REMOTE ACTUATED CRYOCOOLER FOR SUPERCONDUCTING GENERATOR AND METHOD OF ASSEMBLING THE SAME

• US 20140100113A1
• Filed: 10/08/2012
• Published: 04/10/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 10/08/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: General Electric Renovables Espana, S.L. (GE Aerospace)
• Original Assignee: General Electric Company
• Inventors: Stautner, Ernst Wolfgang, Haran, Kiruba Sivasubramaniam, Fair, Ruben Jeevanasan
• Granted Patent: US 9,570,220 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 505/163
• CPC Class Codes: F25B 19/00 Machines, plants or systems, using evaporation of a refrigerant but without recovery of the vapour
• CPC Class Codes: F25B 9/14 characterised by the cycle used, e.g. Stirling cycle
• CPC Class Codes: F25B 9/145 pulse-tube cycle
• CPC Class Codes: H01F 6/04 Cooling
• CPC Class Codes: H02K 55/04 with rotating field windings
• CPC Class Codes: H02K 7/183 wherein the turbine is a wind turbine adaptation of a wind turbine to an electric generator F03D9/25
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 10/72 Wind turbines with rotation axis in wind direction
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 40/60 Superconducting electric elements or equipment; Power systems integrating superconducting elements or equipment
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49359 Cooling apparatus making, e.g., air conditioner, refrigerator

Abstract

In one embodiment, a cryocooler assembly for cooling a heat load is provided. The cryocooler assembly includes a vacuum vessel surrounding the heat load and a cryocooler at least partially inserted into the vacuum vessel, the cryocooler including a coldhead. The assembly further includes an actuator coupled to the cryocooler. The actuator is configured to translate the cryocooler coldhead into thermal engagement with the heat load and to maintain constant pressure of the coldhead against the heat load to facilitate maintaining thermal engagement with the heat load as the heat load shrinks during a cool down process.

Claims

1. A cryocooler assembly for cooling a heat load, said cryocooler assembly comprising:

a vacuum vessel surrounding the heat load;

a cryocooler at least partially inserted into said vacuum vessel, said cryocooler comprising a coldhead; and

an actuator coupled to said cryocooler, said actuator configured to translate said cryocooler coldhead into thermal engagement with the heat load and to maintain constant pressure of said coldhead against the heat load to facilitate maintaining thermal engagement with the heat load as the heat load shrinks during a cool down process.

2. The assembly of claim 1, further comprising a guide rod coupled to said cryocooler, wherein said actuator is configured to translate said guide rod to translate said coldhead into thermal engagement with the heat load.

3. The assembly of claim 1, wherein said actuator is configured to translate said coldhead out of thermal engagement with the heat load when the heat load reaches a predetermined temperature.

4. The assembly of claim 1, wherein said cryocooler includes at least one of a pulse tube type, a GM type, and a Stirling type cooler.

5. The assembly of claim 1, wherein said actuator includes at least one of a hydraulic actuator, a pneumatic actuator, an electric actuator, a piezoelectric actuator, a moving iron controllable actuator, and a vacuum.

6. The assembly of claim 1, further comprising a controller operatively coupled to said actuator, wherein said controller is configured to control said actuator to selectively thermally couple said coldhead to the heat load.

7. The assembly of claim 6, wherein said actuator is remotely operated.

8. A cooling assembly for a superconducting generator, said assembly comprising:

a superconducting field winding coil former comprising a hub end and an opposing non-hub end;

at least one cryocooler positioned proximate said superconducting field winding coil former, said cryocooler comprising a coldhead; and

an actuator coupled to said cryocooler, said actuator configured to translate said coldhead into thermal engagement with said superconducting field winding coil former and to maintain constant pressure of said coldhead against said superconducting field winding coil former to facilitate maintaining thermal engagement with said superconducting field winding coil former as said superconducting field winding coil former shrinks during a cool down process.

9. The assembly of claim 8, wherein said at least one cryocooler comprises a first cryocooler positioned proximate said coil hub end and a second cryocooler positioned proximate said coil non-hub end.

10. The assembly of claim 8, further comprising a guide rod coupled to said cryocooler, wherein said actuator is configured to translate said guide rod to further translate said coldhead into thermal engagement with said superconducting field winding coil former.

11. The assembly of claim 8, wherein said actuator is configured to translate said coldhead out of thermal engagement with said superconducting field winding coil former when said superconducting field winding coil former reaches a predetermined temperature.

12. The assembly of claim 8, wherein said cryocooler includes at least one of a pulse tube type, a GM type, and a Stirling type cooler.

13. The assembly of claim 8, wherein said actuator includes at least one of a hydraulic actuator, a pneumatic actuator, an electric actuator, a piezoelectric actuator, a moving iron controllable actuator, and a vacuum.

14. The assembly of claim 8, further comprising a controller operatively coupled to said actuator, wherein said controller is configured to control said actuator to selectively thermally couple said coldhead to said superconducting field winding coil former.

15. The assembly of claim 14, wherein said actuator is remotely operated.

16. A method of assembling a cooling assembly for a superconducting generator, the method comprising:

positioning a vacuum vessel proximate the superconducting generator;

positioning a superconducting field winding coil former within the vacuum vessel, the superconducting field winding coil former including a hub end and an opposing non-hub end;

positioning at least one cryocooler at least partially within the vacuum vessel, the cryocooler including a coldhead; and

operatively coupling an actuator to the cryocooler, the actuator configured to translate the coldhead into thermal engagement with the superconducting field winding coil former and to maintain constant pressure of the coldhead against the superconducting field winding coil former to facilitate maintaining thermal engagement with the superconducting field winding coil former as the superconducting field winding coil former shrinks during a cool down process.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein positioning at least one cryocooler at least partially within the vacuum vessel comprises positioning a first cryocooler proximate the coil hub end, and positioning a second cryocooler proximate the coil non-hub end.

18. The method of claim 16, further comprising coupling a guide rod to the at least one cryocooler, wherein the actuator is configured to translate the guide rod to further translate the coldhead into thermal engagement with the superconducting field winding coil former.

19. The method of claim 16, further comprising translating the coldhead out of thermal engagement with the superconducting field winding coil former when the superconducting field winding coil former reaches a predetermined temperature.

20. The method of claim 16, further comprising communicatively coupling a controller to the actuator, wherein the controller is configured to control the actuator to selectively thermally couple the coldhead to the superconducting field winding coil former.