Overview of the Cryogenic Refrigeration Systems

Abstract

The term cryogenic simply means very low temperature. Cryogenic cooling uses refrigerants, such as liquid nitrogen or solid carbon dioxide, directly. Cryogenic freezing is often treated as a specific type of freezing method on its own; however, it is essentially an immersion/spray system, depending on how the cryogen is utilized. The cryogenic refrigeration system is a significant part of any superconducting magnetic energy storage (SMES) system. Matching the designs of the magnet and refrigeration system could reduce the required cooling power and lead to a smaller, less expensive refrigeration system. The aim of this work is to provide the basic information needed to understand the technology of producing low and very low temperatures, i.e., cryogenic refrigeration system. This paper addresses the refrigeration, absorption, and liquefaction processes from the engineering point of view.