Patents by Inventor Joerg HINDERER
Joerg HINDERER has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).
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Patent number: 11875936Abstract: A method is provided for homogenizing a magnetic field profile of a superconductor magnet system having a cryostat with a room temperature bore, a superconductor bulk magnet with at least three axially stacked bulk sub-magnets, arranged coaxially with the room temperature bore, and a cryogenic cooling system for cooling the superconductor bulk magnet. The cryogenic cooling system independently controls the temperature of each bulk sub-magnet to provide different respective temperatures to the sub-magnets and thereby provide the sub-magnets with different relative currents such that a first subset of the bulk sub-magnets are almost magnetically saturated, and a second subset of the bulk sub-magnets are significantly away from magnetic saturation. By controlling a heating power and/or a cooling power at the bulk sub-magnets without measuring the temperatures of the bulk sub-magnets, the respective currents of the bulk sub-magnets are changed to increase a homogeneity of the field profile.Type: GrantFiled: November 7, 2022Date of Patent: January 16, 2024Inventors: Stephen Alfred March, Joerg Hinderer, Franck Borgnolutti
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Patent number: 11798720Abstract: A superconductor magnet system (2) includes a cryostat (4), a superconductor bulk magnet (5), and a cryogenic cooling system (12). The bulk magnet (5) has at least N axially stacked bulk sub-magnets (6a-6c), with N?3. Between each two axially neighboring bulk sub-magnets, an intermediate body (7a-7b) is arranged. The intermediate bodies (7a-7b) are made from a non-metallic thermal insulator material. The cryogenic cooling system (12) is adapted for independently controlling the temperature of each bulk sub-magnet (6a-6c), and has, for each bulk sub-magnet, a temperature sensor (16a-16c) for sensing the temperature of the respective bulk sub-magnet and an adjustment unit (13a-13c) for adjusting a heating power and/or a cooling power at the respective bulk sub-magnet.Type: GrantFiled: May 11, 2021Date of Patent: October 24, 2023Assignee: BRUKER SWITZERLAND AGInventors: Joerg Hinderer, Stephen Alfred March, Franck Borgnolutti, Dmitry Eshchenko, Stephan Heiss, Pierre-Alain Bovier
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Publication number: 20230146604Abstract: A method is provided for homogenizing a magnetic field profile of a superconductor magnet system having a cryostat with a room temperature bore, a superconductor bulk magnet with at least three axially stacked bulk sub-magnets, arranged coaxially with the room temperature bore, and a cryogenic cooling system for cooling the superconductor bulk magnet. The cryogenic cooling system independently controls the temperature of each bulk sub-magnet to provide different respective temperatures to the sub-magnets and thereby provide the sub-magnets with different relative currents such that a first subset of the bulk sub-magnets are almost magnetically saturated, and a second subset of the bulk sub-magnets are significantly away from magnetic saturation. By controlling a heating power and/or a cooling power at the bulk sub-magnets without measuring the temperatures of the bulk sub-magnets, the respective currents of the bulk sub-magnets are changed to increase a homogeneity of the field profile.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 7, 2022Publication date: May 11, 2023Inventors: Stephen Alfred MARCH, Joerg HINDERER, Franck BORGNOLUTTI
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Patent number: 11551843Abstract: A superconductor bulk magnet magnetizing method providing a more homogenous trapped magnetic field includes: placing the bulk magnet inside a charger bore of an electrical charger magnet; placing a field correction unit inside a superconductor bore of the bulk magnet; applying an electrical current (I0) to the charger magnet, to generate an externally applied magnetic field, wherein a temperature Tbulk of the bulk magnet exceeds a bulk magnet critical temperature Tc; applying an auxiliary electrical current (I1, . . . ) to the field correction unit, thus generating an auxiliary magnetic field applied to the bulk magnet from within the superconductor bore, wherein Tbulk>Tc; lowering Tbulk below Tc; turning off the electrical current at the charger magnet, wherein Tbulk<Tc, and turning off the auxiliary electrical current at the field correction unit, wherein Tbulk<Tc; and removing the bulk magnet from the charger bore while Tbulk<Tc.Type: GrantFiled: November 20, 2019Date of Patent: January 10, 2023Assignee: BRUKER SWITZERLAND AGInventors: Joerg Hinderer, Stephen Alfred March, Franck Borgnolutti
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Patent number: 11527343Abstract: Charging method for a superconductor magnet system with reduced stray field, weight and space includes: arranging the system within a charger magnet bore; with Tmain>Tmaincrit and Tshield>Tshieldcrit, applying a current Icharger to the charger magnet and increasing Icharger to a first current I1>0; lowering a main superconductor bulk magnet temperature Tmain to an operation temperature Tmainop, with Tmainop<Tmaincrit, while keeping Tshield>Tshieldcrit; lowering Icharger to a second current I2<0, thereby inducing a persistent current IPmain in the main magnet; lowering a shield magnet temperature Tshield to an operation temperature Tshieldop, with Tshieldop<Tshieldcrit; increasing Icharger to zero, thereby inducing a persistent current IPshield in the shield magnet; removing the magnet system from the charger bore, and keeping Tmain?Tmainop with Tmainop<Tmaincrit and Tshield?Tshieldop with Tshieldop<Tshieldcrit; where: Tmaincrit: main magnet critical temperature and Tshieldcrit: shieType: GrantFiled: October 30, 2020Date of Patent: December 13, 2022Assignee: BRUKER SWITZERLAND AGInventors: Stephen Alfred March, Joerg Hinderer, Stephan Heiss
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Publication number: 20220285060Abstract: A method for charging a superconductor bulk magnet includes: step a) charging the magnet charger system so as to generate a first magnetic field in the sample volume, the superconductor bulk magnet having a temperature T>Tc (300); step b) cooling the superconductor bulk magnet to a temperature T<Tc (400); step c) discharging the magnet charger system, which inductively charges the superconductor bulk magnet, such that the superconductor bulk magnet traps a second magnetic field in the sample volume (500). In step a), the field adjustment unit is set such that the first magnetic field generated by the magnet charger system in the sample volume includes a homogeneous magnetic field component and at least one non-homogeneous magnetic field component (300). The non-homogeneous field component is chosen so that the second magnetic field of step c) has a higher homogeneity than the first magnetic field of step a) in the sample volume.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 4, 2022Publication date: September 8, 2022Inventors: Stephen Alfred MARCH, Joerg HINDERER, Frank BORGNOLUTTI, Kenneth J. GUENTER
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Publication number: 20210358666Abstract: A superconductor magnet system (2) includes a cryostat (4), a superconductor bulk magnet (5), and a cryogenic cooling system (12). The bulk magnet (5) has at least N axially stacked bulk sub-magnets (6a-6c), with N?3. Between each two axially neighboring bulk sub-magnets, an intermediate body (7a-7b) is arranged. The intermediate bodies (7a-7b) are made from a non-metallic thermal insulator material. The cryogenic cooling system (12) is adapted for independently controlling the temperature of each bulk sub-magnet (6a-6c), and has, for each bulk sub-magnet, a temperature sensor (16a-16c) for sensing the temperature of the respective bulk sub-magnet and an adjustment unit (13a-13c) for adjusting a heating power and/or a cooling power at the respective bulk sub-magnet.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 11, 2021Publication date: November 18, 2021Inventors: Joerg Hinderer, Stephen Alfred March, Franck Borgnolutti, Dmitry Eshchenko, Stephan Heiss, Pierre-Alain Bovier
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Publication number: 20210151230Abstract: Charging method for a superconductor magnet system with reduced stray field, weight and space includes: arranging the system within a charger magnet bore; with Tmain>Tmaincrit and Tshield>Tshieldcrit, applying a current Icharger to the charger magnet and increasing Icharger to a first current I1>0; lowering a main superconductor bulk magnet temperature Tmain to an operation temperature Tmainop, with Tmainop<Tmaincrit, while keeping Tshield>Tshieldcrit; lowering Icharger to a second current I2<0, thereby inducing a persistent current IPmain in the main magnet; lowering a shield magnet temperature Tshield to an operation temperature Tshieldop, with Tshieldop<Tshieldcrit; increasing Icharger to zero, thereby inducing a persistent current IPshield in the shield magnet; removing the magnet system from the charger bore, and keeping Tmain?Tmainop with Tmainop<Tmaincrit and Tshield?Tshieldop with Tshieldop<Tshieldcrit; where: Tmaincrit: main magnet critical temperature and Tshieldcrit: shieType: ApplicationFiled: October 30, 2020Publication date: May 20, 2021Inventors: Stephen Alfred MARCH, Joerg HINDERER, Stephan HEISS
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Patent number: 10998127Abstract: A superconductor magnet apparatus (2) includes a superconductor bulk magnet (9), a cryostat (7) and a ferromagnetic shielding body (11). The bulk magnet has a superconductor bore (10), an axis (z) of rotational symmetry, and a maximum outer diameter ODbm in a plane perpendicular to the z axis. The superconductor bore has a minimum cross-sectional area Sbo in a plane perpendicular to the z axis. The cryostat has a room temperature bore (8), the bulk magnet is arranged within the cryostat and the room temperature bore is arranged within the superconductor bore. The shielding body has a shielding bore (12), the bulk magnet is arranged within the shielding bore and the shielding body extends beyond the bulk magnet at each axial end by at least ODbm/3. For an average cross-sectional area Sfb of the shielding body, Sfb?2.5*Sbo, and the shielding body is arranged within the cryostat.Type: GrantFiled: April 20, 2020Date of Patent: May 4, 2021Assignee: BRUKER SWITZERLAND AGInventors: Franck Borgnolutti, Stephen Alfred March, Joerg Hinderer, Rainer Pietig, Robert Schauwecker
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Patent number: 10839998Abstract: A magnet assembly (1) with a cryostat (2) has a superconducting magnet coil system (3), an active cooling device (4) for the coil system, and current leads (5a, 5b) for charging the coil system. The current leads have at least one normal-conducting region (15a, 15b), wherein multiple cold reservoirs (20) are thermally coupled to the current leads along the normal-conducting region thereof, in order to absorb heat the normal-conducting region during charging of the magnet coil system. The current leads have a variable cross-sectional area B in the normal-conducting region along the extension direction thereof, wherein at least over a predominant fraction of their overall length in the normal-conducting region, the cross-sectional area B decreases from a cold end (18a, 18b) toward a warm end (19a, 19b). This provides a magnet assembly requiring reduced cooling power during charging, with less heat introduced into the magnet coil system in normal operation.Type: GrantFiled: October 9, 2018Date of Patent: November 17, 2020Assignee: BRUKER SWITZERLAND AGInventors: Patrick Wikus, Joerg Hinderer, Marco Strobel
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Publication number: 20200335269Abstract: A superconductor magnet apparatus (2) includes a superconductor bulk magnet (9), a cryostat (7) and a ferromagnetic shielding body (11). The bulk magnet has a superconductor bore (10), an axis (z) of rotational symmetry, and a maximum outer diameter ODbm in a plane perpendicular to the z axis. The superconductor bore has a minimum cross-sectional area Sbo in a plane perpendicular to the z axis. The cryostat has a room temperature bore (8), the bulk magnet is arranged within the cryostat and the room temperature bore is arranged within the superconductor bore. The shielding body has a shielding bore (12), the bulk magnet is arranged within the shielding bore and the shielding body extends beyond the bulk magnet at each axial end by at least ODbm/3. For an average cross-sectional area Sfb of the shielding body, Sfb?2.5*Sbo, and the shielding body is arranged within the cryostat.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 20, 2020Publication date: October 22, 2020Inventors: Franck BORGNOLUTTI, Stephen Alfred MARCH, Joerg HINDERER, Rainer PIETIG, Robert SCHAUWECKER
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Patent number: 10732239Abstract: A cryostat system is kept at a cryogenic operating temperature without providing or supplying cryogenic fluids by a cryocooler. The cryostat system includes a superconducting magnet arrangement and a heat sink apparatus to prolong the time before the superconducting magnet arrangement quenches/returns to the normally conducting state if active cooling fails. The heat sink apparatus includes magnetocaloric material and is thermally connected to the superconducting magnet arrangement and/or to parts of the cryostat system through which ambient heat can flow to the superconducting magnet arrangement. In this way, the cryostat system can be operated in a truly “cryogen-free” manner while maintaining a sufficiently long time to quench in the event of potential operational malfunctions.Type: GrantFiled: May 11, 2017Date of Patent: August 4, 2020Assignee: BRUKER SWITZERLAND AGInventors: Patrick Wikus, Joerg Hinderer
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Publication number: 20200161039Abstract: A superconductor bulk magnet magnetizing method providing a more homogenous trapped magnetic field includes: placing the bulk magnet inside a charger bore of an electrical charger magnet; placing a field correction unit inside a superconductor bore of the bulk magnet; applying an electrical current (I0) to the charger magnet, to generate an externally applied magnetic field, wherein a temperature Tbulk of the bulk magnet exceeds a bulk magnet critical temperature Tc; applying an auxiliary electrical current (I1, . . . ) to the field correction unit, thus generating an auxiliary magnetic field applied to the bulk magnet from within the superconductor bore, wherein Tbulk>Tc; lowering Tbulk below Tc; turning off the electrical current at the charger magnet, wherein Tbulk<Tc, and turning off the auxiliary electrical current at the field correction unit, wherein Tbulk<Tc; and removing the bulk magnet from the charger bore while Tbulk<Tc.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 20, 2019Publication date: May 21, 2020Inventors: Joerg HINDERER, Stephen Alfred MARCH, Franck BORGNOLUTTI
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Patent number: 10655783Abstract: A cryostat arrangement includes a superconducting magnet to be cooled by an active cryocooler. The cryocooler includes a coolant circuit with a compressor, a cold head, and a cold finger in thermal contact with the magnet. A volumetric vessel containing cryogenic fluid is thermally coupled to the magnet. The volumetric vessel is connected to the coolant circuit by a pressure-resistant line. A fluidic component influences the flow rate through the line in a defined manner such that the cryogenic fluid flows between the volumetric vessel and the coolant circuit with a time constant of at least 15 minutes. The cryostat can be operated in a “cryogen-free” manner and permits a sufficiently long time to quench in the event of operational malfunctions.Type: GrantFiled: August 18, 2017Date of Patent: May 19, 2020Assignee: BRUKER SWITZERLAND AGInventors: Patrick Wikus, Joerg Hinderer
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Publication number: 20190108932Abstract: A magnet assembly (1) with a cryostat (2) has a superconducting magnet coil system (3), an active cooling device (4) for the coil system, and current leads (5a, 5b) for charging the coil system. The current leads have at least one normal-conducting region (15a, 15b), wherein multiple cold reservoirs (20) are thermally coupled to the current leads along the normal-conducting region thereof, in order to absorb heat the normal-conducting region during charging of the magnet coil system. The current leads have a variable cross-sectional area B in the normal-conducting region along the extension direction thereof, wherein at least over a predominant fraction of their overall length in the normal-conducting region, the cross-sectional area B decreases from a cold end (18a, 18b) toward a warm end (19a, 19b). This provides a magnet assembly requiring reduced cooling power during charging, with less heat introduced into the magnet coil system in normal operation.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 9, 2018Publication date: April 11, 2019Inventors: Patrick WIKUS, Joerg HINDERER, Marco STROBEL
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Patent number: 10175315Abstract: A superconducting magnet assembly includes a cryostat, a vacuum vessel and a refrigeration stage. An NMR probe using the assembly includes comprises cooled probe components, a two-stage cryocooler, and a counter flow heat exchanger. A cooling circuit guides coolant from one outlet of the counter flow heat exchanger back to an inlet of the counter flow heat exchanger via the second cooling stage, a cooled probe component, and a heat exchanger in the cryostat or a heat exchanger in a helium suspension tube. Both the intake temperature of the coolant flowing into the heat exchanger in the cryostat or in the suspension tube and the return flow temperature of the emerging coolant are at least 5 K lower than the operating temperature of the first cooling stage. Excess cooling capacity of the cryocooler reduces the evaporation rate of liquid helium or cools a superconducting magnet in a cryogen-free cryostat.Type: GrantFiled: August 9, 2017Date of Patent: January 8, 2019Assignee: Bruker BioSpin AGInventors: Joerg Hinderer, Robert Schauwecker
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Patent number: 9958520Abstract: An NMR apparatus includes a superconducting magnet assembly, a cryostat having a vacuum vessel, a refrigeration stage that can be operated at a temperature of <100 K, and a magnet coil system that comprises a cold bore into which a room temperature access of the cryostat engages. The NMR apparatus also includes an NMR probe with probe components cooled to an operating temperature of <100 K. The probe components are arranged between the cold bore and the room temperature access into the cold bore, radially inside the cold bore but outside the room temperature access. The vacuum vessel includes an opening that can be closed by a lock valve. A lock chamber is directly connected to the opening, such that the cooled probe components can be installed and/or removed through the opening and lock valve without breaking the vacuum in the vacuum vessel of the cryostat.Type: GrantFiled: August 9, 2017Date of Patent: May 1, 2018Assignee: Bruker BioSpin AGInventors: Robert Schauwecker, Joerg Hinderer
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Patent number: 9921278Abstract: A superconducting magnet assembly includes a cryostat, a vacuum vessel and a refrigeration stage. An NMR probe using the assembly includes comprises cooled probe components, a two-stage cryocooler, and a counter flow heat exchanger. A cooling circuit guides coolant from one outlet of the counter flow heat exchanger back to an inlet of the counter flow heat exchanger via the second cooling stage, a cooled probe component, and a heat exchanger in the cryostat or a heat exchanger in a helium suspension tube. Both the intake temperature of the coolant flowing into the heat exchanger in the cryostat or in the suspension tube and the return flow temperature of the emerging coolant are at least 5 K lower than the operating temperature of the first cooling stage. Excess cooling capacity of the cryocooler reduces the evaporation rate of liquid helium or cools a superconducting magnet in a cryogen-free cryostat.Type: GrantFiled: August 9, 2017Date of Patent: March 20, 2018Assignee: Bruker BioSpin AGInventors: Joerg Hinderer, Robert Schauwecker
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Publication number: 20180051852Abstract: A cryostat arrangement includes a superconducting magnet to be cooled by an active cryocooler. The cryocooler includes a coolant circuit with a compressor, a cold head, and a cold finger in thermal contact with the magnet. A volumetric vessel containing cryogenic fluid is thermally coupled to the magnet. The volumetric vessel is connected to the coolant circuit by a pressure-resistant line. A fluidic component influences the flow rate through the line in a defined manner such that the cryogenic fluid flows between the volumetric vessel and the coolant circuit with a time constant of at least 15 minutes. The cryostat can be operated in a “cryogen-free” manner and permits a sufficiently long time to quench in the event of operational malfunctions.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 18, 2017Publication date: February 22, 2018Inventors: Patrick WIKUS, Joerg HINDERER
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Publication number: 20180045797Abstract: A superconducting magnet assembly includes a cryostat, a vacuum vessel and a refrigeration stage. An NMR probe using the assembly includes comprises cooled probe components, a two-stage cryocooler, and a counter flow heat exchanger. A cooling circuit guides coolant from one outlet of the counter flow heat exchanger back to an inlet of the counter flow heat exchanger via the second cooling stage, a cooled probe component, and a heat exchanger in the cryostat or a heat exchanger in a helium suspension tube. Both the intake temperature of the coolant flowing into the heat exchanger in the cryostat or in the suspension tube and the return flow temperature of the emerging coolant are at least 5 K lower than the operating temperature of the first cooling stage. Excess cooling capacity of the cryocooler reduces the evaporation rate of liquid helium or cools a superconducting magnet in a cryogen-free cryostat.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 9, 2017Publication date: February 15, 2018Inventors: Joerg HINDERER, Robert SCHAUWECKER