Abstract: A permanent current switch for short circuiting a superconducting magnet with at least two contacts, in which the contact surface of one of the contacts has the shape of a calotte and the contact force (F) is at least 500 N, permitting the use of contacts made exclusively of normally conducting material and resulting in a simple, operationally reliable mechanism.

Abstract: In a current feed for a superconducting magnet coil that can be short circuited, with a disconnecting device for separating a movable from a stationary cooled contact element, the mass ratio of the cooled contact element to the movable contact element is at least 5:1 and the cooled contact element is of elongated shape in the direction of the current flow, has a thermal resistance of at least 0.2 K/W for each 1000 amperes of current to be transmitted, has its end facing away from the contact region provided with cooling fins and is connected to the end of the coil, thereby keeping the amount of heat transmitted from the warm to the cold contact element relatively small and preventing undue warming of the coil end.

Abstract: In an arrangement for forced cooling of a magnet coil winding with coolant connecting points for feeding in and discharging a coolant into and from the winding, the superconducting conductors of which have operating points which have different deviations from the respective nearest transition point of the superconductive material, the coolant connecting point for discharging the coolant from the winding is disposed at the coolant connecting point with the shortest distance to that conductor zone of the winding, the operating point of which is closest to a transition point to thereby prevent a spread of a quench starting at this critical conductor zone, through the coolant.

Abstract: Contactless suspension and guidance of a vehicle using a plurality of primary magnet loops in the vehicle arranged parallel to each other which react with secondary conductors on the roadbed is obtained by providing two vertically arranged primary conductor loops on the vehicle which cooperate with a stabilizing secondary conductor loop disposed between them to form a zero flux system for lateral guidance with a secondary conductor for suspension arranged perpendicular to the vertical conductor loops and below the stabilizing secondary conductor loop to form a normal flux system for suspension, whereby because of the mutual spatial relationship of the two primary conductor loops separate loops for the normal flux system are not required.