Means to reduce frictional heating of a superconducting winding at an interface with its support structure
AssigneeGeneral Electric Company
InventorEvangelos T. Laskaris
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Abstract
Improved structure for reducing heating a monolithic suuperconducting winding due to friction generated at an interface between a "low eddy current" support structure and the winding is disclosed. Such improved structure comprises a low shear modulus, compliant material and high thermal conductivity sheet metal disposed in the interface region between the super-conducting winding on the support structure. The low shear modulus, compliant material yields in the shear direction, thereby reducing frictional heating, and whatever frictional heat is generated is removed by the high conductivity sheet metal and transferred to helium cooling channels which are located in the low eddy current support structure.
Claims17
Improved means to reduce heating of a monolithic superconducting winding due to friction generated at an interface between said superconducting winding and a support structure for said winding, said support structure comprising a material having a high electrical resistivity whereby eddy current heating therein is limited to a tolerable level, said support structure having a first surface held under a compressional force against said superconducting winding and having a plurality of spaced apart helium cooling channels in the first surface thereof, said improved means comprising:
- (a) compliant sheet material having a low shear modulus and having first and second sides, said first side being bonded to an external surface of said superconducting winding;
- and
- (b) high thermal conductivity sheet metal having first and second sides with said first side disposed in contact with said second side of said low shear modulus sheet material and said second side thereof disposed in contact with said first surface of said support structure, and having portions thereof respectively disposed within said plurality of said helium cooling channels.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.