Liquid Helium Technology

Book excerpt: Pure and Applied Cryogenics, Volume 6: Liquid Helium Technology focuses on the principles, techniques, methodologies, and approaches involved in liquid helium technology. The selection examines liquid helium technology at the National Bureau of Standards, properties of liquid helium, heat transfer to liquid helium, and noise associated with heat transfer to liquid helium II. Discussions focus on apparatus and instrumentation, test procedure, liquid helium as a cryogenic liquid, zero viscosity, momentum of heat flow, rotation and vortex lines, oscillation of vortex lines, and quantized vortices. The publication then takes a look at boiling heat transfer to liquid helium, heat transfer from metal to supercritical helium, heat transfer to boiling liquid helium in narrow vertical channels, and critical nucleate boiling of liquid helium in a simulated wire wound magnet. The text ponders on microdegree temperature controller for liquid helium II bath, commercial production, storage and distribution of liquid helium, lightweight liquid helium dewar, commercial handling of liquid helium dewars, effectiveness of low temperature refrigeration for electronics, and a bulk liquid helium distribution system. The selection is a valuable source of information for scientists and researchers interested in liquid helium technology.