Development of helium refrigeration/ liquefaction system at BARC, India

An experimental helium refrigerator/liquefier, using ultra high speed cryogenic turboexpanders, is designed and developed at Cryo-Technology Division, BARC. The developed system is based on the modified Claude cycle. The developed system is presently fully functional consisting of process compressor with gas management system, coldbox, helium receiver Dewar, tri-axial transfer line and helium recovery system. Extended trial runs are conducted to evaluate the performance of the developed system. During these trials, liquefaction rate of around 32 l/hr and refrigeration capacity of around 190W is achieved. The paper addresses design, development and commissioning aspects of the developed helium liquefier along with results of performance evaluation trial runs.