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Cryogenic refrigeration systems are necessary for numerous applications. Gas purification and distillation require temperatures between 15 K and 200 K depending on the application, space simulation chambers down to 15 K, superconductivity between 1.8 K and up to 75 K (magnets, cavities or HTS devices like cables, FCL, SMES, etc), Cold Neutron Sources between 15 and 20 K, etc. Air Liquide Advanced Technologies is designing and manufacturing refrigerators since 60 years to satisfy those needs. The step by step developments achieved have led to machines with higher efficiency and reliability. In 1965, reciprocating compressors and Joule Thomson expansion valves were used. In 1969, centripetal expanders began to be used. In 1980, oil lubricated screw compressors took the place of reciprocating compressors and a standard range of Claude cycle refrigerators was developed: the HELIAL series. 1980 was also the time for cryogenic centrifugal compressor development. In 2011, driven by the need for lower operational cost (high efficiency and low maintenance), cycle oil free centrifugal compressors on magnetic bearings were introduced instead of screw compressors. The power extracted by centripetal expanders was recovered. Based on this technology, a range of Turbo-Brayton refrigerators has been designed for temperatures between 40 K and 150 K. On-going development will enable widening the range of Turbo-Brayton refrigerators to cryogenic temperatures down to 15 K.. Cryogenic centrifugal circulators have been developed in order to answer to an increasing demand of 4 K refrigerators able to distribute cold power. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The first helium refrigeration system installed by Air Liquide at the Institute for Plasma Research, Ahmedabad, India, was successfully tested in 2003 and accepted beginning of 2004. It is able to provide an equivalent power of 1350W at 4.5K, including the circulation of supercritical helium, thanks to a cold circulator, and distribution of liquid helium at 4.5K. This installation will be completed with an additional small refrigeration system, composed of Air Liquide standard refrigerator HELIAL 1000, which has been adapted to provide 110W at 3.8K. This second refrigerator will supply two cryopumps with liquid helium, thanks to the thermosiphon effect. To achieve such a low temperature, the liquid helium bath produced by HELIAL 1000 will be pumped below atmospheric pressure, using vacuum pumps and complementary equipment. Both refrigerators will be presented, highlighting the particularities of each system. © 2006 American Institute of Physics [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Air Liquide’s Advanced Technology Division is a manufacturer of cryogenic expanders. More than 450 units are now working around the world, mainly dedicated to liquefiers, refrigerators and H2-CO purification units. In order to cope with the power increase of these units, a new expander called “TC7” has been developed and tested. This expander permits turbine wheel diameters up to 110 mm, while the other units of the range (from TC3 to TC6, by increasing wheel diameter) are limited to 78 mm. The maximum flow rate is therefore doubled. The main technical features of the existing range have been kept, and adapted in size: static radial and thrust bearings, low loss casing, variety of wheel shapes (radial-radial shrouded or un-shrouded, radial-axial). This paper describes the main design characteristics of this new expander, together with manufacturing aspects and test results. © 2006 American Institute of Physics [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

CERN in Switzerland is presently building a new particle accelerator labeled as the LHC. This 27 km accelerator will, for the first time at such a large scale, operate at cryogenic temperatures with superconducting magnets and radio-frequency cavities. For that purpose, Air Liquide has designed, constructed and started up two custom designed refrigerators. The cryogenic power of each of these refrigerators is equivalent to 18 kW at 4.5 K. In order to produce the cryogenic power requested by the LHC accelerator at the different temperature levels with a very high efficiency, a custom design thermodynamic cycle has been chosen. This cycle, the major components of the refrigerators and the results obtained during the reception tests of the refrigerators are presented in this paper. © 2004 American Institute of Physics [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]