Introduction
ㆍ Application areas
Cryogenic engineering may be classified into two large fields as follows: cryogenic refrigeration which is related to a device producing low temperature and its applications at low temperature. There have been too many existing cryogenic applications to enumerate all. The following shows some of them. A new application of cryogenic technology is, however, still emerging.
I. Cryogenic refrigeration
Recuperative type (J-T expansion or Reverse Brayton)
Laser cooling
Magnetic refrigerator, Nuclear magnetic refrigerator
Dilution refrigerator
Regenerator type (Stirling, G-M, Pulse-tube refrigerator)
II. Cryogenic applications
A. Superconducting technology
NMR, MRI
Fusion tokamak
MagLEV
SMES
Motor/Generator
Transformer
Cable
Fault current limiter
B. Gas separation & liquefaction
Liquid rocket propellant system
LNG utilization
Liquid hydrogen storage
C. Medical applications
Cryosurgery
Cryopreservation
D. Experimental aids
Cryosensor cooling
Cryopump
Cryowind tunnel
Space simulation
Material processing
III. Relation between cryogenic engineering and mechanical engineering
Cryogenic engineering is very closely related to mechanical and chemical engineering in general. It includes also various subjects such as material science, electric engineering, physics, chemistry, biology, etc. Many researches in cryogenic engineering are related to mechanical engineering in that cryogenic engineering deals with energy conversion and its procedures.
Thermodynamics: cryogenic refrigeration system, cryocooler, stability of superconductor
Heat transfer: thermal insulation, cryogenic heat exchanger, cooling of superconductor
Fluid mechanics: normal cryogenic fluid behavior, superfluidity