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Thermodynamic limits of 4He and 3He Joule–Thomson cryocoolers

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  • Ni, Fengyi
  • Huang, Yonghua
  • Cao, Haishan

Abstract

Joule–Thomson (JT) cryocoolers working at liquid helium temperatures are essential in a variety of space- and ground-based applications. However, the optimal working conditions maximizing the coefficient of performance (COP) for helium JT cryocoolers remain unclear. This study presents a method from the thermodynamic point of view to determine the maximum COP and the corresponding working conditions. The specific cooling capacity of a helium JT cryocooler can be enhanced by using multi-stage throttling when the pinch point of the single-stage JT unit is at its low-temperature end. The performances of 3He JT cryocoolers working at 0.5–3.2 K and 4He JT cryocoolers working at 1.0–4.2 K are compared in terms of COP, compression ratio, specific mass flow rate and volumetric flow rate. For a given low pressure of 100 kPa, JT cryocoolers with three-stage precooling using the state-of-the-art cryocoolers as precoolers have maximum COPs of 0.2829% at 4.2 K using 4He and 0.2124% at 3.2 K using 3He. Moreover, sensitivity analysis has been performed to assess the effects of compressor efficiency, precooler COP, heat exchanger effectiveness and pressure drop on the COP of 4He and 3He JT cryocoolers. This study provides a reference in designing working conditions for helium JT cryocoolers.

Suggested Citation

  • Ni, Fengyi & Huang, Yonghua & Cao, Haishan, 2024. "Thermodynamic limits of 4He and 3He Joule–Thomson cryocoolers," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 313(C).
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:energy:v:313:y:2024:i:c:s0360544224035588
    DOI: 10.1016/j.energy.2024.133780
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