Theory to boil-off gas cooled shields for cryogenic storage vessels

An intermediate refrigeration with boil-off gas cooled shields using the boil-off gas stream is an alternative method to the conventional intermediate refrigeration with a cryogenic liquid.By using an analytical calculation method relations are derived, which enable complete predictions about the effectiveness of an intermediate refrigeration with boil-off gas cooled shields as a function of the number of shields for the different stored cryogenic liquids. For this theoretical derivation however, the restrictive assumption must be made that the thermal conductivity of the used insulation material has a constant value between the considered temperature boundaries.For purposes of a more exact calculation a numerical method is therefore suggested, which takes into consideration that the thermal conductivity is temperature-dependent. For a liquid hydrogen storage vessel with a perlite-vacuum insulation e.g., the effectiveness of one shield and its equilibrium temperature are given as a function of the position of the shield in the insulation space.     

Helium liquefaction with a commercial 4 K Gifford-McMahon cryocooler

This paper describes helium liquefaction using a commercial cryocooler with 1.5 W cooling power at 4.2 K (Sumitomo model RDK415D with compressor CSW-71D, consuming 6.5 kW electrical power), equipped with heat exchangers for precooling the incoming gas. No additional cooling power of cryoliquids or additional Joule-Thomson stages were utilized. Measurements of the pressure dependence of the liquefaction rate were performed. A maximum value of 83.9 g/h was obtained for 2.25 bar stabilized input pressure. Including the time needed to cool the liquefied helium to 4.2 K at 1 bar after filling the bottle connected to the cold head, and correcting for heat screen influences, this results in a net liquefaction rate of 67.7 g/h. Maintaining a pressure close to 1 bar above the bath during liquefaction, a rate of 55.7 g/h was obtained. The simple design enables many applications of the apparatus.     

Liquid helium cryostat for SQUID-based MRI receivers

We describe a liquid helium cryostat, developed to cool SQUID-based receivers in low field MRI systems. The cryostat has a 4 L liquid helium capacity, a hold time of over 3 days and accommodates 10 cm diameter receiver coils. New vacuum insulation methods reduce the noise level by at least an order of magnitude compared to existing commercial designs. The minimum detectable field at 425 kHz, with a 5 cm diameter circular coil, was estimated to be 0.018 fT/Hz^1/2 from Q-factor measurements and 0.035 fT/Hz^1/2 by direct measurement with a SQUID amplifier. Further measurements indicated that most of this field noise probably originates with dielectric losses in the cryostat’s fibreglass shells.     

Vibration spectrum of a pulse-tube cryostat from 1 Hz to 20 kHz

The vibrations of the cold finger of a low-vibration helium pulse-tube cryostat are measured from 1 Hz to 20 kHz using an optical interferometer specially designed to measure small amplitude vibrations at high frequencies in the presence of large vibrations at lower frequencies. While the vibrational amplitude is dominated by the contribution at the fundamental compressor frequency of 1.4 Hz, the pulse tube contributes mechanical noise at frequencies up to 15 kHz, where the spectral density is measured to be 4 × 10⁻¹² m/Hz^1/2. Root-mean-squared vibration amplitudes of 5.2 μm and 3 μm are measured along perpendicular axes in the horizontal plane, and 1.0 μm in the vertical direction. The effect of a suspended sample holder for the purpose of attenuating high-frequency vibrations is evaluated. Finally, the cryostat is shown to be considerably noisier than typical laboratory floors.     

Design and performance of the HESSI cryostat

The High Energy Solar Spectroscopic Imager (HESSI) spacecraft, to be launched in July 2000, will be used to observe the Sun with the finest angular and energy resolutions ever achieved from a few keV to hundreds of keV. The spacecraft will use an array of nine germanium (Ge) detectors, each 7.1 cm in diameter and 8.5 cm long, operating at 75 K. The detectors are mounted in a cryostat on a common coldplate, and cooled by a small Stirling-cycle cryocooler. This paper describes the design of the cryostat, special accommodations for the Ge detectors, interfaces with the cryocooler, and thermal performance of the engineering test unit.     

A coupled numerical analysis of shield temperatures, heat losses and residual gas pressures in an evacuated super-insulation using thermal and fluid networks: Part III: Unsteady-state conditions (evacuation period)

This paper analyses the evacuation period of a 300 L super-insulated cryogenic storage tank for liquid nitrogen. Storage tank and radiation shields are the same as in part I of this paper. The present analysis extends application of stationary fluid networks to unsteady-states to determine local, residual gas pressures between shields and the evacuation time of a multilayer super-insulation. Parameter tests comprise magnitude of desorption from radiation shields, spacers and container walls and their influence on length of the evacuation period. Calculation of the integrals over time-dependent desorption rates roughly confirms weight losses of radiation shields obtained after heating and out-gassing the materials, as reported in the literature. After flooding the insulation space with dry N₂-gas, the evacuation time can enormously be reduced, from 72 to 4 h, to obtain a residual gas pressure of 0.01 Pa in-between shields of this storage tank. Permeation of nitrogen through container walls is of no importance for residual gas pressures. The simulations finally compare freezing H₂O-layers adsorbed on shields, spacers and container walls with flooding of the materials.     

The Meissner-Ochsenfeld effect as a possible tool to control anisotropy of thermal conductivity and pinning strength of type II superconductors

This paper proposes the Meissner-Ochsenfeld effect as a possible tool for quality control of type II superconductors (SC). Visual or optical inspection of the levitation process allows rough determination of the anisotropy of thermal conductivity and of the pinning strength of type II SC material, in a materials quality control. An assembly of permanent (e.g. NdFeB) or electromagnets and a flat cryostat allowing visual or optical inspection would be required. The method is demonstrated by numerically simulating the field cooling process of a superconducting cylindrical pellet and of a coated conductor.     

Influence of condensed water on heat radiation absorptivity at cryogenic temperatures

Influence of water deposit on heat radiation absorptivity of a metallic surface was measured in a device designed for investigation of thermal radiative properties of materials at cryogenic temperatures. In this device heat transfer between planparallel surfaces of radiator and absorber is measured. An aluminium sample of 40 mm in diameter was used as absorber. A radiator consisting of an organic composite on a copper disk was used in two experiment stages. At temperature of 298 K, water outgassed from the organic layer formed the deposit on the absorber. Then the heat emitted from the radiator at temperatures from 45 K up to 250 K was used for the absorptivity measurement. Substantial influence of deposit of 85 mg/m² on the sample absorptivity was found.     

The single component superinsulation

The single component superinsulation containing dimpled and perforated shields was theoretically based and experimentally optimized. Its high superinsulation thermal efficiency was validated inside cryovessels and cryostats. In addition, a unique machine for mass production of such superinsulation was created.     

A shieldless method for cryogenic cold–vapor supply usage: Theory and practice

We have proven by numerical analysis and experiment that with the use of the SRDB developed shieldless method for cryogenic vapor usage maximum vapor–cold usage is achieved. It is shown that evaporation is decreased in cryovessels and cryostats by using this method equal to 45 times for helium, 5 times for hydrogen and 1.7 times for nitrogen.