Cryogenic heat pipe for cooling high temperature superconductors

The research in this paper investigates a consumable-free method of operating a high temperature superconducting (HTS) coil in space. The HTS wire resides inside a cryogenic heat pipe which is used for isothermalization. This paper presents the design, implementation, and testing of a cryogenic heat pipe for cooling high temperature superconductors. As a proof-of-concept, an 86 cm long straight heat pipe was constructed and enclosed two straight lengths of HTS wire. The working fluid, at saturation condition, maintains a constant temperature below the HTS wire critical temperature. Testing of the heat pipe in a vacuum chamber was conducted to verify the drop in HTS resistance correlating to the wire operating in a superconducting state.