US4077231A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Multistation refrigeration system
Assignee: National Aeronautics and Space Administration
•
Filing: 1976-08-09
•
Granted: 1978-03-07
•
Expires: 1996-08-09
Abstract
Abstract A closed cycle refrigeration (CCR) system is disclosed for providing cooling at different temperatures to different parts of a maser. The CCR includes a first station for cooling the maser's parts, except the amplifier portion, to 4.5° K. The CCR further includes means with a 3.0° K station for cooling the maser's amplifier to 3.0° K and, thereby, increases the maser's gain and/or bandwidth by a significant factor. The means which provide the 3.0° K cooling include a pressure regulator, heat exchangers, an expansion valve, and a vacuum pump, which coact to cause helium, provided from a compressor, to liquefy and thereafter expand so as to vaporize. The heat of vaporization for the helium is provided by the maser amplifier, which is thereby cooled to 3.0° K.
Inventors
- 👤 with respect to an invention of Fletcher James C. Administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration
- 👤 Ervin R. Wiebe
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-24 19:27
CPC Classifications
F; F25; F25J; F25J1/00; F25J1/02; F25J1/0243; F25J1/0257; F25J1/0275; F25J1/0276; F25B; F25B9/00; F25B9/10; F25J2290/00; F25J2290/42; Y; Y10; Y10S; Y10S505/00; Y10S505/825; Y10S505/888; Y10S505/894
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 19
Claim 1
Independent Claim
141 words
In a refrigeration system of the type including a source of helium gas and including a first cooling station for cooling parts thermally attachable thereto to a first temperature less than the critical temperature of helium, an arrangement comprising: means for providing a preselected capacity of net cooling at a second temperature, lower than said first temperature, said means including first means for receiving helium gas from said source and for controlling the pressure and temperature of the helium gas so as to liquefy the helium, and second means for causing said liquefied helium to expand, said means including a second station through which said expanded helium passes, said second station being adapted to have preselected means thermally coupled thereto whereby said preselected means are cooled to said second temperature by providing heat of vaporization for the expanded helium to vaporize.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
141 words
In a refrigeration system of the type including a source of helium gas and including a first cooling station for cooling parts thermally attachable thereto to a first temperature less than the critical temperature of helium, an arrangement comprising: means for providing a preselected capacity of net cooling at a second temperature, lower than said first temperature, said means including first means for receiving helium gas from said source and for controlling the pressure and temperature of the helium gas so as to liquefy the helium, and second means for causing said liquefied helium to expand, said means including a second station through which said expanded helium passes, said second station being adapted to have preselected means thermally coupled thereto whereby said preselected means are cooled to said second temperature by providing heat of vaporization for the expanded helium to vaporize.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
29 words
The system as described in claim 1 wherein said first temperature is on the order of 4.5° K and said second temperature is on the order of 3.0° K.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
32 words
The system as described in claim 1 wherein said preselected capacity of net cooling is on the order of the net cooling required to maintain a maser amplifier at said second temperature.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
18 words
The system as described in claim 3 wherein said second temperature is on the order of 3.0° K.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
20 words
The system as described in claim 4 wherein said preselected capacity of net cooling is on the order of 200mw.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
167 words
The system as described in claim 1 wherein said first means include first flow means through which the received helium passes, which are in thermal contact with said first station so as to cool the received helium to said first temperature and means for regulating the pressure of the helium in said first flow means so as to liquefy the helium in said first flow means when the helium is cooled to said first temperature, and said second means include an expansion valve to which the liquefied helium in said first flow means is supplied, vacuum means, and second flow means coupled to the outlet end of said expansion valve and extending through said second station to said vacuum means, the latter providing a preselected pressure in said second flow means, whereby liquefied helium, exiting said expansion valve, expands due to the preselected pressure provided by said vacuum means and vaporizes by heat of varporization provided thereto by preselected means adapted to attach to said second station.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
74 words
The system as described in claim 6 wherein said first flow means between said first station and said expansion valve and a portion of said second flow means between said second station and said vacuum means form a counterflow heat exchanger, whereby the helium in said second flow means at said second temperature cools the helium in said first flow means which flows to said expansion valve to a temperature below said first temperature.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
18 words
The system as described in claim 6 wherein said second temperature is on the order of 3.0° K.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
22 words
The system as described in claim 8 wherein the net cooling capacity of said second station is on the order of 200mw.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
24 words
The system as described in claim 9 wherein said first and second stations are on the order of 4.5° K and 3.0° K, respectively.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
134 words
A refrigeration system for cooling first selected parts of an apparatus to a first temperature and second selected parts of said apparatus to a second temperature below said first temperature where both said first and second temperatures are below the critical temperatures of helium, the system comprising: a source of helium gas at a selected first pressure; first means coupled to said source of helium for providing at a first station to which said first selected parts are attachable, a first selected refrigeration capacity at said first temperature; and second means coupled to said source of helium for providing at a second station, to which said second selected parts are attachable, a second selected refrigeration capacity at a second temperature less than said first temperature, which is less than the critical temperature of helium.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
134 words
A refrigeration system for cooling first selected parts of an apparatus to a first temperature and second selected parts of said apparatus to a second temperature below said first temperature where both said first and second temperatures are below the critical temperatures of helium, the system comprising: a source of helium gas at a selected first pressure; first means coupled to said source of helium for providing at a first station to which said first selected parts are attachable, a first selected refrigeration capacity at said first temperature; and second means coupled to said source of helium for providing at a second station, to which said second selected parts are attachable, a second selected refrigeration capacity at a second temperature less than said first temperature, which is less than the critical temperature of helium.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
34 words
The system as described in claim 11 wherein said second temperature is on the order of 3.0° K and said apparatus is a maser and the second selected parts thereof is the maser amplifier.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
49 words
The system as described in claim 11 wherein said second means include first flow means through which helium flows, with a portion of said first flow means being in thermal contact with said first station so as to cool the helium in said flow means to said first temperature.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
137 words
The system as described in claim 11 wherein said second means include pressure regulating means for regulating the pressure of the helium gas received from said source and flowing in first flow means to be of a second pressure, so that when said helium in said first flow means cools to said first temperature it liquefies, said second means further including expansion valves coupled to receive said liquefied helium at an inlet end thereof and vacuum pump means coupled to the outlet end of said expansion valve through second flow means which pass through said second station, to provide a partial vacuum in said second flow means, whereby as the liquefied helium passes through said expansion valve its pressure drops and it vaporizes by absorbing heat of vaporization from said second parts attachable to said second station.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
53 words
The system as described in claim 14 wherein said first flow means through which helium gas flows from said source to said expansion valve has a portion in thermal contact with said first station so that the helium in said first flow means is cooled at said first station to said first temperature.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
33 words
The system described in claim 15 wherein said second temperature is on the order of 3.0° K and said apparatus is a maser and the second selected parts thereof is the maser amplifier.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
18 words
The system as described in claim 16 wherein said first temperature is on the order of 4.5° K.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1981-03-06 | 1981-09-05 | 1982-03-07 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1985-03-06 | 1985-09-05 | 1986-03-07 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1989-03-06 | 1989-09-05 | 1990-03-07 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |