required.

Quantum liquid droplets in a mixture of Bose-Einstein condensates

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cabrera, C. R.; Tanzi, L.; Sanz, J.; Naylor, B.; Thomas, P.; Cheiney, P.; Tarruell, L.

2018-01-01

Quantum droplets are small clusters of atoms self-bound by the balance of attractive and repulsive forces. Here, we report on the observation of droplets solely stabilized by contact interactions in a mixture of two Bose-Einstein condensates. We demonstrate that they are several orders of magnitude more dilute than liquid helium by directly measuring their size and density via in situ imaging. We show that the droplets are stablized against collapse by quantum fluctuations and that they require a minimum atom number to be stable. Below that number, quantum pressure drives a liquid-to-gas transition that we map out as a function of interaction strength. These ultradilute isotropic liquids remain weakly interacting and constitute an ideal platform to benchmark quantum many-body theories.

Ion-selective detection by plasticized poly(vinyl chloride) membrane in glass nanopipette with alternating voltage modulation.

PubMed

Deng, Xiao Long; Takami, Tomohide; Son, Jong Wan; Kang, Eun Ji; Kawai, Tomoji; Park, Bae Ho

2013-08-01

An alternating current (AC) voltage modulation was applied to ion-selective observations with plasticized poly(vinyl chloride) membranes in glass nanopipettes. The liquid confronting the membranes in the nanopipettes, the conditioning process, and AC voltage modulation play important roles in the ion-selective detection. In the AC detection system developed by us, where distilled water was used as the liquid within the nanopipettes, potassium ions were selectively detected in the sample solution of sodium and potassium ions because sodium ions were captured at the membrane containing bis(12-crown-4) ionophores, before the saturation of the ionophores. The membrane lost the selectivity after the saturation. On using sodium chloride as the liquid within the nanopipette, the membrane selectively detected potassium and sodium ions before and after the saturation of ionophores, respectively. The ion-selective detection of our system can be explained by the ion extraction-diffusion-dissolution mechanism through the bis(12-crown-4) ionophores with AC voltage modulation.

Crystallization from high temperature solutions of Si in copper

DOEpatents

Ciszek, Theodore F.

1994-01-01

A liquid phase epitaxy method for forming thin crystalline layers of device quality silicon having less than 5X10.sup.16 Cu atoms/cc impurity, comprising: preparing a saturated liquid solution melt of Si in Cu at about 16% to about 90% wt. Si at a temperature range of about 800.degree. C. to about 1400.degree. C. in an inert gas; immersing a substrate in the saturated solution melt; supersaturating the solution by lowering the temperature of the saturated solution melt and holding the substrate immersed in the solution melt for a period of time sufficient to cause growing Si to precipitate out of the solution to form a crystalline layer of Si on the substrate; and withdrawing the substrate from the solution.

Modeling 3H-3He Gas-Liquid Phase Transport for Interpretation of Groundwater Age

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Carle, S. F.; Esser, B.; Moran, J. E.

2009-12-01

California’s Groundwater Ambient Monitoring and Assessment (GAMA) Program has measured many hundreds of tritium (3H) and helium-3 (3He) concentrations in well water samples to derive estimates of groundwater age at production and monitoring wells in California basins. However, a 3H-3He age differs from an ideal groundwater age tracer in several respects: (1) the radioactive decay of 3H results in the accumulation of 3He being first-order with respect to 3H activity (versus a zero-order age-mass accumulation process for an ideal tracer), (2) surface concentrations of 3H as measured in precipitation over the last several decades have not been uniform, and (3) the 3H-3He “clock” begins at the water table and not at the ground surface where 3H source measurements are made. To better understand how these non-idealities affect interpretation of 3H-3He apparent groundwater age, we are modeling coupled gas-liquid phase flow and 3H-3He transport including processes of radiogenic decay, phase equilibrium, and molecular diffusion for water, air, 3H, and 3He components continuously through the vadose zone and saturated zone. Assessment of coupled liquid-gas phase processes enables consideration of 3H-3He residence time and dispersion within the vadose zone, including partitioning of tritiogenic 3He to the gas phase and subsequent diffusion into the atmosphere. The coupled gas-liquid phase modeling framework provides direct means to compare apparent 3H-3He age to ideal mean or advective groundwater ages for the same groundwater flow conditions. Examples are given for common groundwater flow systems involving areal recharge, discharge to streams or long-screened wells, and aquifer system heterogeneity. The Groundwater Ambient Monitoring and Assessment program is sponsored by the California State Water Resources Control Board and carried out in cooperation with the U.S. Geological Survey. This work was performed under the auspices of the U.S. Department of Energy by Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory under Contract DE-AC52-07NA27344.

Frequency-Temperature Compensation Techniques for High-Q Microwave Resonators

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hartnett, John G.; Tobar, Michael E.

Low-noise high-stability resonator oscillators based on high-Q monolithic sapphire ``Whispering Gallery'' (WG)-mode resonators have become important devices for telecommunication, radar and metrological applications. The extremely high quality factor of sapphire, of 2 x10^5 at room temperature, 5 x10^7 at liquid nitrogen temperature and 5 x10^9 at liquid helium temperature has enabled the lowest phase noise and highly frequency-stable oscillators in the microwave regime to be constructed. To create an oscillator with exceptional frequency stability, the resonator must have its frequency-temperature dependence annulled at some temperature, as well as a high quality factor. The Temperature Coefficient of Permittivity (TCP) for sapphire is quite large, at 10-100parts per million/K above 77K. This mechanism allows temperature fluctuations to transform to resonator frequency fluctuations.A number of research groups worldwide have investigated various methods of compensating the TCP of a sapphire dielectric resonator at different temperatures. The usual electromagnetic technique of annulment involves the use of paramagnetic impurities contributing an opposite temperature coefficient of the magnetic susceptibility to the TCP. This technique has only been realized successfully in liquid helium environments. Near 4K the thermal expansion and permittivity effects are small and only small quantities of the paramagnetic ions are necessary to compensate the mode frequency. Compensation is due to impurity ions that were incidentally left over from the manufacturing process.Recently, there has been an effort to dispense with the need for liquid helium and make a compact flywheel oscillator for the new generation of primary frequency standards such as the cesium fountain at the Laboratoire Primaire du Temps et des Fréquences (LPTF), France. To achieve the stability limit imposed by quantum projection noise requires that the local oscillator stability is of the order of 10^-14. Currently work is under way to achieve this goal in space-borne and mobile liquid-nitrogen-cooled systems. The work appears promising and, as at early 2000, the realization of this goal should not be far off.In this contribution we review techniques that cancel the TCP of sapphire and other dielectric resonators. Details of the temperature control system required to achieve current and target frequency stabilities are discussed.

Statistical mechanics of light elements at high pressure. IV - A model free energy for the metallic phase. [for Jovian type planet interiors

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Dewitt, H. E.; Hubbard, W. B.

1976-01-01

A large quantity of data on the thermodynamic properties of hydrogen-helium metallic liquids have been obtained in extended computer calculations in which a Monte Carlo code essentially identical to that described by Hubbard (1972) was used. A model free energy for metallic hydrogen with a relatively small mass fraction of helium is discussed, taking into account the definition of variables, a procedure for choosing the free energy, values for the fitting parameters, and the evaluation of the entropy constants. Possibilities concerning a use of the obtained data in studies of the interiors of the outer planets are briefly considered.

Ripplonic Lamb Shift for Electrons on Liquid Helium

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dykman, M. I.; Kono, K.; Konstantinov, D.; Lea, M. J.

2017-12-01

We study the shift of the energy levels of electrons on a helium surface due to the coupling to the quantum field of surface vibrations. As in quantum electrodynamics, the coupling is known, and it is known to lead to an ultraviolet divergence of the level shifts. We show that there are diverging terms of different nature and use the Bethe-type approach to show that they cancel each other, to leading order. This resolves the long-standing theoretical controversy and explains the existing experiments. The results allow us to study the temperature dependence of the level shift. The predictions are in good agreement with the experimental data, with no adjustable parameters.

Helium defectoscopy of cerium gadolinium ceramics Ce0.8Gd0.2O1.9 with a submicrocrystalline structure in the impurity disorder region

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Koromyslov, A. V.; Zhiganov, A. N.; Kovalenko, M. A.; Kupryazhkin, A. Ya.

2013-12-01

The concentration of impurity anion vacancies formed upon the dissociation of gadolinium-vacancy complexes has been determined using helium defectoscopy of the cerium gadolinium ceramics Ce0.8Gd0.2O1.9 with a submicrocrystalline structure in the temperature range T = 740-1123 K and at saturation pressures ranging from 0.05 to 15 MPa. It has been found that the energy of dissociation of gadoliniumvacancy complexes is E {eff/ D }= 0.26 ± 0.06 eV, and the energy of dissolution of helium in anion vacancies in the impurity disorder region is E P = -0.31 ± 0.09 eV. The proposed mechanism of dissolution has been confirmed by the investigation of the electrical conductivity of the cerium gadolinium ceramics, as well as by the high-speed molecular dynamics simulation of the dissociation of gadolinium-vacancy complexes. It has been assumed that a decrease in the effective dissolution energy in comparison with the results of the previously performed low-temperature investigations is caused by the mutual repulsion of vacancies formed upon the dissociation of gadolinium-vacancy complexes in highly concentrated solutions of gadolinium in CeO2 with increasing temperature.

Ultrastable Cryogenic Microwave Oscillators

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mann, Anthony G.

Ultrastable cryogenic microwave oscillators are secondary frequency standards in the microwave domain. The best of these oscillators have demonstrated a short term frequency stability in the range 10-14 to a few times 10-16. The main application for these oscillators is as flywheel oscillators for the next generation of passive atomic frequency standards, and as local oscillators in space telemetry ground stations to clean up the transmitter close in phase noise. Fractional frequency stabilities of passive atomic frequency standards are now approaching 3 x10^-14 /τ where τ is the measurement time, limited only by the number of atoms that are being interrogated. This requires an interrogation oscillator whose short-term stability is of the order of 10-14 or better, which cannot be provided by present-day quartz technology. Ultrastable cryogenic microwave oscillators are based on resonators which have very high electrical Q-factors. The resolution of the resonator's linewidth is typically limited by electronics noise to about 1ppm and hence Q-factors in excess of 108 are required. As these are only attained in superconducting cavities or sapphire resonators at low temperatures, use of liquid helium cooling is mandatory, which has so far restricted these oscillators to the research or metrology laboratory. Recently, there has been an effort to dispense with the need for liquid helium and make compact flywheel oscillators for the new generation of primary frequency standards. Work is under way to achieve this goal in space-borne and mobile liquid-nitrogen-cooled systems. The best cryogenic oscillators developed to date are the ``whispering gallery'' (WG) mode sapphire resonator-oscillators of NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) and the University of Western Australia (UWA), as well as Stanford University's superconducting cavity stabilized oscillator (SCSO). All of these oscillators have demonstrated frequency stabilities in the range of a few times 10-15 to a few times 10-16. In this contribution we review only liquid-helium-cooled secondary frequency standards, such as those just mentioned, which have attained frequency stabilities of 10-14 or better.

Integration of a Cryocooler into a SQUID Magnetospinography System for Reduction of Liquid Helium Consumption

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Adachi, Yoshiaki; Oyama, Daisuke; Kawai, Jun; Ogata, Hisanao; Uehara, Gen

We are currently developing a magnetospinography (MSG) system for noninvasive functional imaging of the spinal cord. The MSG system is a device for observing a weak magnetic field accompanied by the neural activity of the spinal cord by using an array of low-temperature superconducting quantum interference device (SQUID) magnetic flux sensors. As in the case of other biomagnetic measurement systems such as the magnetoencephalography (MEG) system, the running cost of the MSG system is mainly dependent on the liquid helium (LHe) consumption of a dewar vessel. We integrated a cryocooler into the MSG system to reduce LHe consumption. A pulse tube cryocooler with a cooling power of 0.5Wat 4 K was placed adjacent to a magnetically shielded room and was directly connected to the thermal radiation shield of the dewar by an electrically isolated transfer tube. Cold helium gas was circulated between the cryocooler and the radiation shield. Consequently, the temperature of the radiation shield decreased below 40 K. Previous studies have shown that the detection of a weak magnetic field is often hindered by severe low-frequency band noise from the cryocooler. However, the band of the MSG signals is much higher than that of the cryocooler noise. Therefore, the noise can be filtered out and has a less detrimental effect on MSG measurement than on other biomagnetic field measurements such as MEG measurement. As a result, LHe consumption was reduced by 46%, with no increase in the noise floor.

Advanced helium purge seals for Liquid Oxygen (LOX) turbopumps

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Shapiro, Wilbur; Lee, Chester C.

1989-01-01

Program objectives were to determine three advanced configurations of helium buffer seals capable of providing improved performance in a space shuttle main engine (SSME), high-pressure liquid oxygen (LOX) turbopump environment, and to provide NASA with the analytical tools to determine performance of a variety of seal configurations. The three seal designs included solid-ring fluid-film seals often referred to as floating ring seals, back-to-back fluid-film face seals, and a circumferential sectored seal that incorporated inherent clearance adjustment capabilities. Of the three seals designed, the sectored seal is favored because the self-adjusting clearance features accommodate the variations in clearance that will occur because of thermal and centrifugal distortions without compromising performance. Moreover, leakage can be contained well below the maximum target values; minimizing leakage is important on the SSME since helium is provided by an external tank. A reduction in tank size translates to an increase in payload that can be carried on board the shuttle. The computer codes supplied under this program included a code for analyzing a variety of gas-lubricated, floating ring, and sector seals; a code for analyzing gas-lubricated face seals; a code for optimizing and analyzing gas-lubricated spiral-groove face seals; and a code for determining fluid-film face seal response to runner excitations in as many as five degrees of freedom. These codes proved invaluable for optimizing designs and estimating final performance of the seals described.

Voluminous arc dacites as amphibole reaction-boundary liquids

USGS Publications Warehouse

Blatter, Dawnika; Sisson, Thomas W.; Hankins, William B.

2017-01-01

Dacites dominate the large-volume, explosive eruptions in magmatic arcs, and compositionally similar granodiorites and tonalites constitute the bulk of convergent margin batholiths. Shallow, pre-eruptive storage conditions are well known for many dacitic arc magmas through melt inclusions, Fe–Ti oxides, and experiments, but their potential origins deeper in the crust are not well determined. Accordingly, we report experimental results identifying the P–T–H2O conditions under which hydrous dacitic liquid may segregate from hornblende (hbl)-gabbroic sources either during crystallization–differentiation or partial melting. Two compositions were investigated: (1) MSH–Yn−1 dacite (SiO2: 65 wt%) from Mount St. Helens’ voluminous Yn tephra and (2) MSH–Yn−1 + 10% cpx to force saturation with cpx and map a portion of the cpx + melt = hbl peritectic reaction boundary. H2O-undersaturated (3, 6, and 9 wt% H2O) piston cylinder experiments were conducted at pressures, temperatures, and fO2 appropriate for the middle to lower arc crust (400, 700, and 900 MPa, 825–1100 °C, and the Re–ReO2 buffer ≈ Ni–NiO + 2). Results for MSH–Yn−1 indicate near-liquidus equilibrium with a cpx-free hbl-gabbro residue (hbl, plg, magnetite, ± opx, and ilmeno-hematite) with 6–7 wt% dissolved H2O, 925 °C, and 700–900 MPa. Opx disappears down-temperature consistent with the reaction opx + melt = hbl. Cpx-added phase relations are similar in that once ~10% cpx crystallizes, multiple saturation is attained with cpx, hbl, and plg, +/− opx, at 6–7 wt% dissolved H2O, 940 °C, and 700–900 MPa. Plg–hbl–cpx saturated liquids diverge from plg–hbl–opx saturated liquids, consistent with the MSH–Yn−1 dacite marking a liquid composition along a peritectic distributary reaction boundary where hbl appears down-temperature as opx + cpx are consumed. The abundance of saturating phases along this distributary peritectic (liquid + hbl + opx + cpx + plg + oxides) reduces the variance, so liquids are restricted to dacite–granodiorite–tonalite compositions. Higher-K dacites than the Yn would also saturate with biotite, further limiting their compositional diversity. Theoretical evaluation of the energetics of peritectic melting of pargasitic amphiboles indicates that melting and crystallization of amphibole occur abruptly, proximal to amphibole’s high-temperature stability limit, which causes the system to dwell thermally under the conditions that produce dacitic compositions. This process may account for the compositional homogeneity of dacites, granodiorites, and tonalites in arc settings, but their relative mobility compared to rhyolitic/granitic liquids likely accounts for their greater abundance.

The Equation of State and Optical Conductivity of Warm Dense He and H2

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Brygoo, Stephanie; Eggert, Jon H.; Loubeyre, Paul; McWilliams, Ryan S.; Hicks, Damien G.; Celliers, Peter M.; Boehly, Tom R.; Jeanloz, Raymond; Collins, Gilbert W.

2007-06-01

The determination of the equations of state of helium and hydrogen at very high density is an important problem at the frontier between condensed matter physics and plasma physics with important implications for planetary physics. Due to the limitations of the conventional techniques for reaching extreme densities(static or single shock compression), there are almost no data for the deep interior states of Jupiter. We present here shock compression measurements of helium and hydrogen, precompressed in diamond anvil cells up to 3ρliquid. We report the shock pressure, density and reflectivity up to 2 Mbar for helium and up to 1 Mbar for hydrogen. The data are compared to equations of state models used for astrophysical applications and to recent first principles calculations. This work was performed under the auspices of the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) by the University of California, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory under Contract No. W-7405-Eng-48.

Statistical mechanics of light elements at high pressure. VII - A perturbative free energy for arbitrary mixtures of H and He

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hubbard, W. B.; Dewitt, H. E.

1985-01-01

A model free energy is presented which accurately represents results from 45 high-precision Monte Carlo calculations of the thermodynamics of hydrogen-helium mixtures at pressures of astrophysical and planetophysical interest. The free energy is calculated using free-electron perturbation theory (dielectric function theory), and is an extension of the expression given in an earlier paper in this series. However, it fits the Monte Carlo results more accurately, and is valid for the full range of compositions from pure hydrogen to pure helium. Using the new free energy, the phase diagram of mixtures of liquid metallic hydrogen and helium is calculated and compared with earlier results. Sample results for mixing volumes are also presented, and the new free energy expression is used to compute a theoretical Jovian adiabat and compare the adiabat with results from three-dimensional Thomas-Fermi-Dirac theory. The present theory gives slightly higher densities at pressures of about 10 megabars.

Final Technical Report: Vibrational Spectroscopy of Transient Combustion Intermediates Trapped in Helium Nanodroplets

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Douberly, Gary Elliott

The objective of our experimental research program is to isolate and stabilize transient intermediates and products of prototype combustion reactions. This will be accomplished by Helium Nanodroplet Isolation, a novel technique where liquid helium droplets freeze out high energy metastable configurations of a reacting system, permitting infrared spectroscopic characterizations of products and intermediates that result from hydrocarbon radical reactions with molecular oxygen and other small molecules relevant to combustion environments. The low temperature (0.4 K) and rapid cooling associated with He droplets provides a perfectly suited medium to isolate and probe a broad range of molecular radical and carbene systemsmore » important to combustion chemistry. The sequential addition of molecular species to He droplets often leads to the stabilization of high-energy, metastable cluster configurations that represent regions of the potential energy surface far from the global minimum. Single and double resonance IR laser spectroscopy techniques, along with Stark and Zeeman capabilities, are being used to probe the structural and dynamical properties of these systems.« less

Thermal architecture for the SPIDER flight cryostat

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gudmundsson, J. E.; Ade, P. A. R.; Amiri, M.; Benton, S. J.; Bihary, R.; Bock, J. J.; Bond, J. R.; Bonetti, J. A.; Bryan, S. A.; Burger, B.; Chiang, H. C.; Contaldi, C. R.; Crill, B. P.; Doré, O.; Farhang, M.; Filippini, J.; Fissel, L. M.; Gandilo, N. N.; Golwala, S. R.; Halpern, M.; Hasselfield, M.; Hilton, G.; Holmes, W.; Hristov, V. V.; Irwin, K. D.; Jones, W. C.; Kuo, C. L.; MacTavish, C. J.; Mason, P. V.; Montroy, T. E.; Morford, T. A.; Netterfield, C. B.; O'Dea, D. T.; Rahlin, A. S.; Reintsema, C. D.; Ruhl, J. E.; Runyan, M. C.; Schenker, M. A.; Shariff, J. A.; Soler, J. D.; Trangsrud, A.; Tucker, C.; Tucker, R. S.; Turner, A. D.

2010-07-01

We describe the cryogenic system for SPIDER, a balloon-borne microwave polarimeter that will map 8% of the sky with degree-scale angular resolution. The system consists of a 1284 L liquid helium cryostat and a 16 L capillary-filled superfluid helium tank, which provide base operating temperatures of 4 K and 1.5 K, respectively. Closed-cycle 3He adsorption refrigerators supply sub-Kelvin cooling power to multiple focal planes, which are housed in monochromatic telescope inserts. The main helium tank is suspended inside the vacuum vessel with thermally insulating fiberglass flexures, and shielded from thermal radiation by a combination of two vapor cooled shields and multi-layer insulation. This system allows for an extremely low instrumental background and a hold time in excess of 25 days. The total mass of the cryogenic system, including cryogens, is approximately 1000 kg. This enables conventional long duration balloon flights. We will discuss the design, thermal analysis, and qualification of the cryogenic system.

Biomolecular solid state NMR with magic-angle spinning at 25K.

PubMed

Thurber, Kent R; Tycko, Robert

2008-12-01

A magic-angle spinning (MAS) probe has been constructed which allows the sample to be cooled with helium, while the MAS bearing and drive gases are nitrogen. The sample can be cooled to 25K using roughly 3 L/h of liquid helium, while the 4-mm diameter rotor spins at 6.7 kHz with good stability (+/-5 Hz) for many hours. Proton decoupling fields up to at least 130 kHz can be applied. This helium-cooled MAS probe enables a variety of one-dimensional and two-dimensional NMR experiments on biomolecular solids and other materials at low temperatures, with signal-to-noise proportional to 1/T. We show examples of low-temperature (13)C NMR data for two biomolecular samples, namely the peptide Abeta(14-23) in the form of amyloid fibrils and the protein HP35 in frozen glycerol/water solution. Issues related to temperature calibration, spin-lattice relaxation at low temperatures, paramagnetic doping of frozen solutions, and (13)C MAS NMR linewidths are discussed.

Thermodynamic performance of the 3-stage ADR for the Astro-H Soft-X-ray Spectrometer instrument

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shirron, Peter J.; Kimball, Mark O.; James, Bryan L.; Muench, Theodore; DiPirro, Michael J.; Bialas, Thomas G.; Sneiderman, Gary A.; Porter, Frederick S.; Kelley, Richard L.

2016-03-01

The Soft X-ray Spectrometer (SXS) instrument (Mitsuda et al., 2010) [1] on Astro-H (Takahashi et al., 2010) [2] will use a 3-stage ADR (Shirron et al., 2012) to cool the microcalorimeter array to 50 mK. In the primary operating mode, two stages of the ADR cool the detectors using superfluid helium at ⩽1.20 K as the heat sink (Fujimoto et al., 2010). In the secondary mode, which is activated when the liquid helium is depleted, the ADR uses a 4.5 K Joule-Thomson cooler as its heat sink. In this mode, all three stages operate together to continuously cool the (empty) helium tank and single-shot cool the detectors. The flight instrument - dewar, ADR, detectors and electronics - were integrated in 2014 and have since undergone extensive performance testing. This paper presents a thermodynamic analysis of the ADR's operation, including cooling capacity, heat rejection to the heat sinks, and various measures of efficiency.

Liquid densities and vapor pressures of 1-chloro-1, 1-difluorethane (HCFC 142b)

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Maezawa, Yl; Sato, H.; Watanabe, K.

1991-04-01

In this paper, thirty-six saturated liquid densities of HCFC 142b (1-chloro-1,1-difluoroethane) are measured in a range of temperatures from 210 to 400 K. Twelve vapor pressures, from 320 to 400 K, and six compressed liquid PVT properties, from 320 to 360 K and of pressures up to 2 MPa, are also measured. All measurements were made by a magnetic densimeter coupled with a variable volume cell. The experimental uncertainties in temperature, pressure, and density were estimated to be not greater than [plus minus]15 mK, [plus minus]10 kPa, and [plus minus]0.2%, respectively. The purity of the sample used was 99.8 wtmore » % or better. The simple correlation for the saturated liquid density of HCFC 142b was developed.« less

Hydraulic conductivity of variably saturated porous media: Film and corner flow in angular pore space

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tuller, Markus; Or, Dani

2001-05-01

Many models for hydraulic conductivity of partially saturated porous media rely on oversimplified representation of the pore space as a bundle of cylindrical capillaries and disregard flow in liquid films. Recent progress in modeling liquid behavior in angular pores of partially saturated porous media offers an alternative framework. We assume that equilibrium liquid-vapor interfaces provide well-defined and stable boundaries for slow laminar film and corner flow regimes in pore space comprised of angular pores connected to slit-shaped spaces. Knowledge of liquid configuration in the assumed geometry facilitates calculation of average liquid velocities in films and corners and enables derivation of pore-scale hydraulic conductivity as a function of matric potential. The pore-scale model is statistically upscaled to represent hydraulic conductivity for a sample of porous medium. Model parameters for the analytical sample-scale expressions are estimated from measured liquid retention data and other measurable medium properties. Model calculations illustrate the important role of film flow, whose contribution dominates capillary flow (in full pores and corners) at relatively high matric potentials (approximately -100 to -300 J kg-1, or -1 to 3 bars). The crossover region between film and capillary flow is marked by a significant change in the slope of the hydraulic conductivity function as often observed in measurements. Model predictions are compared with the widely applied van Genuchten-Mualem model and yield reasonable agreement with measured retention and hydraulic conductivity data over a wide range of soil textural classes.

Spray measurements of aerothermodynamic effect on disintegrating liquid jets

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ingebo, Robert D.

1991-01-01

An experimental investigation was made to determine the effect of atomizing gas mass flux and temperature on liquid jet breakup in sonic velocity gas flow. Characteristic drop size data were obtained by using the following atomizing gases: nitrogen, argon, and helium to breakup water jets in high velocity gas flow. A scattered light scanning instrument developed at Lewis Research Center was used to measure Sauter mean diameter (SMD). The three gases gave a molecular weight range of 4 to 40 and atomizing gas mass flux and temperature were varied from 6 to 50 g/sq cm and 275-400 K, respectively. The ratio of liquid jet diameter to SMD, D(sub 0)/D(sub 32), was correlated with aerodynamic and liquid-surface force ratios, i.e., the product of the Weber and Reynolds number, We Re, the gas to liquid density ratio, rho(sub g)/rho(sub 1) g and also the molecular scale dimensionless group, rho(sub 1)(Vm exp 3)/ mu(sub 1) g, to give the following expression: D(sub 0)/D(sub 32) = 0.90 x 10(exp -8) x (We Re rho sub g/rho sub 1)exp 0.44 x (rho sub 1 Vm exp 3/mu sub 1 g)exp 0.67 where We Re = ((rho sub g)exp 2(D sub 0)exp 2(V sub C)exp3))/ mu sub 1 sigma, mu sub 1 is liquid viscosity, sigma is surface tension, V sub C is the acoustic gas velocity, V sub m is the RMS velocity of gas molecules, and g is the acceleration of gas molecules due to gravity. Good agreement was obtained with atomization theory for liquid-jet breakup in the regime of aerodynamic stripping. Also, due to its low molecular weight and high acoustic velocity, helium was considerably more effective than nitrogen or argon in producing small-droplet sprays with values of D(sub 32) on the order of 5 microns.

Microjets and coated wheels: versatile tools for exploring collisions and reactions at gas-liquid interfaces.

PubMed

Faust, Jennifer A; Nathanson, Gilbert M

2016-07-07

This tutorial review describes experimental aspects of two techniques for investigating collisions and reactions at the surfaces of liquids in vacuum. These gas-liquid scattering experiments provide insights into the dynamics of interfacial processes while minimizing interference from vapor-phase collisions. We begin with a historical survey and then compare attributes of the microjet and coated-wheel techniques, developed by Manfred Faubel and John Fenn, respectively, for studies of high- and low-vapor pressure liquids in vacuum. Our objective is to highlight the strengths and shortcomings of each technique and summarize lessons we have learned in using them for scattering and evaporation experiments. We conclude by describing recent microjet studies of energy transfer between O2 and liquid hydrocarbons, HCl dissociation in salty water, and super-Maxwellian helium evaporation.

Effect of unsaturation on the absorption of ethane and ethylene in imidazolium-based ionic liquids.

PubMed

Moura, Leila; Mishra, Manas; Bernales, Varinia; Fuentealba, Patricio; Padua, Agilio A H; Santini, Catherine C; Costa Gomes, Margarida F

2013-06-20

The influence of the presence of imidazolium side chain unsaturation on the solubility of ethane and ethylene was studied in three ionic liquids: 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium bis(trifluoromethanesulfonyl)amide-saturated alkyl side-chain in the cation; 1-methyl-3-(buten-3-yl)imidazolium bis(trifluorosulfonyl)imide-double bond in the side-chain of the cation; and 1-methyl-3-benzylimidazolium bis(trifluorosulfonyl)imide-benzyl group in the side-chain of the cation. The solubility of both gases decreases when the side-chain of the cations is functionalized with an unsaturated group. This can be explained by a less favorable enthalpy of solvation. The difference of solubility between ethane and ethylene can be explained from a balance of enthalpic and entropic factors: for the ionic liquid with the saturated alkyl side-chain and the benzyl-substituted side-chain, it is the favorable entropy of solvation that explains the larger ethylene solubility, whereas in the case of the saturated side-chain, it is the more favorable enthalpy of solvation. Molecular simulation allowed the identification of the mechanisms of solvation and the preferential solvation sites for each gas in the different ionic liquids. Simulations have shown that the entropy of solvation is more favorable when the presence of the gas weakens the cation-anion interactions or when the gas can be solvated near different sites of the ionic liquid.

Beating liquid helium: the technologies of cryogen-free superconducting magnets

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Burgoyne, John

2015-03-01

Cryogen-free superconducting magnets have been available now for almost 15 years, but have only become standard commercial products in more recent years. In this review we will consider the pros and cons of ``dry'' design including superconducting wire development and selection, thermal budgeting, and the alternative methods for achieving magnet cooling.

Characterization and Modeling of Superconducting Josephson Junction Arrays at Low Voltage and Liquid Helium Temperatures

DTIC Science & Technology

2016-09-01

to the characteristics and extract the non-ideality. These capabilities and calibration results will assist in the characterization of advanced...superconductor-ionic quantum memory and computation devices. iv CONTENTS EXECUTIVE SUMMARY...Josephson effect makes these measurements useful for characterization and calibration of superconducting quantum memory and computational devices

Carbon Sorption Cryogenic Regenerator

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Jones, Jack A.; Petrick, S. Walter; Britcliffe, Michael J.

1989-01-01

Liquid-helium refrigerator includes regenerator filled with carbon sorbent made from Saran polyvinylidene chloride. Material results in lower operating temperatures and longer times between maintenance than comparable refrigerators containing other regenerators. Sorbent material machined to various configurations to fit inside cylindrical regenerator can. Configuration chosen with regard to heat capacity, pressure drop, and rate of sorption.

Performance of a 12-coil superconducting bumpy torus magnet facility

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Roth, J. R.; Holmes, A. D.; Keller, T. A.; Krawczonek, W. M.

1972-01-01

The bumpy torus facility consists of 12 superconducting coils, each 19 cm i.d. and capable of 3.0 teslas on their axes. The coils are equally spaced around a toroidal array with a major diameter of 1.52 m, and are mounted with the major axis of the torus vertical in a single vacuum tank 2.6 m in diameter. Final shakedown tests of the facility mapped out its magnetic, cryogenic, vacuum, mechanical, and electrical performance. The facility is now ready for use as a plasma physics research facility. A maximum magnetic field on the magnetic axis of 3.23 teslas was held for a period of more than sixty minutes without a coil normalcy. The design field was 3.00 teslas. The steady-state liquid helium boil-off rate was 87 liters per hour of liquid helium without the coils charged. The coil array was stable when subjected to an impulsive loading, even with the magnets fully charged. When the coils were charged to a maximum magnetic field of 3.35 teslas, the system was driven normal without damage.

Low-noise magnetoencephalography system cooled by a continuously operating reliquefier

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lee, Y. H.; Kwon, H.; Yu, K. K.; Kim, J. M.; Lee, S. K.; Kim, M.-Y.; Kim, K.

2017-08-01

We fabricated a low-noise magnetoencephalography (MEG) system based on a continuously operating reliquefier for cooling of low-temperature superconducting quantum interference device gradiometers. In order to reduce the vibration transmission, the gradiometers are mounted in the vacuum space of the helmet dewar with direct thermal contact with the liquid helium helmet. The reliquefier uses a 1.4 W pulse tube cryocooler with a remote motor, and a horizontal transfer tube with a downslope angle of 1°. The white noise of the system is 3.5 fTrms/√Hz (at 100 Hz). The vibration-induced peak at 1.4 Hz is 18 fTrms/√Hz averaged over the whole helmet array of 150 channels, which is the lowest among the reported values using reliquefier cooling and comparable to the noise peak cooled by conventional direct liquid helium cooling with axial gradiometers of the same baseline. The spontaneous brain activity signal showed nearly identical signal quality with the reliquefier turned on and off, and the reliquefier-based MEG system noise is well below the brain noise level.

A dry-cooled AC quantum voltmeter

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schubert, M.; Starkloff, M.; Peiselt, K.; Anders, S.; Knipper, R.; Lee, J.; Behr, R.; Palafox, L.; Böck, A. C.; Schaidhammer, L.; Fleischmann, P. M.; Meyer, H.-G.

2016-10-01

The paper describes a dry-cooled AC quantum voltmeter system operated up to kilohertz frequencies and 7 V rms. A 10 V programmable Josephson voltage standard (PJVS) array was installed on a pulse tube cooler (PTC) driven with a 4 kW air-cooled compressor. The operating margins at 70 GHz frequencies were investigated in detail and found to exceed 1 mA Shapiro step width. A key factor for the successful chip operation was the low on-chip power consumption of 65 mW in total. A thermal interface between PJVS chip and PTC cold stage was used to avoid a significant chip overheating. By installing the cryocooled PJVS array into an AC quantum voltmeter setup, several calibration measurements of dc standards and calibrator ac voltages up to 2 kHz frequencies were carried out to demonstrate the full functionality. The results are discussed and compared to systems with standard liquid helium cooling. For dc voltages, a direct comparison measurement between the dry-cooled AC quantum voltmeter and a liquid-helium based 10 V PJVS shows an agreement better than 1 part in 1010.

Maximum Expected Wall Heat Flux and Maximum Pressure After Sudden Loss of Vacuum Insulation on the Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy (SOFIA) Liquid Helium (LHe) Dewars

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ungar, Eugene K.

2014-01-01

The aircraft-based Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy (SOFIA) is a platform for multiple infrared observation experiments. The experiments carry sensors cooled to liquid helium (LHe) temperatures. A question arose regarding the heat input and peak pressure that would result from a sudden loss of the dewar vacuum insulation. Owing to concerns about the adequacy of dewar pressure relief in the event of a sudden loss of the dewar vacuum insulation, the SOFIA Program engaged the NASA Engineering and Safety Center (NESC). This report summarizes and assesses the experiments that have been performed to measure the heat flux into LHe dewars following a sudden vacuum insulation failure, describes the physical limits of heat input to the dewar, and provides an NESC recommendation for the wall heat flux that should be used to assess the sudden loss of vacuum insulation case. This report also assesses the methodology used by the SOFIA Program to predict the maximum pressure that would occur following a loss of vacuum event.

Atomic and Molecular Dynamics on and in Superfluid Helium Nanodroplets

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lehmann, Kevin K.

2003-03-01

Studies of intramolecular and intermolecular dynamics is at the core of Molecular Spectroscopic research several decades. Gas phase, particularly molecular beam, studies have greatly illuminated these processes in isolated molecules, bimolecular collisions, or small covalent and van der Waals complexes. Parallel to this effort have been studies in condensed phases, but there has unfortunately been little intellectual contact between these. The recent development of Helium Nanodropet Isolation Spectroscopy is providing an intellectual bridge between gas phase and condensed phase spectroscopy. While droplets of 10,000 He atoms are effectively a condensed phase, their low temperature ( 0.4 K) and ultralow heat capacities combined with their superfluid state make them an almost ideal matrix in which to study both molecular dynamics, including solute induced relaxations. The nsec times scales for many of the relaxation events, orders of magnitude slower than in classical liquids, results in spectra with unprecedented resolution for the liquid state. In this talk, studies of the Princeton group will be highlighted, with particular emphasis on those for which a combination of theory and experiment have combined to reveal dynamics in this unique Quantum Fluid.