Superconducting magnet assembly with suppressed leakage magnetic field

• US 4,968,961 A
• Filed: 08/23/1988
• Issued: 11/06/1990
• Est. Priority Date: 08/26/1987
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Hitachi Medical Corporation (Hitachi, Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Inventors: Kuroda, Kunishige, Miyajima, Goh
• Primary Examiner(s): NOT, DEFINED
• Application Number:
  US07/235,095
• Time in Patent Office: 805 Days
• Field of Search: 335/216, 335/299, 335/301, 505/1, 324/318, 324/319, 324/320
• US Class Current: 335/216
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 33/3815 with superconducting coils, e.g. power supply therefor
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 33/421 of main or gradient magnetic field

Abstract

A superconducting magnetic assembly has a first superconducting coil for generating a magnetic field in an internal magnetic space in the first superconducting coil, a pair of second superconducting coils one provided at each end of the first superconducting coil for generating a cancelling magnetic field counteracting a leakage magnetic field leaking from the magnetic field in the internal space, and a magnetic shield of a superconducting material surrounding the first superconducting coil so as to be open to the internal space.

Claims

1. A superconducting magnet assembly with suppressed leakage magnetic field, comprising:

first superconducting coil means for providing an internal magnetic space therein and generating a first magnetic field in said internal space;

magnetic shield means having a superconducting material exhibiting perfect diamagnetism arranged to cover said first superconducting coil means and to be open to said internal space for enabling generation of said first magnetic field in said internal space by said first superconducting coil means, said first magnetic field undesirably leaking through said internal space to cause a leakage magnetic field to appear in an external space surrounding the superconducting magnet assembly; and

second superconducting coil means including a pair of superconducting coil units, said superconducting coil units being located at first and second end portions, respectively, of said first superconducting coil means as viewed in a direction parallel with the direction of magnetic flux for said first magnetic field in said internal space for generating a second magnetic field in said external space, the polarity of said second magnetic field being opposite to that of said first magnetic field.

2. An assembly according to claim 1, in which said magnetic shield means has such a shape as substantially surrounding said first superconducting coil means.

3. An assembly according to claim 2, in which said magnetic shield means is of a cylindrical shape with flanges at its opposing ends inwardly extending, and said second superconducting coil means is outside said cylindrical magnetic shield means.

4. An assembly according to claim 1, in which said second superconducting coil means is substantially coaxial with said first superconducting coil means.

5. An assembly according to claim 1, in which said magnetic shield means is in a multilayer structure having thermally conductive layers and superconducting layers laminated alternately.

8. A superconducting magnet assembly in accordance with claim 1, wherein said magnetic shield means includes portions disposed between said first and second end portions of said first superconducting coil means and the pair of superconducting coil units.

6. A superconducting magnet assembly with suppressed leakage magnetic field, comprising:

first superconducting coil means for providing an internal magnetic space therein and for generating a first magnetic field in said internal space, said first magnetic field undesirably leaking through said internal space to cause a leakage magnetic field to appear in an external space surrounding the superconducting magnet assembly;

second superconducting coil means including a pair of superconducting coil units located at first and second end portions, respectively, of said first superconducting coil means as viewed in a direction parallel with the direction of magnetic flux for said first magnetic field in said internal space, for generating a second magnetic field in said external space, the polarity of said second magnetic field being opposite to that of said first magnetic field; and

magnetic shield means having a superconducting material exhibiting perfect diamagnetism and arranged to cover said first superconducting coil means and to be open to said internal space to enable generation of said first magnetic field in said internal space by said first superconducting coil means, said magnetic shield means at least suppressing the leakage magnetic field produced by said first superconducting coil means in a radial outward direction with respect to said first superconducting coil means thereby eliminating a need for an additional superconducting coil located radially outward from said first superconducting coil.

7. A superconducting magnet assembly in accordance with claim 6, wherein said magnetic shield means includes portions disposed between the first and second end portions of said first superconducting coil means and the pair of superconducting coil units.