Self-driven cooling loop for a large superconducting magnet in space

✍ Scribed by A.J. Mord; H.A. Snyder

• Publisher: Elsevier Science
• Year: 1992
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 732 KB
• Volume: 32
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0011-2275
• DOI: 10.1016/0011-2275(92)90268-f

✦ Synopsis

Pressurized cooling loops in which superfluid helium circulation is driven by the heat being removed have been previously demonstrated in laboratory tests. A simpler and lighter version which eliminates a heat exchanger by mixing the returning fluid directly with the superfluid helium bath was analysed. A carefully designed flow restriction must be used to prevent boiling in this low-pressure system. A candidate design for Astromag is shown that can keep the magnet below 2.0 K during magnet charging. This gives a greater margin against accidental quench than approaches that allow the coolant to warm above the lambda point. A detailed analysis of one candidate design is presented.