Liquid Helium Transfer with Closed-Loop Gas Return
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing methods for transferring liquid helium result in significant losses due to the escape of gaseous helium into the environment, and the recovery systems required to capture this gas are complex, expensive, and inefficient, especially during the refilling of usage cryostats.
Innovation Solution
A device with a vacuum-insulated reservoir cryostat, a supply line for liquid helium, and a gaseous helium return line is used to convey liquid helium to the usage cryostat while returning gaseous helium back to the reservoir cryostat, minimizing losses by avoiding intermediate storage and heat input, and utilizing a closed system with controlled pressure differences.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If gaseous helium is vented to the environment during liquid helium transfer, then the transfer process is simple, but helium loss increases significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a return line as an intermediary component that captures gaseous helium before it escapes to the environment and redirects it back to the reservoir cryostat. This mediator (return line) enables the system to maintain simplicity while preventing helium loss by providing an alternative pathway for the gas.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of discarding gaseous helium to the environment, the patent implements a recovery mechanism where the return line captures and redirects the gas back to the reservoir. This transforms a loss situation into a recovery situation, maintaining process simplicity while eliminating waste.
2Loss of substance
If recovery systems are installed to capture gaseous helium, then helium loss is reduced, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The return line serves as a simple intermediary component that provides a direct pathway for gaseous helium to return to the reservoir. This single-component approach achieves recovery functionality without requiring complex multi-component systems, thus reducing device complexity while maintaining effectiveness.
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses the natural buoyancy and pressure differential of gaseous helium to drive its own return flow through the return line without requiring external power or complex control mechanisms. The helium gas self-services its own recovery, eliminating the need for active pumping or complex control systems.
3Loss of energy
If intermediate storage systems are used for gaseous helium, then recovery efficiency improves, but device complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The return line provides a continuous pathway for gaseous helium to return to the reservoir throughout the transfer process. This continuous action eliminates the need for intermediate storage where gas would need to be temporarily held, processed, and then returned, thereby maintaining recovery efficiency while simplifying the system architecture.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent extracts only the essential function needed for recovery (providing a return pathway) without incorporating intermediate storage components. By taking out only what is necessary (the return line) and eliminating unnecessary components (intermediate storage systems), the solution achieves efficiency without complexity.
4Productivity
If room-temperature helium is used to pressurize the reservoir, then liquid helium discharge is achieved, but energy consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system recovers the cold gas that would otherwise be wasted and redirects it back to the reservoir to provide pressurization. This recovered cold gas replaces the need for room-temperature helium, maintaining productivity while dramatically reducing energy consumption by eliminating the thermal energy input required to heat and pressurize with room-temperature gas.
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses its own produced cold gas to provide pressurization for liquid helium discharge, making the system self-sufficient. Instead of requiring external room-temperature helium supply, the system self-services its own pressurization needs using the cold gas generated during normal operation, thereby eliminating external energy input.
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 approach reduces helium transfer losses, simplifies the recovery process, and eliminates the need for large intermediate storage systems, thereby reducing energy consumption and operational costs while maintaining a closed helium circuit.
Implementation Method 1
a vacuum-insulated reservoir helium tank (8) for storing liquid helium (6)
Implementation Method 2
conveying device (49) configured to convey liquid helium (6) from the reservoir helium tank (8) through the supply line (9) into the usage helium tank (3)
Implementation Method 3
convey gaseous helium (11) from the usage helium tank (3) through the return line (10) into the reservoir helium tank (8)
Data Source
AI summary
A device for transferring liquid helium into a usage helium tank of a usage cryostat includes a reservoir cryostat with a vacuum-insulated reservoir helium tank configured to store liquid helium available for filling the usage helium tank, a supply line for liquid helium, and a gaseous helium return line. The supply line proceeds from the vacuum-insulated reservoir helium tank and is connected to the usage helium tank. The gaseous helium return line leads into the vacuum-insulated reservoir helium tank and is connected to the usage helium tank. The device further includes a conveying device configured to convey liquid helium from the vacuum-insulated reservoir helium tank through the supply line into the usage helium tank and further configured to convey gaseous helium from the usage helium tank through the return line into the vacuum-insulated reservoir helium tank.