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Low Maintenance, Low Cost Cryocooler for HTS Degaussing Systems

Award Information
Agency: Department of Defense
Branch: Navy
Contract: N65538-09-M-0078
Agency Tracking Number: N091-051-1189
Amount: $69,988.00
Phase: Phase I
Program: SBIR
Solicitation Topic Code: N091-051
Solicitation Number: 2009.1
Timeline
Solicitation Year: 2009
Award Year: 2009
Award Start Date (Proposal Award Date): 2009-06-22
Award End Date (Contract End Date): 2009-12-30
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
 Principal Engineer
 (603) 643-3800
 pjm@creare.com
Business Contact
 James Barry
Title: Principal Engineer
Phone: (603) 643-3800
Email: contractsmgr@creare.com
Research Institution
N/A
Abstract

High Temperature Superconducting (HTS) cables offer major advantages over the conventional copper cables currently used to reduce the magnetic signatures of Navy ships. A degaussing system utilizing HTS cables would be smaller, lighter, and cost less to install than current systems. However, the cryogenic operating temperature of the HTS cables requires the use of a cryogenic refrigerator (cryocooler). Existing, commercially available regenerative cryocoolers suitable for use with an HTS degaussing system have a number of disadvantages including limited cooling capacity (requiring the use of more units than ideal), system size, relatively large and fragile cold heads, noisy operation, and the need for periodic maintenance. The objective of the currently proposed effort is to evaluate the potential for developing a large capacity reverse turbo-Brayton cryogenic refrigerator that would have lower life cycle costs, require less maintenance and be smaller in size than an equivalent cryocooler system based on COTS technology. In Phase I, we will develop a preliminary system design to estimate performance, size, and cost, and we will develop a potential integration concept with the rest of the HTS degaussing system. In Phase II, we will fabricate key components of the cryocooler and demonstrate them at the system level.

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

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