Method and Device for Removing Helium from a Pressurized Container

Abstract

The present invention relates to a method for removing helium from a pressurized container, wherein supercritical helium is removed from the pressurized container; wherein the removed supercritical helium is actively cooled by means of a cooling device and/or passively cooled by means of a Joule-Thomson expansion; and thereby at least partially forms liquid helium.

Claims

1. A method for removing helium from a pressurized container (110), wherein supercritical helium (111) is removed from the pressurized container (110), characterized in that the removed supercritical helium (112) is actively cooled by means of a cooling device (210) and/or passively cooled by means of a Joule-Thomson expansion (220); and thereby at least partially forms liquid helium (113).

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the supercritical helium (112) removed from the pressurized container is actively cooled by means of a heat exchanger (210) as cooling device.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the supercritical helium (112) removed from the pressurized container is actively cooled by means of one of: a Stirling refrigerator; a Gifford-McMahon refrigerator; and a pulse tube refrigerator as cooling device (210).

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein, by means of the Joule-Thomson expansion (220) of the removed supercritical helium (112), cold gaseous helium (114) is also generated in addition to the liquefied helium (113), and wherein the generated cold gaseous helium (114) is removed (223).

5. The method according to claim 4, wherein the removed cold gaseous helium (114) is used to cool the supercritical helium (112) removed from the pressurized container (110), at a high-pressure, upstream side (222) of the Joule-Thomson expansion (220).

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein the at least partially liquefied helium (113) is supplied to a second pressurized container or a Dewar container (140).

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein the at least partially liquefied helium (113) is used to cool down a cryostat and/or devices within a cryostat.

8. A removal device (200) for removing helium from a pressurized container (110), comprising: a connection (201), which is arranged to be connected to a removal connection (130) of the pressurized container (110) for the removal of supercritical helium (111) from the pressurized container (110), characterized in that the removal device (200) comprises: an active cooling device (210) downstream of the connection (201) and/or a Joule-Thomson cooler (220) downstream of the connection (201).

9. The removal device (200) according to claim 8, wherein the cooling device (210) is one of the following: a heat exchanger; a Stirling refrigerator; a Gifford-McMahon refrigerator; or a pulse tube refrigerator.

10. The removal device (200) according to any one of claim 8, further comprising a gas discharge (223) for removing cold gaseous helium (114) from a low-pressure side (221) of the Joule-Thomson cooler (220).

11. The removal device (200) according to any one of claims 8 to 10, further configured such that the cold gaseous helium (114) is conveyed to be used for further cooling purposes and/or other usage.

12. The removal device (200) according to any one of claims 8 to 11, wherein the connection (201) is connected to a line (202), and wherein the active cooling device (210) is integrated in the line (202) and/or connected to said line at the end the line (202).

13. The removal device (200) according to any one of claims 8 to 12, further comprising a second connection (203) downstream of the cooling device (210) and/or the Joule-Thomson cooler (220), the second device being configured to be connected to a second pressurized container (140) and/or a supply line (224).

14. The removal device according to any of claims 8 to 13, wherein the second connection (203) is connected to a second pressurized container (140).

15. The removal device according to any of claims 8 to 14, wherein the second connection (203) is connected to a supply line (224) configured to convey the cold gaseous helium for further use.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0045] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a preferred design of a removal device according to the invention, which is arranged for carrying out a preferred embodiment of a method according to the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0046] In FIG. 1, a helium filling station 100 is represented diagrammatically. Helium is supplied in a pressurized container 110, for example, by truck. The helium is fed from the pressurized container 110 processed and then fed into a second storage container or vessel 140, for example, into one or more Dewar containers 140. Alternatively, or additionally, the helium is used to cool down a cryostat and/or devices within a cryostat.

[0047] The helium is stored in a pressurized container 110 at a high pressure of 3.1 barg or 45 psig, for example. Thus, within the pressurized container 110, there is only supercritical helium 111.

[0048] For the removal of the helium from the pressurized container 110, a preferred design of the removal device 200 according to the invention is provided, which is arranged for carrying out a preferred embodiment of a method according to the invention.

[0049] The removal device 200 comprises a first connection 201, which is arranged so as to be connected to a removal connection of the pressurized container 110. Within the pressurized container 110, several removal lines 121, 131 can run, which are each connected to a removal connection 120 or 130. In the example represented, the first connection 201 of the removal device 200 is connected to the removal connection 130.

[0050] The first connection 201 of the removal device 200 is connected to a line 202. The line 202 is designed, for example, to be double-walled and vacuum super insulated. Moreover, the removal device 200 comprises an active cooling device 210. This cooling device can be designed, preferably, as a Stirling refrigerator, a Gifford-McMahon refrigerator or a pulse tube refrigerator. In this example, according to a particularly preferable design of the invention, the cooling device 210 is formed as a heat exchanger with a compressor 211. For example, by means of the heat exchanger 210, a cooling fluid can flow around the line 202, in order to cool the medium flowing through the line 202. Furthermore, downstream of the active cooling device 210, the removal device 200 comprises a Joule-Thomson cooler 220. Via a second connection 203, the removal device can be connected to the Dewar container 140.

[0051] When the removal device 200 is connected to the removal connection 130 of the pressurized container 110, in the context of the invention, supercritical and cryogenic helium 111 is removed from the pressurized container 110.

[0052] This removed supercritical helium 112 flows through the line 202 and through the heat exchanger 210, wherein it is in each case still pressurized, to the Joule-Thomson cooler 220.

[0053] By means of the heat exchanger 210, heat is removed from the removed helium 112, and the helium is cooled. In the Joule-Thomson cooler 220, the helium 112 removed is subjected to a Joule-Thomson expansion. As a result of this active and passive cooling, the removed helium is at least partially liquefied on a low-pressure side 221 of the Joule-Thomson cooler 220. This liquefied portion of the removed helium is stored as liquid helium 113 in the Dewar container 140.

[0054] Since, the entire amount of removed helium 112 is not liquefied by means of the Joule-Thomson cooler 220, cold gaseous helium 114 is also generated.

[0055] This cold gaseous helium 114 is removed through a gas discharge from the low-pressure side 221 of the Joule-Thomson cooler 220. In the process, the removed cold gaseous helium 114 is led along a high-pressure side 222 of the Joule-Thomson cooler 220, in order to further cool the removed helium 112 located therein, before it is subjected to the Joule-Thomson expansion.

[0056] The removed cold gaseous helium 114 can advantageously be both conveyed for both storage 140 and/or supplied via supply line 224 for further use 301. For completeness, both of these options are shown in FIG. 1. However, the invention covers embodiments in which the removed cold gaseous helium is only supplied to a container for storage; and embodiments in which the removed cold gaseous helium is only supplied for further use.

[0057] For example, the removed cold gaseous helium 114 can be supplied to a heat exchanger and then to a compressor of a helium gas filling installation 301 and/or to a helium gas storage tank 140. Alternatively, the further use 301 may involve supplying the to a cryostat in order to cool down the cryostat and/or cool down component devices within the cryostat

[0058] Due to the removal of supercritical/cryogenic helium 111, the pressure within the pressurized container 110 drops. As soon as this pressure has reached a value of 2.29 bara, for example, liquid helium can be removed directly from the container 110.

LIST OF REFERENCE NUMERALS

[0059] 100 Helium filling station [0060] 110 Pressurized container [0061] 111 Supercritical helium [0062] 112 Removed supercritical helium [0063] 113 Liquid helium [0064] 114 Cold gaseous helium [0065] 120 Removal connection [0066] 121 Removal line [0067] 130 Removal connection [0068] 131 Removal line [0069] 140 Dewar container [0070] 200 Removal device [0071] 201 First connection of the removal device [0072] 202 Line [0073] 203 Second connection of the removal device [0074] 210 Heat exchanger [0075] 211 Compressor of the heat exchanger [0076] 220 Joule-Thomson cooler [0077] 221 Low-pressure side of the Joule-Thomson cooler [0078] 222 High-pressure side of the Joule-Thomson cooler [0079] 223 Gas discharge [0080] 224 Supply line [0081] 301 Supply of removed cold gaseous helium for further use, for example Heat exchanger and compressor of a helium gas filling installation