Hyperlab received a mandate from a prominent aerospace industry partner to validate the feasibility of the high-volume cryogenic bellows that I’d developed. However, operating the sizable bellows within a pressure vessel presented a difficult challenge due to the absence of commercially available dewars suitable for its unusually large dimensions. Consequently, I was assigned the responsibility of designing a new borosilicate dewar from the ground up. This involved the application of Geometric Dimensioning and Tolerancing (GD&T) principles and the identification of a suitable manufacturer for its production.

Securing custom laboratory equipment proved to be a difficult task, with only one company in the country willing to undertake the contract. After a week of cold calling to numerous glass manufacturers, Ace Glass in Vineland, NJ, agreed to take on the project. Given the 400mm diameter requirement on the dewar, the glass to manufacture it had to be imported from Schott Glass in Germany. Additionally, performing GD&T for glass posed its own set of challenges, as it greatly differs from GD&T principles applied to metals. This experience provided valuable lessons learned on lead times, supply chains, and more throughout the process.

Unfortunately, I left Hyperlab before the delivery of the dewar given the extensive lead and manufacturing time. However, I have learned from former colleagues that they not only received it but also have already utilized it successfully to test the large bellows. Moreover, they now have the capacity to expand the size of their tests to even larger form factors. This bespoke dewar is expected to serve its purpose for years to come, contributing to the testing of aerospace fuel bladders that hopefully ever increase in size.
I’m proud to have played a key part in creating a product that could change the industry.