Present status and one upgrading method with a cold compressor of the EAST sub-cooling helium cryogenic system

Since 2006, the superconducting toroidal field（TF） coils of the Experimental Advanced Superconducting Tokomak（EAST） have been successfully cooled by supercritical helium at a temperature of 4.5 K and a pressure of 4 bara in eleven experiments. To obtain higher operating currents and magnetic fields it is necessary to lower the operating temperature of the TF coils.The EAST sub-cooling helium cryogenic system, with a warm oil ring pump（ORP）, was tested twice in cool-down experiments, which made the TF coils operate at 3.8 K. However, the long term operational stability of the sub-cooling system cannot be guaranteed because of the ORP＇s poor mechanical and control performance. In this paper, the present status of the EAST subcooling helium cryogenic system is described, and then several cooling methods below 4.2 K and their merits are presented and analyzed. Finally, an upgrading method with a cold compressor for an EAST sub-cooling helium cryogenic system is proposed. The new process flow and thermodynamic calculation of the sub-cooling helium system, and the main parameters of the cold compressor, are also presented in detail. This work will provide a reference for the future upgrading of the sub-cooling helium system for higher operation parameters of the EAST device.

The Application and Improvement of Helium Turbines in the EAST Cryogenic System

The helium cryogenic system supplies supercritical helium cooling capacity at 4.5 K for the superconducting magnets in the EAST superconducting tokamak.Four low-temperature helium turbines are used in the 2 kW helium refrigeration system,and their performance and reliability are critical for the continuous operation of the tokamak.The turbines were made by the Helium Mechanics Company in Russia.The start-up process is very unstable,easily broken,and thus testing and improvements are needed.In this paper,we analyze the structure of the helium turbine,make improvements,and describe the testing process and results of the improved helium turbines.Some of the operational experiences during the start-up process and tests are also presented.

Numerical analysis of the static performance of an annular aerostatic gas thrust bearing applied in the cryogenic turbo-expander of the EAST subsystem

The EAST superconducting tokamak, an advanced steady-state plasma physics experimental device, has been built at the Institute of Plasma Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences. All the toroidal field magnets and poloidal field magnets, made of NbTi/Cu cable-in-conduit conductor, are cooled with forced flow supercritical helium at 3.8 K. The cryogenic system of EAST consists of a 2 kW/4 K helium refrigerator and a helium distribution system for the cooling of coils, structures, thermal shields, bus-lines, etc. The high-speed turbo-expander is an important refrigerating component of the EAST cryogenic system. In the turbo-expander, the axial supporting technology is critical for the smooth operation of the rotor bearing system. In this paper, hydrostatic thrust bearings are designed based on the axial load of the turbo-expander. Thereafter, a computational fluid dynamics-based numerical model of the aerostatic thrust bearing is set up to evaluate the bearing performance. Tilting effect on the pressure distribution and bearing load is analyzed for the thrust beating. Bearing load and stiffness are compared with different static supply pressures. The net force from the thrust bearings can be calculated for different combinations of bearing clearance and supply pressure.