Highly pressure-resistant cooling container for sensor and underground probing equipment

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016108718-A1
Application number	US-201514978757-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Dec 22, 2015
Priority date	Jun 27, 2013
Publication date	Apr 21, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

To cool a SQUID to a stable operational temperature for a long period of time under high pressure that exceeds 1.0 MPa, a highly pressure-resistant cooling container for a sensor includes a pressure-resistant airtight container having a pressure-resistance performance of 1.0 MPa or higher, a phase transition coolant insulating container contained within the pressure-resistant airtight container, and a tube for releasing a phase transition coolant having a pressure-resistance performance of 1.0 MPa or higher and connected to the pressure-resistant airtight container.

First claim

1 - 13 . (canceled)

14 . A highly pressure-resistant cooling container for a sensor comprising:
a pressure-resistant airtight container having a pressure-resistance performance of 1.0 MPa or higher; a phase transition coolant insulating container contained within the pressure-resistant airtight container; and a tube for releasing a phase transition coolant having a pressure-resistance performance of 1.0 MPa or higher and connected to the pressure-resistant airtight container; a pressure-resistance exterior for implementing the pressure-resistance performance of 1.0 MPa or higher; a sealing material for sealing the pressure-resistant airtight container; and a protective interior provided within the pressure-resistant airtight container, wherein the pressure-resistance exterior, the sealing material and the protective interior are made of a non-magnetic material having heat resistance of 200° C. or higher.

15 . The highly pressure-resistant cooling container for a sensor according to claim 14 , wherein the phase transition coolant is liquid nitrogen, and the sensor is a high temperature superconducting SQUID.

16 . The highly pressure-resistant cooling container for a sensor according to claim 14 , wherein the phase transition coolant insulating container is a vacuum dewar made of glass of which the length is 10 to 50 times greater than the inner diameter.

17 . The highly pressure-resistant cooling container for a sensor according to claim 14 , wherein an RF shield for shielding a high frequency of 50 KHz or higher is provided inside the pressure-resistant airtight container.

18 . The highly pressure-resistant cooling container for a sensor according to claim 17 , wherein the RF shield is made of an Ni—Cu plating.

19 . The highly pressure-resistant cooling container for a sensor according to claim 14 , wherein a phase transition coolant absorbent is provided inside the phase transition coolant insulating container.

20 . The highly pressure-resistant cooling container for a sensor according to claim 14 , wherein the tube for releasing a phase transition coolant is an aggregate of a number of tubes.

21 . The highly pressure-resistant cooling container for a sensor according to claim 14 , further comprising a cable for inputting/outputting a signal connected to the pressure-resistant airtight container so that the tube for releasing a phase transition coolant is contained in the cable for inputting/outputting a signal.

22 . The highly pressure-resistant cooling container for a sensor according to claim 14 , further comprising a pressure-maintaining mechanism for maintaining the pressure inside the tube for releasing a phase transition coolant at a negative pressure relative to the pressure within the pressure-resistant airtight container and for maintaining the pressure within the pressure-resistant airtight container at 0.04 MPa to 0.13 MPa.

23 . The highly pressure-resistant cooling container for a sensor according to claim 22 , further comprising a pressure sensor inside the pressure-resistant airtight container, wherein
the pressure-maintaining mechanism is a mechanism that maintains the temperature of the pressure-resistant airtight container at a constant through the control of feeding back the detected output from the pressure sensor.

24 . The highly pressure-resistant cooling container for a sensor according to claim 23 , wherein the pressure-maintaining mechanism comprising:
a decompression mechanism for maintaining at a negative pressure in advance the inside of the tube for releasing a phase transition coolant; and an opening and closing mechanism for opening and closing a valve provided in the tube for releasing a phase transition coolant.

25 . The highly pressure-resistant cooling container for a sensor according to claim 24 , further comprising a cable for inputting/outputting a signal connected to the pressure-resistant airtight container, wherein
the cable for inputting/outputting a signal contains a number of tubes for releasing a phase transition coolant, each of which has the same structure as the tube for releasing a phase transition coolant, in such a manner that one tube for releasing a phase transition coolant is in a such a state as to be open to the air all the time, and another tube for releasing a phase transition coolant has the inside maintained at a negative pressure and is connected to the inside of the pressure-resistant airtight container via a valve.

26 . An underground probing equipment comprising:
the pressure-resistant cooling container for a sensor according to claim 14 ; and a sensor immersed in the phase transition coolant.

Assignees

• Japan Oil Gas & Metals Jogmec

Inventors

• Hato Tsunehiro
• Tsukamoto Akira
• Tanabe Keiichi

Classifications

• G01V3/08

  operating with magnetic or electric fields produced or modified by objects or geological structures or by detecting devices (with electromagnetic waves G01V3/12) · CPC title

• G01V3/26

  operating with magnetic or electric fields produced or modified either by the surrounding earth formation or by the detecting device (with electromagnetic waves G01V3/30) · CPC title

• E21B47/017

  Protecting measuring instruments · CPC title

• F25D3/10

  using liquefied gases, e.g. liquid air {(for cooling semiconductor devices H10W40/305)} · CPC title

• G01R33/0047

  Housings or packaging of magnetic sensors (packaging of semiconductor devices H10W99/00); Holders · CPC title