Year : 2012, Volume : 37, Issue : 1to4
First page : ( 9) Last page : ( 16)
Print ISSN : 0379-0479. Online ISSN : 2349-2120. Published online : 2012  3.

Design and analysis of large-scale helium liquefiers/refrigerators: issues with modeling and simulation

Ghosh Parthasarathi¹, Thomas Rijo Jacob¹, Dutta Rohan¹, Chowdhury Kanchan¹

¹Cryogenic Engineering Centre, Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur, 721302

Abstract

Large-scale helium liquefaction/refrigeration plants have thermodynamically more involved configurations than Collins cycle that is the fundamental cycle for liquefaction and are used for cooling superconducting magnets etc. Transient analysis helps in design of such plants through improved understanding of the processes leading to optimal designs and appropriate strategies for mitigating the effects of fluctuating heat loads. Process simulator with appropriate Equation of State for thermodynamic properties of the fluid, appropriate models for transport and thermo-physical properties of helium and the structural materials helps in modeling and simulation of such plants. In this paper, attempt has been made to bring out the features of helium liquefiers, to discuss the peculiarities of the properties of helium fluid and the materials of construction at temperatures near the normal boiling point of helium that need to be addressed in performing steady state and dynamic simulation. Many of these aspects are not taken care of by the commercial process simulators like Aspen Plus®, Aspen Dynamics®, Aspen Hysys®, ChemCACf etc. They have been compared on the basis of their suitability for addressing those issues. The areas, methodology and the extent of success that have been achieved in customizing the software, Aspen Hysys®, for simulation of helium systems have also been discussed.

Top

Keywords

Large-scale helium liquefier/refrigerator, Modeling and simulation, Aspen Hysys®.

Top