Refrigeration Systems

Helium Liquefaction and Reliquefaction

GM Two-Stage Cooler
GM/JT Three-Stage Cooler

HE Properties
Temp.
[K]
1
2
3
4.222
4.222
5
8
10
20
40
100
200
300

Density
Energy Enthalpy Entropy Cv
Cp Conductivity
PV/RT
[kg/m^3]
[J/g]
[J/g]
[J/g-K] [J/g-K] [J/g-K] [W/m-K]
146.9
0.3321 0.0165 0.7063
0.0162 0.1023 0.1023
147.5
0.1653 1.641 2.328
0.9658 5.228 5.25
143.4
0.1134 4.923 5.63
2.372
2.016 2.494
124.9
0.0925 9.208 10.02
3.575
2.552 5.255 0.0187
16.84
0.6859 24.72 30.74
8.473
3.238 9.144 9.04E-03
11.98
0.8145 28.21 36.67
9.767
3.159 6.77
0.0102
6.433
0.9478 38.76 54.51
12.58
3.111 5.581 0.0145
5.016
0.9724 45.3
65.5
13.81
3.115 5.429 0.0169
2.44
0.9995 77.06 118.6
17.5
3.121 5.251 0.0262
1.216
1.003 139.7 223
21.12
3.119 5.206 0.0405
0.4871
1.001 326.8 534.9
25.88
3.117 5.194 0.0737
0.2437
1.001 638.5 1054
29.48
3.116 5.193 0.118
0.1625
1
950.1 1574
31.58
3.116 5.193 0.156

Viscosity
[microPa-s]

3.263
1.242
1.392
1.959
2.293
3.624
5.52
9.543
15
19.92

Definitions:
LIQUEFACTION
transforms 300 K gas into 4.2 K liquid. (This requires 1564 Joules of heat
removed per gram liquefied).
RELIQUEFACTION
transforms 4.2 K gas into 4.2 K liquid. (this requires 21 Joules of heat removed
per gram reliquefied).
The cooling capacity required to keep an apparatus cold usually can not be fully
expressed as a single number. For example, a typical superconducting magnet system
may require:

5 W at 77 K
1 W at 15 K
1 W at 4.2 K

Here, three numbers rather than a single number must be used to describe the system.

Note that the cooling capacity of the cold gas (as it warms) is 1564 J/g spread over the
temperature range 4.2 K to 300 K. Compare this to only 21 J/g latent heat of evaporation
at 4.2 K.
The cooling capacity of the evaporating helium gas as it warms from 4.2K to 300K is
used to cool heat shields, dewar neck and magnet current leads. This is why the design
of the dewar neck, neck plug, magnet leads and heat shields is critical. If neck flow is
required, for example to cool magnet leads, then a liquefier is needed.
QUANTUMCOOLER COLD FINGER HELIUM RELIQUEFIER
A copper cold finger cooled to 4.0 K (0.2 K below the boiling point) is inserted into the
top of the dewar. The helium stays in the dewar. There is no boil-off of liquid helium--a
zero boil-off system.