GTL Successfully Tests BHL™ Dewar Cup at 1.7 Kelvin holding Superfluid Liquid Helium Under NASA Phase II SBIR

TULLAHOMA, Tenn. — GTL Company (Gloyer-Taylor Laboratories) announced the successful cryogenic testing of its BHL™ (Blended Hybrid Laminate) Dewar Cup down to 1.7 Kelvin in superfluid liquid helium, completed under a NASA Goddard Space Flight Center Phase II Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) award (“Ultralight Dewar Phase II”).

Across three separate tests, GTL confirmed superfluid helium operation of the BHL™ Dewar Cup, holding superfluid helium for 86 minutes and demonstrating the material’s leak-tightness and cycle robustness.

The milestone validates BHL™, GTL’s proprietary micro-crack-free, carbon fiber composite material, for storage of cryogens at the extreme low temperatures required by next-generation infrared astronomy. Because BHL™ composite material is an excellent insulator below 20 Kelvin, BHL™ offers low mass, low thermal mass, and low thermal conductivity, making it an enabling technology for balloon-borne cryogenic observatories.

“Beyond infrared telescopes, performance at 1.7 Kelvin demonstrates the exceptional robustness of BHL™ across the full range of cryogenic applications,” said Paul Gloyer, President and CEO of GTL, “The same material properties that make BHL™ suitable for superfluid helium storage also support liquid hydrogen (LH2) flight systems, where lightweight, durable, leak-free cryogenic tankage is essential.”

GTL continues to advance BHL™ across space, propulsion, and aerospace programs, building on its expertise in lightweight composite cryotanks and cryogenic systems.