Electro-mechanical heat switch for cryogenic applications
Abstract
A heat switch includes two symmetric jaws. Each jaw is comprised of a link connected at a translatable joint to a flexible arm. Each arm rotates about a fixed pivot, and has an articulated end including a thermal contact pad connected to a heat sink. The links are joined together at a translatable main joint. To close the heat switch, a closing solenoid is actuated and forces the main joint to an over-center position. This movement rotates the arms about their pivots, respectively, forces each of them into a stressed configuration, and forces the thermal contact pads towards each other and into compressive contact with a cold finger. The closing solenoid is then deactivated. The heat switch remains closed due to a restoring force generated by the stressed configuration of each arm, until actuation of an opening solenoid returns the main joint to its starting open-switch position.
- Inventors:
-
- Oakland, CA
- Hayward, CA
- Berkeley, CA
- Issue Date:
- Research Org.:
- Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL), Livermore, CA (United States)
- OSTI Identifier:
- 875103
- Patent Number(s):
- 6532759
- Assignee:
- The Regents of the University of California (Oakland, CA)
- Patent Classifications (CPCs):
-
F - MECHANICAL ENGINEERING F17 - STORING OR DISTRIBUTING GASES OR LIQUIDS F17C - VESSELS FOR CONTAINING OR STORING COMPRESSED, LIQUEFIED OR SOLIDIFIED GASES
F - MECHANICAL ENGINEERING F25 - REFRIGERATION OR COOLING F25D - REFRIGERATORS
- DOE Contract Number:
- W-7405-ENG-48
- Resource Type:
- Patent
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
- Subject:
- electro-mechanical; heat; switch; cryogenic; applications; symmetric; jaws; jaw; comprised; link; connected; translatable; joint; flexible; arm; rotates; fixed; pivot; articulated; including; thermal; contact; pad; sink; links; joined; main; close; closing; solenoid; actuated; forces; over-center; position; movement; arms; pivots; stressed; configuration; pads; towards; compressive; cold; finger; deactivated; remains; closed; due; restoring; force; generated; actuation; returns; starting; open-switch; heat sink; cold finger; /62/165/
Citation Formats
van den Berg, Marcel L, Batteux, Jan D, and Labov, Simon E. Electro-mechanical heat switch for cryogenic applications. United States: N. p., 2003.
Web.
van den Berg, Marcel L, Batteux, Jan D, & Labov, Simon E. Electro-mechanical heat switch for cryogenic applications. United States.
van den Berg, Marcel L, Batteux, Jan D, and Labov, Simon E. Wed .
"Electro-mechanical heat switch for cryogenic applications". United States. https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/875103.
@article{osti_875103,
title = {Electro-mechanical heat switch for cryogenic applications},
author = {van den Berg, Marcel L and Batteux, Jan D and Labov, Simon E},
abstractNote = {A heat switch includes two symmetric jaws. Each jaw is comprised of a link connected at a translatable joint to a flexible arm. Each arm rotates about a fixed pivot, and has an articulated end including a thermal contact pad connected to a heat sink. The links are joined together at a translatable main joint. To close the heat switch, a closing solenoid is actuated and forces the main joint to an over-center position. This movement rotates the arms about their pivots, respectively, forces each of them into a stressed configuration, and forces the thermal contact pads towards each other and into compressive contact with a cold finger. The closing solenoid is then deactivated. The heat switch remains closed due to a restoring force generated by the stressed configuration of each arm, until actuation of an opening solenoid returns the main joint to its starting open-switch position.},
doi = {},
journal = {},
number = ,
volume = ,
place = {United States},
year = {Wed Jan 01 00:00:00 EST 2003},
month = {Wed Jan 01 00:00:00 EST 2003}
}