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US 9,958,519 B2Granted
Thermosiphon cooling for a magnet imaging system
AssigneeGeneral Electric Company
InventorErnst Wolfgang Stautner
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A thermosiphon cooling system is presented. One embodiment of the thermosiphon cooling system includes a reservoir having a first portion configured to store a liquid coolant. The thermosiphon cooling system also includes a tubing unit coupled to the reservoir and disposed adjacent to at least one superconducting unit to be cooled and configured to receive the liquid coolant from the first portion of the reservoir, and circulate the received liquid coolant within the tubing unit to dissipate heat generated by the at least one superconducting unit. The received liquid coolant is circulated within the tubing unit by varying a density of the received liquid coolant at different portions of the tubing unit.
Claims16
A thermosiphon cooling system, comprising:
- a reservoir comprising a liquid coolant;
- and
- a tubing unit comprising at least a first portion and a second portion and an inlet coupled to the second portion of the tubing unit, wherein:
- the first portion of the tubing unit is disposed in the liquid coolant within the reservoir and the second portion of the tubing unit is disposed in direct contact with at least one superconducting unit to be cooled;
- the first portion and the second portion of the tubing unit are coupled to each other to form a cyclic tubing loop, wherein the cyclic tubing loop comprises an inner wall and an outer wall, wherein an exterior surface of the inner wall is disposed in direct contact with the at least one superconducting unit to be cooled;
- the inlet of the tubing unit is coupled to the reservoir via a channel and configured to receive the liquid coolant from the reservoir and convey the received liquid coolant to the second portion of the tubing unit;
- the tubing unit is configured to circulate the received liquid coolant between an interior surface of the inner wall and an interior surface of the outer wall of the cyclic tubing loop of the tubing unit to dissipate heat generated by the at least one superconducting unit;
- and
- the received liquid coolant is circulated within the tubing unit by varying a density of the received liquid coolant at different portions comprising at least the first portion and the second portion of the tubing unit.
6 more elements
A system, comprising:
- at least one superconducting unit configured to produce a magnetic field;
- and
- a thermosiphon cooling subsystem coupled to the at least one superconducting unit and configured to dissipate heat generated by the at least one superconducting unit while producing the magnetic field, wherein the thermosiphon cooling subsystem comprises:
- a reservoir comprising a liquid coolant;
- and
- a tubing unit comprising at least a first portion and a second portion and an inlet, wherein:
- the first portion of the tubing unit is disposed in the liquid coolant within the reservoir and the second portion of the tubing unit is disposed in direct contact with the at least one superconducting unit;
- the first portion and the second portion of the tubing unit are coupled to each other to form a cyclic tubing loop, wherein the cyclic tubing loop comprises an inner wall and an outer wall, wherein an exterior surface of the inner wall is disposed in direct contact with the at least one superconducting unit to be cooled;
- the inlet of the tubing unit is coupled to the reservoir via a channel and configured to receive the liquid coolant from the reservoir and convey the received liquid coolant to the second portion of the tubing unit;
- the tubing unit is configured to circulate the received liquid coolant between an interior surface of the inner wall and an interior surface of the outer wall of the cyclic tubing loop of the tubing unit to dissipate the heat generated by the at least one superconducting unit;
- and
- the received liquid coolant is circulated within the tubing unit by varying a density of the received liquid coolant at different portions comprising at least the first portion and the second portion of the tubing unit.
9 more elements
A thermosiphon cooling kit for cooling at least one superconducting unit, comprising:
- a reservoir comprising a liquid coolant;
- and
- a tubing unit comprising at least a first portion and a second portion and an inlet coupled to the second portion of the tubing unit;
- the first portion of the tubing unit is disposed in the liquid coolant within the reservoir and the second portion of the tubing unit is disposed in direct contact with the at least one superconducting unit to be cooled;
- the first portion and the second portion of the tubing unit are coupled to each other to form a cyclic tubing loop, wherein the cyclic tubing loop comprises an inner wall and an outer wall, wherein an exterior surface of the inner wall is disposed in direct contact with the at least one superconducting unit to be cooled;
- the inlet of the tubing unit is coupled to the reservoir via a channel and configured to receive the liquid coolant from the reservoir and convey the received liquid coolant to the second portion of the tubing unit;
- the tubing unit is configured to circulate the received liquid coolant between an interior surface of the inner wall and an interior surface of the outer wall of the cyclic tubing loop of the tubing unit to dissipate heat generated by the at least one superconducting unit;
- and
- the received liquid coolant is circulated within the tubing unit by varying a density of the received liquid coolant at different portions comprising at least the first portion and the second portion of the tubing unit.
6 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.