Simplified Helium Refrigerator Cycle Analysis Using the Carnot Step

摘要

An analysis of the Claude form of an idealized helium liquefier for the minimum input work reveals the Carnot Step for helium refrigerator cycles. As the Carnot Step for a multi-stage polytrophic compression process consists of equal pressure ratio stages; similarly for an idealized helium liquefier the Carnot Step consists of equal temperature ratio stages for a given number of expansion stages. This paper presents the analytical basis and some useful equations for the preliminary examination of existing and new Claude helium refrigeration cycles.