Remote actuated cryocooler for superconducting generator and method of assembling the same

摘要

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.

主权项

1. A cryocooler assembly for cooling a heat load generated by a superconducting field winding coil former of a field winding assembly, said cryocooler assembly comprising:
a vacuum vessel surrounding the field winding assembly, the field winding assembly comprising a hub end and a non-hub end; a cryocooler at least partially inserted into said vacuum vessel, said cryocooler comprising a coldhead and an extended contact surface in thermal contact with the non-hub end of the field winding assembly; and an actuator coupled to said cryocooler and a controller operatively coupled to said actuator, said actuator configured to translate said cryocooler coldhead into thermal engagement with the extended contact surface and said controller is configured to control said actuator to thermally couple said coldhead to the extended contact surface to maintain constant pressure of said coldhead against the extended contact surface to facilitate maintaining thermal engagement with the field winding coil former as the extended contact surface and/or the field winding coil former shrinks during a cool down process, wherein the actuator is configured to maintain constant pressure between the cryocooler coldhead and the extended contact surface between approximately 100 Newtons and approximately 1000 Newtons, the cryocooler coldhead is configured to perform a cool down operation of the field winding coil former from about 300 K to about 20 K and the vacuum vessel includes insulated conduits configured to deliver cryogenic liquid to the vacuum vessel to cool the heat load from about 20 K to about 4 K, and the controller is configured to actuate the actuator to thermally decouple the coldhead from the field winding coil former when the field winding coil former reaches about 20 K.