Cooling system and superconducting magnet apparatus employing the same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9230724-B2
Application number	US-201414321013-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 1, 2014
Priority date	Jul 10, 2013
Publication date	Jan 5, 2016
Grant date	Jan 5, 2016

Abstract

A cooling system and a superconducting magnet apparatus employing the same. The cooling system includes: a thermal shield unit for thermally shielding a superconducting coil; a recondensing unit for recondensing an extremely low temperature refrigerant that cools down the superconducting coil. A cryocooler includes a body and an end portion extending from the body and inserted into the recondensing unit in order to directly contact the extremely low temperature refrigerant. A refrigerator chamber penetrates through the thermal shield unit and to which the cryocooler is attachably and detachably provided. A sealing member is disposed between the cryocooler and the refrigerator chamber to seal the recondensing unit.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A cooling system comprising:
a thermal shield unit for thermally shielding a superconducting coil;
a recondensing unit for recondensing an extremely low temperature refrigerant that cools down the superconducting coil;
a cryocooler comprising a body and a end portion extending from the body, wherein the end portion of the cryocooler is arranged into the recondensing unit and directly contacts the extremely low temperature refrigerant; and
a refrigerator chamber penetrating through the thermal shield unit and to which the cryocooler is attachably and detachably provided,
wherein a sealing member is disposed between the cryocooler and the refrigerator chamber to seal the recondensing unit with the end portion of the cryocooler inserted therein.

2. The cooling system of claim 1 , wherein a space between the body of the cryocooler and the refrigerator chamber is in a vacuum state.

3. The cooling system of claim 1 , wherein the sealing member comprises a gasket arranged into a body side end circumference of the end portion of the cryocooler.

4. The cooling system of claim 1 , wherein a protrusion is formed on a body side end circumference of the end portion of the cryocooler, and
wherein the protrusion presses the sealing member when the cryocooler is inserted into the refrigerator chamber such that the scaling member is adhered to one side of the refrigerator chamber.

5. The cooling system of claim 4 , wherein a partition wall that is adhered to the sealing member and pressed by the protrusion is formed on an inlet circumference of the recondensing unit into which the end portion of the cryocooler is arranged.

6. The cooling system of claim 5 , wherein the partition wall is formed to face the protrusion across the sealing member.

7. The cooling system of claim 5 , wherein the partition wall extends in a lengthwise direction of the end portion of the cryocooler, and
the sealing member is slidably inserted and adhered between an inner surface of the partition and an outer surface of the end portion of the cryocooler.

8. The cooling system of claim 1 , wherein the sealing member is formed of activated polytetrafluoroethylene, indium, copper, or polyimide.

9. The cooling system of claim 1 , wherein the recondensing unit comprises an inlet hole into which the extremely low temperature refrigerant flows in an gaseous state, and an outlet hole of the recondensing unit via which the extremely low temperature refrigerant is discharged in a recondensed and liquefied state.

10. The cooling system of claim 9 , wherein the outlet hole of the recondensing unit is arranged below the inlet hole.

11. The cooling system of claim 1 , wherein the cryocooler comprises a two-stage refrigerator, wherein the cryocooler further comprises a first stage for cooling down the thermal shield unit and the end portion comprises a second stage that extends from the first stage.

12. The cooling system of claim 11 , wherein a heat sink thermally contacts at least a part of a circumference of the first stage of the cryocooler, and contacts the thermal shield unit.

13. The cooling system of claim 1 , wherein the refrigerator chamber is formed horizontally or in a slanted position with respect to the thermal shield unit.

14. The cooling system of claim 1 , wherein the extremely low temperature refrigerant comprises helium.

15. The cooling system of claim 1 , further comprising a low temperature container that contains the extremely low temperature refrigerant, wherein the superconducting coil is cooled down by immersion in the extremely low temperature refrigerant in the low temperature container.

16. The cooling system of claim 15 , wherein the recondensing unit is spatially separated from the low temperature container and is connected to the low temperature container by pipe through which the extremely low temperature refrigerant flows in an gaseous state, and a pipe through which the extremely low temperature refrigerant flows in a recondensed and liquefied state.

17. The cooling system of claim 1 , further comprising a thermal exchange tube containing the extremely low temperature refrigerant, wherein the superconducting coil is cooled down by contact with the thermal exchange tube.

18. A superconducting magnet apparatus comprising:
a superconducting coil;
a housing on which the superconducting coil is mounted; and
a cooling system for cooling the superconducting coil,
wherein the cooling system comprises:
a thermal shield unit for thermally shielding the superconducting coil;
a recondensing unit for recondensing an extremely low temperature refrigerant that cools down the superconducting coil;
a cryocooler comprising a body and a end portion extending from the body, the end portion being arranged into the recondensing unit, and the end portion being in directly contact with the extremely low temperature refrigerant; and
a refrigerator chamber penetrating through the thermal shield unit and to which the cryocooler is attachably and detachably provided,
wherein a sealing member is disposed between the cryocooler and the refrigerator chamber to seal the recondensing unit when the end portion of the cryocooler is arranged in recondensing unit.

19. The superconducting magnet apparatus of claim 18 , wherein the cryocooler of the cooling system is provided at one of a side surface, a top surface, or a bottom surface of the housing.

20. The superconducting magnet apparatus of claim 18 , wherein the superconducting magnet apparatus comprises a magnet resonance imaging (MRI) apparatus.

Assignees

• Samsung Electronics Co Ltd

Inventors

• Harrison Stephen M

Classifications

• F25B2400/17

  Re-condensers · CPC title

• H01F6/04 Primary

  Cooling · CPC title

• G01R33/3804

  Additional hardware for cooling or heating of the magnet assembly, for housing a cooled or heated part of the magnet assembly or for temperature control of the magnet assembly · CPC title

• G01R33/3815

  with superconducting coils, e.g. power supply therefor · CPC title

• H01F6/06

  Coils, e.g. winding, insulating, terminating or casing arrangements therefor · CPC title