Revolutionizing Cryogenic Cooling: Towards Energy-Efficient, Scalable, and Compact Systems
Cryogenic cooling technology has remained largely unchanged for decades, while other fields, like computing, have undergone dramatic transformations—from room-sized mainframes like ENIAC to compact, energy-efficient mobile devices. The Applied Thermal Sciences (ATS) Group at the University of Twente is driving a similar revolution in cryogenics, shifting the focus from purely achieving low temperatures to optimizing energy efficiency, compactness, and scalability.
Today's cryocoolers are highly inefficient, often consuming up to 8.0 kW of input power just to achieve 1 W of cooling at 4 K. This inefficiency limits the widespread adoption of cryogenic technologies in high-tech applications such as quantum computing, superconducting systems, electron microscopy, and hydrogen energy systems.
Our mission is to fundamentally rethink cryogenic cooling, making it as efficient, compact, and widely accessible as modern electronics. We are actively developing:
✔ Next-generation energy-efficient cryocoolers, with a targeted 50 % reduction in power consumption.
✔ New thermal management solutions, including heat switches, cryogenic circulators, and advanced thermal interfaces.
✔ Establishing energy efficiency labeling system for cryogenics, setting a new industry standard for sustainability.
✔ Distributed, modular cryogenic cooling systems to minimize energy losses and improve reliability.
Our work is bridging the gap between fundamental thermal sciences and industrial application, ensuring that cryogenic cooling evolves into a high-performance, sustainable, and scalable technology for the 21st century.
Research Landscape
The figure below illustrates the range of cryogenic cooling technologies that our group is actively researching, categorized by temperature range and cooling power:
Key Research Topics
✔ 4 K Efficient Cryocoolers
Developing highly efficient cryogenic refrigeration systems for quantum computing, superconducting devices, and space applications.
✔ Zero Boil-Off Hydrogen Systems
Innovating solutions to prevent hydrogen losses in storage and transport, improving the sustainability of liquid hydrogen (LH₂) infrastructure.
✔ LH₂ Technologies & Electricity from Regasification
Exploring hydrogen liquefaction, transport, and energy recovery through cryogenic heat exchangers, cryogenic Stirling electricity generator, enhancing the hydrogen economy.
✔ Resonant Stirling Cryocoolers
Optimizing compact, high-efficiency Stirling cryocoolers for healtcare, lifesciences, and industrial applications.
✔ Detector Cooling (Stirling Cryocoolers)
Advancing thermal control for infrared, space, and scientific detectors.
✔ CO₂ Cryogenic Applications
Investigating cryogenic carbon capture and storage (CCS) technologies, contributing to climate mitigation efforts.
Enabling Technologies
Our research is supported by state-of-the-art metrology and component development, including:
- Two-phase and gas flow sensors for precise cryogenic fluid management.
- Cryogenic heat switches and flow valves for advanced thermal control in extreme environments.
Ongoing Projects & Collaborations
Our research is actively supported by projects funded through:
- High Tech Systems & Materials (HTSM) programs
- European Union (EU) research initiatives
- Netherlands Enterprise Agency (RVO) grants
We are pioneering new cryogenic cooling systems and innovative liquid hydrogen technologies, aiming to push the boundaries of energy efficiency and system performance.
Join Us – Open Opportunities for Students & Researchers
Are you a motivated student or researcher passionate about cryogenics, thermal management, and energy-efficient cooling?
At ATS, you will have the opportunity to:
✔ Work on cutting-edge cryogenic technologies with real-world impact.
✔ Collaborate with leading academic and industrial partners.
✔ Gain hands-on experience with state-of-the-art experimental setups and modeling tools.
✔ Contribute to next-generation cooling solutions for quantum computing, space technology, and hydrogen energy.
🔹 We offer opportunities for:
- Bachelor & Master thesis projects
- Research internships
Interested? Reach out to Prof. dr. ir. Srini Vanapalli for more information!