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Title: Experience with small turbomachinery in a 400 watt refrigerator

Conference ·
OSTI ID:438998

A refrigerator similar to one of the Fermilab Tevatron satellites was reconfigured to use turbomachinery instead of the reciprocating equipment typical of the installations. A Sulzer dry turboexpander, Creare wet turboexpander, and IHI centrifugal cold compressor have been installed and operated for about 8000 hours. Experience was gained both with the rotating machinery and with the refrigerator itself as it interfaced with the load. Equipment was set up to regulate in the same manner as the reciprocating devices had. Heat load and operating mode were adjusted and evaluations made regarding the behavior of the devices. Individual equipment performance is described as well as system behavior and overall integration of the machinery. In particular, attention is paid to the Creare wet turboexpander. This device is operated for the first time as part of a full scale refrigeration system, testing not only its performance at the design point but also its off design characteristics and behavior in transient situations.

Research Organization:
Fermi National Accelerator Lab. (FNAL), Batavia, IL (United States)
Sponsoring Organization:
USDOE Office of Energy Research, Washington, DC (United States)
DOE Contract Number:
AC02-76CH03000
OSTI ID:
438998
Report Number(s):
FNAL/C-96/290; CONF-950722-20; ON: DE96050526; TRN: 97:004314
Resource Relation:
Conference: CEC/ICMC `95: cryogenic engineering conference and international cryogenic materials conference, Columbus, OH (United States), 17-21 Jul 1995; Other Information: PBD: Sep 1996
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English