MATLAB Simulations of the Helium Liquefier in the FREIA Laboratory

Abstract

We describe simulations that track a state vector with pressure, temperature, and gas flow through the helium liquefier in the FREIA laboratory. Most components, including threeway heat exchangers, are represented by matrices that allow us to track the state through the system. The only non-linear element is the Joule-Thomson valve, which is represented by a non-linear map for the state variables. Realistic properties for the enthalpy and other thermodynamic quantities are taken into account with the help of the CoolProp library. The resulting system of equations is rapidly solved by iteration and shows good agreement with the observed LHe yield with and without liquid nitrogen pre-cooling.