Arrangement for cryogenic cooling
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Solution Overview
Problem
In pipe-cooled superconducting magnet systems, electrical components face inefficient cooling in a vacuum environment, leading to potential quenching issues due to insufficient cooling, especially when the cryogen level drops, affecting the superconducting status of the magnet coils.
Innovation Solution
A secondary cryogen tank is introduced to house electrical components, ensuring they are submerged in liquid cryogen, with a constriction connecting it to the primary cryogen tank, allowing for effective cooling without reducing the cryogen volume available for the magnet coils, and maintaining continuous cryogen circulation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If electrical components are mechanically attached to the exterior of cryogen tank or cooling pipe for cooling, then the structure is simple, but the cooling efficiency is insufficient due to no cryogen to bridge contact gaps in vacuum
Solution Approach 1:
The patent places electrical components inside the cryogen tank, nesting them within the liquid cryogen environment. This ensures direct thermal contact with the cryogen, eliminating vacuum isolation issues and providing reliable cooling while maintaining structural simplicity through the existing tank configuration.
2Reliability
If components are placed inside cryogen tank to improve cooling, then cooling efficiency improves, but the available cryogen volume for cooling magnet coils is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a constriction that divides the cryogen system into two zones: a lower zone with the cryogen tank containing electrical components, and an upper zone with the magnet coils. The constriction limits cryogen flow between zones, ensuring sufficient cryogen volume remains in the upper zone for coil cooling while providing direct cooling to components in the lower zone.
3Device complexity
If a single cryogen tank is used for both coils and components, then device complexity is low, but cooling reliability is insufficient when cryogen level drops
Solution Approach 1:
The constriction effectively segments the single cryogen system into functionally independent zones. When cryogen level drops during boil-off events, the lower zone can maintain cooling for electrical components while the upper zone preserves sufficient cryogen for magnet coil operation, enhancing overall system reliability without adding separate tanks.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This arrangement provides reliable cooling for both the magnet coils and electrical components, preventing quenching by ensuring consistent cryogen availability and efficient heat management, even during cryogen boil-off events.
Implementation Method 1
Heat generated in coils 10, or removed from the coils to cool them, causes boiling of cryogen within the cooling pipe 16
Implementation Method 2
Cryogen thereby circulates into the inlet end of the cooling pipe 16, out of the outlet end of the cooling pipe and back into the cryogen vessel 14
Implementation Method 3
Cryogenic refrigerator 12 cools boiled-off cryogen vapour back to a liquid and maintains a stable temperature within the cryogen vessel
Implementation Method 4
An inlet end of the cooling pipe 16 encircles the magnet structure 10 and is in thermal contact with each coil
Implementation Method 5
Cryogen thereby circulates into the inlet end of the cooling pipe 16, out of the outlet end of the cooling pipe and back into the cryogen vessel 14
Data Source
Figure 1~2
Figure 3~4
Figure 5~6
AI summary
An arrangement for cryogenic cooling comprising a cryogen tank (14), a cryogenic recondensing refrigerator (12) arranged to cool a heat exchanger which is exposed to the interior of the cryogen tank (14) and an arrangement (16; 26) for conducting heat from a cooled article (10) to the cryogen tank. A further cryogen tank (20) is provided below the heat exchanger and arranged to receive cryogen liquid recondensed on the heat exchanger.