Superconducting Coil

• US 20120142538A1
• Filed: 01/17/2012
• Published: 06/07/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 01/19/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Massachusetts Institute of Technology
• Original Assignee: Massachusetts Institute of Technology
• Inventors: Antaya, Timothy A., Schultz, Joel Henry
• Granted Patent: US 8,614,612 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 505/211
• CPC Class Codes: H05H 13/00 Magnetic resonance accelerators; Cyclotrons strophotrons, turbine tubes H01J25/62
• CPC Class Codes: H05H 13/02 Synchrocyclotrons, i.e. frequency modulated cyclotrons
• CPC Class Codes: H05H 7/04 Magnet systems , e.g. undulators, wigglers free-electron laser H01S3/0903; Energisation thereof
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 505/806 Niobium base, Nb
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 505/924 Making superconductive magnet or coil
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49014 Superconductor

Abstract

A superconducting coil includes (a) a plurality of windings of a coil comprising high-temperature superconductors and (b) an electrically conductive channel in which the high-temperature superconductors are mounted. The high-temperature superconductors can comprise at least one of the following: Ba₂Sr₂Ca₁Cu₂O₈ (2212), Ba₂Sr₂Ca₂Cu₃O₁₀ (2223), and YBa₂Cu₃O_7-x (123) superconductor.

Claims

1. A superconducting coil, comprising:

a plurality of windings of a coil comprising high-temperature superconductors; and

an electrically conductive channel in which the high-temperature superconductors are mounted.

2. The superconducting coil of claim 1, wherein the high-temperature superconductors comprise at least one of the following:

Ba₂Sr₂Ca₁Cu₂O₈ (2212), Ba₂Sr₂Ca₂Cu₃O₁₀ (2223), and YBa₂Cu₃O_7-x (123) superconductor.

3. The superconducting coil of claim 1, further comprising solder in the channel, wherein the solder bonds the coil comprising the high-temperature superconductors to the channel.

4. The superconducting coil of claim 3, wherein the channel comprises copper.

5. The superconducting coil of claim 1, wherein the coil includes at least 1,200 of the windings, and wherein the windings provide a current-carrying capacity of at least 2 million amps-turns in the coil.

6. The superconducting coil of claim 1, wherein the coil includes at least 1,500 of the windings, and wherein the windings provide a current-carrying capacity of at least 3 million amps-turns in the coil.

7. The superconducting coil of claim 1, further comprising a matrix between the windings.

8. The superconducting coil of claim 7, wherein the matrix comprises epoxy.

9. The superconducting coil of claim 8, wherein the matrix further comprises fiber.

10. The superconducting coil of claim 9, wherein the fiber comprises glass or carbon.

11. The superconducting coil of claim 1, wherein the channel has a cross-section with a radial dimension no greater than about 2.4 mm.

12. The superconducting coil of claim 1, wherein no more than four high-temperature superconductors are mounted in the cross-section of the channel.

13. A magnet structure, comprising:

at least one superconducting coil comprising a plurality of windings of a coil comprising Ba₂Sr₂Ca₁Cu₂O₈ (2212), Ba₂Sr₂Ca₂Cu₃O₁₀ (2223), or YBa₂Cu₃O_7-x (123) superconductors;

an electrically conductive channel in which the coil comprising the 2212, 2223 or 123 superconductors is mounted, with no more than nine 2212, 2223 or 123 superconductors mounted in a cross-section of the channel; and

a cryocooler configured and positioned to cool the superconducting coil.

14. The magnet structure of claim 13, wherein the cryocooler is a Gifford-McMahon cryocooler or a pulse-tube cryocooler.

15. The magnet structure of claim 13, further comprising at least one thermal coupling between the cryocooler and the superconducting coil.

16. The magnet structure of claim 15, wherein the thermal coupling is a superconducting current lead.

17. The magnet structure of claim 13, further comprising a matrix between the windings.

18. The magnet structure of claim 17, wherein the matrix comprises a glass-fiber/epoxy composite.

19. The magnet structure of claim 13, further comprising:

a bobbin in which the superconducting coil is mounted; and

radial-tension links coupled with the bobbin and applying outward radial tension on the bobbin at a plurality of positions.

20. The magnet structure of claim 19, further comprising a pressurized bladder positioned between each coil and the bobbin to apply radial inward force on the coil.

21. The magnet structure of claim 13, wherein the structure includes at least two of the superconducting coils, the magnet structure further comprising a magnetic yoke that contains the superconducting coils.

22. The magnet structure of claim 21, wherein the magnetic yoke comprises a pair of poles, wherein the poles are on opposite sides of a median acceleration plane, and wherein the magnet structure further comprises an ion source configured to release ions into the median acceleration plane for acceleration.

23. The magnet structure of claim 22, wherein the superconducting coils have an outer radius no greater than 20 inches.

24. A superconducting coil configured for a cyclotron, comprising:

a plurality of windings for making a main field;

a set of separate radially distributed coils for modifying this field comprising high-temperature superconductors; and

an electrically conductive channel in which the high-temperature superconductors are mounted.

25. The superconducting coil of claim 24, wherein the high-temperature superconductors comprise at least one of the following:

Ba₂Sr₂Ca₁Cu₂O₈ (2212), Ba₂Sr₂Ca₂Cu₃O₁₀ (2223), and YBa₂Cu₃O_7-x (123) superconductor.