Process model and capacity upgrades of the CTI-4000 liquid helium coldbox

Journal Article · Wed Jan 29 04:00:00 EST 2014 · AIP Conference Proceedings

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1063/1.4860769· OSTI ID:22263972

Hansen, Benjamin; Klebaner, Arkadiy ^[1]; Quack, Hans ^[2]

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1. Fermilab, P.O. Box 500, Batavia, IL 60510 (United States)
2. Technische Universitaet Dresden, Dresden (Germany)

Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory (FNAL) is in the process of re-commissioning a vintage CTI-4000 liquid helium coldbox, initially supplied by CTI-Cryogenics/Sulzer to Los Alamos in 1979. The coldbox was originally designed as a liquid helium refrigerator with capacity of ∼1200 W at nominal 4-K. The process utilized LN{sub 2} precooling, in-series operation of two centrifugal gas bearing turboexpanders and final Joule-Thomson (J-T) expansion. At FNAL, the coldbox will be utilized as a liquefier to support 2-K operations. A process model was developed to aid in the upgrade decisions and used to determine the nominal capacity of the liquefier. Capacity upgrades are achieved by safely utilizing the internal LN2 precooler, the addition of a 3-inch reciprocating wet expansion engine and increasing the overall process pressure by recertifying two limiting pressure vessels to a higher MAWP.

• OSTI ID: 22263972
• Journal Information: AIP Conference Proceedings, Journal Name: AIP Conference Proceedings Journal Issue: 1 Vol. 1573; ISSN APCPCS; ISSN 0094-243X
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

43 PARTICLE ACCELERATORS
71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS
GENERAL PHYSICS
CRYOGENICS
DESIGN
FERMILAB ACCELERATOR
HELIUM
LIQUIDS
PRESSURE VESSELS
REFRIGERATORS