Large Cryogenics Systems at 1.8 K

Cryogenics is now widely present in large accelerator projects using applied superconductivity. Economical considerations permanently require an increase of the performance of superconducting devices. One way to do this consists to lower their operating temperature and to cool them with superfluid helium. For this purpose, large cryogenic systems at 1.8 K producing refrigeration capacity in the kW range have to be developed and implemented. These cryogenic systems require large pumping capacity at very low pressure based on integral cold compression or mixed cold-warm compression. This paper describes and compares the different cooling methods with saturated or pressurised superfluid helium, gives the present status of the available process machinery with their practical performance, and reviews the different thermodynamical cycles for producing refrigeration below 2 K, with emphasis on their operational compliance.