Current feeding arrangement for electrical apparatus having low temperature cooled conductors

Claim 2

In a current feed arrangement wherein a cooled superconductor at high voltage has its end coupled to a normal conductor with the coupling being cooled by a cryogenic gas, which gas is circulated and cooled in a first cooling circuit, a portion of which is at ground potential, means to improve the breakdown voltage of said cryogenic gas comprising: a. a superconductor; b. a standard conductor; c. a plurality of laminations connecting the standard conductor and superconductor; d. a container surrounding said laminations; e. means to supply cryogenic liquid cooling at bottom of said container as a coolant bath; f. means to add an additional gas to the cryogenic gas at the coupling, said means including a second separate cooling circuit for said additional gas; and g. a plurality of nozzles positioned in said laminations to form a gas cushion space between the space where said additional gas is added and a zone of lower temperature.

Claim 3

A current feeding arrangement for electrical apparatus having a superconductor cooled to a cryogenic temperature by a cryogenic liquid coolant at the connection between a standard conductor and a superconductor comprising: a. a superconductor; b. a standard conductor; c. a plurality of laminations connecting the standard conductor and superconductor; d. a container surrounding said laminations; e. means to supply a cryogenic liquid coolant to the bottom of said container as a coolant bath; f. means to add an additional gas to the liquid coolant which gasifies in said container; and g. a plurality of nozzles positioned in said laminations to form a gas cushion space between the space where said additional gas is added and a zone of lower temperature.

Claim 4

A current feeding arrangement for electrical apparatus having a superconductor cooled to a cryogenic temperature by a cryogenic liquid coolant at the connection between a standard conductor and a superconductor comprising: a. a superconductor; b. a standard conductor; c. a plurality of laminations connecting the standard conductor and superconductor; d. a container surrounding said laminations; e. means to supply a cryogenic liquid coolant to the bottom of said container as a coolant bath; f. means to add an additional gas to the liquid coolant which gasifies in said container; and g. a plurality of nozzles positioned in said laminations to form a gas cushion space between the space where said additional gas is added and a zone of lower temperature.

Claim 5

Apparatus according to claim 2 and further including: a. a separate circulation circuit for the added gas comprising a pipe connecting said container at a location at the End of the laminations adjacent the standard conductor to a coolant means for said cryogenic liquid coolant, said circuit having a coolant trap positioned therein for liquefying said added gas, a second pipe for removing the liquefied added gas from the cooling trap and connected to a compressor and a gas tank to regasify the liquefied added gas, a third pipe being connected to the container at a location near the end of the laminations adjacent to the standard conductor to reintroduce the added gas to the area adjacent the upper portion of the laminations from said gas tank; and b. said means to supply said cryogenic liquid coolant further comprising a refrigerator means connected to the cooling trap for removing said cryogenic liquid coolant from said cooling trap and pumping means connected to said refrigeration means for returning said cryogenic liquid coolant to said coolant bath for said superconductor.

Claim 10

An improved method for increasing the breakdown voltage of a gaseous cryogenic medium used in a current feeding arrangement for electrical apparatus in which superconductors are cooled to a cryogenic temperature by a cryogenic liquid coolant in a connection between a standard conductor and a superconductor comprising the steps of: a. forming the connection between the standard conductor and superconductor as a plurality of laminations within a container; b. adding the cryogenic liquid coolant to said container at one end; c. adding an additional gas to the gasified liquid coolant which forms in the laminations; and d. forming nozzles within said laminations to form a gas cushion space for the additional gas between the space where said additional gas is added and a zone of lower temperature.

Claim 11

An improved method for increasing the breakdown voltage of a gaseous cryogenic medium used in a current feeding arrangement for electrical apparatus in which superconductors are cooled to a cryogenic temperature by a cryogenic liquid coolant in a connection between a standard conductor and a superconductor comprising the steps of: a. forming the connection between the standard conductor and superconductor as a plurality of laminations within a container; b. adding the cryogenic liquid coolant to said container at one end; c. adding an additional gas to the gasified liquid coolant which forms in the laminations; and d. forming nozzles within said laminations to form a gas cushion space for the additional gas between the space where said additional gas is added and a zone of lower temperature.

Claim 12

The invention according to claim 6, wherein said additional gas consists of one of the group consisting of gaseous fluoride, chlorine, bromine, iodine and a gaseous compound containing at least one of these elements.

Claim 13

The method according to claim 6, wherein said additional gas consists of gaseous sulfur hexafluoride.