SUPERCONDUCTING APPARATUS

• US 20100148894A1
• Filed: 12/16/2009
• Published: 06/17/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 12/17/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Aisin Seiki Co., Ltd. (Aisin Corp.), Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Aisin Seiki Co., Ltd. (Aisin Corp.), Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Okumura, Nobuo, OHASHI, Yoshimasa, Kusumi, Hidetoshi
• Granted Patent: US 8,283,821 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 335/216
• CPC Class Codes: H01F 6/00 Superconducting magnets; Superconducting coils magnetic resonance assemblies using superconducting coil systems G01R33/3815
• CPC Class Codes: H02K 5/225 Terminal boxes or connection arrangements specially adapted for submersible motors H02K5/132
• CPC Class Codes: H02K 55/02 of the synchronous type
• CPC Class Codes: H02K 9/20 wherein the cooling medium vaporises within the machine casing
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 40/60 Superconducting electric elements or equipment; Power systems integrating superconducting elements or equipment

Abstract

A superconducting apparatus includes a magnetic field generating portion including a superconducting coil, an extremely low temperature generating portion maintaining the superconducting coil at an extremely low temperature and in a superconducting state, a container defining a heat insulation chamber that accommodates the superconducting coil, a first terminal electrically connected to the superconducting coil and supplying an electric power to the superconducting coil, a second terminal connected to an external electric power source and supplying the electric power to the first terminal in a case where the magnetic field generating portion is driven, and a heat penetration preventing element holding one of the first and second terminals and thermally separating the first and second terminals from each other in a case where a driving of the magnetic field generating portion is stopped, the heat penetration preventing element restraining a heat penetration from the second terminal to the first terminal.

Claims

1. A superconducting apparatus, comprising:

a magnetic field generating portion including a superconducting coil that generates a magnetic flux;

an extremely low temperature generating portion maintaining the superconducting coil at an extremely low temperature and maintaining the superconducting coil in a superconducting state;

a container defining a heat insulation chamber that accommodates the superconducting coil;

a first terminal electrically connected to the superconducting coil and supplying an electric power to the superconducting coil;

a second terminal connected to an external electric power source and supplying the electric power to the first terminal in a case where the magnetic field generating portion is driven; and

a heat penetration preventing element holding one of the first and second terminals and thermally separating the first and second terminals from each other in a case where a driving of the magnetic field generating portion is stopped, the heat penetration preventing element restraining a heat penetration from the second terminal to the first terminal.

2. The superconducting apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the magnetic field generating portion includes a superconducting motor having a stator and a mover which is movable relative to the stator, and the superconducting coil is provided at one of the stator and the mover.

3. The superconducting apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the container includes a first holding portion holding the first terminal and the heat penetration preventing element includes a second holding portion holding the second terminal and a distance adjusting portion adjusting a distance between the first holding portion and the second holding portion, the distance adjusting portion separating the first holding portion and the second holding portion from each other to mechanically separate the second terminal held by the second holding portion from the first terminal held by the first holding portion, the first terminal and the second terminal being thermally separated from each other.

4. The superconducting apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the heat insulation chamber of the container includes a vacuum heat insulation chamber, and the heat penetration preventing element is maintained in a vacuum heat insulation state while being connected to the vacuum heat insulation chamber, the heat penetration preventing element including a thermally insulated chamber having a hollow shape in which the first terminal and the second terminal are electrically connected to each other in a case where the magnetic field generating portion is driven.

5. The superconducting apparatus according to claim 1, wherein one of the first and second terminals includes a female portion and the other one of the first and second terminals includes a male portion engageable with the female portion.

6. The superconducting apparatus according to claim 5, further comprising an elastic member disposed between the female portion and the male portion and being elastically deformable, the elastic member being formed by a conductive material to improve an electric contact between the female portion and the male portion.

7. A movable connecting device for selectively establishing and interrupting an electrical connection between an electric power source and a superconducting apparatus, the movable connecting device comprising:

a movable member;

a thermally insulated chamber provided between the superconducting apparatus and the movable member;

first plural terminals extending from the superconducting apparatus into the thermally insulated chamber;

second plural terminals extending from the electric power source into the thermally insulated chamber; and

a driving device moving the movable member in first and second directions, to establish connecting and disconnecting conditions between the first plural terminals and the second plural terminals, when the superconducting apparatus is in operation and out of operation, respectively.