Superconductivity News Forum (SNF)
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Efficient Small-Scale Helium Liquefaction: From Super-Critical Gas to Super-Cooled Single-phase He I
C. Rillo1,2, J. Sesé2,3, M. Gabal2,3, M.P. Lozano2,3, P. Téllez4, V. Campillo5, S. Spagna6, J. Diederichs6, R. Sager6, M. Kluger6, C. Chialvo6, J. Terry6, G. Rayner6, R. Warburton7, and R. Reineman7
1Instituto de Ciencia de Materiales de Aragón (ICMA), CSIC-Universidad de Zaragoza, E-50009 Zaragoza, Spain
2Departamento de Física de la Materia Condensada, Universidad de Zaragoza, E-50009 Zaragoza, Spain
3Instituto de Nanociencia de Aragón (INA), Laboratorio de Microscopias Avanzadas (LMA), Universidad de Zaragoza, E-50018 Zaragoza, Spain
4Servicio General de Apoyo a la Investigación (SAI), Universidad de Zaragoza, E-50009 Zaragoza, Spain
5Integración y Control, S.L., E-50450, Muel, Zaragoza, Spain
6Quantum Design, Inc., San Diego, California 92121, USA
7GWR Instruments, Inc., San Diego, California 92121, USA
E-mail: [email protected]
Abstract — Every year hundreds of tons of helium evaporated in medical or scientific instruments are wasted into the atmosphere. Researchers and helium users have long sought, especially during the last two decades, a practical small-scale helium recycling solution. In recent publications we revealed a new, simple, and very energy-efficient helium liquefaction method that, in conjunction with associated recovery components, helps many researchers realize the dream of recovering and producing liquid helium very efficiently by their own. The method uses elevated pressure to obtain super-cooled single-phase He I from super-critical gas.
Keywords (Index Terms) – Small-scale helium liquefaction, super-critical gas, single-phase He I, closed cycle refrigerators, helium recovery plant.
IEEE/CSC & ESAS SUPERCONDUCTIVITY NEWS FORUM (global edition), July 2015. Received June 12, 2015; Accepted June 20, 2015. Reference ST448; Category 4,6,11.