Patent ID: 6936771

Claim:
An isobaric superconducting cable termination consisting of: a set of normal conducting connectors, one for each superconducting conductor to be joined electrically to an external ambient temperature cable, each termination conductor having a cold end which connects to a respective superconducting conductor and a warm end which connects to a hermetic ambient temperature pressurized bushing, each normal termination conductor being separated from the other by electrical insulators, said termination conductors and the insulators contained in a thermally insulated termination conduit, consists of three parts: a) a cold housing for making connections between superconductors and normal termination conductors; b) a warm housing for making connections between the normal termination conductors and the internal connection of the ambient pressurized bushing; and c) a transition duct connecting said cold housing with said warm housing through which said normal termination and said insulators, said transition duct being sized so that said insulators and conductors completely fill the duct, said insulators and conductors being sealed using sealant compounds, elastomer seals, and mechanical seals so as to prevent liquid coolant from flowing from the cold housing to the warm housing, one or more capillary passages through or parallel to the transition duct connecting said cold housing to an ambient temperature housing to allow gas to flow to maintain pressure equilibrium between said cold housing and said warm housing, said normal termination conductors and said transition duct being of size and length so as to minimize the heat flow through said normal conductors from said ambient temperature housing to said cold housing.