Cooling system for electrical equipment

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10485145-B2
Application number	US-201615285823-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 5, 2016
Priority date	Nov 3, 2015
Publication date	Nov 19, 2019
Grant date	Nov 19, 2019

Abstract

This invention concerns a cryo-cooled electrical conduction network. The conduction network has an electrical network divided into two or more conductive sections, each section comprising electrical equipment ( 24, 28 ). The conductive network also has a coolant network for maintaining the temperature of a coolant in each section. The electrical equipment ( 24, 28 ) and a corresponding portion of the coolant network of each section is housed in a section enclosure ( 10, 12, 14 ). The coolant network includes a coolant interface ( 40 ) located between each section, wherein the coolant interface ( 40 ) is housed in an intermediate enclosure ( 16, 18, 20, 22 ) that is isolatable from the section enclosures ( 10, 12, 14 ) in the electrical conduction network.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A cooled electrical conduction network comprising:
an electrical network divided into two or more conductive sections, each of the two or more conductive sections being connected to a respective electrical equipment having superconductor material that performs a respective operation during use; and
a coolant network for maintaining the temperature of a coolant in each of the two or more conductive sections,
wherein the electrical equipment and each of sections of the coolant network corresponding to each of the two or more conductive sections are housed in each of section enclosures of the cooled electrical conduction network, the coolant network comprising a coolant interface located between each of the two or more conductive sections,
wherein the coolant interface is housed in each of intermediate enclosures that is isolated from the section enclosures in the cooled electrical conduction network, and
wherein the electrical equipment is superconducting electrical equipment.

2. The cooled electrical conduction network according to claim 1 , wherein the cooled electrical and coolant network continuous operate in normal operation and pass through the section enclosures and the intermediate enclosures.

3. The cooled electrical conduction network according to claim 1 , wherein each of the intermediate enclosures has an enclosure interior, and each of the two or more conductive sections of the electric network and each of the sections of the coolant network within each of the section enclosures are isolated from the enclosure interior of neighboring intermediate enclosures and passes through the enclosure interior within a vessel.

4. The cooled electrical conduction network according to claim 1 , wherein the coolant interface comprises a coolant valve for isolating one section of the coolant network from other sections of the coolant network.

5. The cooled electrical conduction network according to claim 1 , wherein each of the section enclosures comprises a pressure regulation valve.

6. The cooled electrical conduction network according to claim 5 , wherein the pressure in each of the section enclosures and/or each of the intermediate enclosures is independently regulated using the pressure regulation valve.

7. The cooled electrical conduction network according to claim 1 , wherein each of the section enclosures has an interior housing, one of the two or more conductive sections of the electric network and one of the sections of the coolant network corresponding to the one of the two or more conductive sections, the interior housing is sealed shut in normal use and is selectively openable in order that the interior is accessible.

8. The cooled electrical conduction network according to claim 1 , wherein the cooled electrical conduction network comprises a coolant source for cooling coolant in one or more of the sections of the coolant network.

9. The cooled electrical conduction network according to claim 1 , wherein the coolant network is a cryogenic cooling network.

10. The cooled electrical conduction network according to claim 1 , wherein each of the two or more conductive sections of the electrical network comprises at least one electrical disconnect switch.

11. The cooled electrical conduction network according to claim 1 , comprising a bypass section, arranged to be conductively connected to one or more of the two or more conductive sections of the electrical network so as to allow selective isolation of one or more of the two or more conductive sections from a remainder of the two or more conductive sections of the electrical network.

12. The cooled electrical conduction network according to claim 11 , wherein the bypass section comprises one or more fluid coolant connection to a corresponding one or more fluid coolant interface.

13. The cooled electrical conduction network according to claim 11 , wherein the bypass section is permanently connected to the one of the two or more conductive sections and the bypass section and/or the connected one of the two or more conductive sections comprises an electrical disconnect switch for controlling electrical conduction with the bypass section.

14. The cooled electrical conduction network according to claim 1 , comprising a first electrical and coolant network and further comprising a second electrical and coolant network having the same configuration of the first electric and coolant network, and the second electrical and coolant network being arranged as a parallel network to the first electrical and coolant network.

15. The cooled electrical conduction network according to claim 14 , wherein one or more electrical or coolant connection is established between the first electrical and coolant network and the second electrical and coolant network to bypass a section of the first electrical and coolant network.

16. The cooled electrical conduction network according to claim 1 , wherein each of the section enclosures of the cooled electrical conduction network is sealed within outer rigid walls and is separate from other section enclosures of the cooled electrical conduction network.

17. A method of servicing electrical equipment in a cooled electrical conduction network comprising:
an electrical network divided into at least a first conductive section and a second conductive section, each of the first and second conductive section being connected to a respective electrical equipment having superconductive material that performs a respective operation during use and a coolant network for maintaining the temperature of a coolant in each of the first and second conductive section;
wherein the electrical equipment and at least one of sections of the coolant network corresponding to one of the first and second conductive sections are housed in one of section enclosures;
the coolant network comprising a coolant interface located between each of the first and second conductive section;
wherein the electrical equipment is superconducting electrical equipment and the coolant interface is housed in an intermediate enclosure that is isolated from the section enclosures in the electrical conduction network;
the method comprising the step of thermally isolating the first conductive sections from the second conductive section at the coolant interface.

18. A method according to claim 17 , wherein following the step of thermally isolating the first conductive section from the second conductive section a pressure in the intermediate section and only one of the first conductive section or the second conductive section is raised relative to the other of the first conductive section or the second conductive section.

19. A method according to claim 17 , wherein each of the section enclosures of the cooled electrical conduction network is sealed within outer rigid walls and is separate from other section enclosures of the cooled electrical conduction network.

20. A cooled electrical conduction network comprising:
an electrical network divided into two or more conductive sections, each of the two or more conductive sections being connected to a respective electrical equipment having superconductor material that performs a respective operation during use; and
a coolant network for maintaining the temperature of a coolant in each of the two or more conductive sections,
wherein the electrical equipment and each of sections of the coolant network corresponding to each of the two or more conductive sections are housed in each of section enclosures of the cooled electrical c

Assignees

• Rolls Royce Plc

Inventors

• Cullen John J A

Classifications

• H05K7/20927 Primary

  Liquid coolant without phase change · CPC title

• H02G15/34

  Cable fittings for cryogenic cables {(superconductive cables per se H01B12/00)} · CPC title

• H05K7/20 Primary

  Modifications to facilitate cooling, ventilating, or heating · CPC title

• H02G3/04

  Protective tubing or conduits, e.g. cable ladders or cable troughs · CPC title

• H01B12/16 Primary

  characterised by cooling · CPC title