| EPSRC Reference: |
EP/H04888X/1 |
| Title: |
Miniature milli-kelvin cryo-cooler |
| Principal Investigator: |
Hepburn, Professor I |
| Other Investigators: |
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| Researcher Co-Investigators: |
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| Project Partners: |
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| Department: |
Mullard Space Science Laboratory |
| Organisation: |
UCL |
| Scheme: |
Standard Research |
| Starts: |
01 May 2010 |
Ends: |
31 October 2012 |
Value (£): |
505,612
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| EPSRC Research Topic Classifications: |
| Instrumentation Eng. & Dev. |
Quantum Fluids & Solids |
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| EPSRC Industrial Sector Classifications: |
| No relevance to Underpinning Sectors |
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| Related Grants: |
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| Panel History: |
| Panel Date | Panel Name | Outcome |
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13 Apr 2010
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Materials, Mechanical & Medical Engineering Panel
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Announced
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Summary on Grant Application Form |
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We propose the development and construction of the world's first milli-Kelvin cryo-cooler, transforming the use of the milli-Kelvin temperature domain in the same way 4 K cryo-coolers have for the liquid helium region. It will enable those inexperienced with such low temperatures to easily access very low temperatures in a bench top system. We propose to construct a small cooler module, a continuous adiabatic demagnetisation refrigeration (cADR) which will extend any 4 K cryo cooler to a milli-Kelvin (<100 mK) cryo cooler. Current 4 K pulse tube coolers can reach 4 K from room temperature within 2 hours, we anticipate a further 2 hours for the cADR to achieved <100 mK, giving a complete cool down from room temperature to <100 mK in 4 hours. By controlling the ADR's various magnetic fields, the proposed cryo-cooler module can provide a highly stable temperature anywhere from the base temperature of the attached 4 K cryo-cooler to <100 mK. This therefore represents a complete cryo-cooler solution and thus extreme ease of use for a technology which is still large and cumbersome. The technology to enable this proposal for a ground based system has come about by the large investment in developing ADR technology for future space missions at the Mullard Space Science Laboratory (MSSL).
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Key Findings |
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This information can now be found on Gateway to Research (GtR) http://gtr.rcuk.ac.uk
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Potential use in non-academic contexts |
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This information can now be found on Gateway to Research (GtR) http://gtr.rcuk.ac.uk
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Impacts |
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| Description |
This information can now be found on Gateway to Research (GtR) http://gtr.rcuk.ac.uk |
| Summary |
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| Date Materialised |
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Sectors submitted by the Researcher |
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This information can now be found on Gateway to Research (GtR) http://gtr.rcuk.ac.uk
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| Project URL: |
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| Organisation Website: |
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