Superconducting temperature controller
AssigneeProgress Technologies Corporation
InventorEdward K. Anderson, III
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A superconducting temperature controller that can sense the temperature of an area and also heat the enclosed area. A superconducting thin film resistor mounted on a substrate is disposed in an enclosed housing that forms a vacuum. Also disposed within the housing is a heat sink that keeps the temperature inside the housing below the transition temperature of the superconducting material that forms the thin film resistor. By applying a constant voltage to the thin film resistor, the temperature of the substrate and thin film resistor can be maintained at a predetermined level that is within the transition temperature region of the superconducting material being used.
Claims10
An apparatus for controlling temperature at a temperature above that of a heat sink comprising:
- a substrate;
- a superconducting thin film resistor made from a superconducting material having a superconducting transition temperature deposited on said substrate, said superconducting thin film resistor having a surface area that is temperature controlled;
- means for transferring thermal energy from said heat sink to said substrate;
- and
- means for applying a constant voltage across said thin film resistor to cause said thin film resistor to maintain a constant temperature that is within the superconducting transition temperature of said superconducting material.
An apparatus for maintaining a constant temperature comprising:
- a housing;
- a sink disposed in said housing that has a temperature below said constant temperature;
- a substrate disposed within said housing;
- a superconducting thin film resistor made from a superconducting material having a superconducting transition temperature deposited on said substrate, said superconducting thin film resistor having a surface area that is temperature controlled;
- means for transferring thermal energy from said heat sink to said substrate;
- and
- means for applying a constant voltage to said thin film resistor to cause said thin film resistor to maintain a constant temperature that is within the superconducting transition temperature of said superconducting material.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.