Superconductor Technologies Inc.

Other

Mark W Hanes

Amr Hassan O'Baid

Wallace Y Kunimoto

David R Chase

In accordance with the method, a gas bearing is energized to center the piston in the cylinder prior to rigidly attaching the planar spring or springs between the piston and the compressor frame. This automatically and very accurately centers the piston in the cylinder to provide the added stiffness of a planar spring and gas bearing in an easily manufactured configuration. Various exemplary embodiments are disclosed, including embodiments having the piston cantilevered from one end using a single or multiple springs, an embodiment having a spring on each end of the piston, a double piston embodiment and embodiments using and not using the gas bearing during operation of the compressors.

Method of fabricating planar spring clearance seal compressors

A cryocooler cold end assembly is disclosed. The assembly includes a unitary external, outer housing. By constructing the housing from a single unitary metal shell, part count is reduced from prior art assemblies. Additionally, all brazing requirements previously necessary to secure and seal the components are eliminated. Further, due to one or more machining steps subsequent to manufacturing/forming the external sealed housing, the tolerances are improved. This allows for shrink to fit assembly of several components and also results in improved straight-line accuracy between the piston bore and the displacer cylinder. Due to this latter improvement, the need for a displacer liner is eliminated.

Cryocooler housing assembly apparatus and method

An improved HTSC filter system design. An improved HTSC filter system comprises a cryocooler and dewar assembly, a heat dissipation assembly and at least one heat pipe providing a thermal coupling between said heat dissipation assembly and said cryocooler and dewar assembly. In a preferred embodiment, the cryocooler and dewar assembly is environmentally sealed within a double-walled aluminum canister, and the heat pipes are formed from stainless steel tubes having a predetermined amount of ammonia provided therein.

Cryocooler for HTSC filter systems

A cryocooler having an improved linear motor assembly. The cryocooler comprises a displacer unit, heat exchanger unit and compressor and linear motor assembly. The compressor and linear motor assembly includes a linear motor having both a stationary internal return iron element and a moving internal return iron element, thus enabling the motor to operate at a predetermined resonant frequency. In a preferred form, the compressor and linear motor assembly comprise a unitary structure.

Cryocooler motor with split return iron

A Stirling cycle cryocooler is disclosed that includes a displacer unit having a cold end and a hot end. The displacer unit includes a cold cylinder housing and a displacer liner disposed on the inner surface of the housing. A displacer assembly lies within the displacer liner and is slidable with respect to the lengthwise axis of the housing. The displacer unit also includes a regenerator unit. A heat acceptor is affixed to the cold end of the displacer unit. The heat acceptor transfers heat from a device such as a High Temperature Superconducting Filter to a gas such as helium located within the displacer unit. The heat acceptor preferably includes a radial component and an annular component. The heat acceptor advantageously decreases the heat transfer resistance between the heat acceptor and the helium gas. The Stirling cycle cryocooler is thus able to operate with reduced input power to achieve a desired lift level.

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Goleta, CA, United States of America

Mark W Hanes