Superconducting Magnet Cooling With Multi-Temperature Helium Streams
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Solution Overview
Problem
The existing cooling methods for superconducting magnets are inefficient and costly due to high helium consumption and loss, temperature differences leading to quenching in magnets, and contamination issues with liquid nitrogen, resulting in thermodynamic and economic inefficiencies.
Innovation Solution
A method using helium streams at multiple temperature levels for cooling superconducting magnets, where helium at ambient and liquid nitrogen temperatures are mixed, and then further cooled with helium at 10 K, reducing helium losses and contamination, and allowing for efficient and gentle cooling.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Temperature
If liquid nitrogen is used for precooling the cryostat volume, then the cooling process can be initiated, but helium consumption increases and contamination occurs that causes quenching
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts and removes all liquid nitrogen traces from the cryostat volume before introducing helium. By completely eliminating nitrogen contamination, the system prevents quenching events that would otherwise cause helium loss, thus resolving the contradiction between achieving cooling and minimizing helium consumption.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention performs preliminary cleaning of the cryostat volume by flushing with helium to remove all nitrogen traces before the actual cooling process with helium begins. This preliminary action ensures that no contamination remains to cause quenching, thereby preventing future helium loss.
2Productivity
If large temperature differences are used in the cooling process, then cooling speed increases, but thermodynamic efficiency decreases and helium consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The cooling process is segmented into multiple stages with progressively smaller temperature differences. The process uses intermediate temperature levels (e.g., liquid nitrogen temperature, then 10 K, then 4.5 K) rather than direct cooling from ambient to final temperature, maintaining thermodynamic efficiency while achieving adequate cooling speed.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention changes the temperature parameter progressively through multiple stages rather than applying a single large temperature difference. By adjusting the temperature gradient at each stage, the process optimizes both cooling speed and thermodynamic efficiency, avoiding the penalties of both too-fast and too-slow cooling.
3Temperature
If liquid nitrogen is used for cooling, then initial cooling can be achieved, but contamination remains that increases quenching tendency
Solution Approach 1:
The invention completely extracts and removes all liquid nitrogen traces from the cryostat volume through flushing with helium before introducing helium for the cooling process. This complete removal eliminates contamination that would otherwise cause quenching, thereby improving reliability while maintaining the cooling function.
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 method significantly reduces helium consumption and loss, minimizes quenching in superconducting magnets, and enhances cooling efficiency by maintaining low temperature differences, enabling faster cooling processes and reducing the need for liquid nitrogen, thus improving both thermodynamic and economic efficiency.
Implementation Method 1
the cooling of the superconducting magnet(s) is carried out exclusively by means of one or more helium streams that are at at least two temperature levels
Implementation Method 2
the corresponding starting temperatures are produced by mixing helium streams or fractions of varying temperature
Data Source
AI summary
The invention describes a method for cooling at least one super-conducting magnet. According to the invention, the cooling of the super-conducting magnet(s) takes place exclusively by means of one or more helium flows which are at at least two temperature levels.