System for superconducting electronics in aerospace applications

A propulsion system of an aircraft, comprising:

• one or more power units to generate electrical energy utilizing a flow of fuel;
• one or more propulsion units operably connected to and driven by the electrical energy;
• one or more electrical components operably connected to the one or more power units and/or the one or more propulsion units, the one or more electrical components requiring cooling to maintain temperatures required for superconducting performance of the one or more electrical components;
• and
• a rechargeable cryogenic heat sink containing a volume of cryogenic cooling material, the cryogenic heat sink configured to cool the one or more electrical components;
• wherein the volume of cryogenic material exchanges thermal energy with an intermediate cooling fluid at an intermediate heat exchanger;
• wherein the intermediate cooling fluid is directed to the one or more electrical components to cool the one or more electrical components;
• and
• wherein the volume of cryogenic cooling material is configured to boil at a temperature below the superconducting temperature of the one or more electrical components.

A method of operating a powertrain system of an aircraft, comprising:

• generating thermal energy at one or more electrical components of the powertrain system, the one or more electrical components requiring cooling to maintain temperatures required for superconducting performance of the one or more electrical components;
• fluidly connecting a cryogenic heat sink to an intermediate heat exchanger;
• exchanging thermal energy at the intermediate heat exchanger between a volume of cryogenic material from the cryogenic heat sink and an intermediate cooling fluid circulated through a cooling loop;
• and
• exchanging thermal energy between the intermediate cooling fluid and the one or more electrical components to cool the one or more electrical components;
• and
• wherein the volume of cryogenic cooling material is configured to boil at a temperature below the superconducting temperature of the one or more electrical components.