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Shaft-Mounted Cryogenic Refrigerator for HTS Motors and Generators

Award Information
Agency: Department of Defense
Branch: Navy
Contract: N00014-08-M-0239
Agency Tracking Number: O081-EP8-4050
Amount: $99,827.00
Phase: Phase I
Program: SBIR
Solicitation Topic Code: OSD08-EP8
Solicitation Number: 2008.1
Timeline
Solicitation Year: 2008
Award Year: 2008
Award Start Date (Proposal Award Date): 2008-08-24
Award End Date (Contract End Date): 2009-02-24
Small Business Information
P.O. Box 71
Hanover, NH 03755
United States
DUNS: 072021041
HUBZone Owned: No
Woman Owned: No
Socially and Economically Disadvantaged: No
Principal Investigator
 Patrick Magari, PhD
 Principal Engineer
 (603) 643-3800
 pjm@creare.com
Business Contact
 James Barry
Title: President
Phone: (603) 643-3800
Email: contractsmgr@creare.com
Research Institution
N/A
Abstract

Due to their high-power density and efficiency, large-capacity, high-temperature, superconductor (HTS) motors and generators offer a number of advantages over conventional electrical machines for ship propulsion and power generating systems. One of the key practical issues with HTS machines is the ancillary support equipment required to accommodate the low cryogenic rotor operating temperature (~30 K). In particular, cryogenic refrigeration is problematic since available cryocoolers cannot be mounted on the HTS machine shaft, requiring the use of slip couplings to pass cryogenic helium to and from the shaft. The objective of the currently proposed Phase I SBIR project is to evaluate the potential of developing a shaft-mounted cryocooler to eliminate these couplings, as well as reduce the size and mass of the cryocooler. There are substantial constraints on size, weight, and reliability in this application that present significant challenges for most existing cryocooler technologies. Our approach is based on proprietary reverse-Brayton cryocooler technology, which will be unaffected by HTS machine rotation and should provide many other benefits such as ultra-high reliability, light weight, compactness, and flexible packaging. Our approach eliminates the need for an auxiliary cryogenic circulator and can be easily scaled across a broad range of HTS machine cooling requirements.

* Information listed above is at the time of submission. *

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