Cryogenic cooling system and an insert therefor
A cryogenic cooling system is provided comprising a primary insert ( 118 ) and a demountable secondary insert ( 128 ). The primary insert ( 118 ) comprises a plurality of primary plates ( 111, 112 ), each primary plate having a primary contact surface, and one or more primary connecting members ( 117 ) arranged so as to connect the plurality of primary plates ( 111, 112 ). The demountable secondary insert ( 128 ) comprises a plurality of secondary plates ( 121, 122 ), each secondary plate having a secondary contact surface, and one or more secondary connecting members ( 127 ) arranged so as to connect the plurality of secondary plates ( 121, 122 ) such that the secondary insert ( 128 ) is self-supporting. One or more adjustment members are configured such that, when the secondary insert ( 128 ) is mounted to the primary insert ( 118 ), the adjustment members cause the primary and secondary contact surfaces of the respective primary ( 111, 112 ) and secondary plates ( 121, 122 ) to be brought into conductive thermal contact.
1 . A cryogenic cooling system comprising:
a primary insert comprising:
a plurality of primary plates, each primary plate having a primary contact surface; and
one or more primary connecting members arranged so as to connect the plurality of primary plates;
a demountable secondary insert comprising:
a plurality of secondary plates, each secondary plate having a secondary contact surface; and
one or more secondary connecting members arranged so as to connect the plurality of secondary plates such that the secondary insert is self-supporting; and
one or more adjustment members;
wherein the one or more adjustment members are configured such that, when the secondary insert is mounted to the primary insert, the adjustment members cause the primary and secondary contact surfaces of the respective primary and secondary plates to be brought into conductive thermal contact; and
wherein the one or more adjustment members comprise one or more flanges forming part of a respective primary plate or secondary plate.
2 . The system according to claim 1 , wherein the one or more adjustment members form part of one or both of the primary insert and the secondary insert.
3 . The system according to claim 1 , wherein the said conductive thermal contact is provided by area contact between conformal planar regions of the respective primary and secondary contact surfaces.
4 . The system according to claim 1 , wherein the one or more adjustment members are configured to accommodate a misalignment between each of the plurality of secondary plates of the demountable secondary insert and the corresponding primary plate of the primary insert.
5 . The system according to claim 4 , wherein when the secondary insert is in a demounted state, the secondary plates are spatially positioned with respect to one another in a secondary configuration, and the primary plates of the primary insert are spatially positioned with respect to one another in a primary configuration; and wherein the misalignment is the offset between the plane of a secondary plate and the plane of the corresponding primary plate in the respective primary and secondary configurations.
6 . The system according to claim 5 , wherein the respective primary and secondary configurations are maintained when the demountable secondary insert is in a mounted state.
7 . The system according to claim 5 , wherein the one or more adjustment members cause one or both of the primary or secondary configurations to be adjustable so as to cause the conductive thermal contact.
8 . The system according to claim 1 , wherein operation of the adjustment member does not change a separation between adjacent primary plates of the primary insert or adjacent secondary plates of the secondary insert.
9 . The system according to claim 1 , wherein one or more of the plurality of secondary plates is configured to accommodate experimental apparatus.
10 . The system according to claim 1 , wherein the primary insert comprises a dilution refrigerator, a helium-3 refrigerator, or a 1 kelvin pot.
11 . The system according to claim 1 , wherein one or more of the secondary connecting members are removable such that two or more of the plurality of secondary plates can be detached from the demountable secondary insert as a unitary, self-supporting assembly.
12 . A method of operating the system of claim 1 , wherein the demountable secondary insert comprises a first secondary plate, a second secondary plate and a third secondary plate, a first secondary connecting member connecting the first secondary plate to the second secondary plate, and a second secondary connecting member connecting the second secondary plate to the third secondary plate, and wherein the primary insert comprises three primary plates, each said primary plate corresponding to a respective secondary plate of the secondary insert, the method comprising:
mounting the secondary insert to the primary insert such that secondary plates are conductively thermally coupled to the corresponding primary plates using the one or more adjustment members; and
partially demounting the secondary insert from the primary insert, wherein partially demounting the secondary insert comprises:
removing the first secondary connecting member from the secondary insert; and
removing the second secondary plate, the third secondary plate and the second secondary connecting member from the primary insert as a unitary self-supporting assembly, without removing the first secondary plate from the corresponding plate of the primary insert.
13 . The system according to claim 1 , further comprising a cooling apparatus attached to the secondary insert.
14 . A cryogenic cooling system, comprising:
a primary insert comprising:
a plurality of primary plates, each primary plate having a primary contact surface; and
one or more primary connecting members arranged so as to connect the plurality of primary plates;
a demountable secondary insert comprising:
a plurality of secondary plates, each secondary plate having a secondary contact surface; and
one or more secondary connecting members arranged so as to connect the plurality of secondary plates such that the secondary insert is self-supporting; and
one or more adjustment members;
wherein the one or more adjustment members are configured such that, when the secondary insert is mounted to the primary insert, the adjustment members cause the primary and secondary contact surfaces of the respective primary and secondary plates to be brought into conductive thermal contact; and
wherein a change in separation between adjacent primary plates or adjacent secondary plates is achieved by operation of the one or more primary connecting members and/or the one or more secondary connecting members.
15 . The system according to claim 14 , wherein the one or more adjustment members is configured to allow movement of the one or more primary plates with respect to the one or more said primary connecting members.
16 . The system according to claim 14 , wherein the one or more adjustment members is configured to allow movement of the one or more secondary plates with respect to the one or more said secondary connecting members.
17 . The system according to claim 14 , wherein the primary or secondary connecting members are rotatable so as to change the separation between adjacent primary plates or adjacent secondary plates using the one or more adjustment members.
18 . The system according to claim 14 , wherein the one or more adjustment members form respective flexible portions of the primary or secondary connecting members.
19 . The system according to claim 14 , wherein one or more of the plurality of secondary plates is configured to accommodate experimental apparatus.
20 . The system according to claim 14 , wherein the primary insert comprises a dilution refrigerator, a helium-3 refrigerator, or a 1 kelvin pot.
21 . The system according to claim 14 , wherein one or more of the secondary connecting members are removable such that two or more of the plurality of secondary plates can be detached from the demountable secondary insert as a unitary, self-supporting assembly.
22 . A method of operating the system of claim 14 , wherein the demountable secondary insert comprises a first secondary plate, a second secondary plate and a third secondary plate, a first secondary connecting member connecting the first secondary plate to the second secondary plate, and a second secondary connecting member connecting the second secondary plate to the third secondary plate, and wherein the primary insert comprises three primary plates, each said primary plate corresponding to a respective secondary plate of the secondary insert, the method comprising:
mounting the secondary insert to the primary insert such that secondary plates are conductively thermally coupled to the corresponding primary plates using the one or more adjustment members; and
partially demounting the secondary insert from the primary insert, wherein partially demounting the secondary insert comprises:
removing the first secondary connecting member from the secondary insert; and
removing the second secondary plate, the third secondary plate and the second secondary connecting member from the primary insert as a unitary self-supporting assembly, without removing the first secondary plate from the corresponding plate of the primary insert.
23 . The system according to claim 14 , further comprising a cooling apparatus attached to the secondary insert.
24 . A cryogenic cooling system comprising:
a cryostat comprising:
a primary insert comprising:
a plurality of primary plates, each primary plate having a primary contact surface; and
one or more primary connecting members arranged so as to connect the plurality of primary plates; and
a demountable secondary insert comprising:
a plurality of secondary plates, each secondary plate having a secondary contact surface; and
one or more secondary connecting members arranged so as to connect the plurality of secondary plates such that the secondary insert is self-supporting; and
a dilution unit mounted to the plurality of secondary plates,
wherein the system is configured such that, when the secondary insert is mounted to the primary insert, the respective primary and secondary plates are in conductive thermal contact; and
wherein the secondary insert is removable from the eryostat and the primary insert.
25 . The system according to claim 24 , wherein the secondary insert further comprises one or more adjustment members configured such that, when the secondary insert is mounted to the primary insert, the one or more adjustment members cause the primary and secondary contact surfaces of the respective primary and secondary plates to be brought into conductive thermal contact.
26 . The system of claim 24 , wherein the plurality of secondary plates comprises a first secondary plate, a second secondary plate, a third secondary plate, a fourth secondary plate and a fifth secondary plate, wherein the dilution unit is mounted to the third secondary plate, the fourth secondary plate and the fifth secondary plate.
27 . The system of claim 26 , further comprising a pulse-tube refrigerator thermally coupled to the first secondary plate and the second secondary plate when the secondary insert is mounted to the primary insert.
28 . The system of claim 26 , further comprising a pulse-tube refrigerator mounted to the first secondary plate and the second secondary plate.
29 . A cryogenic cooling system comprising:
a cryostat which is evacuated in use, the cryostat comprising:
a primary insert comprising:
a plurality of primary plates, each primary plate having a primary contact surface;
a dilution unit thermally coupled to one or more of the primary plates; and
one or more primary connecting members arranged so as to connect the plurality of primary plates; and
a demountable secondary insert comprising:
a plurality of secondary plates, each secondary plate having a secondary contact surface;
a pulse tube refrigerator mounted to one or more secondary plates of the plurality of secondary plates; and
one or more secondary connecting members arranged so as to connect the plurality of secondary plates such that the secondary insert is self-supporting;
wherein the cryogenic cooling system is configured such that, when the secondary insert is mounted to the primary insert, one or more of the secondary plates are thermally conductively coupled to the dilution unit; and
wherein an outer secondary plate of the plurality of secondary plates engages with an outer primary plate of the plurality of primary plates to seal the evacuated cryostat.
30 . The system of claim 29 , further comprising one or more adjustment members forming part of the demountable secondary insert and configured such that, when the secondary insert is mounted to the primary insert, the one or more adjustment members accommodate a misalignment between the secondary plates and the corresponding primary plates, and the one or more adjustment members cause the primary and secondary contact surfaces of the respective primary and secondary plates to be brought into conductive thermal contact.