Continuous Cooling System for Superconducting Magnets Using a Cryocooler

A continuous cooling system has been designed, fabricated, and tested for superconducting magnet applications. The objective of this paper is the development of a cooling module through a natural circulation loop using a cryogenic liquid for indirect cooling of high-temperature superconductor (HTS) magnets. Since HTS magnets are located in narrow room-temperature bores, several ancillary requirements such as space restriction and cooling passage structure require technical attention. In this paper, the design and fabrication of a continuous cooling system for HTS magnets are presented while taking into account cryogenic loads and system integration. A preliminary test has been carried out using a cryocooler, and the results are reported in detail. The effect of the total heat load to the magnet on the temperature distribution in the system is presented. In addition, long-term operation of the continuous cooling module for superconducting magnet applications is discussed.