Liquid nitrogen-based cooling system

A method for cooling a device or region of space requiring cooling, comprising:

• circulating a heat-absorbing medium within a closed-loop cooling circuit, the heat-absorbing medium flowing in a direction from a heat sink toward the device or region of space requiring cooling and back toward the heat sink, the heat sink comprising a double-wall vessel containing therein a supply of liquid nitrogen;
• causing or allowing heat to be transferred from the device or region of space requiring cooling to the heat-absorbing medium that is circulating within the closed-loop cooling circuit;
• transporting the heat, via the heat-absorbing medium, to the heat sink;
• causing or allowing the heat being transported by the heat-absorbing medium to be transferred from the heat-absorbing medium to the liquid nitrogen contained within the double-wall vessel by coils that pass around an exterior of the double-wall vessel to thereby transfer heat to the liquid nitrogen and cause at least a portion of the liquid nitrogen to vaporize within the double-wall vessel;
• removing heat from the vaporized nitrogen to thereby cause the vaporized nitrogen to condense back to liquid form;
• and
• returning the nitrogen that has been condensed back to liquid form to the supply of liquid nitrogen contained within the double-wall vessel,
• wherein the nitrogen cycles between its liquid and vapor phases within and limited to the confines of the double-wall vessel.

A liquid nitrogen-based cooling system, comprising:

• a heat sink containing a first heat-absorbing medium comprising a supply of liquid nitrogen;
• a closed-loop cooling circuit through which circulates a second heat-absorbing medium, the closed-loop cooling circuit being configured and arranged such that the second heat-absorbing medium flows toward and absorbs heat from a device or region to be cooled and then back toward the heat sink, the closed-loop cooling circuit further being arranged in heat-exchanging relationship with the heat sink such that the heat absorbed by the second heat-absorbing medium is transferred to the liquid nitrogen, thereby causing a portion of the liquid nitrogen to vaporize within the heat sink;
• and
• a refrigeration subsystem arranged relative to the heat sink to condense nitrogen that has vaporized within the heat sink back into liquid nitrogen and return the condensed nitrogen to the supply of liquid nitrogen;
• wherein the heat sink comprises
• at least a first vessel in which the liquid and vaporized nitrogen are confined, such that the nitrogen cycles between its liquid and vapor phases within the confines of the first vessel, the first vessel being a double-wall vessel, and
• a plurality of coils arranged in heat-transferring relationship around the exterior of the first vessel to transfer heat with the liquid nitrogen, the plurality of coils forming a portion of the closed-loop cooling circuit through which the second heat-absorbing medium circulates.