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US 11,835,607 B2Granted
Auxiliary cryogen storage for magnetic resonance imaging applications
AssigneeGeneral Electric Company
InventorErnst Wolfgang Stautner
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Abstract
The present disclosure relates to a cooling system that includes a superconducting unit and a reservoir configured to store liquid coolant to cool the superconducting unit. The cooling system also includes an auxiliary storage system that includes one or more storage tanks fluidly coupled to the reservoir. The auxiliary storage system is configured to provide additional coolant to the reservoir as well as receive and store coolant from the reservoir.
Claims16
A cooling system, comprising:
- a superconducting unit;
- a reservoir configured to store liquid coolant to cool the superconducting unit;
- an auxiliary storage system comprising one or more storage tanks fluidly coupled to the reservoir, wherein the auxiliary storage system is configured to:
- provide additional coolant to the reservoir;
- receive and store coolant from the reservoir;
- wherein:
- the auxiliary storage system comprises a thermal switch configured to enable a flow of the additional coolant to the reservoir;
- the cooling system comprises a control system configured to control the thermal switch to modify a temperature of the additional coolant while being stored in the one or more storage tanks;
- and wherein:
- the additional coolant is stored within the one or more tanks in a liquid state;
- and
- the control system is configured to cause the temperature of the additional coolant to increase and cause the additional coolant to have a gaseous state prior to entering the reservoir.
9 more elements
An imaging system comprising:
- a superconducting unit;
- a thermal shield configured to shield the superconducting unit from thermal radiation;
- a reservoir configured to store liquid coolant to cool the superconducting unit;
- and
- an auxiliary storage system comprising one or more storage tanks fluidly coupled to the reservoir, wherein the auxiliary storage system is configured to:
- provide additional coolant to the reservoir;
- receive and store coolant from the reservoir;
- wherein:
- the one or more storage tanks comprise a first tank;
- the auxiliary storage system comprises a first thermal switch configured to thermally couple the first tank and the thermal shield to one another;
- the imaging system further comprises a cooling system configured to cool the superconducting unit, wherein:
- the one or more storage tanks comprise a second tank different from the first tank;
- and
- the auxiliary storage system comprises a second thermal switch different from the first thermal switch, wherein the second thermal switch is configured to thermally couple the second tank and the cooling system to one another.
11 more elements
A method, comprising:
- providing coolant to a first thermal switch of an auxiliary storage system, wherein the auxiliary storage system comprises one or more storage tanks fluidly coupled to a reservoir configured to store liquid coolant used to cool a superconducting unit, wherein providing coolant to the first thermal switch causes a first tank of the one or more storage tanks to become thermally coupled to a thermal shield;
- performing a ramp-up of the superconducting unit;
- and
- providing coolant from the first tank to the reservoir in response to a temperature increase caused by performing the ramp-up.
1 more element
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.