Apparatus and method of superconducting magnet cooling

Abstract

A superconducting magnet assembly and method of cooling a superconducting magnet assembly includes thermally connecting a pulsating heat pipe to the superconducting magnet assembly and adding a liquid cryogen to the pulsating heat pipe. The superconducting magnet assembly also includes a coil former, at least one superconducting solenoid magnet comprising at least one superconducting winding wrapped about the coil former and configured to generate a magnetic field, and at least one pulsating heat pipe thermally connected to the at least one superconducting solenoid magnet. The present invention has been described in terms of specific embodiment(s), and it is recognized that equivalents, alternatives, and modifications, aside from those expressly stated, are possible and within the scope of the appending claims.

1 . A method of cooling a superconducting magnet assembly comprising:
 thermally connecting at least one pulsating heat pipe to the superconducting magnet assembly; and   adding a liquid cryogen to the at least one pulsating heat pipe.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the liquid cryogen comprises one of helium 4, helium 3, hydrogen, neon, nitrogen, oxygen, argon, krypton, and combinations thereof. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the liquid cryogen fills a percentage of a total volume of the at least one pulsating heat pipe in a range from about 10% to about 90%. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 3  further wherein the liquid cryogen fills a percentage of a total volume of the at least one pulsating heat pipe in a range from about 30% to about 70%. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one pulsating heat pipe is a closed system. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the superconducting magnet assembly is configured for use with one of a nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy system, a magnetic energy storage system, a superconducting generators, a superconducting fault current limiter, a superconducting particle accelerator, a magnetic separation system, a transportation systems, a superconducting cable, a transformer, and a superconducting supercomputer. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one pulsating heat pipe is an open system. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one pulsating heat pipe comprises tubing and a condenser. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one pulsating heat pipe is embedded in an epoxy structure of the superconducting magnet assembly. 
     
     
         10 . A superconducting magnet assembly comprising:
 a coil former;   at least one superconducting solenoid magnet comprising at least one superconducting winding wrapped about the coil former and configured to generate a magnetic field; and   at least one two-phase heat transfer device thermally connected to the at least one superconducting solenoid magnet.   
     
     
         11 . The superconducting magnet assembly of  claim 10 , wherein the coil former is comprised of a thermally conductive material. 
     
     
         12 . The superconducting magnet assembly of  claim 10  further comprising a cryogen in the at least one two-phase heat transfer device. 
     
     
         13 . The superconducting magnet assembly of  claim 12  wherein the cryogen comprises one of helium 4, helium 3, hydrogen, neon, nitrogen, oxygen, argon, krypton, and combinations thereof. 
     
     
         14 . The superconducting magnet assembly of  claim 12  wherein a liquid portion of the cryogen fills a percentage of a total volume of the at least one two-phase heat transfer device in a range from about 10% to about 90%. 
     
     
         15 . The superconducting magnet assembly of  claim 14  further wherein a liquid portion of the cryogen fills a percentage of a total volume of the at least one two-phase heat transfer device in a range from about 30% to about 70%. 
     
     
         16 . The superconducting magnet assembly of  claim 10 , the at least one two-phase heat transfer device comprises at least one pulsating heat pipe comprising tubing and a condenser. 
     
     
         17 . The superconducting magnet assembly of  claim 16  wherein an inside diameter of the tubing is in a range of approximately 1 mm to approximately 8 mm. 
     
     
         18 . The superconducting magnet assembly of  claim 16  wherein the at least one pulsating heat pipe is a closed system. 
     
     
         19 . The superconducting magnet assembly of  claim 16  wherein the at least one pulsating heat pipe is an open system. 
     
     
         20 . The superconducting magnet assembly of  claim 16  wherein the at least one pulsating heat pipe is configured in a serpentine pattern. 
     
     
         21 . The superconducting magnet assembly of  claim 10 , wherein a total volume of cryogen in the at least one two-phase heat transfer device is in a range of approximately 10 ml liter to approximately 2 liters. 
     
     
         22 . The superconducting magnet assembly of  claim 10 , wherein a flow geometry of the at least one two-phase heat transfer device is one of substantially horizontal, substantially vertical, and combinations thereof. 
     
     
         23 . The superconducting magnet assembly of  claim 10 , wherein a sizing of the at least one two-phase heat transfer device is dependent upon a heat load imposed by the at least one superconducting magnet. 
     
     
         24 . The superconducting magnet assembly of  claim 16 , wherein a configuration of the at least one pulsating heat pipe is adapted to a geometry of the coil former.