Cryogen free sample environment for neutron scattering experiments at ISIS

Abstract

Most neutron facilities have a fleet of cryostats providing low temperature and high magnetic fields for sample environment. This large scale usage of cryogenic equipment requires significant resources and can create a number of problems including health and safety issues and the considerable cost of the required cryogens. The last problem has become more significant due to the increasing costs of liquid helium caused by global helium supply problems. The ISIS facility has an internal development programme intended to gradually substitute all conventional cryogenic systems with cryogen free systems preferably based on the pulse tube refrigerator. The programme includes a number of development projects which are aiming to deliver a range of cryogen free equipment including a top-loading 1.5 K cryostat, superconducting magnets in re-condensing cryostats and cryogen free dilution refrigerators. Here we are going to describe the design of these systems and discuss the results of prototype testing.