The thermal resistance at the fixed-to-rotating boundary is the critical bottleneck in rotor cooling of high-temperature superconducting (HTS) motors, yet this boundary has been treated as a subsidiary connection rather than an independent design ...
The thermal resistance at the fixed-to-rotating boundary is the critical bottleneck in rotor cooling of high-temperature superconducting (HTS) motors, yet this boundary has been treated as a subsidiary connection rather than an independent design element. Conventional approaches—solid conduction links, direct cryogen forced-circulation, and gas-gap-based coupling—each present unresolved trade-offs in thermal resistance, structural complexity, or sealing reliability. This study proposes a Gas Blow Thermal Coupling (GBC) that redefines the fixed-to-rotating thermal boundary as an independent thermal coupling component. Under stationary conditions, GBC forms a conductive heat transfer path through a narrow gaseous helium (GHe) gap. Under rotating conditions, a centrifugal impeller integrated into the rotor assembly induces internal GHe circulation, reducing the effective thermal resistance through forced convection. A prototype GBC and cryogenic–vacuum–rotating test rig were fabricated and tested. In stationary experiments, the rotor-side conductor temperature was maintained at approximately 55–56 K under a total heat load of 51 W, satisfying the minimum drive temperature condition. In rotating experiments at 2000 rpm, an effective thermal resistance of approximately 0.156 K/W and a rotor-side conductor temperature of approximately 29.9 K were achieved under a total heat load of 41 W—a reduction of approximately 55–64% relative to the stationary condition. This performance is comparable to that of an existing GHe forced-circulation cooling system, achieved without external fluid supply or return connections. This study establishes the fixed-to-rotating thermal boundary as an independent design subject in HTS rotor cooling and experimentally demonstrates the feasibility of a cryogenic rotary thermal coupling concept combining a non-contact structure with rotation-induced internal helium circulation.