Superconducting Electrical Network Coolant Redirection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional superconducting electrical systems for aircraft are heavy and lack redundancy, which is critical for fault accommodation, especially in distributed propulsion systems where numerous smaller propulsion units are used, necessitating a solution to reduce weight while ensuring system reliability.
Innovation Solution
A superconducting electrical network with a cryogenic system and a controller that manages coolant flow to superconducting equipment, allowing for increased power output and redundancy by isolating faulty units and redistributing coolant to maintain system operation, including generators, motors, and refrigeration units, thereby compensating for failures by increasing the load on operational units.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Weight of moving object
If superconducting technology is used to reduce electrical system weight, then weight is reduced, but reliability deteriorates due to lack of redundancy
Solution Approach 1:
The system dynamically reallocates coolant flow based on operational needs and fault conditions. The controller continuously monitors the state of superconducting equipment and adjusts coolant distribution in real-time, allowing the system to adapt its cooling capacity to maintain reliability while using lighter superconducting components.
Solution Approach 2:
The system prepares for potential failures by maintaining reserved coolant capacity and the ability to rapidly redirect cooling resources. This prior preparation ensures that when a fault occurs, the system can immediately compensate by diverting coolant to healthy units, preventing cascade failures and maintaining reliability.
2Reliability
If redundancy is added to accommodate faults, then reliability is improved, but weight increases
Solution Approach 1:
The coolant system is designed to serve multiple functions: it provides baseline cooling for all superconducting equipment during normal operation and serves as a dynamic resource that can be rapidly reallocated to compensate for faults. This multi-functionality eliminates the need for separate redundant cooling systems, reducing overall weight while maintaining reliability.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes operational parameters dynamically by adjusting coolant flow rates to different equipment based on their operational status. When a unit fails, the controller increases coolant flow parameters to healthy units, allowing them to operate at higher capacities and compensate for the failed component without adding physical redundancy.
3Power
If coolant flow is increased to drive equipment at higher demand levels, then power output is improved, but system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The controller implements a feedback mechanism that continuously monitors the state of superconducting equipment and automatically adjusts coolant flow rates accordingly. This closed-loop control simplifies the overall system architecture by using intelligent algorithms rather than complex mechanical control systems, allowing dynamic power adjustment while maintaining manageable system complexity.
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 solution reduces the overall weight of the superconducting electrical system while providing redundancy, ensuring continuous operation by increasing the power output of operational units when faults occur, thus maintaining efficient propulsion in aircraft distributed systems.
Implementation Method 1
A superconductor conducts electricity without loss, that is, with zero electrical resistance. In order to be superconducting, current state of the art superconductor materials must be maintained below a critical temperature, current density and magnetic field.
Implementation Method 2
the controller is configured to isolate the supply of refrigerant to one or more of the plurality of electrical equipment upon demand and increase the flow of coolant to one or more of the non-isolated plurality of electrical equipment
Data Source
AI summary
This invention relates to a superconducting electrical network, comprising: an electrical system including a plurality of superconducting electrical equipment; a cryogenic system including one or more refrigeration units for providing coolant to the plurality of superconducting electrical equipment; a controller configured to control the flow of coolant to the plurality of superconducting electrical equipment, wherein the controller is configured to isolate the supply of refrigerant to one or more of the plurality of electrical equipment upon demand and increase the flow of coolant to one or more of the non-isolated plurality of electrical equipment.