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Advanced Reversible Cryogenic Thermal Energy Storage (ARCTES)
Title: Principal Aerospace Engin
Phone: (608) 229-2727
Email: stclairc@orbitec.com
Title: CEO
Phone: (608) 229-2730
Email: knaufs@orbitec.com
ORBITEC proposes to develop the Advanced Reversible Cryogenic Thermal Energy Storage (ARCTES) system, which will provide temporary backup cooling for circulating helium gas coolant in high-temperature superconducting (HTS) systems for naval applications. The ARCTES will rely on an initially-frozen cryogen to absorb heat from the passing helium gas through a heat exchanger device. As the working cryogen continues to absorb heat, it will warm to its melting point, melt, and then continue to warm as a liquid and evaporate to the vapor phase. The ARCTES provides a compact, lightweight, and simple means of passively storing cooling capacity. For purposes of comparison, the current state-of-the-art backup cooling system relies on the heat of vaporization of liquid nitrogen, which provides approximately 200 joules per gram (J/g) of cooling capacity. The ARCTES system will improve upon this figure by 50%, approaching 300 J/g of cooling capacity. The ARCTES system has the additional advantages of requiring neither LN2 resupply nor a vent to atmosphere for boil-off gas, and of being passively reversible. ORBITEC has extensive experience in the formation and management of solid cryogens as part of our propulsion system development, and we are well-qualified to perform this work.
* Information listed above is at the time of submission. *