Performance of cold compressors in a cooling system of an R&D superconducting coil cooled with subcooled helium

The helical coils of large helical device (LHD) have been operated in saturated helium at 4.4 K and plasma experiments have been carried out at magnetic fields lower than 3 T for 8 years. Now, it is considered that the cooling system of helical coils will be improved to enhance magnetic fields in 2006. In the improvement, the helical coils will be cooled with subcooled helium and the operating temperature of helical coils will be lowered to achieve the designed field of 3 T and enhance cryogenic stabilities. Two cold compressors will be used in the cooling system of helical coils to generate subcooled helium. In the present study, the performance of cold compressors has been investigated, using a cooling system of R&D coil, to apply cold compressors to the cooling system of helical coils. Actual surge lines of cold compressors were observed and the stable operation area was obtained. Automatic operations were also performed within the area. In the automatic operations, the suitable pressure of a saturated helium bath, calculated from the rotation speed of the 1st cold compressor, was regulated by bypass valve. From these results, stable operations will be expected in the cooling system of helical coils.