3412results about "Superconducting magnets/coils" patented technology

A coil system for inductively heating a superconducting magnet in order to provide an internal energy dump by uniformly quenching a high performance superconducting magnet. The quench-inducing system uses AC magnetic fields that require negligible reactive power. The system is especially suited for inducing a relatively uniform quench in dry superconducting magnets.

Concentric tilted double-helix magnets, which embody a simplified design and construction method for production of magnets with very pure field content, are disclosed. The disclosed embodiment of the concentric tilted double-helix dipole magnet has the field quality required for use in accelerator beam steering applications, i.e., higher-order multipoles are reduced to a negligibly small level. Magnets with higher multipole fields can be obtained by using a simple modification of the coil winding procedure. The double-helix coil design is well-suited for winding with superconducting cable or cable-in-conduit conductors and thus is useful for applications that require fields in excess of 2 T. The coil configuration has significant advantages over conventional racetrack coils for accelerators, electrical machinery, and magneto-hydrodynamic thrusting devices.

Different types of energy storage systems are described, in particular hydro-pneumatic storage systems. In one, energy is stored by compressing gas in a chamber (44,45,54,55) with a liquid piston and released by gas expansion. A spray head or grid at the top of the chamber (44,45,54,55) supplies liquid as a shower through the gas being compressed or expanding in the cylinder (11,12) to maintain an isothermal condition. In another, energy is stored from an array of solar cells connected to an array of supercapacitors forming an auxiliary storage, and a main energy storage device such as a hydro-pneumatic storage system, for supply to an AC or DC network. The efficiency is improved by connecting the solar cells via the array of supercapacitors to the AC or DC network. An immersed hydro-pneumatic storage device for off-shore / on-shore power generation systems comprises a cylinder that is immersed in a liquid mass, wherein energy is stored by compressing gas with a liquid piston and energy is released by gas expansion. The mass of liquid maintains an isothermal condition in the cylinder during compression and expansion.

A unilateral magnet apparatus having a remote uniform field region. The apparatus' uniform remote field region is suitable for a variety of nuclear magnetic resonance applications.

An electromagnet having a conical bore. The conical bore is created by wrapping a conductor around a conically-offset helix. The cross sectional area of the conductor can be varied in order to maintain a desired current carrying capacity along the helix. A single element can be used as the conductor. The conductor can also be created by stacking a series of specially-shaped plates analogous to prior art Bitter-disks.

An electromagnet comprising a ferromagnetic yoke which comprises a yoke. Mutually opposing first and second pole pieces are provided. The first pole piece is provided with a planar coil having a first side facing the yoke and a second side facing the yoke. A balancing member is arranged on the second side of the planar coil to counterbalance the attractive force between the planar coil and the yoke. The other pole piece may also be provided with a corresponding balancing member.

A conductor obtained by connecting a plurality of superconductors by normal conductivity or a conductor comprised of superconductors and normal conductors, said low resistance conductor using superconductors characterized in that an apparent specific resistance of said conductor at below a superconducting transition temperature of said superconductors is lower than the specific resistance of copper at that superconducting transition temperature.

A superconducting system comprises a superconducting coil (3) mounted in a support (12). The coil is surrounded by a cryogen chamber (17) which is located radially outwardly from the coil (3) on the other side of the support (12). The cryogen chamber is in fluid communication with a cryogen recondensing unit (33) whereby vaporized cryogen may flow from the cryogen chamber (17) to the cryogen recondensing unit (33) to be recondensed in use before returning to the cryogen chamber. Thermally conductive means (25) is arranged to facilitate heat transfer from the superconducting coil (3) to the cryogen chamber (17) to vaporize cryogen contained therein in use and thereby remove heat from the coil. The thermally conductive means (25) is highly thermally conductive at cryogenic temperatures. In use, the highly thermally conductive means (25) facilitates transfer of heat from the coil (3) to the interior of the cryogen chamber (17) to vaporize cryogen located therein. A thermal conduction path is therefore used to transfer heat from the coil to the cryogen in the cryogen chamber. Cryogen vaporized in the cryogen chamber then flows to the cryogen recondensing unit (33) to be recondensed before returning to the chamber, while the vaporized cryogen acts as the heat transfer medium over the longer distance between the cryogen chamber and the recondensing unit.

A cooling system and method for cooling superconducting magnet coils are provided. One magnet system for a superconducting magnet device includes a cooling system having at least one coil support shell, a plurality of superconducting magnet coils supported by the at least one coil support shell and a plurality of cooling tubes thermally coupled to the at least one coil support shell. The magnet system also includes a cryorefrigerator system fluidly coupled with the plurality of cooling tubes forming a closed circulation cooling system.

A magnet system for generating a magnetic field may include a superconducting magnet, a switch, and a heater element thermally coupled to the switch. The superconducting magnet is structured to generate magnetic fields, and the switch includes a non-inductive superconducting current carrying path connected in parallel to the superconducting magnet. In general, the switch is structured to only carry a level of current that is a portion of the current required to obtain a full field by the superconducting magnet.

A composite substrate structure including a substrate, a layer of a crystalline metal oxide or crystalline metal oxynitride material upon the substrate, a layer of an oriented cubic oxide material having a rock-salt-like structure upon the crystalline metal oxide or crystalline metal oxynitride material layer is provided together with additional layers such as one or more layers of a buffer material upon the oriented cubic oxide material layer.Jc′s of 2.3×106 A / cm2 have been demonstrated with projected Ic′s of 320 Amperes across a sample 1 cm wide for a superconducting article including a flexible polycrystalline metallic substrate, an inert oxide material layer upon the surface of the flexible polycrystalline metallic substrate, a layer of a crystalline metal oxide or crystalline metal oxynitride material upon the layer of the inert oxide material, a layer of an oriented cubic oxide material having a rock-salt-like structure upon the crystalline metal oxide or crystalline metal oxynitride material layer, a layer of a buffer material upon the oriented cubic oxide material layer, and, a top-layer of a high temperature superconducting material upon the layer of a buffer material.

Novel articles and methods to fabricate same with self-assembled nanodots and / or nanorods of a single or multicomponent material within another single or multicomponent material for use in electrical, electronic, magnetic, electromagnetic, superconducting and electrooptical devices is disclosed. Self-assembled nanodots and / or nanorods are ordered arrays wherein ordering occurs due to strain minimization during growth of the materials. A simple method to accomplish this when depositing in-situ films is also disclosed. Device applications of resulting materials are in areas of superconductivity, photovoltaics, ferroelectrics, magnetoresistance, high density storage, solid state lighting, non-volatile memory, photoluminescence, thermoelectrics and in quantum dot lasers.

The present invention relates to epitaxial, electrically conducting and mechanically robust, cubic nitride buffer layers deposited epitaxially on biaxially textured substrates such as metals and alloys. The invention comprises of a biaxially textured substrate with epitaxial layers of nitrides. The invention also discloses a method to form such epitaxial layers using a high rate deposition method as well as without the use of forming gases. The invention further comprises epitaxial layers of oxides on the biaxially textured nitride layers. In some embodiments the article further comprises electromagnetic devices which may be super conducting properties.

An article having low ac loss includes an elongated substrate having a length and a width; and a plurality of filaments comprising an oxide superconductor extending substantially along the length of the elongated substrate and spaced apart from one other filaments across the width of the elongated substrate, wherein at least one filament crosses over at least one other filament such that the at least one filament occupies a first position across the width of the elongated substrate before the crossover and a second position across the width of the elongated substrate after crossover.

A magnet system for generating a magnetic field may include a superconducting magnet, a switch, and a heater element thermally coupled to the switch. The superconducting magnet is structured to generate magnetic fields, and the switch includes a non-inductive superconducting current carrying path connected in parallel to the superconducting magnet. In general, the switch is structured to only carry a level of current that is a portion of the current required to obtain a full field by the superconducting magnet.

A magnetic field generating apparatus comprises two or more co-facing, coaxial magnetic field generators configured to generate equivalent magnetic fields directed toward a symmetrically central convergence plane; a magnetically shielding encasement configured to contain all of the associated magnetic fields generated by the coaxial magnetic field generators; and articulation frames and supports for positioning of the apparatus about a fixed point, wherein the generated magnetic fields are counter-rotated relative to one another.

An improved persistent current switch design and method of operation are disclosed. By way of example, a persistent current switch circuit comprises a heating element and a switch element located proximate to the heating element, the switch element being substantially formed from a material (by way of example only, titanium) which exhibits a superconducting temperature value below a superconducting temperature value exhibited by a material (by way of example only, aluminum) used to provide a connection to the switch element. The switch element is responsive to the heating element such that the heating element is used to control whether or not the switch element is in a superconducting state. The switch element may also have a folded geometry. Such persistent current switches exhibit low power and low inductance.

A secondary coil circuit for use with a multi-section protected superconductive magnet coil circuit is disclosed herein. The secondary coil circuit includes two circuit nodes, a ramping switch electrically connected between the two circuit nodes, and a number of secondary coils electrically connected between the two circuit nodes. The secondary coils are made of wire having substantially superconductive capability when cooled below a characteristic critical temperature level and conducting electric current below a characteristic critical current level. The secondary coils are sized and positioned relative to the superconductive magnet coils situated in the individual sections of the multi-section protected superconductive magnet coil circuit so as to functionally cooperate with the multi-section protected superconductive magnet coil circuit in producing and maintaining a magnetic field that is substantially homogeneous. In one embodiment, the secondary coil circuit is inductively decoupled from each individual section of the multi-section protected superconductive magnet coil circuit.

A zero boiloff cryogen cooled recondensing superconducting magnet assembly including superconducting magnet coils suitable for magnetic resonance imaging including a cryogen pressure vessel to contain a liquid cryogen reservoir to provide cryogenic temperatures to the magnet coils for superconducting operation; a vacuum vessel surrounding the pressure vessel and spaced therefrom; a first thermal shield surrounding and spaced from the pressure vessel; a second thermal shield surrounding and spaced from the first thermal shield and intermediate the vacuum vessel and the first shield; a cryocooler thermally connected by a first and a second thermal interface to the first and second thermal shields, respectively; a recondenser positioned in the space between the pressure vessel and the first thermal shield and thermally connected by a thermal interface to the cryocooler to recondense, back to liquid, cryogen gas provided from the pressure vessel; and means for returning the recondensed liquid cryogen the pressure vessel; wherein the second thermal shield surrounding the first thermal shield reduces a radiation heat load from the first thermal shield to the pressure vessel lowering boiloff of cryogen gas under conditions of failure or power off of the cryocooler.

A method of constructing a superconducting coil. The method includes embedding a plurality of heater elements throughout a superconducting coil. The heater elements are positioned according to a predetermined distribution and substantially in thermal contact with the coil for heating the coil in response to a quench condition. Other aspects of the invention involve an active protection circuit and a high temperature superconductor magnet that includes such an active protection circuit for internally dissipating stored magnetic energy in the event of a quench.

To provide a composite conductor suitable as a connecting conductor capable of reducing generation of Joule heat in a joint part between a conductor on a system side and a conductor on a power-supply side, while using a superconductor with less thermal invasion to a superconductive apparatus system. A composite conductor 10 comprises a superconductor 12 provided continuously in the flowing direction of the electric current, and a metal conductor 11 joined with the superconductor 12 and provided at least at a joint part with mating conductors 50, 60 to be joined, wherein the electric current is fed and received between the metal conductor 11 and the mating conductors 50, 60 by joining the metal conductor 11 and the mating conductors 50, 60, and wherein the superconductor 12 is arranged in the metal conductor 11 so as to be approximately parallel to the joint surface (joint interface) between the metal conductor 11 and the mating conductors 50, 60.

A wireless energy transfer system includes a primary and one (or more) secondary oscillators for transferring energy therebetween when resonating at the same frequency. The long range (up to and beyond 100 m) efficient (as high as and above 50%) energy transfer is achieved due to minimizing (or eliminating) losses in the system. Superconducting materials are used for all current carrying elements, dielectrics are either avoided altogether, or those are used with a low dissipation factor, and the system is operated at reduced frequencies (below 1 MHz). The oscillators are contoured as a compact flat coil formed from a superconducting wire material. The energy wavelengths exceed the coils diameter by several orders of magnitude. The reduction in radiative losses is enhanced by adding external dielectric-less electrical capacitance to each oscillator coil to reduce the operating frequency. The dielectric strength of the capacitor is increased by applying a magnetic cross-field to the capacitor to impede the electrons motion across an air gap defined between coaxial cylindrical electrodes.

A device and method for making a persistent joint allowing end terminations of superconducting MgB2 wire to be joined with a superconducting bridge. Superconducting electromagnetic coils may be joined in series or joining of coil assemblies to current sources and the two ends of a persistent switch. The device includes wire filaments with end preparation exposing reacted MgB2, inserted into a block and surrounded with Mg+B and / or MgB2 in powder, solid, slurry or sol-gel form and subsequently reacted to establish a bridge of superconducting MgB2 electrically connecting the superconducting MgB2 wires. Autonomous operation of the superconducting background magnet coils in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) devices are allowed, or similar devices where autonomous operation of an MgB2 based superconducting magnet is required. The low resistant joint will also be beneficial for other superconducting applications such as fault current limiters, motors, generators, etc.

A method of preparing a biaxially textured article comprises the steps of providing a metal preform, coating or laminating the preform with a metal layer, deforming the layer to a sufficient degree, and rapidly recrystallizing the layer to produce a biaxial texture. A superconducting epitaxial layer may then be deposited on the biaxial texture. In some embodiments the article further comprises buffer layers, electromagnetic devices or electro-optical devices.

A terminal for connecting a superconducting multiphase cable, a superconducting three-phase cable for example, to a room temperature electrical equipment is described. The terminal includes a casing with cooling fluid, inside which the three cable superconductors are each connected with a resistive conductor the end of which is connected to the room temperature equipment phases at the outside of the casing. The terminal includes superconducting connectors between the three neutral superconductors and a single resistive conductor the end of which is externally associated with the room temperature equipment. The neutral superconducting connectors and the junction area of the connector of the single conductor are disposed inside the cold area of the casing.

A superconducting magnet assembly and method of cooling a superconducting magnet assembly. An embodiment of the method of manufacturing a superconducting magnet assembly includes: providing a housing configured about a vacuum reservoir; forming a coil former; surrounding the coil former with a thermal shield; locating the thermal shield in the vacuum reservoir; positioning a superconducting magnet about the coil former, wherein the superconducting magnet is configured about a central core to receive an object; providing a second vacuum reservoir having a cryogen reservoir therein; providing two two-phase heat transfer devices wherein each comprises tubing having an evaporator region and a condenser region; thermally connecting the evaporator region of one of the heat transfer devices with the coil former and / or the superconducting magnet and the evaporator region of the other two-phase heat transfer device with the thermal shield; and thermally connecting a cryocooler to the cryogen reservoir and to the condensing region of both heat transfer devices.

A cryostat for providing temperature regulation, one purpose being measuring physical properties of materials, the cryostat employing a superconducting magnet assembly for generating variable magnetic field in the sample space and a cryogenic cooler for cooling the sample space. The cryogenic cooler chamber configuration provides for efficient heat exchange between different stages of the cryogenic cooler without the need for physical heat links. This construction enables selective delivery of cooling power from the cryogenic cooler to the desired areas within the cryostat without using flexible physical thermal links. A counter flow exchanger and ambient temperature valves facilitate efficient use of the cryogenic cooler stages. The removal of large heat load generated by the superconducting magnet while operating in the sweeping mode is achieved, in part, by employing a solid plate thermal coupling element between the cryogenic cooler chamber and the magnet assembly.