Superconducting Cable Cooling Loops Without Return Lines
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing systems for cooling superconducting electrical transmission cables are costly, complex, and inefficient, with a high risk of breakdown, and often require return lines that lead to heat leaks and pumping losses.
Innovation Solution
A network configuration with distributed cryocoolers and pumping stations along the legs of superconducting cables, where liquid nitrogen travels in loops, eliminating the need for return lines and allowing coolant to provide continuous cooling to multiple legs, thereby reducing refrigeration load and increasing system reliability.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of energy
If traditional cooling systems with return lines are used, then cooling coverage is provided, but heat leaks and pumping losses increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts and eliminates the return line component from the traditional cooling system. By having coolant flow through multiple legs in series without returning to a central station, the system removes the source of heat leaks and pumping losses associated with return lines, directly addressing the energy loss problem while maintaining cooling effectiveness.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent converts the potential harm of coolant flowing through multiple legs (which could lead to temperature rise) into a benefit by designing a series flow path where the coolant sequentially cools multiple legs. This eliminates the need for return lines and their associated energy losses, turning what could be a disadvantage into an energy-efficient solution.
2Productivity
If distributed cryocoolers and pumping stations are used along cable legs, then cooling efficiency improves, but system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent makes the coolant flow path serve multiple functions simultaneously: it cools multiple legs in sequence, eliminates the need for separate return lines, and provides redundant cooling paths. This multi-functionality improves cooling efficiency while avoiding the complexity of additional dedicated return line infrastructure.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent merges the cooling function across multiple legs into a single continuous coolant flow path. Instead of separate cooling loops for each leg that would require individual return lines, the system combines all legs into one series flow path, simplifying the overall system architecture while maintaining efficient cooling.
3Use of energy by stationary object
If coolant flows through multiple legs in series, then refrigeration load is reduced, but cooling temperature control becomes more difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the cooling system into multiple discrete legs that the coolant flows through in sequence. Each leg acts as an independent cooling zone, allowing the system to reduce overall refrigeration load by distributing the cooling demand across multiple segments rather than requiring one large centralized cooling system.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies local quality by allowing different legs to operate at potentially different cooling conditions. Each leg can be designed with specific thermal characteristics appropriate to its location and load requirements, while the series flow path ensures coordinated temperature control across the entire system, reducing overall refrigeration needs.
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 reduces pumping requirements, eliminates heat leaks, and enhances capacity utilization, while ensuring continuous cooling and increased reliability by allowing multiple sources of coolant, thus improving the efficiency and reliability of superconducting cable networks.
Implementation Method 1
means for passing coolant from the first node to the first leg of superconducting cable, means for passing coolant from the first leg of superconducting cable to the second node, and means for passing coolant from the second node to the second leg of superconducting cable
Implementation Method 2
Superconductivity is the phenomenon wherein certain metals, alloys and compounds, such as YBCO, REBCO and BSCCO, at very low temperatures lose electrical resistance so that they have infinite electrical conductivity
Data Source
AI summary
A superconducting cable cooling system, wherein coolant continually provides cooling to superconducting cable, comprising a plurality of nodes within a superconducting cable network and a plurality of legs of superconducting cable which interconnect each of the nodes of the superconducting cable network.