Cold compressors are key components in large scale superfluid helium refrigerators. A cryogenic performance experimental system for centrifugal cold compressors is under development; this mainly consists of a warm compressor station, cold compressors, valves, a cold box, a sub-cooling heat exchanger and a sub-atmospheric heater. The flow scheme has been specially designed so that cold compressors with a flow rate less than 30 g/s and inlet temperatures between 3 K and 20 K can be tested. An innovative sub-atmospheric heater has been designed to guarantee good heat transfer efficiency between the helium gas and the wall of the tube. The design and fabrication of the cold box and cold compressors have been completed. The commissioning of the system is foreseen in the near future.
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