Abstract: A paint removal apparatus includes a canister partially filled with a pressurized coolant. The apparatus includes a housing having a body portion mounted atop the canister with a handle portion extending from the body portion. The handle includes an inlet port while the body portion includes first and second outlet ports. The inlet port is capable of connection to a compressed air stream for delivery thereof through an air channel between the inlet and second outlet ports. A coolant channel extends between the canister and the first outlet port. A trigger connected to a primary valve is movable between first, second, and third configurations. The primary valve and cooperating linkages enable a user to select between delivery of the air stream alone or a portion of the coolant whereby to strip paint. A scraping blade may be removably and rotatably coupled to the housing. The coolant may be dry ice.

Abstract: A system to produce a densified fluid, and more particularly a densified propellant to be used in a launch vehicle. The system includes a vessel containing a first fluid and an injection nozzle to inject a cooling fluid into the vessel. The first fluid in the vessel has a freezing temperature greater than the boiling point of the second fluid that is injected into it. The second fluid is injected into the first fluid and evaporates therefrom to cool the first fluid. An anti-icing chamber is placed around the injection nozzle and a third fluid is provided to the anti-icing chamber to form an interface which does not allow the first fluid to contact the injection nozzle. In this way, the second fluid can be substantially continuously provided through the injection nozzle to the first fluid to cool the first fluid. A heat exchanger can then be provided in the vessel to cool an additional material.

Abstract: A system for cooling a superconductor device includes a cryocooler located in a stationary reference frame and a closed circulation system external to the cryocooler. The closed circulation system interfaces the stationary reference frame with a rotating reference frame in which the superconductor device is located. A method of cooling a superconductor device includes locating a cryocooler in a stationary reference frame, and transferring heat from a superconductor device located in a rotating reference frame to the cryocooler through a closed circulation system external to the cryocooler. The closed circulation system interfaces the stationary reference frame with the rotating reference frame.

Abstract: An effects generation system structured to produce a controlled special effects cloud and comprising a cryogenic fluid source including a container wherein a quantity of a cryogenic fluid is stored. The container includes a fluid outlet and a fluid inlet, the fluid inlet being disposed in fluid flow communication with a pressurization assembly that is structured to maintain an outflow of the cryogenic fluid, under pressure, through the fluid outlet and into a delivery assembly operatively connected with the fluid outlet and structured to deliver the cryogenic fluid into a predetermined area through a plurality of delivery ports and into reactive proximity with a quantity of a reactive fluid so as to bring about a phase change in the reactive fluid sufficient to result in the formation of the special effects cloud.

Abstract: An apparatus and method is provided for freezing, storing, and/or shipping products, in particular fish, at super-frozen temperatures. The apparatus includes a modular cryogenic cooler for removably interfacing with an insulated shipping container to maintain the interior of the container at a super-frozen temperature less than or equal to about −50 degrees C. Aspects of the method include a delivery method for providing an essentially unbroken delivery chain of frozen products from a location of freezing (to a super-frozen temperature) to a location of defrosting the products (e.g., a point of sale and/or consumption of the products).

Abstract: A chilling apparatus (1) for chilling drinking vessels (44) comprising a liquid gas reservoir (3) in fluid communication with a chilling nozzle (4) under the control of a valve (41) controlled by a control unit (6), so that the drinking vessel may be chilled by a metered quantity of liquid gas vapourising from the chilling nozzle. The reservoir is provided with a vent (36) to prevent a buildup of vapourised liquid gas in the pipework and/or reservoir.

Abstract: A system for cooling a power transformer wherein cryogen in liquid or solid form is sprayed into a vaporizer or directly onto a power transformer radiator and the vaporizing and/or sublimating cryogen cools a cooling fluid within the vaporizer or cools the radiator directly to provide cooling to the power transformer.

Abstract: In the present method, cold substances are transferred through a nozzle with moving parts. An insulating boot facilitates the method. The present method is generally suited for use in transferring cryogenic substances such as during the refueling of liquid natural gas vehicles. The present method causes an insulating layer to be created between a removable boot and a nozzle separating the ambient environment from the moving parts of the nozzle, purging the layer with a dry gas such as nitrogen to remove moisture and restricting the incursion of such moisture from the layer and therefore, from the moving parts to avoid freezing up of the moving parts. The layer can also help to avoid freezing up of the abutting interface created between the nozzle and receiving line when the nozzle is removably engaged to a receiving line.

Abstract: An effects generation system structured to produce a controlled special effects cloud and comprising a cryogenic fluid source including a container wherein a quantity of a cryogenic fluid is stored. The container includes a fluid outlet and a fluid inlet, the fluid inlet being disposed in fluid flow communication with a pressurization assembly that is structured to maintain an outflow of the cryogenic fluid, under pressure, through the fluid outlet and into a delivery assembly operatively connected with the fluid outlet and structured to deliver the cryogenic fluid into a predetermined area through a plurality of delivery ports and into reactive proximity with a quantity of a reactive fluid so as to bring about a phase change in the reactive fluid sufficient to result in the formation of the special effects cloud.

Abstract: A miniature refrigeration system and method of operation. A primary refrigerant is pressurized by a compressor to a relatively low pressure, for safety reasons. The compressed primary refrigerant is passed through a primary-to-secondary heat exchanger, to precool the gas mixture. The secondary side of the primary-to-secondary heat exchanger is cooled by a secondary refrigeration system. The primary refrigerant exiting the primary outlet of the primary-to-secondary heat exchanger passes to a primary Joule-Thomson expansion element where the high pressure gas is expanded to a lower temperature. This low temperature gas cools a heat transfer element mounted in the outer wall of the catheter or cryoprobe, to cool surrounding tissue. Return gas can flow back through a distal primary-to-primary heat exchanger to further cool the incoming high pressure gas mixture. A proximal primary-to-primary heat exchanger can be added between the primary-to-secondary heat exchanger and the primary compressor.

Abstract: An apparatus and method is provided for freezing, storing, and/or shipping products, in particular fish, at super-frozen temperatures. The apparatus includes a modular cryogenic cooler for removably interfacing with an insulated shipping container to maintain the interior of the container at a super-frozen temperature less than or equal to about −50 degrees C. Aspects of the method include a delivery method for providing an essentially unbroken delivery chain of frozen products from a location of freezing (to a super-frozen temperature) to a location of defrosting the products (e.g., a point of sale and/or consumption of the products).

Abstract: A method of temperature control in a cryogenic system, wherein the system includes a cryogenic tank. The method comprises providing a motor speed sensor which determines a motor speed, providing a pressure sensor which determines a cryogenic pressure, providing a temperature sensor in the conditioned space which measures a temperature within the conditioned space, providing a deprived integral region, and generating an overriding control signal at the proportional-integral-derivative controller when the temperature and the pressure are beyond a temperature set point and a pressure set point.

Abstract: Improved nozzle design that discharges more powerful, more focused fluid streams through a series of nozzle orifices distributed along a length of the nozzle. The present invention may be incorporated into a wide range of microelectronic device manufacturing processes and equipment types for which an array of more forceful, more focused process streams are desired for treating microelectronic workpieces. The present invention is particularly useful to cryogenically clean microelectronic workpieces, where the improvements allow the conventionally more troublesome smaller contaminant particles to be cleaningly removed with greater particle removal efficiency.

Abstract: An effects generation system structured to produce a controlled special effects cloud and including a cryogenic fluid source including a container wherein a quantity of a cryogenic fluid is stored. The container includes a fluid outlet and a fluid inlet, the fluid inlet being disposed in fluid flow communication with a pressurization assembly that is structured to maintain an outflow of the cryogenic fluid, under pressure, through the fluid outlet and into a delivery assembly operatively connected with the fluid outlet and structured to deliver the cryogenic fluid into a desired area through a plurality of delivery ports and into reactive proximity with a quantity of a reactive fluid so as to bring about a phase change in the reactive fluid sufficient to result in the formation of the special effects cloud.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method and a device for point cooling. The cooling device comprises a cooling channel provided with a defined small end surface (9, 39) and an outlet valve (11) separated therefrom, a container (13) with liquid carbon dioxide and an access conduit (15a-c, 43) connected to said container (13) provided with a nozzle (17, 45) localized to said cooling channel, whereby liquid carbon dioxide is brought to flow from the container out through said nozzle. The invention further comprises to choose the overpressure of the container, adjust the outlet valve (11) and design the nozzle in such a way that the pressure in the cooling channel (7, 35) is kept above the so-called triple point of carbon dioxide and that the distance between the nozzle (17, 45) and the defined small end surface (9, 39) is adapted so as to substantially gasify the carbon dioxide at said end surface.

Abstract: Disclosed are a method and a device for effectively restraining the generation of thermal stress when effecting slow cooling at the time of starting, etc. of a heat exchanger for heating a low temperature liquid. In a method for effecting slow cooling in a heat exchanger equipped with an inlet chamber into which a low temperature liquid is introduced, the low temperature liquid is sprinkled in the inlet chamber at a lower flow rate during slow cooling than during normal operation. A slow cooling device is equipped with a slow cooling LNG supplying means having a sprinkling means for sprinkling the low temperature liquid.

Abstract: An apparatus for and method of delivering a liquid cryogen into a reaction vessel to cool an exothermic reaction within the vessel wherein the liquid cryogen can be supplied directly into the reaction vessel at a maximum high pressure of about 3000 psi is provided. The liquid cryogen may come directly from a high pressure liquid cryogen storage tank without any pressure regulators or control valves between the reaction vessel and the storage tank thereby reducing flashing and eliminating the need for sub-cooling the liquid cryogen.

Abstract: In a process for cooling and atomizing liquid or pasty substances or mixtures of substances, a liquid or pasty substance/mixture of substances is combined with liquid or supercritical carbon dioxide and then the mixture of liquid or pasty substance/mixture of substances and liquid or supercritical carbon dioxide is expanded. An apparatus for cooling liquid or pasty substances or mixtures of substances has a storage vessel for the liquid or pasty substance/mixture of substances, to which is allocated a line in which a device for transporting the liquid or pasty substance/mixture of substances is disposed. The apparatus has a source of liquid or supercritical carbon dioxide, to which source is allocated a line, and it has a connection point via which the line allocated to the storage vessel for the liquid or pasty substance/mixture of substances is connected to the line allocated to the source of liquid or supercritical carbon dioxide, and which has an expansion apparatus.

Abstract: A device for injecting a refrigerant into a product mixer comprising a pipe for injecting the refrigerant comprising (1) an injection nozzle designed to be connected to the mixer and (2) at least one region of reduced cross section suitable for creating an expansion in the fluid located upstream of the injection nozzle with respect to the direction of flow of the fluid in the pipe.

Abstract: In cooler used for coating a product such as food with a uniform layer of a liquid coating material, the mass of the product is measured either in the cooling chamber or just before it is introduced into the cooling chamber; the mass of a liquid cryogen which will suffice, when introduced into the cooling chamber and into contact with the product, to reduce the temperature of the mass of product to a first predetermined temperature below the melting point temperature of the coating material is calculated; the introduction of the calculated mass of liquid cryogen into the cooling chamber is controlled and the product is thereby cooled to the first predetermined temperature prior to application of a predetermined mass of coating material onto the cooled product to provide a coating thereon.

Abstract: A device is described that uniformly cools a surface to a specified temperature using a mist of cryogenic fluid. The device comprises a cryogenic fluid reservoir, a valve for controllably releasing the fluid through an atomizing nozzle, a non-contact temperature sensor, and a control unit to display the measured temperature and optionally pre-set the desired surface temperature and control the valve. The application of mist can be controlled manually or electronically. This invention provides a portable tool for safely cooling skin for dermatological applications.

Abstract: Various food processing methods and a food processing system minimize microbial growth while an animal, such as a chicken, is processed into food. During processing, temperature of an animal carcass and atmosphere surrounding the carcass are controlled by spraying gases and a mixture of ozone and water on the carcass, directing the gases through a passage in a wall to cool a processing area, and flowing the gases into atmosphere surrounding the carcass. Preferably, the gases include ozone and cryogenic gases recycled from a cryogenic freezer. The system uses a reduced amount of fresh water by recycling water used during food processing.