Zero delta temperature thermal link

Abstract

An apparatus for transferring cryogenic refrigeration includes a cryocooler interface, a housing, a working fluid, a heat exchanger, a flexible thermal link, and a remote cartridge cold head. The cryocooler interface is thermally connected to a cryocooler providing a source of refrigeration. The refrigeration is passed from the crycooler into the heat exchanger via the cryocooler interface. The remote cartridge cold head is attached to a remote location. Heat is drawn from the remote location through the remote cartridge cold head and into the heat exchanger via the working fluid within the flexible thermal link and housing. Within the heat exchanger, heat is transferred from the working fluid to the refrigeration source, such as a cryocooler; accordingly, the remote location is cooled.

1 . An apparatus for transferring cryogenic refrigeration, comprising:
 an interface adapted to thermally connect to a source of refrigeration;   a housing having a self-contained volume of working fluid, said interface being disposed on a surface of said housing;   a heat exchanger in thermal communication with said interface and disposed within said housing, said heat exchanger transferring heat between said self-contained volume of working fluid and said source of refrigeration;   a flexible thermal link in thermal communication with, and extending from, said housing; and   a remote cartridge cold head in thermal communication with said flexible thermal link for providing a heat transfer surface at a location remote to said source of refrigeration.   
     
     
         2 . An apparatus for transferring cryogenic refrigeration as in  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a charging nozzle in mechanical communication with said heat exchanger housing.   
     
     
         3 . An apparatus for transferring cryogenic refrigeration as in  claim 1 , wherein said source of refrigeration is a cryocooler. 
     
     
         4 . An apparatus for transferring cryogenic refrigeration as in  claim 1 , wherein said flexible thermal link is a hollow tube. 
     
     
         5 . An apparatus for transferring cryogenic refrigeration as in  claim 1 , wherein said remote cartridge cold head includes at least one hole. 
     
     
         6 . An apparatus for transferring cryogenic refrigeration as in  claim 1 , wherein said remote cartridge cold head is an elongated cylinder or other predetermined geometry. 
     
     
         7 . An apparatus for transferring cryogenic refrigeration as in  claim 1 , wherein said self-contained volume of working fluid is helium. 
     
     
         8 . An apparatus for transferring cryogenic refrigeration as in  claim 1 , wherein said self-contained volume of working cryogenic fluid is hydrogen. 
     
     
         9 . An apparatus for transferring cryogenic refrigeration as in  claim 1 , wherein said self-contained volume of working cryogenic fluid is methane. 
     
     
         10 . An apparatus for transferring cryogenic refrigeration as in  claim 1 , wherein said self-contained volume of working cryogenic fluid is nitrogen. 
     
     
         11 . An apparatus for transferring cryogenic refrigeration as in  claim 1 , wherein said self-contained volume of working cryogenic fluid is oxygen. 
     
     
         12 . An apparatus for transferring cryogenic refrigeration as in  claim 1 , wherein said self-contained volume of working cryogenic fluid is neon. 
     
     
         13 . An apparatus for transferring cryogenic refrigeration as in  claim 1 , wherein said self-contained volume of working cryogenic fluid is fluorine. 
     
     
         14 . An apparatus for transferring cryogenic refrigeration as in  claim 1 , wherein said self-contained volume of working cryogenic fluid is a combination of helium, hydrogen, methane, nitrogen, oxygen, neon, or fluorine.