Joshua Feldman with adviser K. Haran

A cryogenic cooling system for a fully superconducting machine is being researched as part of the NASA-funded Center for High-Efficiency Electric Technologies for Aircraft (CHEETA). A topology for this cooling system, shown in Figure 2, has been designed and modeled in computer-aided design software. This model includes a heat exchanger that uses flow-boiling of liquid hydrogen to remove 3 – 4 kW of heat from the motor’s armature coils. Validation of this model through a 1-D thermal equivalent circuit was performed, and it was found that the design could cool the armature coils to a minimum temperature of 23.6 K with a maximum temperature of 31.2 K ignoring the end windings, and a maximum temperature of 49.0 K with the effect of the end windings included. These results were presented at the Applied Superconductivity Conference on November 6, 2020.

removing heat from armature coils

Figure 2: Model of heat exchanger to remove 3 – 4 kW of heat from the motor’s armature coils