High temperature superconductor cable termination

A high temperature superconducting (HTS) cable terminator system comprising:

• a source HTS cable terminator including:
• a first source chamber having disposed therein:
• a source terminator block electrically connected to an HTS cable conductor received within the first source chamber,
• a source cryogenically sealed chamber,
• a source cryogenically sealed chamber conductor electrically connected to the HTS cable conductor via the source terminator block, the source cryogenically sealed chamber conductor having a first source portion cryogenically sealed within the source cryogenically sealed chamber and a source end electrically connected to one or more source electrical output conductors, and
• one or more source refrigerant lines configured to feed gas refrigerant into the source cryogenically sealed chamber, the gas refrigerant configured to absorb heat from the source cryogenically sealed chamber, and
• a second source chamber connected to the first source chamber, the second source chamber having disposed therein a source heat exchanger thermally coupled to the one or more source refrigerant lines and configured to extract heat from the gas refrigerant;
• an electrical power supply electrically connected to the one or more source electrical output conductors of the source HTS cable terminator, the electrical power supply transmitting power over the HTS cable via the source HTS cable terminator;
• a load HTS cable terminator including:
• a first load chamber having disposed therein:
• a load terminator block electrically connected to the HTS cable conductor received within the first load chamber,
• a load cryogenically sealed chamber,
• a load cryogenically sealed chamber conductor electrically connected to the HTS cable conductor via the load terminator block, the load cryogenically sealed chamber conductor having a first load portion cryogenically sealed within the load cryogenically sealed chamber and a load end electrically connected to one or more load electrical output conductors, and
• one or more load refrigerant lines configured to feed gas refrigerant into the load cryogenically sealed chamber, the gas refrigerant configured to absorb heat from the load cryogenically sealed chamber, and
• a second load chamber connected to the first load chamber, the second load chamber having disposed therein a load heat exchanger thermally coupled to the one or more load refrigerant lines and configured to extract heat from the gas refrigerant;
• and
• an electrical load device electrically connected to the one or more electrical output conductors, the power transmitted over the HTS cable being supplied to the electrical load via the load HTS cable terminator.

A high temperature superconducting (HTS) cable cooling system, comprising:

• a first chamber having disposed therein:
• a cryogenically sealed chamber,
• one or more refrigerant lines configured to feed gas refrigerant into the cryogenically sealed chamber, the gas refrigerant configured to absorb heat from the cryogenically sealed chamber;
• and
• a second chamber connected to the first chamber, the second chamber having disposed therein a heat exchanger thermally coupled to the one or more refrigerant lines and configured to extract heat from the gas refrigerant;
• a vacuum pump connected to and configured to create a vacuum within both the first chamber and the second chamber;
• a cold head within the second chamber and configured to receive coolant from a cryogenic cooler connected to the cold head, the cold head thermally coupled to the one or more refrigerant lines in the heat exchanger;
• a compressor configured to compress the refrigerant and output the compressed refrigerant into the one or more refrigerant lines;
• and
• a heat recuperator in the second chamber and thermally coupled to the one or more refrigerant lines receiving output from the compressor, the heat recuperator configured to recuperate heat from the compressed refrigerant,
• wherein the gas refrigerant comprises Helium gas.