【Ten Years of Rapid Development in Chemical Engineering Equipment】The helium cryocooler with the highest cooling capacity currently in use in China’s fusion field has been operating stably since 2025

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Let’s give praise and encouragement 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】A continuously updated summary post is available – feel free to join the discussions: https://bbs.hcbbs.com/thread-3576046-1-1.html ***************** On October 21, 2025, reporters learned from Henan Zhongke Qingneng Technology Co., Ltd. (hereinafter referred to as Zhongke Qingneng) that the 3kW@4.5K helium refrigeration unit developed and manufactured by this company was successfully started up for the first time in Hefei on October 15 of this year. As of the 20th, the equipment has been operating safely and stably for over 120 hours, with an actual cooling capacity of 3 kW, meeting the design specifications. This equipment is the helium cryocooler with the highest cooling capacity currently in use in China’s fusion field, and it will provide support for the stable operation of **CRAFT – the Comprehensive Research Facility for Key Systems of Fusion Reactor Hosts, a major scientific and technological infrastructure. The core objective of the CRAFT project is to explore and master the key technologies for fusion DEMO (demonstration) scale; a 3kW@4.5K helium cryocooler can provide a stringent low-temperature operating environment for the large superconducting magnets in fusion reactors. The development and commissioning of the 3kW@4.5K helium cryocooler have provided experience for the research and development of ultra-high-power ultra-low temperature refrigeration equipment in China, significantly enhancing the country’s overall capability for autonomy in this field. They also offer key technical support and equipment guarantees for the healthy development of the nuclear fusion industry. In the second quarter of this year, Zhongke Qingneng officially began work on developing a 3kW@4.5K helium refrigerator; it took only seven months to complete all the design, manufacturing, and testing tasks, after which the device was put into operation successfully. The 3kW@4.5K helium cryocooler developed for the CRAFT project features technical capabilities such as multi-user operation modes, rapid condition-changing control, and a high level of automation, enabling it to provide a stable low-temperature environment for the CRAFT project over the long term.