High heat transfer cryogenic bearing
AssigneeGeneral Electric Company
InventorsErnst Wolfgang Stautner, Constantinos Minas
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A superconducting motor including a rotor, a heat sink, and a bearing. The rotor includes a superconducting winding formed from a superconducting material. The heat sink is positioned within the superconducting motor to absorb heat produced by the superconducting motor. The bearing includes an inner race, an outer race, and a rolling element. The bearing rotatably supports the rotor and is thermally connected to each of the rotor and the heat sink to transfer heat from the rotor to the heat sink. The rolling element is formed from a material having, at 25 K, a thermal conductivity of 20 W/mK or more and an ultimate tensile strength of 650 MPa or more. The rolling element may be formed from a copper alloy.
Claims20
A superconducting motor comprising:
- a rotor including a superconducting winding formed from a superconducting material;
- a stator including a heat sink positioned within the stator to absorb heat produced by the superconducting motor;
- and
- a bearing including an inner race, an outer race, and a rolling element, the bearing rotatably supporting the rotor relative to the stator, the bearing thermally connected to each of the rotor and the heat sink to transfer heat from the rotor to the heat sink located within the stator, the rolling element being formed from a material having, at 25 K, a thermal conductivity of 20 W/mK or more and an ultimate tensile strength of 650 MPa or more.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.