Synchronous machine having superconductive stator and rotor windings

Patent · Tue Mar 28 04:00:00 EST 1989

OSTI ID:6091963

Laumond, Y

This patent describes a synchronous machine having a rotor fixed to a shaft carried by bearings, and having a stator and rotor windings which are superconducting and which are cooled by very low temperature helium. A gap is located between the stator and rotor windings. The improvement consists of a bath of liquid helium for cooling the stator windings and means for cooling the rotor windings by a flow of helium above its critical pressure. The means comprise a circuit including: cooling helium under high pressure, means for expanding the high pressure helium slightly above its critical pressure; a heat exchanger disposed in the liquid helium bath for supercooling the expanded helium; and means for supplying the supercooled expanded helium to the vacuum enclosure within which the rotor windings are located. The expanded, supercooled helium is heated by contact with the rotor windings. The rotor winding heated helium is liquified by further expansion, and the liquified, further expanded helium is returned to the liquid helium bath.

• Assignee: Alsthom, Paris
• Patent Number(s): US 4816708
• OSTI ID: 6091963
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

420201* -- Engineering-- Cryogenic Equipment & Devices
71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS
GENERAL PHYSICS
DESIGN
ELECTRIC MOTORS
ELEMENTS
FLUIDS
GASES
HELIUM
MACHINE PARTS
MOTORS
NONMETALS
RARE GASES
ROTORS
SHAFTS
STATORS
SUPERCONDUCTING COILS
SUPERCONDUCTING DEVICES
SUPERCONDUCTING MOTORS
SYNCHRONIZATION
VACUUM SYSTEMS