HTS Cable Cooling Layout for Longer Cryogenic Transmission Lines
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing cryogenic cooling systems for high temperature superconductor (HTS) cables are limited by the length of the cable due to limited pressure head and cooling power, requiring tailored refrigeration systems for each project, leading to high costs.
Innovation Solution
A cooling system with multiple sections of HTS cables and refrigeration modules that divide and recombine coolant streams to maintain consistent pressure and temperature, using pressure control units and cable joints with conduits for efficient coolant flow and re-cooling, allowing for longer cable lengths and standardized refrigeration modules.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Length of moving object
If a single cooling station and cooling loop are used for superconducting cable, then the system design is simple, but the cable length is limited due to limited pressure head and cooling power
Solution Approach 1:
The cooling system is divided into multiple modular cooling stations (first cooling station, second cooling station, third cooling station) that can be distributed along the cable route. Each cooling station independently cools a section of the cable, enabling the system to support much longer cable lengths by adding modular cooling units rather than requiring a single high-capacity cooling station with proportionally higher complexity.
2Ease of manufacture
If refrigeration systems are tailored to individual cable projects, then the cooling power matches the specific requirements, but the system cost becomes excessively high
Solution Approach 1:
The patent describes standardized cooling station modules that can be universally applied to different cable projects. These modular units can be configured in series or parallel to meet different cooling requirements, allowing the same basic design to serve multiple purposes and cable lengths, thereby reducing development costs while maintaining adequate cooling performance through proper module configuration.
3Stress or pressure
If coolant flows through the entire cable length from a single cooling station, then the system configuration is simple, but the pressure head becomes insufficient for long cables
Solution Approach 1:
The coolant delivery system is segmented into multiple cooling stations positioned at different locations along the cable. Each station creates localized pressure to cool its adjacent cable section, eliminating the need for a single high-pressure system. This segmentation maintains adequate coolant pressure throughout long cable runs without requiring excessively complex high-pressure equipment.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of increasing pressure in a single-dimensional manner from one source, the system distributes multiple pressure sources along the cable length. This transforms the pressure delivery from a single-point radial pattern to a distributed linear pattern, effectively extending the reachable cable length while maintaining adequate pressure at each cooling location.
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 configuration increases the total length of HTS cables, reduces costs by enabling standardized refrigeration modules, and maintains consistent operating conditions, supporting longer cable lengths while managing fault currents effectively.
Implementation Method 1
a first refrigeration module configured to receive the flow of coolant from the HTS cable and to lower the temperature of the flow of coolant
Implementation Method 2
The flow of coolant may undergo a temperature increase as it passes through the HTS cable
Implementation Method 3
Superconductivity refers to a state of materials in which the electrical resistance becomes zero when the material is cooled to a sufficiently low temperature
Data Source
AI summary
A cooling system includes a first section of high temperature superconducting (HTS) cable configured to receive a first flow of coolant and to permit the first flow of coolant to flow therethrough. The system may further include a second section of high temperature superconducting (HTS) cable configured to receive a second flow of coolant and to permit the second flow of coolant to flow therethrough. The system may further include a cable joint configured to couple the first section of HTS cable and the second section of HTS cable. The cable joint may be in fluid communication with at least one refrigeration module and may include at least one conduit configured to permit a third flow of coolant between said cable joint and said at least one refrigeration module through a coolant line separate from said first and second sections of HTS cable.