Abstract
Problems of cryogenic heat transfer are discussed with particular reference to the IRD prototype superconducting motor. Experimental work on heat transfer in the nucleate boiling régime of liquid helium is described and the application to the design of a superconducting field coil is outlined.
The design of gas-cooled high-current leads in a cryogenic environment is discussed and the practical solution is compared with the theoretically ideal design. Other heat transfer problems encountered in the machine design are those associated with the thermal isolation of the field coil from the environment. An assessment is given of the various heat loads due to conduction and radiation which make up the total refrigeration requirement of the machine.
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