Superconductor Patents (Class 29/599)
  • Patent number: 11958089
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for removing microscopic contaminant particulates by high pressure liquid nitrogen jet cleaning from the inner surface of a superconducting radio frequency cavity or a string of multiple cavities and transporting the removed particulates out of the inner space enclosed by the cleaned surfaces. The cleaning method of the invention suppresses field emission, resulting in an increase of the usable accelerating gradient of the cavities and a reduction of the activated radioactivity in accelerator components around cavities.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 25, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 16, 2024
    Assignee: JEFFERSON SCIENCE ASSOCIATES, LLC
    Inventor: Rongli Geng
  • Patent number: 11944956
    Abstract: A catalyst composition includes a liquid metal alloy having a melting point from about 20° C. to about 25° C., the liquid metal alloy including a primary metal and a secondary metal, the primary metal being aluminum and the secondary metal is selected from the group consisting of gallium, indium, and bismuth.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 30, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 2, 2024
    Assignee: THE REGENTS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA
    Inventors: Isai Lopez, Gabriella Amberchan, Bakthan Singaram, Scott Oliver, Jeremy Barnett, Beatriz Ehlke Santi Grott
  • Patent number: 11837380
    Abstract: Provided are: a superconducting wire rod in which the non-uniform deformation of the shape of an MgB2 core material has been controlled; a superconducting coil; a magnetic generator; and a method for producing a superconducting wire rod. A superconducting wire rod (100A) according to the present invention comprises: a center material (106) of which at least the outer circumferential surface is formed of a metal that does not react with Mg; a plurality of single-core wires (103) disposed around the center material (106), each of the single-core wires having an MgB2 superconductor core material (101) coated with a first coating material (102) made of a metal that does not react with Mg; and an outer shell material (105) disposed outside the plurality of single-core wires (103), wherein at least the inner circumferential surface of the outer shell material (105) is formed of a metal that does not react with Mg.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 27, 2019
    Date of Patent: December 5, 2023
    Assignee: HITACHI, LTD.
    Inventors: Takaaki Suzuki, Hideki Tanaka, Motomune Kodama
  • Patent number: 11785866
    Abstract: A superconductor device includes a high superconductivity transition temperature enhanced from the raw material transition temperature. The superconductor device includes a matrix material and a core material. The enhancing matrix material and the core material together create a system of strongly coupled carriers. A plurality of low-dimensional conductive features can be embedded in the matrix. The low-dimensional conductive features (e.g., nanowires or nanoparticles) can be conductors or superconductors. An interaction between electrons of the low-dimensional conductive features and the enhancing matrix material can promote excitations that increase a superconductivity transition temperature of the superconductor device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 5, 2019
    Date of Patent: October 10, 2023
    Inventors: Philipp Braeuninger-Weimer, Nathan P. Myhrvold, Conor L. Myhrvold, Cameron Myhrvold, Clarence T. Tegreene, Roderick A. Hyde, Lowell L. Wood, Jr., Muriel Y. Ishikawa, Victoria Y. H. Wood, David R. Smith, John Brian Pendry, Charles Whitmer, William Henry Mangione-Smith, Brian C. Holloway, Stuart A. Wolf, Vladimir Z. Kresin
  • Patent number: 11749434
    Abstract: A method of detecting pre-quench conditions in a superconducting magnet comprising an HTS field coil. The field coil comprises a plurality of turns comprising HTS material and metallic stabilizer; and conductive material connecting the turns such that current can be shared radially between turns via the conductive material. Strain is monitored for the HTS field coil and/or support structures of the HTS field coil. The monitored strain is compared to an expected strain during normal operation of the magnet. In response to the comparison, it is determined whether the field coil is in pre-quench conditions. A similar method is provided where the magnetic field of the HTS field coil is monitored to detect pre-quench conditions, instead of the strain.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 10, 2020
    Date of Patent: September 5, 2023
    Assignee: Tokamak Energy Ltd
    Inventors: Robert Slade, Rod Bateman
  • Patent number: 11626227
    Abstract: Using the Meissner effect in superconductors, demonstrated here is the capability to create an arbitrarily high magnetic flux density (also sometimes referred to as “flux squeezing”). This technique has immediate applications for numerous technologies. For example, it allows the generation of very large magnetic fields (e.g., exceeding 1 Tesla) for nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), the generation of controlled magnetic fields for advanced superconducting quantum computing devices, and/or the like. The magnetic field concentration/increased flux density approaches can be applied to both static magnetic fields (i.e., direct current (DC) magnetic fields) and time-varying magnetic fields (i.e., alternating current (AC) magnetic fields) up to microwave frequencies.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 22, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 11, 2023
    Assignee: Massachusetts Institute of Technology
    Inventors: Hyeongrak Choi, Dirk Robert Englund
  • Patent number: 11621105
    Abstract: An oxide superconducting wire includes a superconducting laminate including an oxide superconducting layer disposed, either directly or indirectly, on a substrate, and a stabilization layer which is a Cu plating layer covering an outer periphery of the superconducting laminate. An average crystal grain size of the Cu plating layer is 3.30 ?m or more and equal to or less than a thickness of the Cu plating layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 16, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 4, 2023
    Assignee: Fujikura Ltd.
    Inventor: Masaki Ohsugi
  • Patent number: 11581134
    Abstract: A bifilar winding system for the manufacture of poloidal field superconducting magnets for nuclear fusion includes two superconducting coil winding production lines which are symmetrically arranged, a dropping fixture, a rotary platform and a winding mold, and an automatic control system. Each of the two winding production lines includes a conductor unwinding device, a straightener, an ultrasonic cleaning machine, a sandblasting and cleaning machine, a bending machine, an inter-turn insulation taping machine. During the winding of a coil, a superconducting conductor is unwound by the conductor unwinding device under the control of the automatic control system, then straightened, ultrasonically cleaned, sandblasted and cleaned, and bent into a desired radius, then wrapped with multiple layers of insulating tape by the inter-turn insulation taping machine, and finally fixed, by the dropping fixture, precisely on the rotary platform at a correct position within a profile of the winding mold.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 11, 2019
    Date of Patent: February 14, 2023
    Assignee: Hefei Institutes of Physical Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences
    Inventors: Yuntao Song, Wei Wen, Guang Shen, Kun Lu, Weiyue Wu, Jing Wei
  • Patent number: 11130712
    Abstract: A method of producing polycrystalline Y3Ba5Cu8Oy (Y-358) whereby powders of yttrium (III) oxide, a barium (II) salt, and copper (II) oxide are pelletized, calcined at 850 to 950° C. for 8 to 16 hours, ball milled under controlled conditions, pelletized again and sintered in an oxygen atmosphere at 900 to 1000° C. for up to 72 hours. The polycrystalline Y3Ba5Cu8Oy thus produced is in the form of elongated crystals having an average length of 2 to 10 ?m and an average width of 1 to 2 ?m, and embedded with spherical nanoparticles of yttrium deficient Y3Ba5Cu8Oy having an average diameter of 5 to 20 nm. The spherical nanoparticles are present as agglomerates having flower-like morphology with an average particles size of 30 to 60 nm. The ball milled polycrystalline Y3Ba5Cu8Oy prepared under controlled conditions shows significant enhancement of superconducting and flux pinning properties.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 24, 2018
    Date of Patent: September 28, 2021
    Assignee: Imam Abdulrahman Bin Faisal University
    Inventor: Yassine Slimani
  • Patent number: 11133120
    Abstract: Superconductor cable or superconductor cable-in-conduit-conductor having a plurality of generally flat, ribbon-shaped superconductor tapes assembled to form a single stack or multiple stacks or a plurality of round or nearly round superconducting wires assembled to form a single bundle or multiple bundles. The superconductor cable or superconductor cable-in-conduit-conductor has at least one or more clocking features that identify its angular position with respect to the background magnetic field. Multiple types and geometries of superconductor cables and superconductor cable-in-conduit-conductor are disclosed. Superconductor power cable disposed within and separated from an electrical insulator with a space passing cryo-coolant between the superconducting cable and insulator is also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 30, 2014
    Date of Patent: September 28, 2021
    Inventor: Christopher Mark Rey
  • Patent number: 11004602
    Abstract: A flat coil, a manufacturing method thereof and an electronic apparatus are disclosed. The manufacturing method comprises: rolling a metal foil lamination onto a carrier roller to form a foil rod, wherein the metal foil lamination includes at least one layer of metal foil; sliding the foil rod from the carrier roller; slicing the foil rod into thin disks; and processing the thin disks to form at least one flat coil, wherein a pressing roller is pressed against the carrier roller via the metal foil lamination with a controlled pressing force as the metal foil lamination is rolled.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 18, 2017
    Date of Patent: May 11, 2021
    Assignee: Goertek Inc.
    Inventor: Quanbo Zou
  • Patent number: 10932355
    Abstract: A high-current, compact, conduction cooled superconducting radio-frequency cryomodule for particle accelerators. The cryomodule will accelerate an electron beam of average current up to 1 ampere in continuous wave (CW) mode or at high duty factor. The cryomodule consists of a single-cell superconducting radio-frequency cavity made of high-purity niobium, with an inner coating of Nb3Sn and an outer coating of pure copper. Conduction cooling is achieved by using multiple closed-cycle refrigerators. Power is fed into the cavity by two coaxial couplers. Damping of the high-order modes is achieved by a warm beam-pipe ferrite damper.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 29, 2018
    Date of Patent: February 23, 2021
    Assignee: JEFFERSON SCIENCE ASSOCIATES, LLC
    Inventors: Gianluigi Ciovati, Thomas J. Schultheiss, John Rathke, Robert Rimmer, Frank Marhauser, Fay Hannon, Jiquan Guo
  • Patent number: 10833384
    Abstract: The technology described herein is directed towards microwave attenuators, and more particularly to a cryogenic microwave attenuator device for quantum technologies. In some embodiments, a device can comprise a cryogenic microwave attenuator device. The cryogenic microwave attenuator device can comprise: a housing component and a microwave attenuator chip, wherein the housing component can have thermal conductivity of about at least 0.1 Watts per meter-Kelvin at 1 degree Kelvin. The cryogenic microwave attenuator device can also comprise a microwave connector comprising a signal conductor that is direct wire coupled to the microwave attenuator chip.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 27, 2018
    Date of Patent: November 10, 2020
    Assignee: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Patryk Gumann, Salvatore Bernardo Olivadese, Robert Meinel, Christopher Surovic, Raymond A. Watters, Jerry M. Chow, Jay M. Gambetta, David C. Mckay
  • Patent number: 10787892
    Abstract: A system and method for the in situ processing of internal SRF cavity surfaces to reduce field emission and improve maximum gradient. An electromagnetic radiation source is introduced in the bore of a superconducting cavity to enhance ionization or dissociation of gases which then remove contaminants from the surface of the cavity, either through direct surface bombardment, chemical reaction or through the production of radiation which interacts with the contaminants. An RF or low frequency electromagnetic field may be established in the cavity which further enhances the ionization or dissociation process and may cause the ions to bombard sites with enhanced electric fields. The invention removes the requirement that the RF field be sufficient by itself to ionize gas in the cavity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 12, 2019
    Date of Patent: September 29, 2020
    Assignee: JEFFERSON SCIENCE ASSOCIATES, LLC
    Inventors: Robert Legg, Thomas Powers
  • Patent number: 10614941
    Abstract: Provided is a high-performance persistent current switch that is provided with a superconducting coil in which a decrease of a critical current or a critical magnetic field is suppressed. A means for solving the problem is as follows. A persistent current switch provided with a superconducting coil in a switch unit. A superconducting coil 5 includes a winding portion 53 which is formed using a superconductor thin film formed on an outer circumferential face of a base member 50. The winding portion 53 includes a first winding portion 51 and a second winding portion 52 which are formed in a double helical shape to be parallel to each other. A terminating end portion 51b of the first winding portion 51 and a starting end portion 52a of the second winding portion 52, which are adjacent to each other, are connected to each other.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 27, 2015
    Date of Patent: April 7, 2020
    Assignee: HITACHI, LTD.
    Inventors: Toshiaki Kusunoki, Hideki Tanaka, Motomune Kodama, Hiroyuki Yamamoto
  • Patent number: 10553927
    Abstract: A downhole tool including a transmitter coil assembly and a receiver coil assembly. The coil assembly includes at least one first coil having a first support member with a first single layer of wire wound therearound. The coil assembly further includes at least one second coil. The second coil includes a second support member having a second single layer of wire wound therearound. The first support member is disposed within the second support member, and the first single layer spaced apart from the second single wire by a distance of D.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 9, 2009
    Date of Patent: February 4, 2020
    Assignee: HALLIBURTON ENERGY SERVICES, INC
    Inventors: Luis E. San Martin, Evan L. Davies, Michael S. Bittar
  • Patent number: 10383204
    Abstract: A superconducting accelerator includes an acceleration cavity, and a refrigerant tank at an outer circumference of the acceleration cavity. The gap between the refrigerant tank and the acceleration cavity is filled with a refrigerant for cooling the acceleration cavity. A pair of pressing members is provided to an outer circumference of the refrigerant tank to be positioned at both side ends of the acceleration cavity in a direction of a beam axis of the charged particle beam or at both ends of the acceleration cavity in a direction perpendicular to the beam axis. A wire is continuously wound around the outer circumference of the refrigerant tank and configured to generate a tensile force in a direction in which the pressing members are brought come into close each other. A tension adjustor is configured to adjust the tensile force generated by the wire.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 18, 2016
    Date of Patent: August 13, 2019
    Assignee: MITSUBISHI HEAVY INDUSTRIES MACHINERY SYSTEMS, LTD.
    Inventors: Hiroshi Hara, Katsuya Sennyu
  • Patent number: 10374611
    Abstract: The various embodiments described herein include methods, devices, and systems for implementing logic gates. In one aspect, a circuit includes: (1) a superconducting component having a plurality of alternating narrow and wide portions; (2) a plurality of heat sources, each heat source of the plurality of heat sources coupled to a corresponding narrow portion of the plurality of alternating narrow and wide portions and configured to selectively provide heat to the corresponding narrow portion; (3) a bias current source coupled to each narrow portion of the plurality of alternating narrow and wide portions; and (4) an output node adapted to output a respective current while the plurality of superconducting components is in the non-superconducting state.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 3, 2018
    Date of Patent: August 6, 2019
    Assignee: PSIQUANTUM CORP.
    Inventor: Faraz Najafi
  • Patent number: 10302808
    Abstract: A gravitational radiation communication system. The system includes a gravitational radiation transmitter and a gravitational radiation receiver. Each of the transmitter and the receiver includes a first cylindrical superconducting cavity, having a first length, a first diameter, and an entrance aperture for electromagnetic radiation; a second cylindrical superconducting cavity, having a second length, a second diameter, and a first aperture for gravitational radiation, the second cavity being coaxial with and adjacent the first cavity; and a superconducting movable membrane positioned between the first cavity and the second cavity and configured to provide parametric amplification of electromagnetic fields in the second cavity. The first aperture is configured to pass gravitational radiation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 25, 2016
    Date of Patent: May 28, 2019
    Assignee: The Regents of the University of California
    Inventor: Raymond Chiao
  • Patent number: 10062485
    Abstract: High-temperature superconducting (HTS) devices and methods are disclosed. An HTS cable subassembly has a rectangular shaped cross section. The subassembly includes a stack of tapes formed of a superconducting material, and a cable subassembly wrapper wrapped around the stack of tapes. The tapes in the stack are slidably arranged in a parallel fashion. A cable assembly is formed of a cable assembly wrapper formed of a second non-superconducting material disposed around an n×m array of cable subassemblies. A compound cable assembly is formed by joining two or more cable assemblies. A high temperature superconducting magnet is formed of a solenoidal magnet formed of a cable subassembly, a cable assembly, and/or a compound cable assembly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 12, 2015
    Date of Patent: August 28, 2018
    Assignee: Massachusetts Institute of Technology
    Inventors: Yukikazu Iwasa, Juan Bascuñán, Seungyong Hahn
  • Patent number: 9711262
    Abstract: A compound superconducting wire 10 includes a reinforcement portion 12 and a compound superconductor 11. In the reinforcement portion 12, an assembly of plural reinforcement elements 4 are disposed. The reinforcement elements 4 each include plural reinforcement filaments 1 disposed in a stabilizer 2, and a stabilizing layer 3 at the outer periphery thereof. The reinforcement filaments 1 each mainly contain one or more metals selected from the group consisting of Nb, Ta, V, W, Mo, Fe, and Hf, an alloy consisting of two or more metals selected from the aforementioned group, or an alloy consisting of copper and one or more metals selected from the aforementioned group.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 9, 2014
    Date of Patent: July 18, 2017
    Assignee: TOHOKU TECHNO ARCH CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Masahiro Sugimoto, Hirokazu Tsubouchi, Kazuo Watanabe, Satoshi Awaji, Hidetoshi Oguro
  • Patent number: 9680081
    Abstract: Problem There is proposed an innovative cross-sectional structure, with an idea contrary to the conventional one, utilizing the non-reactivity between Cu and Ta (or between Ag and Nb, Ta) in a high-temperature short-time heat treatment, thus achieving (1) the suppression of the low magnetic-field instability, (2) excellent wire drawability of a precursor wire, and (3) the reduction of the cost required for the incorporation of a stabilizer. Means for Resolution There is proposed a structure having an assembly of a plurality of single wires, wherein the assembly is covered with an outer cover (skin) formed from Nb or Ta, wherein each of the single wires has an Nb/Al composite filament region which is formed from a composite of Nb and Al mixed in an Nb:Al molar ratio of 3:1, and which is covered with a partition formed from Nb or Ta, and further covered with an interfilamentary barrier formed from Cu or Ag disposed around the partition.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 15, 2012
    Date of Patent: June 13, 2017
    Assignees: NATIONAL INSTITUTE FOR MATERIAL SCIENCE, INTER-UNIVERSITY RESEARCH INSTITUTE CORPORATION HIGH ENERGY ACCELERATOR RESEARCH ORGANIZATION
    Inventors: Takao Takeuchi, Kiyosumi Tsuchiya, Kazuhiko Nakagawa
  • Patent number: 9562989
    Abstract: A nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) logging tool assembly method that employs rotational indexing to optimize the sensing volume. At least some embodiments include establishing an initial arrangement of the permanent magnets and marking each magnet to indicate their relative rotational orientations in the initial arrangement. Thereafter a series of magnetic field measurements and individual magnet rotations are performed to improve the uniformity of the magnetic field in the sensing volume. Once a satisfactory arrangement has been found, the magnets may be secured together and an antenna array installed along with the electronics for performing relaxation time measurements and providing logs of formation properties that can be derived therefrom, such as porosity, permeability, density, rock type, fluid type, etc. The tool may be packaged as a wireline sonde, a tubing-conveyed logging tool, or a logging while drilling (LWD) tool.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 7, 2011
    Date of Patent: February 7, 2017
    Assignee: HALLIBURTON ENERGY SERVICES, INC.
    Inventors: Christopher J. Conrad, Rebecca C. Jachmann
  • Patent number: 9470458
    Abstract: A method for producing mass and heat transport in fluids, wherein the method does not rely on conventional convection, that is, it does not require gravity, a thermal gradient, or a magnetic field gradient. This method gives rise to a unique class of vigorous, field-controllable flow patterns termed advection lattices. The advection lattices can be used to transport heat and/or mass in any desired direction using only magnetic fields.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 29, 2010
    Date of Patent: October 18, 2016
    Assignee: Sandia Corporation
    Inventors: James E. Martin, Kyle J. Solis
  • Patent number: 9395222
    Abstract: A magnetization device for permeation of a multiphase fluid flowing through a measurement tube of a nuclear magnetic flow meter with a magnetic field which is homogenous at least in one plane, with a plurality of permanent magnets for generation of a magnetic field and with a carrier, the carrier having at least one magnet receiver, each magnet receiver accommodating at least one of the permanent magnets, the shape of the magnet receivers and of the permanent magnets allowing movement of the permanent magnets in the magnet receivers only in one direction and the permanent magnets being by the magnet receivers formed by hollow profiles. The hollow profile magnet receivers can be receiving tubes for the magnets that can be turned around their longitudinal axis or the profiles can have a rotatable adapter for the magnets so that a first shimming action can be achieved with the profiles.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 20, 2012
    Date of Patent: July 19, 2016
    Assignee: Krohne AG
    Inventors: Jan Teunis Aart Pors, Cornelius Johannes Hogendoorn, Ariel de Graaf, Marco Leendert Zoeteweij
  • Patent number: 9385295
    Abstract: A powder and rod process for forming Nb3Sn or V3Ga superconducting wire is provided. The process includes hot extrusion or cold drawing of an assembly comprising an octagonal or hexagonal configuration of copper-clad rods comprising niobium, vanadium, a niobium alloy, or a vanadium alloy and an intermetallic powder compound, such as MnSn2, that is situated in a central hole within the octagonal or hexagonal configuration of rods.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 7, 2009
    Date of Patent: July 5, 2016
    Assignee: SupraMagnetics, Inc.
    Inventor: Leszek Motowidlo
  • Patent number: 9293233
    Abstract: A composite conductor is disclosed having an elongate support with an outer surface of a whisker-forming metallic, the conductor further having a carbon nanotube yarn intertwined with the elongate support. The yarn is infiltrated by self-assembled whiskers from the whisker forming metallic.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 11, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 22, 2016
    Assignee: TYCO ELECTRONICS CORPORATION
    Inventors: Jerzy Gazda, Jessica Henderson Brown Hemond, Robert Daniel Hilty
  • Patent number: 9287485
    Abstract: Method for joining wires using low resistivity joints is provided. More specifically, methods of joining one or more wires having superconductive filaments, such as magnesium diboride filaments, are provided. The wires are joined by a low resistivity joint to form wires of a desired length for applications, such in medical imaging applications.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 9, 2012
    Date of Patent: March 15, 2016
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Judson Sloan Marte, Xianrui Huang, Evangelos Trifon Laskaris, Bruce Alan Knudsen, Thomas Robert Raber, Robert John Zabala, James William Bray, Paul Shadforth Thompson, Sergio Paulo Martins Loureiro, Curtis Alan Johnson, Sylvia Marie Decarr
  • Patent number: 9279186
    Abstract: A metallic material containing both a second constituent and a third constituent having positive and negative heats of mixing relative to a first constituent, respectively, and including a compound, an alloy or a nonequilibrium alloy having a melting point that is higher than the solidifying point of a metal bath made of the first constituent is placed in the metal bath. The metal bath is controlled to a temperature lower than a minimum value of a liquidus temperature within a range of compositional variations in which the amount of the third constituent in the metallic material decreases down to a point where the metallic material becomes substantially the second constituent so that the third constituent is selectively dissolved into the metal bath.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 22, 2010
    Date of Patent: March 8, 2016
    Assignee: TOHOKU UNIVERSITY
    Inventors: Hidemi Kato, Takeshi Wada, Kunio Yubuta, Akihisa Inoue
  • Patent number: 9105396
    Abstract: A method for winding a coil magnet with the stacked tape cables, and a coil so wound. The winding process is controlled and various shape coils can be wound by twisting about the longitudinal axis of the cable and bending following the easy bend direction during winding, so that sharp local bending can be obtained by adjusting the twist pitch. Stack-tape cable is twisted while being wound, instead of being twisted in a straight configuration and then wound. In certain embodiments, the straight length should be half of the cable twist-pitch or a multiple of it.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 7, 2013
    Date of Patent: August 11, 2015
    Inventor: Makoto Takayasu
  • Publication number: 20150135788
    Abstract: The apparatus comprises a first working unit for unwinding a coil of conductor and providing straightened conductor, and a second working unit comprising a bending device arranged to bend the straightened conductor leaving the first working unit and a rotary table on which the bent conductor leaving the bending device is laid, whereby a set of turns is formed to make the superconductive coil. The rotary table is rotatably mounted about a stationary vertical axis. The bending device is mounted so as to be translatable both in a longitudinal direction coinciding with the direction of a longitudinal axis of the straightened conductor that is fed by the first working unit to the bending device and in a transverse direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction. The first working unit is mounted so as to be translatable, along with the bending device, in the transverse direction only.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 19, 2014
    Publication date: May 21, 2015
    Inventor: Marco Dani
  • Publication number: 20150137920
    Abstract: A conductor assembly and method for constructing an assembly of the type which, when conducting current, generates a magnetic field or which, in the presence of a changing magnetic field, induces a voltage. In one embodiment the method provides a first insulative layer tubular in shape and including a surface along which a conductor segment may be positioned. A channel formed in the surface of the insulative layer defines a first conductor path and includes a surface of first contour in cross section along a first plane transverse to the conductor path. A segment of conductor having a surface of second contour in cross section is positioned at least partly in the channel and extends along the conductor path. Along the first plane, contact between the conductor surface of second contour and the channel surface of first contour includes at least two separate regions of contact.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 26, 2014
    Publication date: May 21, 2015
    Inventors: Gerald Stelzer, Rainer Meinke, Mark Senti
  • Patent number: 9037203
    Abstract: A composite barrier-type Nb3Al superconducting multifilament wire material comprises Nb barrier filaments, Ta barrier filaments, Nb bulk dummy filaments, and a Nb or Ta covering. In the composite barrier-type Nb3Al superconducting multifilament wire material, the Nb barrier filaments and Ta barrier filaments are disposed in the wire material so that the Nb barrier filaments are concentrated in a filament region near a core formed from the Nb bulk dummy filaments and only the Ta barrier filaments are disposed or the Nb barrier filaments are dispersed in the Ta barrier filaments in an outer layer portion formed from a region outside the Nb barrier filaments, excluding the Nb or Ta covering.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 13, 2012
    Date of Patent: May 19, 2015
    Assignee: NATIONAL INSTITUTE FOR MATERIALS SCIENCE
    Inventors: Nobuya Banno, Takao Takeuchi
  • Publication number: 20150130570
    Abstract: A cryogenic coil assembly including a coil substrate with a flat surface, and a number of radial channels cut into a region of the flat surface. The cryogenic coil assembly also includes a spiral coil covering the radial channels, and a chemical bonding agent for bonding the spiral coil to the coil substrate. The chemical bonding agent is present within the radial channels.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 7, 2014
    Publication date: May 14, 2015
    Inventors: ANDREW HUGILL, Ilia Tomski, Igor Terefenko, Glen B. Sincarsin, Kieran A. Carroll
  • Patent number: 9012366
    Abstract: A device for the high pressure densification of superconducting wire from compacted superconductor material or superconductor precursor powder particles, has four hard metal anvils (5, 6, 7, 8) with a total length (L2) parallel to the superconducting wire, the hard metal anvils borne in external independent pressure blocks (9, 10, 11), which are in turn either fixed or connected to high pressure devices, preferably hydraulic presses. At least one of the hard metal anvils is a free moving anvil (6) having clearances of at least 0.01 mm up to 0.2 mm towards the neighboring hard metal anvils (5, 8), so that no wall friction occurs between the free moving anvil and the neighboring anvils. This allows for high critical current densities Jc at reduced pressure applied to the hard metal anvils.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 17, 2012
    Date of Patent: April 21, 2015
    Assignee: Bruker BioSpin AG
    Inventors: René Flükiger, Florin Buta, Carmine Senatore
  • Patent number: 8993485
    Abstract: Disclosed is a splicing method of two second-generation ReBCO high temperature superconductor coated conductors (2G ReBCO HTS CCs), in which, with stabilizing layers removed from the two strands of 2G ReBCO HTS CCs through chemical wet etching or plasma dry etching, surfaces of the two high temperature superconducting layers are brought into direct contact with each other and heated in a splicing furnace in a vacuum for micro-melting portions of the surfaces of the high temperature superconducting layers to permit inter-diffusion of ReBCO atoms such that the surfaces of the two superconducting layers can be spliced to each other and oxygenation annealing for recovery of superconductivity which was lost during splicing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 29, 2012
    Date of Patent: March 31, 2015
    Assignee: K.Joins
    Inventors: Young-Kun Oh, Hee-Sung Ann, Myung-Whon Lee, Hai-Gun Lee
  • Publication number: 20150087524
    Abstract: There is provided a method for producing a substrate (600) suitable for supporting an elongated superconducting element, wherein, e.g., a deformation process is utilized in order to form disruptive strips in a layered solid element, and where etching is used to form undercut volumes (330, 332) between an upper layer (316) and a lower layer (303) of the layered solid element. Such relatively simple steps enable providing a substrate which may be turned into a superconducting structure, such as a superconducting tape, having reduced AC losses, since the undercut volumes (330, 332) may be useful for separating layers of material. In a further embodiment, there is placed a superconducting layer on top of the upper layer (316) and/or lower layer (303), so as to provide a superconducting structure with reduced AC losses.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 17, 2013
    Publication date: March 26, 2015
    Inventor: Anders Christian Wulff
  • Patent number: 8974617
    Abstract: A method is provided for transferring a graphene sheet to metal contact bumps of a substrate that is to be used in a semiconductor device package, i.e. a stack of substrates connected by said contact bumps, e.g., copper contact bumps for which graphene forms a protective layer. An imprinter device can be used comprising an imprinter substrate, said substrate being provided with cavities, whereof each cavity is provided with a rim portion. The imprinter substrate is aligned with the substrate comprising the bumps and lowered onto said substrate so that each bump becomes enclosed by a cavity, until the rim portion of the cavities cuts through the graphene sheet, leaving graphene layer portions on top of each of bumps when the imprinter is removed. The graphene sheet is preferably attached to the substrate by imprinting it into a passivation layer surrounding the bumps.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 25, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 10, 2015
    Assignees: IMEC, Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Yu-Hsiang Hu, Chung-Shi Liu
  • Publication number: 20150065350
    Abstract: A coil arrangement formed from a stripe-shaped superconductor assembly is composed of metal substrate (3) and at least one superconductor layer (4, 5) wherein the coil arrangement is such, that in adjacent turns current flow is in opposite direction in operation, and wherein the substrate side (3) is in a region without magnetic field by sandwiching the substrate side (3) between superconductor layers (4, 5) of same current direction during operation.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 13, 2014
    Publication date: March 5, 2015
    Inventor: Achim Hobl
  • Patent number: 8959970
    Abstract: An apparatus and method for moving a wire along its own axis against a high resistance to its motion causing a substantial uniaxial compression stress in the wire without allowing it to buckle. The apparatus consists of a wire gripping and moving drive wheel and guide rollers for transporting the moving wire away from the drive wheel. Wire is pressed into a peripheral groove in a relatively large diameter, rotating drive wheel by a set of small diameter rollers arranged along part of the periphery causing the wire to be gripped by the groove.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 21, 2012
    Date of Patent: February 24, 2015
    Inventor: Alfred R. Austen
  • Patent number: 8965469
    Abstract: Disclosed are an oxide superconductor tape and a method of manufacturing the oxide superconductor tape capable of improving the length and characteristics of superconductor tape and obtaining stabilized characteristics across the entire length thereof. A Y-class superconductor tape (10), as an oxide superconductor tape, comprises a tape (13) further comprising a tape-shaped non-oriented metallic substrate (11), and a first buffer layer (sheet layer) (12) that is formed by IBAD upon the tape-shaped non-oriented metallic substrate (11); and a second buffer layer (gap layer) (14), further comprising a lateral face portion (14a) that is extended to the lateral faces of the first buffer layer (sheet layer) (12) upon the tape (13) by RTR RF-magnetron sputtering.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 10, 2011
    Date of Patent: February 24, 2015
    Assignee: SWCC Show Cable Systems Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Tatsuhisa Nakanishi, Yuji Aoki, Tsutomu Koizumi, Atsushi Kaneko, Takayo Hasegawa
  • Publication number: 20150045228
    Abstract: A radio frequency-assisted fast superconducting switch is described. A superconductor is closely coupled to a radio frequency (RF) coil. To turn the switch “off,” i.e., to induce a transition to the normal, resistive state in the superconductor, a voltage burst is applied to the RF coil. This voltage burst is sufficient to induce a current in the coupled superconductor. The combination of the induced current with any other direct current flowing through the superconductor is sufficient to exceed the critical current of the superconductor at the operating temperature, inducing a transition to the normal, resistive state. A by-pass MOSFET may be configured in parallel with the superconductor to act as a current shunt, allowing the voltage across the superconductor to drop below a certain value, at which time the superconductor undergoes a transition to the superconducting state and the switch is reset.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 9, 2013
    Publication date: February 12, 2015
    Applicant: Brookhaven Science Associates, LLC
    Inventors: Vyacheslav Solovyov, Qiang Li
  • Publication number: 20150045229
    Abstract: A superconducting wire connection structure comprises a first superconducting wire and a second superconducting wire, ends of which are arranged across from each other, and a third superconducting wire which spans and connects the first superconducting wire and the second superconducting wire along a longitudinal direction of the first superconducting wire and the second superconducting wire. Each of the first superconducting wire, the second superconducting wire and the third superconducting wire is a tape-shaped superconducting wire which includes a substrate laminated with at least a superconductive layer. The third wire is narrower in at least one portion than the first superconducting wire and the second superconducting wire.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 6, 2013
    Publication date: February 12, 2015
    Inventors: Takaharu Mitsuhashi, Masashi Yagi
  • Patent number: 8951936
    Abstract: Provided is a method of manufacturing a superconducting accelerator cavity in which a plurality of half cells having opening portions (equator portions and iris portions) at both ends thereof in an axial direction are placed one after another in the axial direction, contact portions where the corresponding opening portions come into contact with each other are joined by welding, and thus, a superconducting accelerator cavity is manufactured, the half cells to be joined are arranged so that the axial direction thereof extends in a vertical direction; and concave portions that are concave towards an outer side are also formed at inner circumferential surfaces located below the contact portions of the half cells positioned at a bottom; and the contact portions are joined from outside by penetration welding.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 9, 2011
    Date of Patent: February 10, 2015
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd.
    Inventors: Katsuya Sennyu, Hiroshi Hara, Takehisa Okuda
  • Patent number: 8943676
    Abstract: A method of manufacturing a solenoidal magnet structure, comprising the steps of providing a collapsible mold in which to wind coils; winding wire into defined positions (88) in the mold to form coils (34); placing a preformed tubular mechanical support structure (102, 120) over the coils (34) so wound; impregnating the coils and bonding them to the mechanical support structure by applying a thermosetting resin and allowing the thermosetting resin to harden; and collapsing the mold and removing the resultant solenoidal magnet structure comprising the resin impregnated coils and the mechanical support structure from the mold as a single solid piece.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 8, 2010
    Date of Patent: February 3, 2015
    Assignee: Siemens PLC.
    Inventors: Graham Hutton, Jonathan Noys, Adrian Mark Thomas
  • Patent number: 8946126
    Abstract: A precursor material for the preparation of superconductors based on Bi2Sr2Ca1Cu2O8+? wherein the precursor material which is as close to equilibrium state as possible, i.e., has less than 5% in average 2201 intergrowths in the 2212 phase; in particular, the present invention relates to a precursor material, which is converted to the final conductor by partial melt processing, as well as to a process for the production of the precursor material and the use of the precursor material for preparing superconductors based on Bi2Sr2Ca1Cu2O8+?.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 21, 2005
    Date of Patent: February 3, 2015
    Assignee: Nexans
    Inventors: Joachim Bock, Jurgen Ehrenberg, Mark Rikel
  • Publication number: 20150031547
    Abstract: A method is disclosed for electrically conductively connecting two superconductive cables. The ends of the two cables are arranged next to each other and parallel to one another, in such a way that their free ends point in the opposite direction, and their conductors are located at least approximately on the same level next to each other. Two conductors of the two cables are electrically conductively connected to each other through electrical contact elements (10, 11, 12). The screens (6) of the two cables (1, 2) are connected through by separate contact elements (13, 14, 15) and the two cable ends are treated in this manner for constructing a transmission length for electrical energy are arranged jointly in a housing (16) of a cryostat so that during operation of the transmission length, a flowable cooling agent with electrically insulating properties flows through a housing (16) of a cryostat.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 24, 2014
    Publication date: January 29, 2015
    Inventors: Mark Stemmle, Frank Schmidt
  • Publication number: 20150024943
    Abstract: A compound superconducting wire 10 includes a reinforcement portion 12 and a compound superconductor 11. In the reinforcement portion 12, an assembly of plural reinforcement elements 4 are disposed. The reinforcement elements 4 each include plural reinforcement filaments 1 disposed in a stabilizer 2, and a stabilizing layer 3 at the outer periphery thereof. The reinforcement filaments 1 each mainly contain one or more metals selected from the group consisting of Nb, Ta, V, W, Mo, Fe, and Hf, an alloy consisting of two or more metals selected from the aforementioned group, or an alloy consisting of copper and one or more metals selected from the aforementioned group.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 9, 2014
    Publication date: January 22, 2015
    Inventors: Masahiro SUGIMOTO, Hirokazu TSUBOUCHI, Kazuo WATANABE, Satoshi AWAJI, Hidetoshi OGURO
  • Publication number: 20150018221
    Abstract: A superconducting cable and connection structure includes one or more superconducting cables. Each cable has superconducting tapes wound about a former in a plurality of phases. Superconducting tapes of a first phase extends further toward a distal end of each cable end than the superconducting tapes of the second phase. The first and second cable ends of one superconducting cable (or a first end of a first superconducting cable and a second end of a second superconducting cable) are arranged with the first phase of the second cable end electronically coupled to the second phase of the first cable end. Connector structures may couple the cable ends together. The cable(s) form one or more loops within a cryostat, to form a degaussing coil.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 8, 2014
    Publication date: January 15, 2015
    Inventor: Daniël Cornelis van der Laan
  • Publication number: 20150018220
    Abstract: A superconducting magnet and method for making a superconducting magnet, are presented. The superconducting magnet is made by forming a coil from windings of a first wire comprising a reacted MgB2 monofilament, filling a cavity of a stainless steel billet with a Mg+B powder. Monofilament ends of the first wire and a similar second wire are sheared at an acute angle and inserted into the billet. A copper plug configured to partially fill the billet cavity is inserted into the billet cavity. A portion of the billet adjacent to the plug and the wires is sealed with a ceramic paste.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 14, 2014
    Publication date: January 15, 2015
    Applicant: Massachusetts Institute of Technology
    Inventors: Seungyong Hahn, Yukikazu lwasa, Juan Bascunan, John Peter Voccio, Jiayin Ling, Jungbin Song, YoungJae Kim