Patent 7371134 was granted and assigned to American Superconductor Corporation on May, 2008 by the United States Patent and Trademark Office.
A system includes an azimuthing pod configured to be attached to the hull of a ship, a superconducting motor positioned within the azimuthing pod, a refrigeration system including a compressor and a cryogenic refrigeration module coupled to the compressor. The system further comprises a transfer system configured to circulate a coolant between the cryogenic refrigeration module and the superconducting machine, at least one of the compressor and the cryogenic refrigeration module being positioned within the hull of the ship.