Operating experiences and test results of six cold helium compressors

Conference · Thu Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 1987

OSTI ID:6285046

Brown, D P; Gibbs, R J; Schlafke, A P; Sondericker, J H; Wu, K C

Three small and three large cold helium centrifugal compressors have been operated at Brookhaven National Laboratory between 1981 and 1986. The three small cold compressors have been installed on a 1000 W refrigerator for testing a string of superconducting magnets and for R and D purposes. The three large units are components of the BNL 24.8 KW refrigerator to be used to provide cooling for the RHIC project. These compressors are used either to circulate a large amount of supercritical helium through a group of magnets or to pump on the helium bath to reduce temperature in the system. One small circulating compressor tested employs tilting-pad gas bearings and is driven by a DC motor. The two small cold vacuum pumps tested use oil bearings and are driven by oil turbines. The three large oil-bearing cold compressors are driven by DC motors through a gear box. A unique feature of the large vacuum pump is the combination of two pumps with a total of four stages on the same shaft. The adiabatic efficiencies are found to be 57% for the large vacuum pumps and close to 50% for the large circulating compressor. Good overall reliability has been experienced.

• Research Organization: Brookhaven National Lab., Upton, NY (USA)
• DOE Contract Number: AC02-76CH00016
• OSTI ID: 6285046
• Report Number(s): BNL-39943; CONF-8706125-7; ON: DE87012115
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

420201* -- Engineering-- Cryogenic Equipment & Devices
71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS
GENERAL PHYSICS
CENTRIFUGAL PUMPS
CRYOGENIC FLUIDS
CRYOPUMPS
DESIGN
EFFICIENCY
ELECTRICAL EQUIPMENT
ELECTROMAGNETS
ELEMENTS
EQUIPMENT
FLUIDS
GASES
HELIUM
LABORATORY EQUIPMENT
MAGNETS
NONMETALS
PERFORMANCE
PUMPS
RARE GASES
SPECIFICATIONS
SUPERCONDUCTING DEVICES
SUPERCONDUCTING MAGNETS
VACUUM PUMPS