Woven Mesh Skin Layer for Superconducting Tape Quench Cooling
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Solution Overview
Problem
The formation of a vapor layer between superconducting tapes and liquid nitrogen in a normal resistive state significantly reduces heat exchange efficiency, leading to thermal instability in superconducting fault current limiters.
Innovation Solution
A woven mesh structure, either non-magnetic metallic or low-temperature resistant non-metallic, is applied to the surface of the superconducting tape, breaking the continuous surface and preventing large-area vapor layer formation, with optimal mesh openings between 5 mm2 to 15 mm2 and filament diameters between 0.1 mm to 0.5 mm, facilitating improved heat exchange.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Temperature
If liquid nitrogen is used as cooling medium for superconducting tape, then cooling effect is achieved, but vapor layer forms on surface reducing heat exchange efficiency
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies segmentation by introducing a woven mesh structure with multiple openings on the superconducting tape surface. This divides the continuous surface into multiple segmented regions, allowing vaporized nitrogen to escape through the openings rather than forming a continuous insulating vapor layer. The segmentation maintains cooling effectiveness while preventing vapor layer accumulation that would reduce heat exchange efficiency.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent utilizes porous materials by employing a woven mesh structure with controlled porosity (opening size of 5-15 mm²). This porous configuration allows liquid nitrogen to penetrate and vaporize efficiently while maintaining good thermal contact between the cooling medium and the superconducting tape, thereby improving heat exchange efficiency without compromising the cooling effect.
2Reliability
If woven mesh structure is added to superconducting tape surface, then heat exchange efficiency is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies flexible shells and thin films by using a thin woven mesh layer as the skin structure on the superconducting tape. This thin film approach improves heat exchange efficiency while adding minimal structural complexity and maintaining flexibility for coil winding applications. The mesh structure is simple enough to be integrated without significantly complicating the overall device architecture.
3Object-affected harmful factors
If vapor layer forms on superconducting tape surface, then insulation is provided, but thermal stability deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The segmented woven mesh structure prevents the formation of a continuous vapor layer by providing multiple escape paths for vaporized nitrogen. This segmentation ensures that vapor is quickly removed from the interface between the cooling medium and superconducting tape, maintaining thermal stability and preventing the insulating effect that would result from a continuous vapor layer.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent converts the harmful vapor layer into a beneficial cooling mechanism by allowing controlled vaporization through the mesh openings. The vaporization process itself, which would normally create an insulating layer, is harnessed to enhance heat exchange by maintaining liquid nitrogen contact with the superconducting tape surface through the porous structure, thereby improving thermal stability.
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
The woven mesh structure enhances heat exchange efficiency by allowing vaporized nitrogen to form bubbles that spread quickly, reducing quench recovery time and improving thermal stability of superconducting tapes, thus enhancing the performance of superconducting fault current limiters and coils.
Implementation Method 1
the efficiency of a heat exchange between the superconducting tape and the liquid nitrogen is greatly improved
Implementation Method 2
liquid nitrogen surrounding the superconducting tape is vaporized in large amounts
Implementation Method 3
the vaporized liquid nitrogen cannot form a large-area vapor layer on the surface of the superconducting tape and can only form bubbles under the effect of the woven mesh
Implementation Method 4
a conductor used in a current-limiting unit of the resistive superconducting fault current limiter is in a superconducting state, and the electric current can be transmitted almost without any loss
Implementation Method 5
When the power grid faults and a short-circuit current is generated, a large short-circuit current will cause the conductor used in the current-limiting unit of the resistive superconducting fault current limiter to change to a normal state and exhibit larger resistance
Data Source
AI summary
A skin layer of a superconducting tape has a woven mesh structure and is disposed on a surface of a superconducting tape. The skin layer of a superconducting tape solves the problem where a vapor layer generated when a superconductor is in a normal resistive state greatly reduces the efficiency of a heat exchange between the superconductor and liquid nitrogen. Further provided are the superconducting tape and a superconducting coil.