| CPC B64D 33/08 (2013.01) [F25B 9/06 (2013.01); F25B 25/00 (2013.01); H02K 55/00 (2013.01); F25B 2400/04 (2013.01); F25B 2400/072 (2013.01); F25B 2400/14 (2013.01); H01F 6/04 (2013.01); Y02T 50/60 (2013.01)] | 14 Claims |
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1. A drive device for a flying vehicle, comprising:
at least one motor;
a compressor for compressing a working fluid, thereby providing a compressed working fluid;
a first heat exchanger for cooling the compressed working fluid, thereby providing a cooled compressed working fluid;
at least one second heat exchanger;
an expansion turbine;
a third heat exchanger; and
a store of a cryogenic fluid that is liquefied and/or in the solid state;
a cryogenic refrigerator with an operating temperature between −100° C. and −273° C. comprising a working circuit that forms a loop and contains the working fluid, the working circuit comprising, in series, said compressor, said expansion turbine, said first heat exchanger, said at least one second heat exchanger, and said third heat exchanger, the working circuit configured to subject the working fluid to a cycle including, in order, compression at said compressor, cooling at said first heat exchanger, cooling at said at least one second heat exchanger, expansion at said expansion turbine, warming at said third heat exchanger through heat exchange with said motor, warming at said second heat exchanger before returning to said compressor, the cryogenic refrigerator being configured to produce a determined first maximum refrigeration power to said motor;
a supplemental refrigerator comprising said store and which is distinct from said first and third heat exchangers and said working fluid;
wherein the supplemental refrigerator further comprises a transfer circuit that is configured to transfer the cryogenic fluid into a heat-exchange relationship with the working fluid of the cryogenic refrigerator,
wherein the supplemental refrigerator is further configured to supply a determined second maximum refrigeration power to said cryogenic refrigerator when the cryogenic fluid is brought into a heat-exchange relationship with said cryogenic refrigerator; and
wherein the supplemental refrigerator is switchable between a first configuration in which said second maximum refrigeration power is supplied to said cryogenic refrigerator by bringing the cryogenic fluid into heat exchange relationship with said cryogenic refrigerator and a second configuration in which the supplemental refrigerator stops bringing the cryogenic fluid into heat exchange relationship with said cryogenic refrigerator such that no refrigeration power is delivered from the supplemental refrigerator to the cryogenic refrigerator,
wherein said store contains at least one of: hydrogen, nitrogen, neon, and helium,
wherein the drive device further comprises an electronic controller that is configured to control the refrigeration power that is supplied to said motor by said cryogenic refrigerator and by said supplemental refrigerator, wherein the controller comprises a microprocessor and memory coupled to the microprocessor, the memory storing instructions that, when executed by the microprocessor, cause the microprocessor to perform operations comprising: analyzing a setpoint signal, and switching between the first configuration and the second configuration based on the setpoint signal, wherein the setpoint signal is based on a refrigeration requirement of the motor.
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