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Title:
COOLING SYSTEM FOR HIGH TEMPERATURE SUPERCONDUCTING MACHINES
Document Type and Number:
WIPO Patent Application WO/2001/051863
Kind Code:
A1
Abstract:
A cryogenic cooling system (10) is configured to control the flow of a heat transfer fluid through a remote thermal load (17), such as a superconducting magnet or rotor. The cryogenic cooling system (10) includes a refrigerator (12) including a cryogenically cooled surface and a cryogenic fluid transport device (15) disposed within the refrigerator (12) for circulating a heat transfer fluid between the cryogenically cooled surface and the remote thermal load (17). The cryogenic fluid transport device (15) being positioned within the refrigerator advantageously serves as device for providing the necessary mechanical force necessary to move the heat transfer fluid from the cryogenically cooled surface (e.g., end of a cryocooler) (13) to the remote thermal load (17). Thus, unlike conventional cooling arrangements the heat transfer fluid does not require a phase change.

Inventors:
MAGUIRE JAMES F
WINN PETER M
SIDI-YEKHLEF AHMED
YUAN JIE
Application Number:
PCT/US2001/000763
Publication Date:
July 19, 2001
Filing Date:
January 10, 2001
Export Citation:
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Assignee:
AMERICAN SUPERCONDUCTOR CORP (US)
International Classes:
F25B9/00; F25B9/14; H02K55/04; F25D17/02; (IPC1-7): F25B9/14; H02K55/04
Domestic Patent References:
WO1999062127A11999-12-02
Foreign References:
US5848532A1998-12-15
US4396847A1983-08-02
US5513498A1996-05-07
US3473341A1969-10-21
US5385010A1995-01-31
US4223239A1980-09-16
US4808864A1989-02-28
US4164126A1979-08-14
US5010737A1991-04-30
US5749243A1998-05-12
US5482919A1996-01-09
US5848532A1998-12-15
Other References:
PATENT ABSTRACTS OF JAPAN vol. 007, no. 004 (E - 151) 8 January 1983 (1983-01-08)
Attorney, Agent or Firm:
Walpert, Gary A. (MA, US)
Download PDF:
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Claims:
1. A cryogenic cooling system for cooling a remote thermal load comprising: a refrigerator including at least one cryogenically cooled surface and at least one cryogenic fluid transport device disposed within the refrigerator for circulating a heat transfer fluid between the cryogenically cooled surface and the remote thermal load.
2. The cryogenic cooling system of claim 1 wherein the refrigerator is stationary and the remote thermal load rotates relative to the stationary refrigerator.
3. The cryogenic cooling system of claim 2 further comprising a cryocooler having the cryogenically cooled surface.
4. The cryogenic cooling system of claim 3 wherein the crvocooler is a GiffordMcMahon cryocooler.
5. The cryogenic cooling system of claim 1 further comprising a plurality of cryocoolers, each having a corresponding cryogenically cooled surface.
6. The cryogenic cooling system of claim 5 wherein each of the cryocoolers is a GiffordMcMahon cryocooler.
7. The cryogenic cooling system of claim 5 further comprising valving to selectively isolate at least one of the plurality of the cryocoolers from remaining ones of the plurality of cryocoolers.
8. The cryogenic cooling system of claim 1 further comprising a plurality of cryogenic fluid transport devices.
9. The cryogenic cooling system of claim 8 further comprising valving to selectively isolate at least one of the plurality of the cryogenic fluid transport devices from remaining ones of the plurality of cryogenic fluid transport devices.
10. The cryogenic cooling system of claim 1 wherein the cryogenic fluid transfer device includes a fan. I 1. The cryogenic cooling system of claim 1 wherein the heat transfer fluid is selected from a group consisting of helium, hydrogen.
11. oxygen, nitrogen, argon, neon, and mixtures thereof.
12. The cryogenic cooling system of claim 1 wherein the heat transfer fluid is helium.
13. A method of cooling a rotating thermal load from a refrigerator including a cryogenically cooled surface, the method comprising: positioning a fluid transport device within the refrigerator: operating the fluid transport device to provide a heat transfer fluid to thermal load in an initial nonrotating condition ; and rotating the thermal load to a sufficient rotational velocity to generate sufficient forces to cause the heat transfer fluid to move toward the rotating thermal load.
14. The method of claim 13 further comprising after rotating the thermal load. terminating operation of the fluid transport device.
15. The method of claim 13 wherein the cryogenic fluid transfer device includes a fan.
16. The method of claim 13 wherein the heat transfer fluid is selected from a group consisting of helium, hydrogen, oxygen, nitrogen, argon, neon. and mixtures thereof.
17. The method of claim 13 wherein the heat transfer fluid is helium.



 
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