Abstract:
A system for cooling one or more discrete superconducting devices wherein a primary refrigerator subcools cryogenic liquid for desubcooling in the devices and subsequently resubcools this liquid in a recirculation loop, and additional cryogenic liquid is maintained in a subcooled condition within a reserve storage container by diversion of some of the refrigeration generated by the primary refrigerator into the reserve storage container.
Abstract:
A method for operating a cryocooler wherein some cryocooler working gas is diverted from the pressure wave pathway before passing to the cold portion of the cryocooler, passed to a getter for adsorptive cleaning of contaminants, and returned to the pressure wave pathway at a warm portion of the pressure wave pathway.
Abstract:
A fuel gas delivery system is provided. The fuel gas delivery system includes a feed line configured to provide a natural gas stream and a cryocooler fluidly coupled to the feed line. The cryocooler is configured to condense the natural gas to provide a liquefied natural gas (LNG) stream and to freeze impurities contained in the natural gas stream. The frozen impurities are separated from said LNG stream. A first heat exchanger is fluidly coupled to the cryocooler and the first heat exchanger is configured to vaporize at least a portion of the LNG stream to provide compressed natural gas. A delivery line is configured to supply the compressed natural gas to an end user and a removal line is configured to remove the impurities from the fuel gas delivery system.
Abstract:
Systems and methods for insulating superconducting magnets, such as a cryogen vessel of a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) system having therein one or more superconducting magnets are provided. One system includes a thermal insulator having a first plurality of reflector layers and a non-deformed spacer layer between adjacent layers in the first plurality of reflector layers. The thermal insulator further includes a second plurality of reflector layers and a deformed spacer layer between adjacent layers in the second plurality of reflector layers.
Abstract:
A superconducting cable cooling system, wherein coolant continually provides cooling to superconducting cable, comprising a plurality of nodes within a superconducting cable network and a plurality of legs of superconducting cable which interconnect each of the nodes of the superconducting cable network.
Abstract:
A cryogenic cooling system includes a chamber defined by an outer wall and an inner wall, the chamber housing at least one component to be cooled; a wicking structure in thermal contact with one of the outer wall and the inner wall of the chamber; and a delivery system in a spaced apart relationship with the chamber and fluidly connected to the wicking structure for transporting a working fluid to and from the wicking structure. Also provided is a magnetic resonance imaging system including the cryogenic cooling system.
Abstract:
A cryogenic liquid storage system and method in which cryogenic liquid is stored within an active cryogenic liquid storage tank and one or more passive cryogenic liquid storage tanks. Headspace regions of the passive cryogenic liquid storage tanks are connected to the active cryogenic liquid storage tank and the active cryogenic liquid storage tank is refrigerated to collapse the headspace vapor within the active cryogenic liquid storage tank causing the flow of headspace vapor from the headspace regions of the passive cryogenic liquid storage tanks to the active cryogenic liquid storage tank. The increased head of liquid produces a pressure differential that drives liquid from the active cryogenic liquid storage tank back to the passive cryogenic liquid storage tanks. In such manner, refrigeration applied to a single active cryogenic liquid storage tank can be used to refrigerate the passive cryogenic liquid storage tanks to prevent the venting of headspace vapor from all of the cryogenic liquid storage tanks.
Abstract:
Systems and methods for insulating superconducting magnets, such as a cryogen vessel of a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) system having therein one or more superconducting magnets are provided. One system includes a thermal insulator having a first plurality of reflector layers and a non-deformed spacer layer between adjacent layers in the first plurality of reflector layers. The thermal insulator further includes a second plurality of reflector layers and a deformed spacer layer between adjacent layers in the second plurality of reflector layers.
Abstract:
A cryogenic cooling system includes a chamber defined by an outer wall and an inner wall, the chamber housing at least one component to be cooled; a wicking structure in thermal contact with one of the outer wall and the inner wall of the chamber; and a delivery system in a spaced apart relationship with the chamber and fluidly connected to the wicking structure for transporting a working fluid to and from the wicking structure. Also provided is a magnetic resonance imaging system including the cryogenic cooling system.
Abstract:
A heat exchange assembly for treating carbon dioxide (CO2) is described. The heat exchange assembly includes a housing that includes an inlet, an outlet, and an inner surface that defines a cavity extending between the inlet and the outlet. The housing is configured to receive solid CO2 through the inlet. At least one heat exchange tube extends through the housing. The heat exchange tube is oriented to contact solid CO2 to facilitate transferring heat from solid CO2 to a heat exchanger fluid being channeled through the heat exchange tube to facilitate converting at least a portion of solid CO2 into liquid CO2. The heat exchange assembly is configured to recover a refrigeration value from the solid CO2 and transfer at least a portion of the recovered refrigeration value to a flue gas.