Cryogenics Laboratory

The Cryogenics Laboratory studies the properties of fluids, materials and components at temperatures approaching absolute zero. Most of the ongoing work in our laboratory contributes to R&D activities for a wide variety of cryogenic and superconducting applications. In addition, the Cryogenics Laboratory is very much involved in the development of components for systems under development at the National High Magnetic Field Laboratory (NHMFL).

One of the main activities underway in the Cryogenics Laboratory is the study of liquid helium fluid dynamics and heat transfer for cooling of large superconducting magnets. Liquid helium is a unique fluid in that it exists in two liquid phases: normal helium and, below about 2.2 K, superfluid helium. For both these fluids, we measure pressure drop and heat exchange in regimes that relate to applications. Typical investigations include studies of single and two phase helium flow, transient heat transfer and performance characteristics of flow devices. This work is supported by the NHMFL, as well as by grants from the Department of Energy and private corporations.

The Cryogenics Laboratory also utilizes its facilities for basic fluid dynamics studies using liquid helium. In this research, the liquid helium is of interest as a test fluid for its relative ease in achieving high Reynolds numbers in compact systems. This advantage comes from the extremely small kinematic viscosity of liquid helium. Current work, supported by the U.S. Navy, involves measurements of drag on bluff bodies of revolution.

The Cryogenic Laboratory, headed by Dr. Steven Van Sciver, is a fully equipped research facility located at the NHMFL (adjacent to the College of Engineering). The laboratory houses a wide variety of equipment for low temperature experiments including several large cryogenic vessels for heat transfer and fluid flow studies of liquefied gases. The centerpost of these facilities is the Liquid Helium Flow Facility, which can be used for pressure drop and flow studies over a range of parameter space. There are also various test facilities for studying the electrical and thermal transport properties of materials at low temperatures. The largest of these facilities is the Test of AC Loss facility for measuring the magnetic properties of composite superconductors at low temperature and in a magnetic field.