Vortex Flux Generator

• US 20190319554A1
• Filed: 05/31/2019
• Published: 10/17/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 03/24/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Silicon Turbine Systems, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Silicon Turbine Systems, Inc.
• Inventors: Adams, Richard
• Granted Patent: US 10,797,619 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: F25B 21/00 Machines, plants or systems, using electric or magnetic effects
• CPC Class Codes: H01F 6/02 Quenching; Protection arrangements during quenching protection circuits H02H7/001
• CPC Class Codes: H01F 6/06 Coils, e.g. winding, insulating, terminating or casing arrangements therefor
• CPC Class Codes: H02K 55/00 Dynamo-electric machines having windings operating at cryogenic temperatures
• CPC Class Codes: H02N 11/002 Generators

Abstract

Various implementations of the invention correspond to an improved vortex flux generator. In some implementations of the invention, the improved vortex flux generator includes a magnetic circuit configured to produce a magnetic field; a quench controller configured to provide a variable current; a vortex material configured to form and subsequently dissipate a vortex in response to the variable current, wherein upon formation of the vortex, a magnetic field density surrounding the vortex is urged to decrease, and wherein upon subsequent dissipation of the vortex, the urging to decrease ceases and the magnetic field density increases prior to a reformation of the vortex, and wherein the decrease of the magnetic field density and the increase of the magnetic field density correspond to a modulation of the magnetic field; an inductor disposed in a vicinity of the vortex such that the modulation of the magnetic field induces an electrical current in the inductor; and a dissipation superconductor electrically disposed in parallel with the vortex material and configured to carry, without quenching, an entirety of the variable current during dissipation of the vortex in the vortex material.

Claims

1. A vortex flux generator comprising:

a magnetic circuit configured to produce a magnetic field;

a quench controller configured to provide a variable current;

a vortex material configured to form and subsequently dissipate a vortex in response to the variable current,

wherein upon formation of the vortex, a magnetic field density surrounding the vortex is urged to decrease, and

wherein upon subsequent dissipation of the vortex, the urging to decrease ceases and the magnetic field density increases prior to a reformation of the vortex, and

wherein the decrease of the magnetic field density and the increase of the magnetic field density correspond to a modulation of the magnetic field;

an inductor disposed in a vicinity of the vortex such that the modulation of the magnetic field induces an electrical current in the inductor; and

a dissipation superconductor electrically disposed in parallel with the vortex material and configured to carry, without quenching, an entirety of the variable current during dissipation of the vortex in the vortex material.

2. The vortex flux generator of claim 1, wherein the dissipation superconductor is further configured to carry a portion, less than the entirety, of the variable current during formation of the vortex in the vortex material.

3. The vortex flux generator of claim 1, wherein the vortex material comprises a second superconducting material having properties different from the dissipation superconductor.

4. The vortex flux generator of claim 1, wherein the vortex material has a first critical current, wherein the dissipation superconductor has a second critical current, wherein the second critical current is greater than the first critical current.

5. A method for forming and dissipating vortices in a vortex material, the method comprising:

increasing a variable current, wherein a first portion of the variable current flows through the vortex material, wherein a second portion of the variable current flows through a dissipation superconductor electrically disposed in parallel with the vortex material, and wherein the first portion of the variable current causes vortices to form in the vortex material, wherein the variable current is increased until the first portion of the variable current flowing through the vortex material exceeds a critical current of the vortex material thereby causing the vortex material to enter its non-superconducting state which in turn causes an entirety of the variable current to flow through the dissipation superconductor;

maintaining the vortex material in its non-superconducting state thereby causing the vortices formed in the vortex material to dissipate; and

reducing the variable current until the vortex material returns to its superconducting state.