Pressure generation apparatus and method for superconducting power equipment

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2019214813-A1
Application number	US-201616334287-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Nov 23, 2016
Priority date	Sep 22, 2016
Publication date	Jul 11, 2019
Grant date	—

Abstract

The present invention relates to pressure generation apparatus and method for superconducting power equipment and, more particularly, to pressure generation apparatus and method for superconducting power equipment, wherein a pressure system separately arranged to apply pressure to liquid nitrogen in the superconducting power equipment is disposed inside a pressure vessel.

First claim

1 . A pressure generation apparatus for superconducting power equipment, in which a pressure generation device is disposed inside a pressure vessel in which a superconducting fault current limiter and liquid nitrogen are stored, in order to apply pressure to the liquid nitrogen and thus maintain a pressure inside the pressure vessel.

2 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the pressure vessel is configured so that both ends of a cooling tank having a shape of a cylindrical chamber are formed as a dome portion having a dome shape.

3 . The apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the pressure generation device is formed on a side of the dome portion on either end of both ends inside the pressure vessel.

4 . The apparatus of claim 3 , wherein the pressure generation device includes:
a partition provided in a direction vertically traversing the dome portion, a heater provided between the partition and the dome portion; and a liquid nitrogen inlet provided on a lower side of the partition.

5 . The apparatus of claim 4 , wherein the pressure vessel is divided into an evaporation part and a storage part by the partition.

6 . The apparatus of claim 5 , wherein a space between the partition and the dome portion provides the evaporation part in which the liquid nitrogen is evaporated, and a space between the partition and the dome portion on the other side of the pressure vessel provides the storage part in which the liquid nitrogen is stored.

7 . The apparatus of claim 4 , wherein a lower end of the partition is in contact with a lower side of the dome portion, and an upper end of the partition is spaced at a certain distance with an upper side of the dome portion.

8 . The apparatus of claim 5 , wherein a height of the partition is higher than a liquid level of the liquid nitrogen stored in the storage part.

9 . The apparatus of claim 6 , wherein a predetermined amount of the liquid nitrogen stored in the storage part flows into the evaporation part through the liquid nitrogen inlet.

10 . The apparatus of claim 9 , wherein the liquid nitrogen flowed into the evaporation part is evaporated by heating of the heater and is increased in volume, so that an equilibrium gas pressure inside the evaporation part is increased.

11 . The apparatus of claim 10 , wherein gaseous nitrogen generated by evaporating the liquid nitrogen in the evaporation part moves into the storage part through a gas outlet, which is a space between an upper end of the partition and an upper side of the dome portion.

12 . The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the gaseous nitrogen moved into the storage part applies pressure to a liquid level of the liquid nitrogen in the storage part, so that a constant pressure is formed inside the pressure vessel.

13 . The apparatus of claim 6 , wherein the liquid nitrogen inlet is provided with a backflow preventer to prevent the liquid nitrogen flowed into the evaporation part from flowing back to the storage part.

14 . The apparatus of claim 4 , wherein the partition is configured with a thermal insulation material.

15 . The apparatus of claim 4 , wherein the partition is formed with a double wall structure having a hollow shape.

16 . A pressure generation method using the pressure generation apparatus for superconducting power equipment of claims 1 , the method comprising:
moving liquid nitrogen stored in a storage part into an evaporation part through a liquid nitrogen inlet in a lower end of a partition; heating the liquid nitrogen moved into the evaporation part by a heater inside the evaporation part; increasing an equilibrium gas pressure inside the evaporation part as the liquid nitrogen is evaporated by heating of the heater and increase in volume; moving gaseous nitrogen generated by evaporating the liquid nitrogen above a liquid level of the liquid nitrogen stored in the storage part through a gas outlet; and allowing the gaseous nitrogen to apply pressure to a liquid level of the liquid nitrogen stored in the storage part so that a constant pressure is formed inside the pressure vessel.

17 . The method of claim 16 , further comprising:
after allowing the gaseous nitrogen to apply pressure to the liquid level of the liquid nitrogen stored in the storage part so that the constant pressure is formed inside the pressure vessel, allowing the gaseous nitrogen to be in contact with the liquid nitrogen and thus be liquefied.

Assignees

• Korea Electric Power Corp

Inventors

• Han Young-Hee
• Park Byung-Jun
• Yang Seong-Eun

Classifications

• H01B12/16

  characterised by cooling · CPC title

• H01F2006/001

  Constructive details of inductive current limiters · CPC title

• H02H9/023 Primary

  Current limitation using superconducting elements · CPC title

• H01F6/00 Primary

  Superconducting magnets; Superconducting coils {(magnetic resonance assemblies using superconducting coil systems G01R33/3815)} · CPC title

• F25D17/02

  for circulating liquids, e.g. brine · CPC title