Cooling architecture for parallel line low temperature and superconducting powertrain

Abstract

A cooling architecture for a parallel line cryogenic and superconducting powertrain is disclosed. The invention relates to a cryogenic and superconducting powertrain comprising at least one superconducting electric motor (12) and a cooling architecture comprising a heat exchanger (36) configured to exchange heat between a first fluid and a second fluid flowing along at least one cooling circuit (102) for cooling components (12, 14, 20, 24) starting from the motor (12), the cooling circuit (102) comprises two parallel cooling lines between the motor (12) and the heat exchanger (36): a cooling line (102a) for the control unit; a cooling line (102b) connected in series with the cable (DCc) (20) and the current lead (24); wherein the two lines (102a) and (102b) originate from the motor (12) and are joined together in a single line towards the exchanger (36).

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to cryogenic and superconducting power transmission systems with cooling architectures. Background Technology

[0002] Current cooling architectures for cryogenic and superconducting powertrains rely on industrial cryogenic coolers specifically designed for ground applications. Cryogenic coolers designed for ground applications cannot be used in aerospace applications because they lack the cooling capabilities required. Furthermore, there are significant concerns regarding the weight and efficiency of these cryogenic coolers intended for aerospace applications.

[0003] However, liquid hydrogen (LH2) available onboard (e.g., in aircraft) can be used to cool powertrain components. However, for safety reasons, liquid hydrogen is not intended for direct use (i.e., direct cooling of electrical components) in aviation applications. Furthermore, the amount of liquid hydrogen stored in the tanks of a fuel cell system is limited for a given flight phase and is typically determined by the requirements of the fuel cell itself.

[0004] Therefore, it is necessary to optimize the cooling architecture to optimize liquid hydrogen consumption and utilize the liquid hydrogen flow rate available at a given flight phase to address the powertrain cooling requirements.

[0005] Current cryogenic and superconducting powertrain systems include:

[0006] -Superconducting motor;

[0007] - Motor control unit (MCU), which is designed to control the functional aspects of superconducting motors;

[0008] - DC lines;

[0009] -To the main current lead (Ld) of the fuel cell; and

[0010] - A DC / DC converter, which is designed to adjust the voltage level between the DC line and the main current cable.

[0011] Various components in cryogenic and superconducting powertrains have different cooling requirements, both in terms of the maximum permissible temperature of the component itself and the maximum permissible temperature gradient. Furthermore, the performance and efficiency of the components themselves depend on temperature.

[0012] The table below summarizes the maximum permissible temperature and maximum permissible temperature gradient of components in cryogenic and superconducting power transmission systems.

[0013] [Table 1]

[0014]

[0015] According to the table, if a superconducting motor is exposed to temperatures above 40 K (its Tmax), there is a risk of quenching (sudden loss of superconductivity) occurring within the motor. Furthermore, the efficiency of a superconducting motor is temperature-dependent: superconducting motors are more efficient at temperatures below their threshold temperature Tmax (i.e., below 40 K).

[0016] The maximum temperature gradient allowed by the control unit (MCU) must not be exceeded (20K in this case) to ensure its proper functioning. Additionally, the efficiency of the MCU depends on temperature: the MCU is more efficient at temperatures below its threshold temperature Tmax (i.e., below 120K).

[0017] If a DC line is exposed to a temperature 75K above its threshold temperature (Tmax), there is a risk of quenching in the DC line.

[0018] The maximum permissible temperature gradient of the DC / DC converter (20K in this case) must not be exceeded to ensure proper operation. Additionally, the efficiency of the DC / DC converter depends on temperature: DC / DC converters are more efficient at temperatures below their Tmax (i.e., below 140K).

[0019] The efficiency of the main current lead to the fuel cell depends on temperature: the main current lead is more efficient at temperatures below its threshold temperature Tmax (i.e., below 150K).

[0020] Therefore, not all components of a cryogenic powertrain have the same cooling requirements, and since each component does not have the same maximum permissible temperature, they do not need to be cooled to the same temperature.

[0021] Therefore, there is a need for methods and systems for managing the cooling temperature of each component in cryogenic and superconducting power transmission systems. Summary of the Invention

[0022] To address this, a cryogenic and superconducting power transmission system is proposed, comprising:

[0023] -At least one superconducting electric motor (12);

[0024] - At least one motor control unit (14) is configured to control the operational aspects of the superconducting electric motor (12);

[0025] - At least one superconducting distribution and protection device (20), referred to as cable (20);

[0026] - At least one main current lead (24) to the fuel cell (22);

[0027] - Cooling architecture (30), which includes:

[0028] - A tank (32) for the first fluid, which is used to store the fluid at a low temperature;

[0029] - Tank (35) for the second fluid;

[0030] - A heat exchanger (36) configured to exchange heat between a first fluid and a second fluid, the second fluid flowing along at least one cooling circuit (102) for cooling components (12, 14, 20, 24) starting from the motor (12), the cooling circuit (102) including two parallel cooling lines between the motor (12) and the exchanger (36).

[0031] - Cooling line (102a) for the control unit (14);

[0032] - Cooling circuit (102b) connected in series with cable (DCc) (20) and current lead (24);

[0033] Two lines (102a) and (102b) originate from the motor (12) and are combined in a single line toward the exchanger (36).

[0034] The present invention provides at least one of the following optional features, which may be used individually or in combination.

[0035] The first fluid comprises liquid hydrogen (LH2), and the second fluid comprises gaseous helium (GHe).

[0036] The cooling architecture includes a primary heating circuit and a secondary cooling circuit. The primary heating circuit is used for a first fluid to heat the first fluid for use by the fuel cell, and the secondary cooling circuit is used for a second fluid to cool the second fluid, thereby cooling all components in the aforementioned structure.

[0037] The secondary cooling circuit is arranged and configured to cool components of cryogenic and superconducting power transmission systems.

[0038] The secondary cooling circuit is cooled by the flow of a second fluid, which in turn heats the first fluid entering the fuel cell.

[0039] The powertrain also includes:

[0040] - At least one cryogenic recirculation fan for recirculating a second fluid in the cryogenic and superconducting components of the powertrain within a complete closed loop; and

[0041] - Insulated cryogenic pipes, which are used to transport cryogenic fluids to electrical components of cryogenic and superconducting power transmission systems.

[0042] The cooling architecture includes additional cooling lines configured to direct the flow of the second fluid upstream of the exchanger, which is therefore uncooled, to the inlet of the control unit (MCU).

[0043] The cooling architecture includes additional localized cooling lines configured to direct the flow of a second fluid downstream of the control unit toward the control unit's inlet.

[0044] The cooling architecture includes a second fan that drives the flow downstream of the unit toward the inlet of the control unit.

[0045] The present invention also relates to an aircraft including a powertrain having at least one of the following optional features, adopted individually or in combination as mentioned above, wherein the tank and exchanger are located in the fuselage of the aircraft, and the components of the cooling architecture are located in pods within the cabin. Attached Figure Description

[0046] Referring to the accompanying drawings, other objects, features, and advantages will become apparent from the following description of the invention, which is provided by way of non-limiting example only, wherein:

[0047] [ Figure 1 A simplified perspective view of a cooling architecture for a cryogenic and superconducting power transmission system operating at low temperatures, according to an embodiment of the present invention, is shown.

[0048] [ Figure 2 A cooling architecture for a cryogenic and superconducting powertrain operating at low temperatures is schematically shown according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0049] [ Figure 3 A cooling architecture for a cryogenic and superconducting power transmission system operating at low temperatures is schematically shown according to another embodiment of the invention.

[0050] [ Figure 4 A cooling architecture for a cryogenic and superconducting power transmission system operating at low temperatures is schematically shown according to another embodiment of the invention.

[0051] [ Figure 5 The diagram schematically illustrates an aircraft equipped with an architecture according to the present invention. Detailed Implementation

[0052] Figure 1 A general and simplified cooling architecture 30 for cryogenic and superconducting powertrains operating at low temperatures is shown.

[0053] The cryogenic and superconducting power transmission system 10 includes:

[0054] - Superconducting electric motor 12, which includes a motor shaft;

[0055] - Motor control unit (MCU) 14, also known as control unit, is configured to control all operational aspects of superconducting electric motor 12;

[0056] - Superconducting distribution and protection device 20, also known as cable (DCc) 20 or line (DCc) 20;

[0057] - At least one fuel cell 22, which is used as a DC power source in this architecture;

[0058] - Current lead 24 to fuel cell 22 (due to Figure 1 Highly simplified for understanding the overall architecture, therefore these lines are not shown. Figure 1 In, but in Figures 2 to 4 (shown in the middle);

[0059] -The thermal management system 28 for fuel cells is not described in further detail here, as it is not part of the innovation itself.

[0060] The propeller 16 can be driven directly or indirectly by the motor 12, i.e. by means of a transmission, clutch system or any other necessary system.

[0061] The DC / DC converters used to regulate the voltage level between the cable (DCc) 20 and the current lead 24 are relatively heavy. Furthermore, they dissipate more heat than other components because the temperature rise through these converters is greater than that in other components (except for the control unit (MCU) 14).

[0062] However, the powertrain can operate perfectly without a converter: only the lengths of the energy source (fuel cell 22) and current lead 24 need to be adjusted to suit the voltage level, and direct connection between the cable (DCc) and current lead 24 is allowed. Therefore, this architecture does not include a converter.

[0063] like Figures 1 to 4 As shown, the cooling architecture 30 includes:

[0064] - Tank 32 for the first fluid F1, in this case, the first fluid F1 is liquid hydrogen LH2, and tank 32 is used for storage at low temperature;

[0065] - A circulation pipe 34 for the first fluid (in this case, LH2) begins at tank 32;

[0066] - Tank 35 for the second fluid F2, in this case, the second fluid F2 is gaseous helium GHe at ambient temperature;

[0067] - A single heat exchanger 36 between the first fluid F1 (in this case, LH2) and the second fluid F2 (in this case, GHe);

[0068] - At least one cryogenic thermostat 38 for the second fluid to cool the MCU 14 and the superconducting electric motor 12 individually or together;

[0069] - A circulation pipe 42 for a second fluid between the heat exchanger 36 and the cryogenic thermostat 38, wherein the second fluid is GHe in this case.

[0070] The cooling architecture 30 includes a primary heating circuit 100 using a first fluid LH2 and a secondary cooling circuit 102 using a second fluid GHe. These two circuits share a common section near the exchanger 36, in which the first fluid cools the second fluid and thus becomes heated. The heating circuit 100 using the first fluid is arranged and configured to heat the first fluid at a low temperature at the outlet of tank 32, i.e., in this case, to a temperature usable by the fuel cell 22. If heating by the second fluid is insufficient, additional heating devices, such as electrical devices, or even another heat exchanger using a third fluid (such as, for example, water glycol), can be provided. The secondary cooling circuit 102 is arranged and configured to cool the second fluid to cool components of the powertrain. The secondary cooling circuit 102 is cooled by the flow of the first fluid LH2 and, in turn, heats the first fluid LH2, which can then enter the fuel cell 22.

[0071] like Figure 1 As shown, the cooling architecture 30 includes a heat exchanger 36 for transferring heat from a first fluid to a second fluid, which, in the following description, is from gaseous helium (GHe) to liquid hydrogen (LH2), but is not limited thereto. The second fluid in the heat exchanger 36 can be another inert fluid besides helium, such as liquid neon or liquid nitrogen (N2). Preferably, gaseous helium is used in the secondary cooling loop 102 because it is cheaper than neon, and it is an inert element, significantly reducing safety risks compared to hydrogen, and is lightweight. Additionally, helium is the only element with a boiling point lower than hydrogen; therefore, it will be in the gaseous phase in all possible aircraft scenarios. The helium is stored in a tank 35, which allows the pressure in the loop 102 to be maintained at a nearly constant level, unaffected by the temperature of the helium.

[0072] like Figures 2 to 4 As shown, the cooling architecture 30 also includes:

[0073] - At least one cryogenic recirculation fan 44 (44a, 44b) for recirculating helium coolant in different components of the powertrain according to the embodiments described below;

[0074] - Insulated cryogenic pipes 54a to 54j, which are used to transport cryogenic fluids between various components of an architecture.

[0075] Several implementations are described below. In all these implementations, the cooling architecture 30 of the cryogenic powertrain 10 is proposed for a single superconducting motor 12 with two separate channels. A single-channel configuration refers to a cryogenic powertrain 10 having a superconducting electric motor 12 coupled to a single motor control unit (MCU) 14, a DC cable (DCc) 20, and a current lead (Ld) 24 to a fuel cell 22. In this case, two channels are used to avoid electrical dependence on a single channel. Therefore, even in the event of a single electrical channel failure, the powertrain 10 can operate in degraded mode.

[0076] Furthermore, in all embodiments, a single heat exchanger 36 is configured to transfer heat between hydrogen and helium.

[0077] The primary constraint is that the superconducting motor 12 must maintain the lowest possible inlet temperature. Given the flow rate of the second fluid entering the powertrain (i.e., helium in this case), and knowing the dissipation of each component of the powertrain 10, the temperature at each point of the cooling architecture 30 is calculated accordingly.

[0078] According to the invention, a second fluid (in this case, GHe) stored in the pressurized tank 35 serves as a cooling source. Gaseous helium fluid (GHe) is used in the closed circuit of the secondary cooling loop 102 to cool the electrical components of the cryogenic and superconducting power transmission system 10. The flow rate of helium GHe in the closed circuit is regulated by the cryogenic fan 44.

[0079] Before being injected into the superconducting motor 12, a predetermined amount of the second fluid F2 is cooled to a predetermined temperature using a first fluid F1. For example, helium (He) is cooled by hydrogen (H2). The flow rate of the second fluid to be cooled from the heat exchanger 36 to the superconducting motor 12 is calculated based on constraints from the power transmission system.

[0080] By reheating the second fluid (i.e., helium) that has been cooled by hydrogen with the heat dissipated from the superconducting motor 12, the superconducting motor 12 is allowed to operate at a temperature below a maximum temperature threshold (above which the motor may no longer function properly). The same principle applies to all components of the powertrain.

[0081] The secondary cooling circuit 102 includes two parallel cooling lines 102a and 102b downstream of the motor. The flow of the second fluid, which has already cooled the motor, is divided into two flows following the two parallel cooling lines 102a and 102b between the motor and the exchanger:

[0082] - Cooling line 102a for the control unit;

[0083] - Cooling circuit 102b connected in series with cable (DCc) and current lead (Ld);

[0084] The two cooling lines 102a and 102b are then combined in a single line to the switch downstream of the control unit 14, cable 20 and current lead 24 to form a loop 102.

[0085] More specifically, the architecture includes:

[0086] -The cryogenic pipe 54a between the exchanger and the motor is called cryogenic because it is able to transport and maintain fluid at a cryogenic temperature;

[0087] - Low-temperature conduit 54b between the motor and the control unit;

[0088] - Low-temperature conduit 54c between the motor and the cable (DCc);

[0089] - Low-temperature conduit 54d between the cable (DCc) and the current lead;

[0090] - Low-temperature piping 54e between the control unit and the exchanger;

[0091] - Low-temperature conduit 54f between the current leads and the exchanger;

[0092] Among them, the cryogenic pipes 54e and 54f are combined into a single pipe 54g so that they can return to the exchanger.

[0093] Therefore, the coolant cools the motor and is then divided into two flows: one designed to cool the control unit, and the other designed to cool the cables (DCc) and the series current leads. These two flows create two independent cooling paths, protecting the cables (DCc) from the flow leaving the control unit, which, as seen above, dissipates more heat. Therefore, an alternative in a separate form is proposed to avoid cooling all components proposed in other types of series-connected architectures.

[0094] The flow rate of the second fluid GHe in the closed circuit is regulated by a cryogenic fan 44 on a cooling loop 102 located upstream of the exchanger 36.

[0095] The second fluid F2 (GHe) is cooled to a certain temperature by the first fluid F1 (LH2). The second fluid F2 (GHe) exiting the superconducting motor 12 is used for the current leads (Ld) to the cable (DCc) 20 and to the fuel cell 22 (e.g., ...). Figures 2 to 4 (As shown) for cooling.

[0096] The cooling second fluid F2 (GHe) is also used at the motor outlet to maintain the motor control unit (MCU) 14 at the required cold temperature. The hot second fluid F2 (GHe) originating from the pipe 24 and the control unit 14 is then returned to the heat exchanger 36 via the return pipe 54g by the aid of the fan 44.

[0097] Therefore, the components of the powertrain will not be subjected to temperatures exceeding their maximum permissible temperature.

[0098] The cooling architecture 30 includes a control valve 46 (e.g., a remotely controlled valve). For example, in... Figure 2 , Figure 3 and Figure 4 In this embodiment, valve 46a is arranged on each first fluid (LH2) pipe 34 leading to heat exchanger 36, and additional valves are also arranged on various insulated cryogenic pipes according to the embodiment: Figure 2 and Figure 4 In the embodiment shown, valve 46c on pipe 54e, Figure 3 In the embodiment shown, valve 46d is located on pipe 54f. Figure 4 The illustrated embodiment includes valves 46e and 46f on pipes 54f and 54e, respectively. The operation of these valves is not described herein, and their placement within the architecture may differ. Other valves may also be added or removed.

[0099] exist Figure 2 , Figure 3 and Figure 4 In all the embodiments shown, dashed boxes indicate cryostats dedicated to the respective components that must be kept at low temperatures. As mentioned above, the superconducting motor 12 and the MCU reside in the same cryostat 38. However, one or more separate cryostats can be provided for the motor and the MCU. Each superconducting distribution and protection device 20 is arranged in a dedicated cryostat 48a, 48b. Similarly, one or more cryostats can be provided for the entire set or multiple sets of devices 20. Current leads 24 are arranged in specific cryostats 50a, 50b. More specifically, as Figure 2As shown, the current leads 24 of the powertrain unit 10 are divided into two wires, with each wire of the current lead 24 arranged in a dedicated cryogenic thermostat 50a, 50b. Similarly, one or more cryogenic thermostats 24 can be provided for the entire set or multiple sets of current leads 24. Alternatively, each current lead and its corresponding cable (i.e., the cable to which it is connected) can be placed in the same cryogenic thermostat, and separate cryogenic thermostats are no longer provided for the current leads and cables. In this case, as previously described, one or more cryogenic thermostats can also be provided for the entire set or multiple sets of leads and their corresponding cables. The cryogenic fan 44 and the heat exchanger 36 can also be arranged in a common or dedicated cryogenic thermostat 52. According to one possible embodiment, the heat exchanger 36 is arranged in the cryogenic thermostat 52 close to the first fluid tank 32 to distribute liquid hydrogen over the shortest possible distance. Typically, the cryogenic thermostat 52 and the fuel cell 22 are arranged close to each other.

[0100] With the aforementioned cooling architecture 30, various configurations of the cryogenic and superconducting power transmission system 10 are possible.

[0101] Figure 2 A first cooling architecture 30 for a cryogenic and superconducting powertrain 10 is shown, in which components of the powertrain 10 are cooled using a single cooling loop 102 for a second fluid cooled by an exchanger 36. In the embodiments described below, several cooling loops are proposed, taking into account that one of the cooling loops or cooling loops 102 as seen above is divided into two cooling loops 102a and 102b.

[0102] According to this embodiment of the invention, no specific features are added to the description of the overall architecture provided above. Figure 2 In the cooling architecture 30 of the cryogenic and superconducting power transmission system 10 shown, a second fluid is cooled to a predetermined temperature using a first fluid in exchanger 36 before being injected into the superconducting power transmission system. The flow of the second fluid, heated by the motor, exiting the motor is divided into two parallel flows, one intended for cooling unit 14 and the other for cooling the series-connected cables 20 and current leads 24. The flows of the second fluid exiting unit 14 and converging in pipe 54e and the flows of the second fluid exiting current leads 24 and converging in pipe 54f are combined in the same pipe 54g so that they are again driven by fan 44 through exchanger 36 and form loop 102.

[0103] Figure 3A second embodiment of the cooling architecture 30 for the cryogenic and superconducting powertrain 10 is shown. In the second embodiment of the cooling architecture 30, two cooling circuits 102, 102' for the second fluid are used to cool the components of the powertrain 10. The second fluid F2 in one cooling circuit 102 is cooled by an exchanger 36, while the second fluid F2 in the other circuit 102' is not cooled by an exchanger.

[0104] The second cooling loop 102' connects the cryogenic conduit 54h upstream of the heat exchanger 36 (more specifically, conduit 54h is located between the fan 44 and the heat exchanger 36) to the outlet of the motor 12, which is near the conduit 54b that connects the motor to the MCU 14. More specifically, in the illustrated embodiment, it connects the fan 44 to the motor outlet via conduit 54i. The flow of the second fluid GHe leaving the superconducting motor 12 mixes with the flow of the second fluid GHe originating from the fan 44 before entering the MCU 14. The resulting flow enters the MCU 14 and is heated by the MCU 14 due to its dissipation. The second fluid GHe then flows along conduit 54g and through the cryogenic fan 44 to be driven again into the two loops 102 and 102', one of which in the heat exchanger 36 is cooled to a certain temperature by the first fluid LH2, and the other loop to the motor outlet connected to the MCU is not cooled by the heat exchanger.

[0105] Due to the additional cooling circuit 102', this embodiment of the cooling architecture 30 includes an additional remotely controlled valve 46h for regulating the flow rate directly to the MCU inlet. Valve 46h is positioned on pipe 54i. Therefore, valve 46c, positioned on pipe 54e in the first embodiment, is no longer needed. It is moved to pipe 54i. Apart from this additional circuit 102' and the additional, or alternatively positioned, remotely controlled valve, the remainder of the architecture is equivalent to... Figure 2 The first embodiment shown.

[0106] Figure 4 It shows the relationship with Figure 2The third embodiment of architecture 30 is identical to the architecture in which, in addition to the architecture, a local cooling loop 102 is created near the control unit (MCU) 14. Pipe 54b at the motor outlet and pipe 54e at the MCU outlet are connected by an additional pipe 54j to form a local cooling loop for the control unit (MCU): the cryogenic recirculation fan 44 of reference number 44b (relative to the fan of reference number 44a upstream of the exchanger) is introduced into this loop near pipe 54j to drive the flow of the second fluid GHe leaving the MCU to partially return towards the MCU again. As previously seen, the control unit (MCU) dissipates more heat than other components. The additional local loop compensates for this difference compared to other components. Figure 4 As indicated by the middle arrow, the second fluid leaving the motor is driven toward the control unit 14, and upon leaving the control unit 14, it returns partly to its inlet by means of the fan 44, and partly to the exchanger 36. A valve 46e is added at the outlet of the current lead 24 near pipe 54f, while noting that valve 46f is also located near pipe 54e.

[0107] Figure 5 An example of a hydrogen-propelled aircraft 120 with such a cooling architecture is shown. The components of the power transmission system described above, in particular the control unit 14, cable 20, and lead wire 24, are located in a box called a hydrogen tank or hydrogen compartment installed in the aircraft's cabin 140. Tanks 32 and 35, exchanger 36, and fan 44a are located in the fuselage 150 or wing 160.

[0108] The systems and apparatus described herein may include a controller or computer device including a processing unit and memory storing computer-executable instructions for implementing the processes described herein. The processing unit may include any suitable means configured to cause a series of steps to be performed to implement the method, such that when these instructions are executed by a computer device or another programmable device, the functions / actions / steps specified in the methods described herein are performed. The processing unit may include, for example, any type of general-purpose microprocessor or microcontroller, digital signal processor (DSP), central processing unit (CPU), integrated circuit, field-programmable gate array (FPGA), reconfigurable processor, other appropriately programmable or programmable logic circuitry, or any combination thereof.

[0109] The memory can be any known storage medium or other machine-readable storage medium. The memory can include non-transitory computer-readable storage media, such as, but not limited to, electronic, magnetic, optical, electromagnetic, infrared, or semiconductor systems, devices, or apparatuses, or any suitable combination thereof. The memory can include any type of computer memory located inside or outside the device, such as, for example, random access memory (RAM), read-only memory (ROM), optical disc read-only memory (CD-ROM), electro-optical memory, magneto-optical memory, erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM) and electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), ferroelectric RAM (FRAM), and suitable combinations thereof. The memory can include any storage medium (e.g., apparatus) suitable for storing computer-executable instructions executable by a processing unit in a recoverable form.

[0110] The methods and systems described herein can be implemented in high-level programs or object-oriented programming or scripting languages, or combinations thereof, to communicate with or assist the operation of a controller or computing device. Alternatively, the methods and systems described herein can be implemented in assembly or machine language. This language can be a compiled language or an interpreted language. The program code used to implement the methods and systems described herein can be stored on a storage medium or device, such as ROM, disk, optical disk, USB stick, or any other suitable storage medium or device. When the storage medium or device is read by a computer to execute the program described herein, the program code can be read by a general-purpose or special-purpose programmable computer to configure and operate the computer.

[0111] Computer-executable instructions can take many forms, including modules that are executed by one or more computers or other devices. Typically, modules include routines, programs, objects, components, data structures, etc., which perform specific tasks or implement specific abstract data types. The functionality of a module can usually be combined or allocated as desired in various implementations.

[0112] Although one or more embodiments of the invention have been disclosed herein, it should be understood that any modifications, substitutions, and alternatives will be apparent to those skilled in the art and may be applied without departing from the scope of this disclosure. This disclosure is intended to cover all modifications or variations of one or more embodiments. Furthermore, in this specification, the terms “comprising” or “including” do not exclude other elements or steps, the term “a” does not exclude a plural, and the term “or” means one or two. Moreover, unless otherwise indicated by this disclosure or the context, a described feature or step may also be combined with other features or steps and used in any order. This disclosure incorporates, by reference, the full disclosure of any patent or application claiming priority or benefit thereunder.

Claims

1. Cryogenic and superconducting powertrain, comprising: - at least one superconducting electric motor (12); - at least one motor control unit MCU (14) configured to control operating aspects of the superconducting electric motor (12); - at least one superconducting distribution and protection device (20), referred to as cable DCc (20); - at least one main current lead (24) to a fuel cell (22); - a cooling architecture (30) comprising: - a tank (32) for a first fluid for storing the first fluid at cryogenic temperature; - a tank (35) for a second fluid; - a heat exchanger (36) configured to exchange heat between the first fluid and the second fluid, the second fluid flowing along at least one cooling circuit (102) for cooling components (12, 14, 20, 24) starting from the electric motor (12), characterized in that the cooling circuit (102) comprises two parallel cooling lines between the electric motor (12) and the exchanger (36): - a cooling line (102a) for the control unit (14); - a cooling line (102b) in series with the cable DCc (20) and the current lead (24); wherein the two lines (102a) and (102b) originate from the electric motor (12) and are joined together in a single line towards the exchanger (36). The first fluid comprises liquid hydrogen (LH2) and the second fluid comprises gaseous helium (GHe).

2. The cryogenic and superconducting drive train (10) of claim 1, wherein, The cooling architecture (30) comprises a primary heating circuit (100) for the first fluid in order to heat the first fluid for use by the fuel cell (22) and a secondary cooling circuit (102) for the second fluid in order to cool the second fluid to cool all of the components (12, 14, 20, 24).

3. Cryogenic and superconducting drive train (10) according to any of the preceding claims, wherein, The secondary cooling circuit (102) is arranged and configured to cool the components (12, 14, 20, 24) of the cryogenic and superconducting powertrain.

4. Cryogenic and superconducting drive train (10) according to the preceding claim, wherein The secondary cooling circuit (102) cools by flow of the second fluid and in turn heats the first fluid entering the fuel cell (22).

5. Cryogenic and superconducting drive train (10) according to the preceding claim, wherein 6. Cryogenic and superconducting powertrain (10) according to any one of the preceding claims, further comprising: - at least one cryogenic recirculation fan (44a, 44b) for recirculating the second fluid in a complete closed circuit in the cryogenic and superconducting components of the powertrain; and - insulated cryogenic pipes (54a to 54j) for conveying cryogenic fluids to the electrical components of the cryogenic and superconducting powertrain (10). ​ ​ 7. Cryogenic and superconducting drive train (10) according to any of the preceding claims, wherein, The cooling architecture (30) comprises an additional cooling line (102') arranged to direct the flow of the second fluid upstream of the exchanger, i.e. thus not cooled, towards the inlet of the control unit MCU (14).

8. The cryogenic and superconducting drive train (10) of any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein, The cooling architecture (30) comprises an additional local cooling line (102") arranged to direct the flow of the second fluid downstream of the unit (14) towards the inlet of the control unit.

9. Cryogenic and superconducting drive train (10) according to the preceding claim, wherein, The cooling architecture (30) comprises a second fan (44b) for driving the flow downstream of the unit (14) towards the inlet of the control unit.

10. An aircraft comprising a powertrain according to any of the preceding claims, wherein, The tank (32, 35) and the exchanger (36) are located in the fuselage of the aircraft and the components of the cooling architecture (30) are located in a nacelle in the cabin (140).

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