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Project

A helium compressor for the liquefaction plant of the Department of Physics and Astronomy

Many experiments in physics and chemistry research make use of liquid helium as a cooling liquid to cool samples or scientific instruments to temperatures very close to the absolute zero temperature (i.e. about -273 degrees centigrade).  This is for instance necessary in the study of magnetic and superconducting samples: their properties only become visible at these ultra-low temperatures. In these cases liquid helium is used to cool these samples to the desired temperature. Additionally, in many cases it is scientifically interesting to measure how the samples change when they are subjected to extremely strong magnetic fields, several ten thousands of times stronger than the Earth's magnetic field. Such extremely strong magnetic fields can be produced in superconducting coils, through which a very high current is running. Liquid helium is then necessary to bring these coils into the superconducting state. In order to produce this liquid helium, a number of cyclic production steps have to be taken in which helium gas is purified, compressed and expanded, ultimately producing liquid helium. With this application we intend to buy a modern helium compressor to replace the outdated and unreliable unit. This compressor will be installed in the central liquefaction unit of the Department of Physics and Astronomy.
Date:1 Oct 2016 →  30 Sep 2018
Keywords:helium compressor
Disciplines:Nuclear physics