Horizontal finned heat exchanger for cryogenic recondensing refrigeration
First Claim
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1. A cryogenic system comprising:
- a liquid helium vessel containing liquid helium (LH);
superconducting magnet windings immersed in the liquid helium;
a helium vapor recondenser with a smooth surface recondenser in which helium vapor recondenses which recondenser surface is intermittently interrupted by an interrupting structure which at least one of causes liquid helium which condenses on the smooth surface to leave the recondenser without travelling a full vertical length of the recondenser on the smooth surface and disrupts a thickness of a liquid helium film forming on the recondenser surface, wherein the interrupting structure is a fin that extends in a spiral along a length of the recondenser, wherein the fin has a sloping upper surface which slopes downward away from an adjacent recondenser surface portion and a bottom surface, wherein the upper surface and bottom surface meet and terminate along a line that forms a sharp drip edge from which liquid helium droplets leave the recondenser surface without travelling a full length of the recondenser surface.
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Abstract
A cryogenic system includes a superconducting magnet (20) in a reservoir of liquid helium (LH). Helium vapor (VH) rises and contacts a recondenser surface (50, 50′, 50″) on which the helium vapor (VH) condenses into liquid helium and flows by gravity off a lower edge of the recondenser surface. A plurality of fins (52) extend from the recondenser surface or a plurality of grooves (52′, 52″) are cut into the recondenser surface to disrupt the film thickness and to provide a path by which droplets of the liquid helium leave the recondenser surface without travelling a full vertical length of the recondenser (30).
21 Citations
12 Claims
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1. A cryogenic system comprising:
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a liquid helium vessel containing liquid helium (LH); superconducting magnet windings immersed in the liquid helium; a helium vapor recondenser with a smooth surface recondenser in which helium vapor recondenses which recondenser surface is intermittently interrupted by an interrupting structure which at least one of causes liquid helium which condenses on the smooth surface to leave the recondenser without travelling a full vertical length of the recondenser on the smooth surface and disrupts a thickness of a liquid helium film forming on the recondenser surface, wherein the interrupting structure is a fin that extends in a spiral along a length of the recondenser, wherein the fin has a sloping upper surface which slopes downward away from an adjacent recondenser surface portion and a bottom surface, wherein the upper surface and bottom surface meet and terminate along a line that forms a sharp drip edge from which liquid helium droplets leave the recondenser surface without travelling a full length of the recondenser surface. - View Dependent Claims (2)
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3. A cryogenic system comprising:
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a liquid helium vessel containing liquid helium (LH); superconducting magnet windings immersed in the liquid helium; a helium vapor recondenser with a smooth surface recondenser in which helium vapor recondenses which recondenser surface is intermittently interrupted by an interrupting structure which at least one of causes liquid helium which condenses on the smooth surface to leave the recondenser without travelling a full vertical length of the recondenser on the smooth surface and disrupts a thickness of a liquid helium film forming on the recondenser surface, wherein the interrupting structure includes a groove extending inwardly from the recondenser surface, and wherein the recondenser surface circumference is tapered along a vertical axis from a top horizontal edge to a bottom horizontal edge. - View Dependent Claims (4, 5, 6, 7)
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8. A method of manufacturing a helium vapor recondenser with a smooth surface recondenser in which helium vapor recondenses which recondenser surface is intermittently interrupted by an interrupting structure which at least one of causes liquid helium which condenses on the smooth surface to leave the recondenser without travelling a full vertical length of the recondenser on the smooth surface and disrupts a thickness of a liquid helium film forming on the recondenser surface, wherein the interrupting structure is a fin that extends in a spiral along a length of the recondenser, wherein the fin has a sloping upper surface which slopes downward away from an adjacent recondenser surface portion and a bottom surface, wherein the upper surface and bottom surface meet and terminate along a line that forms a sharp drip edge from which liquid helium droplets leave the recondenser surface without travelling a full length of the recondenser surface, the method comprising:
machining a metal element to define an annular smooth recondenser surface interrupted by the spiral extending fins projecting from the smooth annular surface.
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9. A method of maintaining superconductive magnet windings immersed in liquid helium (LH), the method comprising:
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recondensing helium vapor (VH) which boils off from the liquid helium on a smooth recondenser surface forming a liquid helium (LH) film on the recondenser surface; intermittently along the smooth recondenser surface, disrupting the liquid helium film, wherein the disrupting is caused by a fin that extends in a spiral along a length of the smooth recondenser surface, wherein the fin has a sloping upper surface which slopes downward away from an adjacent smooth recondenser surface and a bottom surface wherein the upper surface and bottom surface meet and terminate along a line that forms a sharp drip edge. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11)
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12. A recondenser comprising:
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a cooled object having a smooth surface configured to be mounted along a vertical axis such that liquids on the surface flow by gravity toward a lower end of the surface; a fin extending spirally around a periphery of the smooth surface with a top edge of the fin being flush with a portion of the smooth surface portion immediately above and a bottom edge of the fin being larger in perimeter than the top edge, a smooth upper sloping surface being defined between the top edge and bottom edge of the fin, the fin further comprising a bottom surface, wherein the upper sloping surface and the bottom surface meet and terminate along a line that forms a sharp drip edge.
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Specification