Reliable, Practical Kilowatt-class Cryogenics for Superconducting Devices
- Clever Fellows Innovation Consortium, Inc., Troy, NY (United States)
Following the successful development of a Flexibly-Attached Remote cryocooler for ~200W at 80K under a Phase II DOE grant, Clever Fellows Innovation Consortium, Inc. (dba CFIC-Qdrive; acquired by Chart Industries in 2012) was invited by the DOE to scale up this technology to ~1000W/80K in a Phase III program. This target is responsive to the “Cryogenics Roadmap” developed by the DOE to accelerate the development of cryogenic cooling necessary to support the emerging superconducting power applications. Mirroring the Roadmap, our proposal included a capacity target (1000W at 80K) and a cost target (<$40/watt, at 80K), but unlike the Roadmap, we did not formally propose to meet a specific efficiency target. We achieved 75% of the capacity target, with a record-size coaxial “pulse-tube” coldfinger, but only by working on the project well beyond the original “period of performance” on unfunded extension. We believe 100% of the capacity target was within reach, but our own budget and time constraints forbade additional effort. We were less successful in meeting the cost targets. Ultimately, the specific configuration that was the subject of Phase III was not commercialized, largely because the market for superconducting devices has not been nearly as robust as was expected at the advent of the Roadmap.
- Research Organization:
- Clever Fellows Innovation Consortium, Inc., Troy, NY (United States)
- Sponsoring Organization:
- USDOE Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE)
- Contributing Organization:
- Drexel University, Los Alamos National Laboratory
- DOE Contract Number:
- OE0000528
- OSTI ID:
- 1335855
- Report Number(s):
- DOE-0000528
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
Similar Records
A Novel Rapid Pressure Swing Adsorption (RPSA) System for Modular Oxygen Production
What then do we do about computer security?