US3646243A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Coolant circuit for resistive cryogenic electric power transmission line
Assignee: SubCom Cable Systems LLC
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Filing: 1969-10-27
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Granted: 1972-02-29
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Expires: 1989-10-27
Abstract
Abstract A coolant circuit for refrigerated electric power transmission cable utilizing coolant in the cable in which capacity to accommodate cyclic peak loads, overloads, and emergency conditions is provided; 1. BY OPERATING THE CABLE COOLANT CIRCUIT WITH A LIQUID-PHASE COOLANT IN THE CABLE UNDER SUPERATMOSPHERIC PRESSURE AND NORMALLY MAINTAINING THE TEMPERATURE OF THE COOLANT SUBSTANTIALLY BELOW ITS VAPORIZATION TEMPERATURE SUCH THAT CYCLIC PEAK LOADS AND TEMPORARY OVERLOADS AND EMERGENCIES CAN BE ACCOMMODATED BY THE THERMAL MASS OF THE COOLANT, I.E. BY ALLOWING THE TEMPERATURE OF THE COOLANT TO RISE WHILE MAINTAINING IT IN THE LIQUID PHASE, 2. BY FLASHING REFRIGERANT CONTAINED IN A RESERVOIR LOCATED EXTERIORLY OF THE CABLE TO OBTAIN ADDED COOLING CAPACITY IN CASES OF PROLONGED OVERLOAD AND EMERGENCY, AND 3. BY EMPLOYING PARALLEL ELECTRICAL CIRCUITS IN A COMMON COOLANT LOOP SUCH THAT THE ENTIRE REFRIGERATING CAPACITY CAN BE UTILIZED TO COOL ONE ELECTRICAL CIRCUIT IN THE EVENT OF BREAKDOWN OF THE OTHER. Accommodation to long term increase in required cable capacity is also provided.
Inventors
- 👤 Peter Graneau
- 👤 Joseph L Smith Jr
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-08 20:24
CPC Classifications
H; H02; H02G; H02G15/00; H02G15/34; Y; Y10; Y10S; Y10S505/00; Y10S505/825; Y10S505/884; Y10S505/885; Y10S505/886
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 14
Claim 1
Independent Claim
219 words
A coolant circuit in combination with a resistive cryogenic electric power transmission line, which power line includes electric circuit means having a conductor, which coolant circuit includes: A. First heat exchange means for containing a coolant in heat exchange relationship with said conductor; B. A reservoir for containing a vaporizable liquid and including i. second heat exchange means for containing said coolant in heat exchange relationship with said liquid; C. Refrigeration means including i. third heat exchange means for containing said coolant to extract heat therefrom; D. Means for circulating said coolant through said first, second and third heat exchange means, i. said circulating means being normally operable to circulate said coolant through said first and third heat exchange means when the cooling requirements imposed on the coolant circuit are met by or are exceeded by the refrigerating capacity of said refrigerating means, and ii. said circulating means being operable to circulate said coolant through said first, second and third heat exchange means when said cooling requirements exceed said refrigerating capacity; and E. Vent means connected to said reservoir, i. said vent means being normally closed, and ii. said vent means being operable upon a rise of the temperature of said liquid contained in said reservoir to a preselected value to permit escape from said reservoir of vaporized liquid.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
219 words
A coolant circuit in combination with a resistive cryogenic electric power transmission line, which power line includes electric circuit means having a conductor, which coolant circuit includes: A. First heat exchange means for containing a coolant in heat exchange relationship with said conductor; B. A reservoir for containing a vaporizable liquid and including i. second heat exchange means for containing said coolant in heat exchange relationship with said liquid; C. Refrigeration means including i. third heat exchange means for containing said coolant to extract heat therefrom; D. Means for circulating said coolant through said first, second and third heat exchange means, i. said circulating means being normally operable to circulate said coolant through said first and third heat exchange means when the cooling requirements imposed on the coolant circuit are met by or are exceeded by the refrigerating capacity of said refrigerating means, and ii. said circulating means being operable to circulate said coolant through said first, second and third heat exchange means when said cooling requirements exceed said refrigerating capacity; and E. Vent means connected to said reservoir, i. said vent means being normally closed, and ii. said vent means being operable upon a rise of the temperature of said liquid contained in said reservoir to a preselected value to permit escape from said reservoir of vaporized liquid.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
47 words
The combination according to claim 1 in which B. said refrigerating means further includes ii. fourth heat exchange means loCated in heat exchange relationship with said liquid in said reservoir operable to extract heat from said liquid when said cooling requirements are exceeded by said refrigerating capacity.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
36 words
The combination according to claim 1 in which said coolant is a liquefiable gas and which further includes F. Means for maintaining superatmospheric pressure on said coolant whereby said coolant is maintained in the liquid state.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
170 words
The combination according to claim 1 for a resistive cryogenic electric power transmission line in which said power line includes a pair of electrically parallel electrical power circuits, each electric circuit having at least two conductors. A. Said first heat exchange means having portions for containing said coolant in heat exchange relationship with each of said conductors; and D. Said circulating means further including iii. connections whereby said coolant is normally circulated in a loop through said first heat exchange means with the portions thereof associated with the conductors in each electric circuit connected in parallel and with the portions thereof associated with the conductors in one electric circuit connected in series with the portions thereof associated with the conductors of the other electric circuit, and iv. connections whereby said coolant can be circulated in series through the portions of said first heat exchange means associated with the conductors of one said electric circuit to the exclusion of such portions associated with the conductors of the other said electric circuit.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
203 words
A coolant circuit in combination with a resistive cryogenic electric power transmission line in which said power line includes a pair of electrically parallel electrical power circuits, each electric circuit having at least two conductors, A. First heat exchange means having portions for containing said coolant in heat exchange relationship with each of said conductors; B. Refrigeration means including i. second heat exchange means for containing said coolant to extract heat therefrom; C. Means for circulating said coolant including i. connections whereby said coolant is normally circulated in a loop through said first and second heat exchange means with the portions of said first heat exchange means associated with the conductors in each electric circuit connected in parallel and with the portions of said first heat exchange means associated with the conductors in one electric circuit connected in series with the portions thereof associated with the conductors of the other electric circuit, and ii. connections whereby said coolant can be circulated in series through the portions of said first heat exchange means associated with the conductors of one said electric circuit and said second heat exchange means to the exclusion of such portions associated with the conductors of the other said electric circuit.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
203 words
A coolant circuit in combination with a resistive cryogenic electric power transmission line in which said power line includes a pair of electrically parallel electrical power circuits, each electric circuit having at least two conductors, A. First heat exchange means having portions for containing said coolant in heat exchange relationship with each of said conductors; B. Refrigeration means including i. second heat exchange means for containing said coolant to extract heat therefrom; C. Means for circulating said coolant including i. connections whereby said coolant is normally circulated in a loop through said first and second heat exchange means with the portions of said first heat exchange means associated with the conductors in each electric circuit connected in parallel and with the portions of said first heat exchange means associated with the conductors in one electric circuit connected in series with the portions thereof associated with the conductors of the other electric circuit, and ii. connections whereby said coolant can be circulated in series through the portions of said first heat exchange means associated with the conductors of one said electric circuit and said second heat exchange means to the exclusion of such portions associated with the conductors of the other said electric circuit.
Claim 8
Independent Claim
128 words
A method for cooling a resistive cryogenic electric power transmission line which includes circulating a coolant in heat exchange relationship with the elements of a power line to be cooled, maintaining a refrigeration zone for extracting heat from said coolant, maintaining a body of vaporizable liquid, circulating said coolant between heat exchange relationship with said transmission line elements and heat exchange relationship with said refrigeration zone during periods in which the cooling requirements of said elements are met by or are exceeded by the refrigerating capacity of said refrigeration zone, circulating said coolant in heat exchange relationship with said body of liquid when said cooling requirements exceed said refrigerating capacity, and venting vaporized liquid from said body of liquid when the temperature thereof rises above a preselected value.
Claim 9
Independent Claim
128 words
A method for cooling a resistive cryogenic electric power transmission line which includes circulating a coolant in heat exchange relationship with the elements of a power line to be cooled, maintaining a refrigeration zone for extracting heat from said coolant, maintaining a body of vaporizable liquid, circulating said coolant between heat exchange relationship with said transmission line elements and heat exchange relationship with said refrigeration zone during periods in which the cooling requirements of said elements are met by or are exceeded by the refrigerating capacity of said refrigeration zone, circulating said coolant in heat exchange relationship with said body of liquid when said cooling requirements exceed said refrigerating capacity, and venting vaporized liquid from said body of liquid when the temperature thereof rises above a preselected value.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
38 words
A method according to claim 6 which additionally includes utilizing the refrigerating capacity of said refrigeration zone to extract heat from said body of liquid during periods in which said cooling requiremEnts are exceeded by said refrigerating capacity.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
32 words
A method according to claim 6 in which said coolant is a liquefiable gas and which further includes maintaining superatmospheric pressure on said coolant whereby said coolant is maintained in liquid state.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
47 words
A method according to claim 8 which further includes utilizing the refrigerating capacity of said refrigeration zone to lower the temperature of said coolant substantially below its vaporization temperature under the maintained superatmospheric pressure during periods in which said cooling requirements are exceeded by said refrigerating capacity.
Claim 13
Independent Claim
119 words
A method for cooling a resistive cryogenic electric power transmission line which includes circulating a coolant in heat exchange relationship with the elements of a power line to be cooled, said coolant being a liquefiable gas, maintaining superatmospheric pressure on said coolant whereby said coolant is maintained in liquid state, maintaining a refrigeration zone for extracting heat from said coolant, circulating said coolant between heat exchange relationship with said transmission line elements and heat exchange relationship with said refrigeration zone, and utilizing the refrigerating capacity of said refrigeration zone to lower the temperature of said coolant substantially below its vaporization temperature under the maintained superatmospheric pressure during periods in which said cooling requirements are exceeded by said refrigerating capacity.
Claim 14
Independent Claim
119 words
A method for cooling a resistive cryogenic electric power transmission line which includes circulating a coolant in heat exchange relationship with the elements of a power line to be cooled, said coolant being a liquefiable gas, maintaining superatmospheric pressure on said coolant whereby said coolant is maintained in liquid state, maintaining a refrigeration zone for extracting heat from said coolant, circulating said coolant between heat exchange relationship with said transmission line elements and heat exchange relationship with said refrigeration zone, and utilizing the refrigerating capacity of said refrigeration zone to lower the temperature of said coolant substantially below its vaporization temperature under the maintained superatmospheric pressure during periods in which said cooling requirements are exceeded by said refrigerating capacity.
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) | 1975-02-28 | 1975-08-30 | 1976-02-29 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1979-02-28 | 1979-08-30 | 1980-02-29 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1983-02-28 | 1983-08-30 | 1984-02-29 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |