You read that right. Hydrogen boils around negative 423 degrees Fahrenheit, so to work on liquid hydrogen, you need to make things really, really cold. That’s why GenH2 and the University of Melbourne are using GenH2’s Cryostat CS500 simulation test platform to undertake perform cryogenic and hydrogen research and development at the university. The Cryostat CS500, which is part of GenH2’s NASA-licensed cryostat family of products, is a platform for testing a wide range of thermal insulation systems, materials, composites, or panels under both cryogenic-vacuum conditions and real-world conditions.
“We are very excited about this international partnership that will help advance the adoption of hydrogen across the globe,” said Greg Gosnell, chief executive officer of GenH2. “The University of Melbourne is well-respected for its focus on research impact and relevance, and we are thrilled that they will utilize the GenH2 Cryostat CS500 to further their innovations in hydrogen solutions.”
“We are delighted to have the instrument in-house after years of advanced materials collaborative research work with James Fesmire, GenH2’s executive vice president and chief architect and founder of the Cryogenics Test Laboratory of NASA Kennedy Space Center,” said Dr. Shanaka Kristombu Baduge, PhD-Fellow with the department of infrastructure engineering at the University of Melbourne. “The GenH2 Cryostat CS500 will allow us to take our research endeavors to the next level by testing materials needed for future clean energy infrastructure.”
GenH2 says the preliminary components in the CS500 flat plate instrument system include a vacuum chamber, cold mass suspension assembly, two cryogenic feedthroughs, heater plate and heater control system, along with advanced software for monitoring, analysis, and reporting. The element most commonly tested on is liquid nitrogen, which boils at a slightly higher temperature, around -321°F.
Additionally, the testing and research completed with the CS500 will be the foundation for further collaboration between GenH2 and the University of Melbourne. Future collaboration will include developing large-scale liquid hydrogen infrastructure.
