Granted Patent B2

US 12,631,375 · App. 18/282,636 · Granted May 19, 2026

Inventor: Anthony Matthews (Abingdon, GB)

Assignee: OXFORD NANOSCIENCE LIMITED

F25B40/02F25B9/12

Abstract

Claims (69)

1 . A heat exchanger for a cryogenic cooling apparatus, comprising:

a first conduit, a second conduit and a chamber, wherein the chamber is arranged to receive a fluid from the first conduit, and wherein the second conduit is thermally coupled to the outside of the chamber, the chamber having a first region and a second region, the first region separated from the second region by a plate extending through the chamber, the plate comprising one or more apertures for allowing a flow of the fluid from the first region to the second region;

wherein the chamber comprises a first end piece and a second end piece forming opposing sides of the chamber respectively, the first end piece coupled to the second end piece by a flow deflector, the flow deflector comprising a collar separating the first end piece from the second end piece, wherein the plate extends across the collar to form part of the flow deflector.

2 . The heat exchanger according to claim 1 , wherein one or both of the first end piece and the second end piece comprises;

a first face arranged inside the chamber, and

a second face arranged outside the chamber and a foil member arranged between the first face and the second face,

wherein the first face and the second face each comprise a sintered material applied to the foil member.

3 . The heat exchanger according to claim 2 , wherein a peripheral support member is arranged around the perimeter of each said foil member, the peripheral support member being fused to the collar.

4 . The heat exchanger according to claim 3 , wherein the thermal conductivity of the foil member and/or the sintered material is at least twenty times larger than that of the peripheral support member and/or the collar when at a temperature of 300 K.

5 . The heat exchanger according to claim 2 , wherein the heat exchanger comprises a central axis extending through the centre of the chamber, and wherein the first conduit is coupled to the chamber at two positions arranged along the central axis;

wherein the first face and/or the second face is profiled so that the thickness of the sinter on the foil member increases with the radial distance from the central axis.

6 . The heat exchanger according to claim 2 , wherein the heat exchanger comprises a central axis extending through the centre of the chamber, and wherein the first conduit is coupled to the chamber at two positions arranged along the central axis;

wherein the chamber defines a flow channel for conveying the fluid through the first region and the second region, and wherein the depth of the flow channel decreases with the radial distance from the central axis.

7 . The heat exchanger according to claim 1 , wherein the chamber defines a flow channel for conveying the fluid through the first region and the second region, wherein the flow channel is formed within a sinter applied to the first end piece and the second end piece.

8 . A cryogenic cooling apparatus comprising:

a target refrigerator; and

the heat exchanger according to claim 1 ,

wherein the first conduit is arranged to convey an operational fluid to the target refrigerator and the second conduit is arranged to convey the operational fluid from the target refrigerator.

9 . A dilution refrigerator comprising:

a still,

a mixing chamber and

the heat exchanger according to claim 1 ,

wherein the first conduit is arranged to flow an operational fluid from the still to the mixing chamber and the second conduit is arranged to flow the operational fluid from the mixing chamber to the still, the heat exchanger configured to thermally couple the operational fluid in the first conduit with the operational fluid in the second conduit.

10 . The dilution refrigerator according to claim 9 , wherein;

the mixing chamber comprises a mass of sinter,

the first conduit comprises an end portion that is open and extends around a portion of the mass of sinter so as to bring said portion of the mass of sinter into contact with the operational fluid, and

the second conduit extends around the end portion and the mass of sinter so as to convey the operational fluid in a direction away from the mass of sinter.

11 . The dilution refrigerator according to claim 9 , further comprising a cold plate arranged between the still and the mixing chamber, wherein:

the cold plate is arranged to obtain a base temperature between that of the still and the mixing during operation of the dilution refrigerator,

the dilution refrigerator further comprises a chamber assembly comprising one or more said chambers,

each said chamber is arranged to receive the operational fluid from the first conduit, and

said second conduit is thermally coupled to the outside of each said chamber.

12 . The dilution refrigerator according to claim 11 , wherein:

the chamber assembly comprises a first said chamber and a second said chamber,

the first said chamber is arranged between the cold plate and the second said chamber, and

the depth of the second said chamber and/or the number of apertures through the plate of the second said chamber or the size of the apertures through the plate of the second said chamber is higher than that of the first said chamber.

13 . The dilution refrigerator according to claim 11 , wherein;

each said chamber comprises one or more flow channels for conveying the fluid through the respective first region and the respective second region,

each said flow channel is formed within a sinter,

the chamber assembly is arranged along a thermal gradient during operation of the dilution refrigerator so that a first said chamber is arranged to obtain a higher base temperature than a second said chamber, and

the diameter of the one or more flow channels in the first chamber is lower than the diameter of the one or more flow channels in the second chamber.

14 . A method of forming a heat exchanger for a cryogenic refrigerator, the method comprising:

providing a first conduit, a second conduit, a first end piece, a second end piece and a flow deflector, the flow deflector comprising a collar and a plate, the plate extending across the collar;

wherein providing the first end piece comprises:

fusing a first peripheral support member around the perimeter of a first foil member, and then applying a sintered material to opposing faces of the first foil member, the thermal conductivity of the first peripheral support member being at least twenty times lower than that of the first foil member when at a temperature of 300 K; and

fusing the first peripheral support member to the collar so as to form a chamber, the chamber having a first region separated from a second region by the plate, the plate arranged between the first end piece and the second end piece;

wherein the first conduit is arranged to convey a fluid into the first region and out from the second region;

wherein the plate comprises one or more apertures for allowing a flow of the fluid from the first region to the second region; and

wherein the second conduit is thermally coupled to the outside of the chamber.

15 . A dilution refrigerator comprising:

a still;

a mixing chamber;

a cold plate arranged between the still and the mixing chamber, the cold plate arranged to obtain a base temperature between that of the still and the mixing chamber during operation of the dilution refrigerator;

a first conduit arranged to flow an operational fluid from the still to the mixing chamber;

a second conduit is arranged to flow the operational fluid from the mixing chamber to the still; and

a heat exchanger assembly comprising one or more heat exchangers arranged along a portion of the first conduit, the one or more heat exchangers extending between the cold plate and the mixing chamber;

wherein each said heat exchanger comprises:

a chamber arranged to receive the operational fluid from the first conduit, wherein the second conduit is thermally coupled to the outside of the chamber, the chamber having a first region and a second region, the first region separated from the second region by a plate extending through the chamber, the plate comprising one or more apertures for allowing a flow of the fluid from the first region to the second region, the heat exchanger configured to thermally couple the operational fluid in the first conduit with the operational fluid in the second conduit, and

wherein each said chamber comprises a first end piece and a second end piece forming opposing sides of the chamber respectively, the first end piece coupled to the second end piece by a flow deflector, the flow deflector comprising a collar separating the first end piece from the second end piece, wherein the plate extends across the collar to form part of the flow deflector.

16 . The dilution refrigerator according to claim 15 , wherein the mixing chamber comprises a mass of sinter, and the first conduit comprises an end portion that is open and extends around a portion of the mass of sinter so as to bring said portion of the mass of sinter into contact with the operational fluid, the second conduit extending around the end portion and the mass of sinter so as to convey the operational fluid in a direction away from the mass of sinter.

17 . The dilution refrigerator according to claim 15 , wherein a said heat exchanger is arranged to obtain a temperature below 30 mK in use.

18 . The dilution refrigerator according to claim 15 , wherein the heat exchanger assembly comprises a first said heat exchanger and a second said heat exchanger, the first said heat exchanger being arranged between the cold plate and the second said heat exchanger, wherein the depth of the chamber of the second said heat exchanger and/or the number of apertures through the plate of the second said heat exchanger or the size of the apertures through the plate of the second said heat exchanger is higher than that of the first said heat exchanger.

19 . The dilution refrigerator according to claim 15 , wherein each said chamber comprises one or more flow channels for conveying the fluid through the respective first region and the respective second region, wherein each said flow channel is formed within a sinter, wherein the heat exchanger assembly is arranged along a thermal gradient during operation of the dilution refrigerator so that a first said heat exchanger is arranged to obtain a higher base temperature than a second said heat exchanger, and wherein the diameter of the one or more flow channels in the first heat exchanger is lower than the diameter of the one or more flow channels in the second heat exchanger.

20 . A dilution refrigerator comprising:

a still, a mixing chamber and a heat exchanger, wherein the heat exchanger comprises:

a first conduit, a second conduit and a chamber, wherein the first conduit is arranged to flow an operational fluid from the still to the mixing chamber and the second conduit is arranged to flow the operational fluid from the mixing chamber to the still, the heat exchanger configured to thermally couple the operational fluid in the first conduit with the operational fluid in the second conduit; wherein the second conduit forms the exterior of the heat exchanger,

wherein the chamber is arranged to receive the operational fluid from the first conduit, and wherein second conduit is thermally coupled to the outside of the chamber, the chamber having a first region and a second region, the first region separated from the second region by a plate extending through the chamber, the plate comprising one or more apertures for allowing a flow of the operational fluid from the first region to the second region, and

wherein said chamber comprises a first end piece and a second end piece forming opposing sides of the chamber respectively, the first end piece coupled to the second end piece by a flow deflector, the flow deflector comprising a collar separating the first end piece from the second end piece, wherein the plate extends across the collar to form part of the flow deflector.

21 . The dilution refrigerator according to claim 20 , wherein the first conduit and/or the second conduit is formed from a plurality of modules that are fused together.

Assignments (2)

Priority Claims (1)

Continuity (1)

References Cited (27)