Patents Assigned to Japan Superconductor Technology, Inc.
  • Publication number: 20240038427
    Abstract: A superconducting coil device according to one embodiment of the present invention includes: A superconducting coil device including: a bobbin having a tubular body; superconducting wires, a part of which constitutes a wound portion where the superconducting wires are wound on the bobbin; a bobbin-side guide portion holding the superconducting wires extending from the bobbin, the bobbin-side guide portion being provided to extend in a bobbin axial direction, which is an axial direction of the body of the bobbin; a first guide portion holding the superconducting wires extending from the bobbin-side guide portion, the first guide portion being arranged on an outer side of the bobbin-side guide portion in a direction intersecting the bobbin axial direction and provided to extend in the direction intersecting the bobbin axial direction; and a second guide portion capable of holding the superconducting wires extending from the first guide portion, the second guide portion being provided to extend in a direction in
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 11, 2021
    Publication date: February 1, 2024
    Applicants: JAPAN SUPERCONDUCTOR TECHNOLOGY INC., RIKEN, SUMITOMO ELECTRIC INDUSTRIES, LTD.
    Inventors: Masatoshi YOSHIKAWA, Yasuyuki MIYOSHI, Mamoru HAMADA, Kazuyoshi SAITO, Yoshinori YANAGISAWA, Renzhong PIAO, Kotaro OHKI, Takashi YAMAGUCHI, Tatsuoki NAGAISHI
  • Patent number: 11828513
    Abstract: Provided is a helium recondensation apparatus for a cryostat, which can stably recondense vapor of helium in the cryostat while preventing a pipeline for the recondensation from being clogged. A recondensation apparatus includes a freezer, a first heat exchanger, a first recondensing chamber, and a first connection part. The first heat exchanger stores heat-exchanging helium in a helium tank included in an NMR apparatus, and permits the heat-exchanging helium to evaporate owing to heat of vaporization taken from vapor of coolant helium in the helium tank, thereby permitting the coolant helium to recondense through heat exchange with the heat-exchanging helium. The first connection part is separated from the coolant helium in the helium tank and permits the heat-exchanging helium to flow between the first heat exchanger and the first recondensing chamber therethrough.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 15, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 28, 2023
    Assignee: JAPAN SUPERCONDUCTOR TECHNOLOGY INC.
    Inventor: Satoshi Ito
  • Patent number: 11732930
    Abstract: Provided is a cooling container, that includes a container body, a first cooling target terminal, a second cooling target terminal, a cylinder holder raised and lowered while holding a cylinder in a posture where first and second lower surfaces of first-stage and second-stage cold heads of the refrigerator are opposed to first and second cooling target surfaces of the first and the second-stage cold heads, respectively, a second raising and lowering mechanism raising and lowering the cylinder holder between a position where the second lower surface contacts the second cooling target surface and a position thereabove, and a first raising and lowering mechanism raising and lowering the first cooling target terminal between a position where the first lower surface contacts the first cooling target surface and a position therebelow.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 31, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 22, 2023
    Assignee: JAPAN SUPERCONDUCTOR TECHNOLOGY INC.
    Inventors: Hitoshi Miyata, Satoshi Ito, Hirochika Watanabe
  • Patent number: 11551842
    Abstract: To provide a superconducting magnet apparatus with a structure which can prevent an increase in apparatus size even when a number of connection portions serving to connect superconducting wires is great. The superconducting magnet apparatus includes a first wiring-holding portion (tubular body (12)) extending from a bobbin (6) in an axial direction of a superconducting coil (1) and a second wiring-holding portion (joint plate (13)) which is provided on a same side in the axial direction as the tubular body (12), extends in a direction intersecting with the axial direction, and has a greater diameter than that of the bobbin (6) and the tubular body (12). Superconducting wires (7a to 11a) which extend from the superconducting coil (1) and connect to one another are spirally wound on the tubular body (12) and fastened to a groove (13a) formed on the joint plate (13).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 13, 2020
    Date of Patent: January 10, 2023
    Assignees: JAPAN SUPERCONDUCTOR TECHNOLOGY INC., RIKEN
    Inventors: Mamoru Hamada, Yoshinori Yanagisawa, Yu Suetomi
  • Publication number: 20220397311
    Abstract: Provided is a helium recondensation apparatus for a cryostat, which can stably recondense vapor of helium in the cryostat while preventing a pipeline for the recondensation from being clogged. A recondensation apparatus includes a freezer, a first heat exchanger, a first recondensing chamber, and a first connection part. The first heat exchanger stores heat-exchanging helium in a helium tank included in an NMR apparatus, and permits the heat-exchanging helium to evaporate owing to heat of vaporization taken from vapor of coolant helium in the helium tank, thereby permitting the coolant helium to recondense through heat exchange with the heat-exchanging helium. The first connection part is separated from the coolant helium in the helium tank and permits the heat-exchanging helium to flow between the first heat exchanger and the first recondensing chamber therethrough.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 15, 2020
    Publication date: December 15, 2022
    Applicant: JAPAN SUPERCONDUCTOR TECHNOLOGY INC.
    Inventor: Satoshi ITO
  • Publication number: 20220351880
    Abstract: A superconducting wire holding structure includes a holding member made of a first material, a superconducting wire disposed inside the holding member, and a filler made of a second material different from the first material. The superconducting wire includes a substrate, an intermediate layer formed on the substrate, a superconducting layer formed on the intermediate layer, and a first protective layer and a second protective layer that are formed on the superconducting layer. The superconducting layer includes a first portion, a second portion, and a third portion between the first portion and the second portion along a longitudinal direction of the superconducting wire. The first protective layer is formed on the first portion, and the second protective layer is formed on the second portion. The filler is filled between the third portion and the holding member.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 31, 2020
    Publication date: November 3, 2022
    Applicants: Sumitomo Electric Industries, Ltd., RIKEN, Japan Superconductor Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Takashi YAMAGUCHI, Kotaro OHKI, Tatsuoki NAGAISHI, Yoshinori YANAGISAWA, Mamoru HAMADA
  • Publication number: 20220344564
    Abstract: A persistent current switch includes a superconducting wire including a substrate and a superconducting layer disposed on the substrate, and a heater. The superconducting wire includes a surface including a first portion and a second portion that are disposed apart from each other along a longitudinal direction of the superconducting wire. The first portion and the second portion face each other. The heater is sandwiched between the first portion and the second portion.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 31, 2020
    Publication date: October 27, 2022
    Applicants: Sumitomo Electric Industries, Ltd., RIKEN, Japan Superconductor Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Takashi YAMAGUCHI, Kotaro OHKI, Tatsuoki NAGAISHI, Yoshinori YANAGISAWA, Mamoru HAMADA
  • Publication number: 20210356176
    Abstract: Provided is a cooling container, that includes a container body, a first cooling target terminal, a second cooling target terminal, a cylinder holder raised and lowered while holding a cylinder in a posture where first and second lower surfaces of first-stage and second-stage cold heads of the refrigerator are opposed to first and second cooling target surfaces of the first and the second-stage cold heads, respectively, a second raising and lowering mechanism raising and lowering the cylinder holder between a position where the second lower surface contacts the second cooling target surface and a position thereabove, and a first raising and lowering mechanism raising and lowering the first cooling target terminal between a position where the first lower surface contacts the first cooling target surface and a position therebelow.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 31, 2019
    Publication date: November 18, 2021
    Applicant: JAPAN SUPERCONDUCTOR TECHNOLOGY INC.
    Inventors: Hitoshi MIYATA, Satoshi ITO, Hirochika WATANABE
  • Publication number: 20200365303
    Abstract: To provide a superconducting magnet apparatus with a structure which can prevent an increase in apparatus size even when a number of connection portions serving to connect superconducting wires is great. The superconducting magnet apparatus includes a first wiring-holding portion (tubular body (12)) extending from a bobbin (6) in an axial direction of a superconducting coil (1) and a second wiring-holding portion (joint plate (13)) which is provided on a same side in the axial direction as the tubular body (12), extends in a direction intersecting with the axial direction, and has a greater diameter than that of the bobbin (6) and the tubular body (12). Superconducting wires (7a to 11a) which extend from the superconducting coil (1) and connect to one another are spirally wound on the tubular body (12) and fastened to a groove (13a) formed on the joint plate (13).
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 13, 2020
    Publication date: November 19, 2020
    Applicants: JAPAN SUPERCONDUCTOR TECHNOLOGY INC., RIKEN
    Inventors: Mamoru HAMADA, Yoshinori YANAGISAWA, Yu SUETOMI
  • Patent number: 10699830
    Abstract: There is provided a superconducting magnet device that suppresses interference of a part of a tape wire wound around a center axis with another adjacent part. The number of unit wire layer turns of a first coil among the plurality of first coils is smaller than a mean value of the respective numbers of unit wire layer turns of the plurality of first coils, the number of unit wire layer turns of each of the first coils being expressed by a mean value of the respective numbers of turns of the tape wire in the plurality of wire layers, the first coil being disposed at such a position that compressive force acting on the first coil in a direction in which the center axis extends is the largest on the assumption that the respective numbers of unit wire layer turns of the plurality of first coils were the same.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 20, 2018
    Date of Patent: June 30, 2020
    Assignees: JAPAN SUPERCONDUCTOR TECHNOLOGY INC., RIKEN
    Inventors: Mamoru Hamada, Yoshinori Yanagisawa
  • Patent number: 10656223
    Abstract: A magnetic field generation apparatus includes a main coil and a variable-current correction coil. The main coil is formed by winding a ReBCO-based superconductive wire rod and generates a magnetic field in a measurement space. The variable-current correction coil is variable in a value of a current, coaxial with the main coil and disposed inside the main coil, and generates a magnetic field which corrects a uniformity of the magnetic field generated by the main coil.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 10, 2014
    Date of Patent: May 19, 2020
    Assignee: JAPAN SUPERCONDUCTOR TECHNOLOGY, INC.
    Inventors: Mamoru Hamada, Hideaki Maeda, Yoshinori Yanagisawa, Hideki Nakagome
  • Patent number: 10580555
    Abstract: Provided is a superconducting coil pre-cooling method for cooling a superconducting coil in a superconducting magnet apparatus including: the superconducting coil; a helium tank; a radiation shield; a vacuum case; and a refrigerator including a first cooling stage and a second cooling stage, a passage being disposed between the refrigerator and the radiation shield. The method includes: a supplying step of supplying a working medium in a gaseous state having a condensation point lower than a condensation point of nitrogen into a refrigerator surrounding tube; a cooling step of cooling the superconducting coil in a tank body by the working medium in the gaseous state that is cooled in the first cooling stage and further cooled in the second cooling stage after passing through the passage; and a discharging step of discharging the working medium that has cooled the superconducting coil in the tank body, out of the vacuum case.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 26, 2017
    Date of Patent: March 3, 2020
    Assignee: JAPAN SUPERCONDUCTOR TECHNOLOGY INC.
    Inventor: Satoshi Ito
  • Patent number: 10475562
    Abstract: A method for maintaining a refrigeration unit includes a connecting step of connecting a refrigerator body to a vacuum case with a first cooling stage in thermal contact with a radiation shield, where in the connecting step, the fastening force of the fastening member is adjusted such that the temperature of the first cooling stage becomes a target temperature.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 23, 2017
    Date of Patent: November 12, 2019
    Assignee: JAPAN SUPERCONDUCTOR TECHNOLOGY INC.
    Inventors: Hitoshi Miyata, Atsuko Oka
  • Patent number: 10330259
    Abstract: A cryostat includes a coolant tank, a refrigerator, a cylindrical member, and a gas phase volume-varying unit. The coolant tank houses a liquid coolant. The refrigerator is provided above the coolant tank and recondenses the coolant evaporated in the coolant tank. The cylindrical member houses a lower part of the refrigerator and forms a recondensing chamber that communicates with the coolant tank. The gas phase volume-varying unit communicates with a gas-phase space above a liquid surface of the liquid coolant in the coolant tank and varies a gas phase volume in the gas-phase space to cancel out a pressure fluctuation in the coolant tank.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 24, 2014
    Date of Patent: June 25, 2019
    Assignee: JAPAN SUPERCONDUCTOR TECHNOLOGY, INC.
    Inventors: Kazuhito Tago, Yasuhide Nagahama, Kentaro Kominato
  • Publication number: 20180315531
    Abstract: There is provided a superconducting magnet device that suppresses interference of a part of a tape wire wound around a center axis with another adjacent part. The number of unit wire layer turns of a first coil among the plurality of first coils is smaller than a mean value of the respective numbers of unit wire layer turns of the plurality of first coils, the number of unit wire layer turns of each of the first coils being expressed by a mean value of the respective numbers of turns of the tape wire in the plurality of wire layers, the first coil being disposed at such a position that compressive force acting on the first coil in a direction in which the center axis extends is the largest on the assumption that the respective numbers of unit wire layer turns of the plurality of first coils were the same.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 20, 2018
    Publication date: November 1, 2018
    Applicants: JAPAN SUPERCONDUCTOR TECHNOLOGY INC., RIKEN
    Inventors: Mamoru HAMADA, Yoshinori YANAGISAWA
  • Patent number: 10097067
    Abstract: Liquefier includes first compression section which is driven by a superconducting motor and which compresses a substance in a gaseous state. Cooling circuit includes: second compression section which is driven by the motor when first compression section is being driven by the motor and which compresses a refrigerant; first heat exchange section which cools the refrigerant by causing heat exchange between a substance in a tank and the compressed refrigerant; second expansion section which brings the refrigerant down to or below a critical temperature of a superconducting material by expanding the cooled refrigerant; and second heat exchange section which imparts cold heat of the refrigerant to the substance by causing heat exchange between the substance in the tank and the refrigerant after cooling a superconducting magnet, and supplies the refrigerant brought down to or below the critical temperature by second expansion section to the motor and cools the superconducting magnet.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 4, 2016
    Date of Patent: October 9, 2018
    Assignees: Kobe Steel, Ltd., JAPAN SUPERCONDUCTOR TECHNOLOGY INC.
    Inventors: Kenichi Inoue, Kazuyoshi Saitou, Kyoji Zaitsu, Koji Inoue, Satoshi Ito
  • Patent number: 10002697
    Abstract: A superconducting magnet device includes a superconducting coil, a radiation shield, a refrigeration unit, a vacuum case, an electrode member, and a conductive member. The vacuum case includes a case body housing the superconducting coil and a surrounding cover that surrounds the refrigeration unit. The conductive member includes a contact portion having a sleeve-shaped outer circumferential face and thermally contactable with an inner face of the surrounding cover via an insulating material. The surrounding cover includes a heat radiating part including at least a surface of a portion of the surrounding cover overlapping the contact portion in a radial direction of the surrounding cover. Thermal conductivity of the heat radiating part is higher than thermal conductivity of stainless steel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 23, 2017
    Date of Patent: June 19, 2018
    Assignee: JAPAN SUPERCONDUCTOR TECHNOLOGY INC.
    Inventor: Atsuko Oka
  • Publication number: 20180144852
    Abstract: Provided is a superconducting coil pre-cooling method for cooling a superconducting coil in a superconducting magnet apparatus including: the superconducting coil; a helium tank; a radiation shield; a vacuum case; and a refrigerator including a first cooling stage and a second cooling stage, a passage being disposed between the refrigerator and the radiation shield. The method includes: a supplying step of supplying a working medium in a gaseous state having a condensation point lower than a condensation point of nitrogen into a refrigerator surrounding tube; a cooling step of cooling the superconducting coil in a tank body by the working medium in the gaseous state that is cooled in the first cooling stage and further cooled in the second cooling stage after passing through the passage; and a discharging step of discharging the working medium that has cooled the superconducting coil in the tank body, out of the vacuum case.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 26, 2017
    Publication date: May 24, 2018
    Applicant: JAPAN SUPERCONDUCTOR TECHNOLOGY INC.
    Inventor: Satoshi ITO
  • Publication number: 20170294256
    Abstract: A superconducting magnet device includes a vacuum container having a tubular barrel portion; a magnet assembly including a superconducting coil, a refrigerant tank, and a radiation shield, the magnet assembly being housed in the vacuum container; a supporting block fixed to the barrel portion and protruding beyond the barrel portion to the inside of the vacuum container; and a connecting portion which connects the magnet assembly and the supporting block to each other such that the magnet assembly is spaced apart from the barrel portion within the vacuum container. The connecting portion has thermal conductivity lower than thermal conductivity of the supporting member. The supporting member receives weight of the magnet assembly via the connecting portion while protruding inwardly beyond at least an outer circumference surface of the radiation shield of the magnet assembly.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 27, 2017
    Publication date: October 12, 2017
    Applicant: JAPAN SUPERCONDUCTOR TECHNOLOGY INC.
    Inventors: Atsuko OKA, Shota KANAI
  • Publication number: 20170287607
    Abstract: A superconducting magnet device includes a superconducting coil, a radiation shield, a refrigeration unit, a vacuum case, an electrode member, and a conductive member. The vacuum case includes a case body housing the superconducting coil and a surrounding cover that surrounds the refrigeration unit. The conductive member includes a contact portion having a sleeve-shaped outer circumferential face and thermally contactable with an inner face of the surrounding cover via an insulating material. The surrounding cover includes a heat radiating part including at least a surface of a portion of the surrounding cover overlapping the contact portion in a radial direction of the surrounding cover. Thermal conductivity of the heat radiating part is higher than thermal conductivity of stainless steel.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 23, 2017
    Publication date: October 5, 2017
    Applicant: JAPAN SUPERCONDUCTOR TECHNOLOGY INC.
    Inventor: Atsuko OKA