Patents by Inventor Patrick Wikus

Patrick Wikus 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).

  • Patent number: 12613000
    Abstract: A device for transferring liquid helium into an application cryostat comprises a storage dewar, a transfer line with a first transfer line end in the storage dewar and a second transfer line end for insertion into the application cryostat. An apparatus is provided for generating a pressure difference between the storage dewar and the application cryostat. A condensation heat exchanger, cooled by a cryocooler, condenses helium gas to liquid helium for insertion into the application cryostat. A control apparatus, using a measure of gas pressure in the application cryostat provides a control output to the apparatus for generating a pressure difference such that a volume of liquid helium transferred through the transfer line per unit of time is approximately equal to the change in volume of the helium which condenses from helium gas to liquid helium per unit of time at the condensation heat exchanger.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 18, 2024
    Date of Patent: April 28, 2026
    Inventor: Patrick Wikus
  • Patent number: 12486949
    Abstract: A device for transferring liquid helium into a usage helium tank of a usage cryostat includes a reservoir cryostat with a vacuum-insulated reservoir helium tank configured to store liquid helium available for filling the usage helium tank, a supply line for liquid helium, and a gaseous helium return line. The supply line proceeds from the vacuum-insulated reservoir helium tank and is connected to the usage helium tank. The gaseous helium return line leads into the vacuum-insulated reservoir helium tank and is connected to the usage helium tank. The device further includes a conveying device configured to convey liquid helium from the vacuum-insulated reservoir helium tank through the supply line into the usage helium tank and further configured to convey gaseous helium from the usage helium tank through the return line into the vacuum-insulated reservoir helium tank.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 13, 2023
    Date of Patent: December 2, 2025
    Assignee: BRUKER SWITZERLAND AG
    Inventor: Patrick Wikus
  • Publication number: 20250198570
    Abstract: A device for transferring liquid helium into an application cryostat comprises a storage dewar, a transfer line with a first transfer line end in the storage dewar and a second transfer line end for insertion into the application cryostat. An apparatus is provided for generating a pressure difference between the storage dewar and the application cryostat. A condensation heat exchanger, cooled by a cryocooler, condenses helium gas to liquid helium for insertion into the application cryostat. A control apparatus, using a measure of gas pressure in the application cryostat provides a control output to the apparatus for generating a pressure difference such that a volume of liquid helium transferred through the transfer line per unit of time is approximately equal to the change in volume of the helium which condenses from helium gas to liquid helium per unit of time at the condensation heat exchanger.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 18, 2024
    Publication date: June 19, 2025
    Inventor: Patrick WIKUS
  • Patent number: 11953570
    Abstract: An NMR measuring arrangement (20) includes a cryostat (1), a superconducting magnet coil system (2) and an NMR probe (3). The cryostat has an evacuated vacuum container (5) and forms a bore (10). A wall (12) of the bore delimits the vacuum container. The cryostat forms only one evacuated gap (13) in a space (18) between the magnet coil system and the wall of the bore. At least a segment of the wall of the bore is thermally coupled to a heat sink of the cryostat. As a result, the NMR measurement arrangement provides more precise NMR measurements (in particular with a higher spectral resolution and/or a higher signal-to-noise ratio) on measurement samples.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 5, 2022
    Date of Patent: April 9, 2024
    Assignee: BRUKER SWITZERLAND AG
    Inventor: Patrick Wikus
  • Publication number: 20240093836
    Abstract: A device for transferring liquid helium into a usage helium tank of a usage cryostat includes a reservoir cryostat with a vacuum-insulated reservoir helium tank configured to store liquid helium available for filling the usage helium tank, a supply line for liquid helium, and a gaseous helium return line. The supply line proceeds from the vacuum-insulated reservoir helium tank and is connected to the usage helium tank. The gaseous helium return line leads into the vacuum-insulated reservoir helium tank and is connected to the usage helium tank. The device further includes a conveying device configured to convey liquid helium from the vacuum-insulated reservoir helium tank through the supply line into the usage helium tank and further configured to convey gaseous helium from the usage helium tank through the return line into the vacuum-insulated reservoir helium tank.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 13, 2023
    Publication date: March 21, 2024
    Inventor: Patrick WIKUS
  • Publication number: 20220373625
    Abstract: An NMR measuring arrangement (20) includes a cryostat (1), a superconducting magnet coil system (2) and an NMR probe (3). The cryostat has an evacuated vacuum container (5) and forms a bore (10). A wall (12) of the bore delimits the vacuum container. The cryostat forms only one evacuated gap (13) in a space (18) between the magnet coil system and the wall of the bore. At least a segment of the wall of the bore is thermally coupled to a heat sink of the cryostat. As a result, the NMR measurement arrangement provides more precise NMR measurements (in particular with a higher spectral resolution and/or a higher signal-to-noise ratio) on measurement samples.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 5, 2022
    Publication date: November 24, 2022
    Inventor: Patrick WIKUS
  • Patent number: 11187440
    Abstract: A cryostat assembly with an outer container for a storage tank with a first cryogenic fluid and a coil tank for a superconducting magnet coil system. The magnet coil system is cooled by a second cryogenic fluid colder than the first cryogenic fluid, the coil tank being mechanically connected to the outer container and/or to radiation shields surrounding the coil tank via a mounting structure. Liquid helium at an operating temperature of approximately 4.2 K is the first cryogenic, fluid and helium at an operating temperature of <3.5 K is the second cryogenic fluid in the coil tank. The mounting structure has mounting elements with thermally conductive contact points thermally coupled to heat sinks having a temperature at or below that of the storage tank, via thermal conductor elements. This ensures long times to quench if malfunctions occur.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 30, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 30, 2021
    Assignee: BRUKER SWITZERLAND AG
    Inventors: Patrick Wikus, Steffen Bonn, Marco Strobel
  • Publication number: 20210301979
    Abstract: A mobile liquefaction plant (7) for liquefying helium, includes a liquefaction device (8) that liquefies helium, an intermediate storage tank (9) for liquefied helium, a cleaning device (29) which removes non-helium components from the helium and is connected upstream of the liquefaction device, and an additional collecting device (25) that collects gaseous helium which evaporates when an application cryostat (4) is filled with liquid helium and that includes a container (26) with a flexible wall and which stores the collected gaseous helium approximately at atmospheric pressure. The container (26) has an available container volume of at least 5 m3. Systems provided with such a mobile liquefaction plant exhibit an improved recovery of helium from application cryostats in a simple and cost-effective manner.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 31, 2021
    Publication date: September 30, 2021
    Inventor: Patrick Wikus
  • Patent number: 11073579
    Abstract: An NMR rotor comprises a receptacle for inserting a sample container into a homogeneous region of an NMR magnetic field with flux density B, the field vector of which in the homogeneous region extends in the vertical direction along a z-axis. The rotor passes through regions with inhomogeneous magnetic field components and a flux density gradient dB/dz when the sample container is introduced. The rotor includes at least two different materials, one with diamagnetic properties and another with non-diamagnetic properties. The different materials are arranged to be geometrically distributed in the rotor so that the magnetic force on the rotor under the effect of a product t of magnetic flux density B and flux density gradient dB/dz, the magnitude of which exceeds 1400 T2/m, either acts in the same direction as the weight force of the rotor or is smaller in magnitude than the weight force of the rotor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 1, 2021
    Date of Patent: July 27, 2021
    Inventors: Patrick Wikus, Daniel Guy Baumann, Markus Mayer, Martin Woodtli, Robert Schauwecker
  • Patent number: 10839998
    Abstract: 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: Grant
    Filed: October 9, 2018
    Date of Patent: November 17, 2020
    Assignee: BRUKER SWITZERLAND AG
    Inventors: Patrick Wikus, Joerg Hinderer, Marco Strobel
  • Patent number: 10732239
    Abstract: 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: Grant
    Filed: May 11, 2017
    Date of Patent: August 4, 2020
    Assignee: BRUKER SWITZERLAND AG
    Inventors: Patrick Wikus, Joerg Hinderer
  • Patent number: 10655783
    Abstract: 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: Grant
    Filed: August 18, 2017
    Date of Patent: May 19, 2020
    Assignee: BRUKER SWITZERLAND AG
    Inventors: Patrick Wikus, Joerg Hinderer
  • Publication number: 20200041176
    Abstract: A cryostat assembly with an outer container for a storage tank (3) with a first cryogenic fluid and a coil tank (4) for a superconducting magnet coil system (5). The magnet coil system is cooled by a second cryogenic fluid colder than the first cryogenic fluid, the coil tank being mechanically connected to the outer container and/or to radiation shields (6) surrounding the coil tank via a mounting structure. Liquid helium at an operating temperature of approximately 4.2 K is the first cryogenic fluid and helium at an operating temperature of <3.5 K is the second cryogenic fluid in the coil tank. The mounting structure has mounting elements (7) with thermally conductive contact points (7a) thermally coupled to heat sinks having a temperature at or below that of the storage tank, via thermal conductor elements (8). This ensures long times to quench if malfunctions occur.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 30, 2019
    Publication date: February 6, 2020
    Inventors: Patrick WIKUS, Steffen BONN, Marco STROBEL
  • Patent number: 10401447
    Abstract: A cooling device (1) has a cryostat (2) and a cold head (3) of a cooling system (52), and additionally includes a pivot bearing (35), with which the cold head (3) is mounted on the cryostat (2) so as to be rotatable about a rotation axis (A). A connecting line (15) for a working gas of the cooling system (52) is connected to the cold head so that forces caused by the cooling system (52) act on the cold head (3) via the connecting line (15) at a force application point (EP) in a force application direction (ER). The force application direction (ER) is inclined by no more than 40° with respect to the normal (N) of a lever plane (HE) which contains the rotation axis (A) and the force application point (EP).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 13, 2017
    Date of Patent: September 3, 2019
    Assignee: BRUKER BIOSPIN AG
    Inventors: Patrick Wikus, Steffen Bonn
  • Patent number: 10393833
    Abstract: A superconducting magnet coil arrangement has a high-temperature superconductor (HTS) coil section (1a,1b,1c) in the form of a solenoid that is wound with an HTS tape conductor, and also has a field-shaping device comprising at least two field-shaping elements (2a,2b,2c). At least one respective field-shaping element is arranged adjoining each of the two axial ends of the HTS coil section, the field-shaping elements being configured in such a way that they reduce the field angle of the magnetic field generated by the magnet coil arrangement with respect to the axial direction in the region of the HTS coil section by at least 1.5°.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 12, 2017
    Date of Patent: August 27, 2019
    Assignee: BRUKER BIOSPIN GMBH
    Inventors: Patrick Wikus, Volker Niemann, Wolfgang Frantz, Michael Dumm, Michael Wagenknecht
  • Patent number: 10352501
    Abstract: A cryostat arrangement has an outer jacket, a first tank with a first cryogen, and a second tank with a second liquid cryogen which boils at a higher temperature than the first cryogen. The first tank comprises a neck tube, whose hot upper end is connected to the outer jacket at ambient temperature and whose cold lower end is connected to the first tank at a cryogenic temperature. The arrangement uses a riser pipe protruding into the second tank through which the second liquid cryogen can flow out of the second tank and into a first heat exchanger in thermal contact with the neck tube. An outflow line is provided through which second cryogen evaporating from the first heat exchanger can flow out and into an optional second heat exchanger. It is thus possible to greatly reduce heat input from the neck tube into the first tank.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 28, 2016
    Date of Patent: July 16, 2019
    Inventors: Patrick Wikus, Steffen Bonn
  • Publication number: 20190212049
    Abstract: A cryostat arrangement (1?) having a vacuum container (2) and an object (4) to be cooled, which is arranged inside the vacuum container. A neck tube (8) leads to the object, and a cooling arm (10) of a cold head (11), around which a closed cavity (9) is formed, is arranged in the neck tube, which is sealed off fluid-tight in relation to the object and is filled with cryogenic fluid in normal operation. A thermal coupling element (15) couples the cryogenic fluid in the cavity to the object. A pump device (14), to which the cavity is connected via a valve (13) and with which the cavity is pumped out if the cold head fails. A monitoring unit (17) monitors the cooling function of the cold head, and activates the pump device to pump out the cavity if the cooling function of the cold head drops.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 20, 2019
    Publication date: July 11, 2019
    Inventors: Marco STROBEL, Patrick WIKUS
  • Publication number: 20190108932
    Abstract: 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: Application
    Filed: October 9, 2018
    Publication date: April 11, 2019
    Inventors: Patrick WIKUS, Joerg HINDERER, Marco STROBEL
  • Patent number: 10128030
    Abstract: A superconducting magnet coil system with high resistance to quench events includes a first coil portion (1) with a first superconducting material and a second coil portion (2) with a second superconducting material. The first superconducting material has a higher critical temperature than the second superconducting material. The first and the second coil portions are bridged by a common quench protection element (6) and together with the quench protection element form a first loop. The magnet coil system also includes a third coil portion (3) which is part of a second electrical loop with a second quench protection element (8, 8?, 8?)as well as a heating element (9) which is supplied with a heating voltage in response to a quench of the third coil portion. Among the series connected coil portions (1, 2) only the second coil portion is in thermal contact with the first heating element (9).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 28, 2016
    Date of Patent: November 13, 2018
    Assignee: BRUKER BIOSPIN GMBH
    Inventors: Wolfgang Frantz, Patrick Wikus
  • Patent number: 10101420
    Abstract: A cryostat arrangement (1), with a vacuum container (2) and an object (4) to be cooled, is provided, wherein the object (4) to be cooled is arranged inside the vacuum container (2) comprising a neck tube (8) leading to the object (4) to be cooled. A closed cavity (9) is formed around the cooling arm (10) of a cold head (11), wherein the cavity (9) in normal operation is filled at least partly with a first cryogenic fluid (34), and wherein a first thermal coupling component (15) is provided for the thermal coupling of the first cryogenic fluid (34) in the cavity (9) to the object (4) to be cooled. The cryostat arrangement (1) further comprises a pump device (14), to which the cavity (9) is connected, and with which the cavity (9) is configured to be evacuated upon failure of the cooling function of the cold head (11). Various cryostat configurations are provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 20, 2017
    Date of Patent: October 16, 2018
    Assignee: BRUKER BIOSPIN GMBH
    Inventors: Patrick Wikus, Steffen Bonn