Cryogenic fluid transfer joint employing gaseous seals
AssigneeGeneral Electric Company
InventorBurton D. Hatch
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Cryogenic liquid coolant is transferred from a stationary liquefier through a bayonet to the rotor of a superconducting generator using a cryogenic fluid transfer joint cantilevered on the collector end of the rotor. Pressure of the boil-off coolant is employed to prevent the liquid coolant from entering a relative-motion gap about the bayonet, while the boil-off coolant flows through the gap to reduce heating of the bayonet. Flow of noncryogenic gas is used to regulate flow of the boil-off coolant and to minimize contamination of the coolant by bearing lubricant.
Claims9
In cryogenic apparatus including a rotor wherein the interior portion thereof is bathed in liquefied coolant at cryogenic temperatures, a joint for supplying said liquefied coolant to a conduit within said rotor rotating in unison with said rotor, said joint comprising:
- a hollow shaft coupled to said rotor so as to be rotatable therewith, said conduit extending from said rotor into the hollow interior of said shaft;
- stationary bayonet means penetrating into the interior of said conduit and delivering said liquefied gas into the interior of said conduit;
- an outer wall disposed concentrically about, and spaced apart from, said bayonet means so as to define a relative-motion gap therewith, said outer wall being rigidly coupled to said conduit and rotatable in unison therewith;
- first means gaseously communicating with said relative-motion gap and facilitating flow of gasified coolant from the interior of said conduit completely through said gap in a direction opposite to flow of said liquefied coolant through said bayonet means to help cool said bayonet means;
- and
- second means gaseously communicating with said relative-motion gap to regulate the flow of gasified coolant through said relative-motion gap.
In the method of supplying liquefied coolant at cryogenic temperatures from a stationary coolant source to the rotor of a cryogenic electrical machine wherein said liquefied coolant is supplied through a stationary bayonet into a conduit rotatable with said rotor and extending from the interior of said rotor into a hollow shaft rotatable with said rotor, the improvement comprising:
- directing a continuous flow of gasified coolant from the interior of said conduit about said bayonet in a direction opposite to the flow of said liquefied coolant through said bayonet so as to employ the cooling capacity of said gasified coolant to maintain the exterior of said bayonet at low temperature and thereby limit heating of said liquefied coolant flowing through said bayonet;
- and
- regulating the rate at which said gasified coolant flows past the exterior of said bayonet.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.