【Ten Years of Rapid Development in Chemical Equipment】2339–2025: China’s first 10,000-watt helium cryocooler developed successfully
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Let’s give praise and support to the achievements made in China’s chemical engineering technology and equipment; your participation in discussions is the greatest encouragement. **********************【Ten Years of Progress in Chemical Engineering Equipment】Regular updates and summaries are available; feel free to join the discussions: https://bbs.hcbbs.com/thread-3576046-1-1.html ***************** Recently, researchers from the Institute of Physical Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, as well as the Zhongshan Institute for Advanced Cryogenic Technology, have successfully developed China’s first 10,000-watt-class helium cryocooler. This refrigerator is the first ultra-large helium cryogenic refrigerator developed by Chinese scientists; in liquefaction mode, it achieves a helium liquefaction rate of 3,370 liters per hour. It will be used in the **Accelerator-Driven Transmutation Research Facility, a key scientific and technological infrastructure, to provide a low-temperature environment for the treatment of nuclear waste. Refrigeration technology in the liquid helium temperature range not only provides critical technical support for fundamental scientific research, the development of medical equipment, and the separation of rare gases, but also offers liquid hydrogen solutions to address the challenges related to the storage and transportation of large-scale clean energy sources, thereby promoting the sustainable development of the new energy industry. A 10,000-watt-class helium cryocooler is an ultra-large-scale low-temperature cooling unit capable of delivering a cooling capacity of over 10,000 watts at liquid helium temperatures (i.e., minus 269 degrees Celsius). It serves as a key component for advancing research in major scientific facilities such as accelerators and controlled nuclear fusion. To achieve self-reliance and control in ultra-large-scale cryogenic refrigeration technology, the Cryogenic Engineering and System Applications team at the Institute of Physical Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, has been working in this field for over a decade and has successfully developed helium refrigerators with a capacity of tens of thousands of watts. “The core components of this refrigerator, such as the helium compressor, helium-bearing turboexpander, cryogenic heat exchanger, and ultra-large high-vacuum insulated cryostat, have all been independently developed in China. Among them, the ultra-large high-vacuum insulated cryogenic tank is approximately 28 meters long, has a diameter of over 4 meters, and weighs 180 tons ； Helium gas-bearing turbine expanders can reach speeds of 100,000 to 150,000 revolutions per minute under heavy-load, high-power conditions. ”Liu Liqiang, a researcher at the Institute of Physical and Chemical Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, said that this represents an important breakthrough in China’s development of ultra-large helium cryogenic refrigerators. This equipment was showcased for the first time at the Third China (Anhui) Science and Technology Innovation Achievements Transformation Fair held in Hefei, Anhui.
From Being Strained to Full Autonomy: China’s Path to Advancement in Refrigeration Technology The 10,000-watt helium refrigerators can be regarded as the gem in the crown of low-temperature technology, as they are capable of providing 10,000 watts of cooling power in an environment as cold as minus 269°C. Previously, only a few entities around the world **possessed its core technology. After more than a decade of hard work, a team from the Institute of Physical and Chemical Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, has finally achieved 100% domestic production of the key components: Helium compressors – solving the challenges associated with compressing high-pressure helium, with an efficiency increase of 30%; Turbomolecular expanders – achieving rotational speeds of over 100,000 revolutions per minute, setting a new record for low-temperature power generation; 28-meter superconducting cryostats – these “steel giants” with a diameter of 4 meters and a weight of 180 tons can achieve a liquefaction rate of up to 3,370 liters per hour. This system will be used in **major scientific and technological infrastructure – accelerator-driven transmutation facilities – to provide an extremely low-temperature environment for the treatment of nuclear waste. Meanwhile, the compact 500-watt version has been contracted to Hefei Advanced Light Source to power the next generation of synchrotron light sources. How can cold technology drive a “hot future”? Advances in cryogenic technology are quietly changing the rules of the game in energy and science: Acceleration of controlled nuclear fusion: Paving the way for the domestic production of devices similar to those used in ITER, thereby facilitating the implementation of ultimate solutions for clean energy. Revolution in liquid hydrogen storage and transportation: Enabling large-scale transport of liquid hydrogen through efficient cooling methods, thus overcoming the challenges related to the storage and transportation of new energy sources. Breakthroughs in life sciences: Ultra-low temperature environments facilitate gene research and the development of medical equipment, while extending the shelf life of biological samples. This achievement has the following highlights: It breaks the monopoly held by giants such as France’s CEA and Japan’s IHI, and enables the domestic production of key equipment for ITER (the International Thermonuclear Fusion Experimental Reactor). Ultra-low temperature environments facilitate the production of chips with a size of 7 nanometers or less, help solve the heat dissipation problems associated with lithography machines, break the monopoly held by ASML’s equipment, and contribute to the upgrading of the semiconductor industry. The liquefaction rate is 3,370 liters per hour, which means that nearly 1 liter of helium can be liquefied per second. This efficiency is more than 20% higher than that of similar international devices, significantly reducing the operating costs of nuclear fusion reactors and resulting in a revolutionary improvement in efficiency!
【Ten Years of Rapid Development in Chemical Engineering Equipment】Sinopec’s project for the development of high-strength hydrogen transport pipeline steel and related engineering technologies for the period 2030–2025 has passed the review by the headquarters. https://bbs.hcbbs.com/thread-5692193-1-1.html (Source: Haichuan Chemical Industry Forum)