Subcooler

Abstract

The subcooler comprises a barrel, a liquid inlet pipe and a heat exchanger, and the barrel is provided with a containing cavity; the liquid inlet pipe is connected to the side wall of the barrel and communicates with the containing cavity, and the liquid inlet pipe is configured to input liquid helium into the containing cavity; the heat exchanger is arranged in the containing cavity, the first end of the heat exchanger penetrates through the bottom of the barrel and extends to the outside of the barrel, the second end of the heat exchanger penetrates through the side wall of the barrel and extends to the outside of the barrel, and supercritical helium enters the heat exchanger through the first end and then flows out of the heat exchanger from the second end; wherein a gas outlet is formed in the top of the barrel, and the gas outlet is configured to output helium generated by liquid helium. The liquid helium enters the containing cavity of the barrel through the liquid inlet pipe and exchanges heat with the supercritical helium in the heat exchanger, so that the supercritical helium is cooled, effective heat exchange between the liquid helium and the supercritical helium is achieved, and the heat exchange efficiency is improved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The invention relates to the field of cooling technology, in particular to a supercooler. Background Art

[0002] Large-scale cryogenic refrigerators usually use helium as the working fluid. They have developed along with the development of superconducting technology. As a key component of linear accelerators, superconducting cavities can obtain very high acceleration gradients in a helium low-temperature environment and are widely used in superconducting accelerators.

[0003] The design of existing helium refrigerators usually does not consider the mode of short-term output of supercritical helium beyond the normal operating mode, but the superconducting cavity test requires a large flow of supercritical helium to quickly cool the superconducting cavity to meet the test requirements. Therefore, it is urgent to provide a supercooler to achieve the demand for rapid cooling of supercritical helium. Summary of the invention

[0004] The main technical problem solved by the present application is to provide a supercooler to meet the demand for rapid cooling of supercritical helium.

[0005] In order to solve the above technical problems, the present application adopts a technical solution: providing a subcooler, the subcooler comprising a cylinder, a liquid inlet pipe and a heat exchanger, the cylinder is provided with a containing cavity; the liquid inlet pipe is connected to the side wall of the cylinder and communicates with the containing cavity, the liquid inlet pipe is configured to input liquid helium into the containing cavity; the heat exchanger is arranged in the containing cavity, the first end of the heat exchanger extends through the bottom of the cylinder to the outside of the cylinder, the second end of the heat exchanger extends through the side wall of the cylinder to the outside of the cylinder, after supercritical helium enters the heat exchanger through the first end, it flows out of the heat exchanger from the second end; wherein, the top of the cylinder is provided with an outlet, the outlet is configured to output helium generated by the liquid helium.

[0006] Wherein, the liquid inlet pipe includes a first liquid inlet portion and a second liquid inlet portion, the first liquid inlet portion passes through the side wall of the cylinder, the second liquid inlet portion is arranged in the accommodating cavity, and one end of the second liquid inlet portion is connected to the first liquid inlet portion, and the other end extends toward the cavity wall of the accommodating cavity, wherein the extension direction of the first liquid inlet portion and the extension direction of the second liquid inlet portion are cross-arranged.

[0007] Wherein, in the height direction of the cylinder, the position of the liquid inlet pipe is higher than the position of the second end of the heat exchanger.

[0008] Wherein, the heat exchanger is in a spiral disc structure.

[0009] Wherein, the subcooler further comprises a heating element, which is arranged at the periphery of the cylinder and surrounds the cylinder, and the heating element is configured to heat the liquid helium in the accommodating chamber.

[0010] Wherein, the subcooler further includes a liquid level component, the liquid level component includes a liquid level sensor, the liquid level sensor is arranged in the accommodating chamber, and the liquid level sensor is configured to measure the liquid level height of the liquid helium in the accommodating chamber.

[0011] Among them, the liquid level assembly also includes a sleeve, which is sleeved on the outside of part of the liquid level sensor, one end of the sleeve is fixedly connected to the top of the cylinder, and the sleeve is provided with a vent hole, and the vent hole is configured to be higher than the position of the liquid inlet pipe in the height direction of the cylinder.

[0012] Wherein, the supercooler further includes a temperature sensor fixedly connected to the outer wall of the cylinder, and the temperature sensor is configured to detect the temperature in the accommodating cavity.

[0013] Wherein, the cylinder includes a main body, a first head and a second head, the first head and the second head are fixedly connected to the two ends of the main body, and the accommodating cavity is formed between the first head, the second head and the main body; wherein, the air outlet is arranged on the first head, and the first end of the heat exchanger is arranged on the second head.

[0014] Wherein, the subcooler further comprises a plurality of lifting ears, and the plurality of lifting ears are fixed at intervals on the outer wall of the cylinder.

[0015] Beneficial effect: In the present application, liquid helium enters the containing cavity of the cylinder through the liquid inlet pipe, and exchanges heat with the supercritical helium in the heat exchanger, so that the supercritical helium is cooled, and effective heat exchange between liquid helium and supercritical helium is achieved, thereby improving the heat exchange efficiency. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0016] In order to more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present application, the following briefly introduces the drawings required for use in the description of the embodiments. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of the present application. For ordinary technicians in this field, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative work. Among them:

[0017] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the structure of a subcooler provided in one embodiment of the present application;

[0018] Figure 2 for Figure 1 Enlarged view of part II;

[0019] Figure 3 A schematic diagram of the top structure of a subcooler provided in one embodiment of the present application. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0020] The following will be combined with the drawings in the embodiments of the present application to clearly and completely describe the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present application. Obviously, the described embodiments are only part of the embodiments of the present application, not all of the embodiments. Based on the embodiments in the present application, all other embodiments obtained by ordinary technicians in this field without creative work are within the scope of protection of this application.

[0021] The terms "first", "second", "third" in this application are only used for descriptive purposes, and cannot be understood as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly indicating the number of indicated technical features. Thus, the features defined as "first", "second", "third" can expressly or implicitly include at least one of the features. In the description of this application, the meaning of "multiple" is at least two, such as two, three, etc., unless otherwise clearly and specifically defined. In the embodiments of this application, all directional indications (such as up, down, left, right, front, back...) are only used to explain the relative position relationship, movement, etc. between the components under a certain specific posture (as shown in the accompanying drawings). If the specific posture changes, the directional indication also changes accordingly. In addition, the terms "including" and "having" and any of their variations are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusions. For example, a process, method, system, product or device comprising a series of steps or units is not limited to the steps or units listed, but optionally also includes steps or units that are not listed, or optionally also includes other steps or units inherent to these processes, methods, products or devices.

[0022] Reference to "embodiments" herein means that a particular feature, structure, or characteristic described in conjunction with the embodiments may be included in at least one embodiment of the present application. The appearance of the phrase in various locations in the specification does not necessarily refer to the same embodiment, nor is it an independent or alternative embodiment that is mutually exclusive with other embodiments. It is explicitly and implicitly understood by those skilled in the art that the embodiments described herein may be combined with other embodiments.

[0023] Please also read Figure 1 and Figure 2 In one embodiment of the present application, a subcooler 100 is provided, and the subcooler 100 includes a cylinder 10, a liquid inlet pipe 20 and a heat exchanger 30, and the cylinder 10 is provided with a receiving chamber 11. The cylinder 10 is the main structure of the subcooler 100, and is used to ensure that the structural integrity and sealing can be maintained at extremely low temperatures during the entire cooling and heat exchange process. The receiving chamber 11 inside the cylinder 10 provides sufficient space for the medium for heat exchange.

[0024] Specifically, the liquid inlet pipe 20 is connected to the side wall of the cylinder 10 and communicates with the accommodating chamber 11, and the liquid inlet pipe 20 is configured to input liquid helium (not shown) into the accommodating chamber 11. The top of the cylinder 10 is provided with an outlet 12, and the outlet 12 is configured to output helium generated by the liquid helium.

[0025] The liquid inlet pipe 20 is connected to the side wall of the cylinder 10 to ensure that the liquid helium can smoothly and efficiently enter the accommodating chamber 11 of the cylinder 10, and the gas outlet 12 at the top of the cylinder 10 is used to discharge the helium in the accommodating chamber 11 that is transformed from liquid to gas, which helps to maintain the pressure inside the cylinder 10 stable and reduce the accumulation of excessive gas inside the cylinder 10 that affects the cooling effect of the supercooler 100.

[0026] The heat exchanger 30 is disposed in the accommodating chamber 11. The first end 31 of the heat exchanger 30 extends through the bottom of the cylinder 10 to the outside of the cylinder 10. The second end 32 of the heat exchanger 30 extends through the side wall of the cylinder 10 to the outside of the cylinder 10. Supercritical helium (not shown) enters the heat exchanger 30 through the first end 31 and flows out of the heat exchanger 30 from the second end 32.

[0027] The first end 31 of the heat exchanger 30 is used to receive supercritical helium from an external system, and the second end 32 serves as an outlet for the cooled supercritical helium, so that the supercritical helium forms heat exchange with the liquid helium in the cylinder 10, thereby meeting the requirement of rapid cooling of the supercritical helium.

[0028] In the above-mentioned supercooler 100, liquid helium enters the accommodating chamber 11 of the cylinder 10 through the liquid inlet pipe 20, and exchanges heat with the supercritical helium in the heat exchanger 30, so that the supercritical helium is cooled, achieving effective heat exchange between liquid helium and supercritical helium, and improving heat exchange efficiency.

[0029] In one embodiment, the material of the barrel 10 includes stainless steel.

[0030] Please continue reading Figure 1 and Figure 2 In one embodiment, the liquid inlet pipe 20 includes a first liquid inlet portion 21 and a second liquid inlet portion 22. The first liquid inlet portion 21 passes through the side wall of the cylinder 10, so that the liquid helium introduced from the outside by the first liquid inlet portion 21 can directly enter the accommodating chamber 11. The second liquid inlet portion 22 is arranged in the accommodating chamber 11, and one end of the second liquid inlet portion 22 is connected to the first liquid inlet portion 21, and the other end extends toward the cavity wall of the accommodating chamber 11, that is, the liquid helium flowing out of the second liquid inlet portion 22 can flush the cavity wall of the accommodating chamber 11, so that the liquid helium can be dispersed after entering the accommodating chamber 11.

[0031] The extending direction of the first liquid inlet portion 21 and the extending direction of the second liquid inlet portion 22 are arranged to cross each other, which can cause the liquid helium to form a spiral or turbulent flow pattern, and further promote the energy transfer of the liquid helium during the heat exchange process.

[0032] In one embodiment, the first liquid inlet 21 is usually connected to a liquid helium dewar (not shown) to serve as a source of liquid helium input into the cylinder 10 .

[0033] Please continue reading Figure 1 and Figure 2 In one embodiment, the intersection of the second liquid inlet portion 22 and the first liquid inlet portion 21 is in an arc-shaped transition, thereby smoothly guiding the liquid helium from the first liquid inlet portion 21 into the second liquid inlet portion 22, reducing the risk of increased fluid resistance and eddy current phenomenon caused by the right-angled liquid inlet pipe 20. At the same time, the arc-shaped transition can further reduce the stress concentration point of the liquid inlet pipe 20, thereby enhancing the structural strength of the liquid inlet pipe 20, reducing the risk of cracks or fractures of the liquid inlet pipe 20 due to stress concentration, and improving the safety and reliability of the subcooler 100.

[0034] Please continue reading Figure 1 and Figure 2 In one embodiment, in the height direction of the cylinder 10, the position of the liquid inlet pipe 20 is higher than the position of the second end 32 of the heat exchanger 30, so that the liquid helium input by the liquid inlet pipe 20 can fully contact with the supercritical helium in the heat exchanger 30 in the process of entering from the top and flowing downward, thereby improving the heat exchange efficiency.

[0035] See also Figure 1 In one embodiment, the heat exchanger 30 has a spiral disc structure, which can reduce the fluid resistance when supercritical helium flows in the heat exchanger 30, while increasing the heat exchange area between supercritical helium and liquid helium, further improving the heat exchange efficiency.

[0036] In one embodiment, the spiral disc heat exchanger 30 can be adapted to different cooling requirements by adjusting the pitch, diameter or other geometric parameters. For example, the flow rate of supercritical helium can be increased by increasing the pitch, or the heat transfer coefficient can be enhanced by reducing the diameter.

[0037] In one embodiment, the material of the heat exchanger 30 includes a copper tube.

[0038] Please continue reading Figure 1 In one embodiment, the supercooler 100 further includes a heating element 40, which is disposed on the periphery of the cylinder 10 and surrounds the cylinder 10. The heating element 40 is configured to heat the liquid helium in the accommodating chamber 11 and adjust the temperature of the liquid helium. At the same time, the heating element 40 can also be used to adjust the pressure in the cylinder 10. Specifically, by heating the liquid helium by the heating element 40, part of the liquid helium can be evaporated into helium gas. Since the volume of gas is much larger than that of liquid, the generation of a proper amount of helium gas will increase the internal pressure of the cylinder 10. Conversely, reducing the heating power of the heater can reduce the evaporation rate of the liquid helium, thereby reducing the internal pressure of the cylinder 10.

[0039] In one embodiment, the heating element 40 is a heating sheet attached to the outer wall of the cylinder 10 .

[0040] Please continue reading Figure 1 In one embodiment, the subcooler 100 further includes a liquid level assembly 50, which includes a liquid level sensor 51. The liquid level sensor 51 is disposed in the accommodating chamber 11, and the liquid level sensor 51 is configured to measure the liquid level height of the liquid helium in the accommodating chamber 11, so that the amount of liquid helium in the subcooler 100 is always within a safe working range.

[0041] In one embodiment, the liquid level sensor 51 is usually arranged at the central axis of the cylinder 10, and can also be set at other positions, which is not limited here.

[0042] In one embodiment, the liquid level sensor 51 can be integrated into a control system (not shown) to realize automated liquid level management, that is, a liquid level threshold is set. When the liquid level height exceeds the normal range, the control system promptly issues an alarm to improve the safety of the subcooler 100 during operation.

[0043] Please continue reading Figure 1 In one embodiment, the liquid level assembly 50 further includes a sleeve 52, which is sleeved on the outside of a portion of the liquid level sensor 51. The bottom of the sleeve 52 is to be located in the liquid helium of the cylinder 10. The sleeve 52 can provide physical protection for the liquid level sensor 51 to prevent it from being directly affected by the flow of liquid helium or mechanical vibration, thereby improving the measurement accuracy of the liquid level sensor 51. One end of the sleeve 52 is fixedly connected to the top of the cylinder 10, and the sleeve 52 is provided with a vent 521, which is configured to be higher than the position of the liquid inlet pipe 20 in the height direction of the cylinder 10.

[0044] Specifically, during the operation of liquid helium, the helium generated has a low density and will naturally rise to the top of the cylinder 10. Therefore, the vent hole 521 is always in the gas phase position in the cylinder 10, which is conducive to the smooth discharge of the generated helium or other gases, and reduces the risk of gas accumulation near the liquid level sensor 51 affecting the measurement accuracy of the liquid level sensor 51. At the same time, the existence of the vent hole 521 can also maintain the pressure balance inside and outside the sleeve 52, reducing the risk that the liquid level sensor 51 cannot detect the height of liquid helium.

[0045] In one embodiment, the sleeve 52 may pass through the top of the cylinder 10 and be fixed to the external structure, or may be directly welded to the top of the cylinder 10, which is not limited here.

[0046] Please refer again Figure 1 and Figure 2In one embodiment, the subcooler 100 further includes a temperature sensor 60 fixedly connected to the outer wall of the cylinder 10. The temperature sensor 60 is configured to detect the temperature in the accommodating chamber 11, so that the temperature state of the liquid helium can be known at any time to ensure that the liquid helium is within the required low temperature range.

[0047] In one embodiment, the temperature sensor 60 may also be integrated into the control system to achieve automatic temperature management. For example, when the temperature of the liquid helium is detected to be increased, the control system may automatically increase the cooling power or adjust the working state of the heating element 40. On the contrary, when the temperature of the liquid helium is lower than the set value, the cooling is reduced or the liquid helium is heated, so that the liquid helium always maintains a stable temperature environment, thereby improving the operating stability of the supercooler 100.

[0048] Please refer again Figure 1 In one embodiment, the cylinder 10 includes a main body 13, a first head 14 and a second head 15, the first head 14 and the second head 15 are fixedly connected to the two ends of the main body 13, and the accommodating cavity 11 is formed between the first head 14, the second head 15 and the main body 13, the first head 14 and the second head 15 ensure good sealing at both ends of the main body 13 to prevent leakage of liquid helium or helium gas, thereby improving the sealing performance of the subcooler 100.

[0049] The gas outlet 12 is disposed on the first end cap 14, and the first end 31 of the heat exchanger 30 is disposed on the second end cap 15, that is, the first end cap 14 and the second end cap 15 not only play a sealing role, but also provide a necessary installation interface for the setting of the subcooler 100. For example, the gas outlet 12 on the first end cap 14 is used to discharge helium generated by evaporation of liquid helium, and the second end cap 15 provides a stable support and connection point for the first end 31 of the heat exchanger 30.

[0050] In one embodiment, the first seal head 14 and the second seal head 15 are both connected to the main body 13 by welding.

[0051] Please also read Figure 1 and Figure 3 In one embodiment, the supercooler 100 further includes a plurality of lifting ears 70, which are fixed at intervals on the outer wall of the cylinder 10, that is, the supercooler 100 is a vertical lifting container, and the lifting ears 70 can provide a safe and reliable lifting point for the cylinder 10, so that the supercooler 100 can be lifted by equipment such as a crane or a crane, and can also be installed in other equipment by lifting. Among them, the spacing of the plurality of lifting ears 70 helps to evenly distribute the load during lifting, and reduce the risk of deformation or damage of the cylinder 10 due to excessive local force.

[0052] The present application provides a subcooler 100 that can meet the output demand of supercooled supercritical helium, and the output temperature is not greater than 4.5K. It can operate stably and cool down quickly. Its structure is simplified and its volume occupies a small volume, which is conducive to the structural layout design of the cold box, reduces the diameter of the cold box, and greatly saves costs.

[0053] The above are only implementation methods of the present application, and are not intended to limit the patent scope of the present application. Any equivalent structure or equivalent process transformation made using the contents of the present application specification and drawings, or directly or indirectly applied in other related technical fields, are also included in the patent protection scope of the present application.

Claims

1. A subcooler, characterized in that: The subcooler comprises: The cylinder body is provided with a containing cavity; a liquid inlet pipe connected to the side wall of the cylinder and communicating with the accommodating chamber, wherein the liquid inlet pipe is configured to input liquid helium into the accommodating chamber; A heat exchanger is arranged in the accommodating cavity, wherein a first end of the heat exchanger extends through the bottom of the cylinder to the outside of the cylinder, and a second end of the heat exchanger extends through the side wall of the cylinder to the outside of the cylinder, and supercritical helium enters the heat exchanger through the first end and flows out of the heat exchanger from the second end; Wherein, a gas outlet is provided on the top of the cylinder, and the gas outlet is configured to output helium generated by the liquid helium.

2. The subcooler according to claim 1, characterized in that: The liquid inlet pipe includes a first liquid inlet portion and a second liquid inlet portion, the first liquid inlet portion passes through the side wall of the cylinder, the second liquid inlet portion is arranged in the accommodating cavity, and one end of the second liquid inlet portion is connected to the first liquid inlet portion, and the other end extends toward the cavity wall of the accommodating cavity, wherein the extension direction of the first liquid inlet portion and the extension direction of the second liquid inlet portion are cross-arranged.

3. The subcooler according to claim 1, characterized in that: In the height direction of the cylinder, the position of the liquid inlet pipe is higher than the position of the second end of the heat exchanger.

4. The subcooler according to claim 1, characterized in that: The heat exchanger is in a spiral disc structure.

5. The subcooler according to claim 1, characterized in that: The subcooler also includes: A heating element is arranged at the periphery of the cylinder and surrounds the cylinder, and the heating element is configured to heat the liquid helium in the accommodating chamber.

6. The subcooler according to claim 1, characterized in that: The subcooler also includes: A liquid level component, wherein the liquid level component comprises a liquid level sensor, wherein the liquid level sensor is disposed in the accommodating chamber and is configured to measure the liquid level height of the liquid helium in the accommodating chamber.

7. The subcooler according to claim 6, characterized in that: The liquid level assembly also includes: A sleeve is sleeved on the outside of part of the liquid level sensor, one end of the sleeve is fixedly connected to the top of the cylinder, and the sleeve is provided with a vent hole, which is configured to be higher than the position of the liquid inlet pipe in the height direction of the cylinder.

8. The subcooler according to claim 1, characterized in that: The subcooler also includes: A temperature sensor is fixedly connected to the outer wall of the cylinder, and the temperature sensor is configured to detect the temperature in the accommodating cavity.

9. The subcooler according to claim 1, characterized in that: The cylinder includes a main body, a first head and a second head, the first head and the second head are fixedly connected to the two ends of the main body, and the accommodating cavity is formed between the first head, the second head and the main body; wherein the air outlet is arranged on the first head, and the first end of the heat exchanger is arranged on the second head.

10. The subcooler according to claim 1, characterized in that: The subcooler also includes: A plurality of lifting ears are fixed at intervals on the outer wall of the cylinder.

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