A cryopump regeneration method includes: supplying diluent gas to a cryopump in the middle of a cooling operation; accumulating the diluent gas on a cryogenic surface in the cryopump; revaporizing another gas trapped on the cryogenic surface together with the diluent gas; and exhausting mixed gas of the revaporized gas and the diluent gas from the cryopump. The diluent gas may be purge gas.

A terpene extraction system and method of extracting terpenes from plant biomass are described. The plant biomass is derived from a Cannabis source plant, as one example source plant. A reactor assembly and one or more cold traps can be a part of the system, and can be involved in the method. The reactor assembly has a housing that receives the plant biomass, and has an agitator that moves the plant biomass in the housing, per an example. The cold trap(s) is situated downstream of the reactor assembly. A heater and a vacuum pump can also be part of the terpene extraction system, and can be involved in the method.

A terpene extraction system and method of extracting terpenes from plant biomass are described. The plant biomass is derived from a Cannabis source plant, as one example source plant. A reactor assembly and one or more cold traps can be a part of the system, and can be involved in the method. The reactor assembly has a housing that receives the plant biomass, and has an agitator that moves the plant biomass in the housing, per an example. The cold trap(s) is situated downstream of the reactor assembly. A heater and a vacuum pump can also be part of the terpene extraction system, and can be involved in the method.

A helium management control system for controlling the helium refrigerant supply from a common manifold supplies cryogenic refrigerators with an appropriate helium supply. The system employs sensors to monitor and regulate the overall refrigerant supply to deliver an appropriate refrigerant supply to each of the cryogenic refrigerators depending on the computed aggregate cooling demand of all of the cryogenic refrigerators. An appropriate supply of helium is distributed to each cryopump by sensing excess and sparse helium and redistributing refrigerant accordingly. If the total refrigeration supply exceeds the demand, or consumption, excess refrigerant is directed to cryogenic refrigerators which can utilize the excess helium to complete a current cooling function more quickly. If the total refrigeration demand exceeds the total refrigeration supply, the refrigerant supply to some or all of the cryogenic refrigerators will be reduced accordingly so that detrimental or slowing effects are minimized based upon the current cooling function.

A helium management control system for controlling the helium refrigerant supply from a common manifold supplies cryogenic refrigerators with an appropriate helium supply. The system employs sensors to monitor and regulate the overall refrigerant supply to deliver an appropriate refrigerant supply to each of the cryogenic refrigerators depending on the computed aggregate cooling demand of all of the cryogenic refrigerators. An appropriate supply of helium is distributed to each cryopump by sensing excess and sparse helium and redistributing refrigerant accordingly. If the total refrigeration supply exceeds the demand, or consumption, excess refrigerant is directed to cryogenic refrigerators which can utilize the excess helium to complete a current cooling function more quickly. If the total refrigeration demand exceeds the total refrigeration supply, the refrigerant supply to some or all of the cryogenic refrigerators will be reduced accordingly so that detrimental or slowing effects are minimized based upon the current cooling function.

A regenerative refrigerator includes: a regenerator unit that precools a working gas; and an expander that cools the working gas by expanding the working gas precooled by the regenerator unit. The regenerator unit includes a zinc based regenerator member formed of zinc or an alloy containing zinc as a main component of the alloy. A first stage regenerator optionally includes a high temperature part including a first regenerator member and a low temperature part including a second regenerator member different from the first regenerator member. A second stage regenerator optionally includes a high temperature part including a second regenerator member and a low temperature part including a third regenerator member different from the second regenerator member. The second regenerator member optionally includes a zinc based regenerator member formed of zinc or an alloy containing zinc as a main component of the alloy.

A cryopump system includes a cryopump, a compressor of a working gas for the cryopump, a control device configured to control an operation frequency of the compressor, a gas line connecting the cryopump and the compressor, and a gas quantity adjustment unit configured to switch a working gas quantity of the gas line between at least a first gas quantity and a second gas quantity. When the gas line has the first gas quantity, a controllable range of the operation frequency provides a first flow rate range of the working gas. When the gas line has the second gas quantity, the controllable range provides a second flow rate range of the working gas. The second flow rate range has a non-overlapping portion with the first flow rate range.

A cryopump system includes a cryopump, a compressor of a working gas for the cryopump, a control device configured to control an operation frequency of the compressor, a gas line connecting the cryopump and the compressor, and a gas quantity adjustment unit configured to switch a working gas quantity of the gas line between at least a first gas quantity and a second gas quantity. When the gas line has the first gas quantity, a controllable range of the operation frequency provides a first flow rate range of the working gas. When the gas line has the second gas quantity, the controllable range provides a second flow rate range of the working gas. The second flow rate range has a non-overlapping portion with the first flow rate range.

A method of operating a cryopump includes: cooling a cryopanel from an initial temperature higher than a cryogenic temperature for a vacuum pumping operation to the cryogenic temperature by using a refrigerator; and after the cooling, initiating the vacuum pumping operation, in which the cooling includes providing a cooling relief effect selectively to a high-temperature stage of the refrigerator.

A method of operating a cryopump includes: cooling a cryopanel from an initial temperature higher than a cryogenic temperature for a vacuum pumping operation to the cryogenic temperature by using a refrigerator; and after the cooling, initiating the vacuum pumping operation, in which the cooling includes providing a cooling relief effect selectively to a high-temperature stage of the refrigerator.