Perforated plates for cryogenic regenerators and method of fabrication

Patent · Sat Jan 01 00:00:00 EST 1994

OSTI ID:869213

Hendricks, John B ^[1]

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1. Huntsville, AL

Perforated plates (10) having very small holes (14) with a uniform diameter throughout the plate thickness are prepared by a "wire drawing" process in which a billet of sacrificial metal is disposed in an extrusion can of the plate metal, and the can is extruded and restacked repeatedly, converting the billet to a wire of the desired hole diameter. At final size, the rod is then sliced into wafers, and the wires are removed by selective etching. This process is useful for plate metals of interest for high performance regenerator applications, in particular, copper, niobium, molybdenum, erbium, and other rare earth metals. Er.sub.3 Ni, which has uniquely favorable thermophysical properties for such applications, may be incorporated in regions of the plates by providing extrusion cans (20) containing erbium and nickel metals in a stacked array (53) with extrusion cans of the plate metal, which may be copper. The array is heated to convert the erbium and nickel metals to Er.sub.3 Ni. Perforated plates having two sizes of perforations (38, 42), one of which is small enough for storage of helium, are also disclosed.

• Research Organization: Alabama Cryogenic Engineering, Inc., Huntsville, AL
• DOE Contract Number: FG05-90ER81018
• Assignee: Alabama Cryogenic Engineering, Inc. (Huntsville, AL)
• Patent Number(s): US 5298337
• OSTI ID: 869213
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

perforated
plates
cryogenic
regenerators
method
fabrication
10
holes
14
uniform
diameter
throughout
plate
thickness
prepared
wire
drawing
process
billet
sacrificial
metal
disposed
extrusion
extruded
restacked
repeatedly
converting
desired
final
size
rod
sliced
wafers
wires
removed
selective
etching
useful
metals
performance
regenerator
applications
particular
copper
niobium
molybdenum
erbium
rare
earth
uniquely
favorable
thermophysical
properties
incorporated
regions
providing
cans
20
containing
nickel
stacked
array
53
heated
convert
sizes
perforations
38
42
storage
helium
disclosed
selective etching
sacrificial metal
physical properties
rare earth
earth metal
earth metals
uniform diameter
nickel metal
stacked array
perforated plates
selective etch
final size
perforated plate
/428/29/