Electrical Energy Storage Device (e.g., Accumulator, Etc.), Inductor, Transformer, Magnetic Switch, Magnetic Ring, Sphere, Coil, Or Magnetic Arrangement Patents (Class 505/211)
  • Patent number: 8818471
    Abstract: It is desired to perform assemble, disassemble, maintenance and the like, especially of a large site superconducting coil device, in a short time. The superconducting coil device includes a plurality of coil units arranged in a circle circumference to form a toroidal shape. Each of the plurality of coil units includes a cryostat and a superconducting coil stored in the cryostat, and has a first surface parallel with a radius of the circle circumference and a second surface parallel with the radius of the circle circumference and arranged in a first direction side of the circle circumference to the first surface. The first surface contacts with the second surface of a coil unit adjacent in one direction among the plurality of coil units. The second surface contacts with the first surface of a coil unit adjacent in other direction among the plurality of coil units.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 4, 2009
    Date of Patent: August 26, 2014
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd.
    Inventor: Hiroshi Kawashima
  • Publication number: 20140235451
    Abstract: An object of the present invention is to provide a method for protecting a superconducting coil, which method prevents damage to the superconducting coil caused by a quench or the like, in a new way, without using a voltage (a change in voltage) generated in the superconducting coil. Provided is the method for protecting a superconducting coil made by winding tape-like superconducting wire having a superconducting layer. Power from a power supply is shut off based on the magnitude of a screening field, which is a difference between a measured magnetic field B in a direction of a thickness of the superconducting wire at a predetermined position, and a magnetic field Bcal in the direction of the thickness of the superconducting wire calculated disregarding an effect of screening current.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 7, 2014
    Publication date: August 21, 2014
    Applicants: Japan Superconductor Technology, Inc., National Institute for Materials Science
    Inventors: Davide Uglietti, Tsukasa Kiyoshi, Shinji Matsumoto, Mamoru Hamada
  • Publication number: 20140221215
    Abstract: A precursor for a Nb3Sn superconductor wire to be manufactured by the internal diffusion method, includes a plurality of Nb-based single core wires, each of which includes a Nb-based core coated with a Cu-based coating including a Cu-based matrix, a plurality of Sn-based single core wires, each of which includes a Sn-based core coated with a Cu-based coating including a Cu-based matrix; and a cylindrical diffusion barrier including Ta or Nb, in which the plurality of Nb-based single core wires and the plurality of Sn-based single core wires are regularly disposed, wherein the plurality of Nb-based single core wires include Nb-based single core wires having a Cu/Nb ratio of 0.4 or more, wherein the Cu/Nb ratio is a cross sectional area ratio of the Cu-based coating to the Nb-based core.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 9, 2013
    Publication date: August 7, 2014
    Applicant: SH Copper Products Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yoshihide Wadayama, Katsumi Ohata, Kazuhiko Nakagawa, Morio Kimura
  • Publication number: 20140213458
    Abstract: A superconducting coil body and a superconducting device are provided so as to achieve reduction of loss. A superconducting coil body includes: an inner circumferential coil body serving as a coil main body portion in which a superconducting wire is wound; and a first magnetic body serving as a magnetic circuit member. The magnetic circuit member is formed of a magnetic body, and is disposed to face the upper surface of the inner circumferential coil body, the upper surface being positioned at an end surface side thereof crossing a main surface of the superconducting wire in the inner circumferential coil body. The first magnetic body is used to form a magnetic circuit for permitting magnetic flux, which is generated by a current flowing in the coil main body portion, to travel around the current.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 24, 2012
    Publication date: July 31, 2014
    Applicant: SUMITOMO ELECTRIC INDUSTRIES, LTD.
    Inventors: Yuuichi Nakamura, Satoshi Arakawa, Tsuyoshi Shinzato, Hitoshi Oyama
  • Patent number: 8787998
    Abstract: A superconducting coil apparatus and a superconducting apparatus including the superconducting coil apparatus are provided. The superconducting coil apparatus includes a superconducting coil 10, an inner container 50 that holds the superconducting coil 10 therein, and an outer container 60. The inner container 50 and the outer container 60 are made of FRP. At a corner portion 71 of the inner container 50 and the outer container 60, a sealing reinforcement portion 2 made of a resin is formed so as to extend along the corner portion 71. Opening portions 53 and 63 are formed in side surfaces of the inner container 50 and the outer container 60. The sealing reinforcement portion 2 is disposed at the corner portion 71 of the opening portions 53 and 63, whereby the sealing performance of the container can be improved.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 7, 2010
    Date of Patent: July 22, 2014
    Assignee: Sumitomo Electric Industries, Ltd.
    Inventors: Tsuyoshi Shinzato, Hitoshi Oyama
  • Publication number: 20140194294
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a method for producing superconducting coils (1) having the steps of providing a substrate (2) and applying a superconducting material in the form of at least one coil onto the substrate. The application of the superconducting material is performed by at least one coating method directly on the substrate. Winding coated flat wires can be dispensed with. Furthermore, the present invention comprises a superconducting apparatus comprising a superconducting coil (1) produced in accordance with the method.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 6, 2012
    Publication date: July 10, 2014
    Applicant: Siemens Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventor: Dierk Schröder
  • Publication number: 20140155269
    Abstract: An oxide superconductor wire includes: a superconductor laminate that comprises a substrate which is formed in a tape shape and an intermediate layer, an oxide superconductor layer, and a metal stabilizing layer which are laminated on the substrate; and an insulating coating layer that covers an outside surface of the superconductor laminate, Also, either the entire outside surface or the entire inside surface of the insulating coating layer is coated with a coating layer formed of a fluororesin.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 7, 2014
    Publication date: June 5, 2014
    Applicant: FUJIKURA LTD.
    Inventor: Masanori DAIBO
  • Patent number: 8738105
    Abstract: A superconducting integrated circuit may include a magnetic flux transformer having an inner inductive coupling element and an outer inductive coupling element that surrounds the inner inductive coupling element along at least a portion of a length thereof. The magnetic flux transformer may have a coaxial-like geometry such that a mutual inductance between the first inductive coupling element and the second inductive coupling element is sub-linearly proportional to a distance that separates the first inner inductive coupling element from the first outer inductive coupling element. At least one of the first inductive coupling element and the second inductive coupling element may be coupled to a superconducting programmable device, such as a superconducting qubit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 11, 2010
    Date of Patent: May 27, 2014
    Assignee: D-Wave Systems Inc.
    Inventors: Andrew J. Berkley, Mark W. Johnson, Paul I. Bunyk
  • Publication number: 20140135223
    Abstract: The method comprises stripping matrix material from superconducting wires to expose superconducting filaments, placing the filaments between electrically conductive pieces, and applying magnetic welding to the electrically conductive pieces. The resulting superconducting joint comprises the filaments cold welded with molecular bonds between each other and between the filaments and the two electrically conductive pieces.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 1, 2013
    Publication date: May 15, 2014
    Inventors: Mark BLUMENTHAL, M'Hamed LAKRIMI
  • Patent number: 8718732
    Abstract: The invention relates to a superconductor switching arrangement, including: a superconductor having a plurality of first connection zones and at least one second connection zone, the first and second connection zones being connectable by at least one superconducting path in use, a quenching device which is operable to selectively quench portions of the superconductor so as to remove the superconducting path between at least two of the first connection zones and the at least one second connection zone.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 14, 2012
    Date of Patent: May 6, 2014
    Assignee: Rolls-Royce PLC
    Inventors: Christopher G Bright, Adam J McLoughlin
  • Patent number: 8712489
    Abstract: A magnet coil configuration (20-24) is manufactured from a band-shaped conductor (1), which is slit in the longitudinal direction except for its two end areas (2, 3) such that the band-shaped conductor (1) has a first and a second half band (4, 5) and two end areas (2, 3) which connect these two half bands (4, 5) to form a closed loop. The two half-bands (4,5) of the slit band-shaped conductor (1) are initially wound onto two separate intermediate coils (14,15) and the final coil structure is subsequently wound by alternate extraction of the two half-bands (4,5) from the intermediate coils (14,15). A simple method is thereby proposed for winding a slit band-shaped conductor to form a magnet coil configuration which also generates strong magnetic fields.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 3, 2012
    Date of Patent: April 29, 2014
    Assignee: Bruker BioSpin AG
    Inventors: Robert Schauwecker, Robert Herzog, Riccardo Tediosi, Matteo Alessandrini
  • Publication number: 20140100116
    Abstract: An inductive fault current limiter (1), has a normally conducting primary coil assembly (2) with a multiplicity of turns (3), and a superconducting, short-circuited secondary coil assembly (4). The primary coil assembly (2) and the secondary coil assembly (4) are disposed at least substantially coaxially with respect to each other and at least partially interleaved in each other. The secondary coil assembly (4) has a first coil section (4a) disposed radially inside the turns (3) of the primary coil assembly (2) and a second coil section (4b) disposed radially outside the turns (3) of the primary coil assembly (2). The fault current limiter has an increased inductance ratio.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 30, 2013
    Publication date: April 10, 2014
    Inventors: Klaus Schlenga, Alexander Usoskin
  • Publication number: 20140094371
    Abstract: An example particle accelerator includes a coil to provide a magnetic field to a cavity; a cryostat comprising a chamber for holding the coil, where the coil is arranged in the chamber to define an interior region of the coil and an exterior region of the coil; magnetic structures adjacent to the cryostat, where the magnetic structures have one or more slots at least part-way therethrough; and one or more magnetic shims in one or more corresponding slots. The one or more magnetic shims are movable to adjust a position of the coil by changing a magnetic field produced by the magnetic structures.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 27, 2013
    Publication date: April 3, 2014
    Applicant: Mevion Medical Systems, Inc.
    Inventors: Gerrit Townsend Zwart, Jan Van der Laan, Kenneth P. Gall, Stanislaw P. Sobczynski
  • Patent number: 8688181
    Abstract: A new class of superconducting compositions, and methods for making and using them are described. These compositions exhibit superconductivity at temperatures in excess of 26° K. and are comprised of transition metal oxides having at least one additional element therein which may create a multivalent state of the transition metal oxide. The composition can be a ceramic-like material having a layer-like crystalline structure, where the structure is distorted having either an oxygen excess or deficiency. An example is RE-AE-TM-O, where RE is a rare earth or rare earth-like element, AE is an alkaline earth element, TM is a transition metal element (such as Cu) and O is oxygen.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 9, 1994
    Date of Patent: April 1, 2014
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Johannes Georg Bednorz, Carl Alexander Mueller
  • Publication number: 20140066312
    Abstract: A magnet system generates a highly stable magnetic field at a sample location. The magnet system has a magnet cryostat housing a first superconducting magnet coil and a second magnet coil co-axial to the first magnet coil. The second magnet coil is short-circuited in a superconducting persistent mode during operation of the magnet system. An external power supply during operation supplies current to the first magnet coil via a current lead thereby generating a first magnetic field at the sample location that fluctuates according to the current noise of the power supply, wherein the second magnet coil is positioned and dimensioned in a way that it inductively couples to the first magnet coil such that it generates at the sample location a second magnetic field that compensates the fluctuations of the first magnetic field.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 15, 2013
    Publication date: March 6, 2014
    Inventor: Arne Kasten
  • Patent number: 8655423
    Abstract: A superconducting coil is provided with a superconducting coil portion having a plurality of concentric coil layer portions. The superconducting coil portion is formed by winding a thin-film superconducting wire and an insulating material with a multilayer structure, wherein the concentric coil layer portions are adjacent to each other at boundary portions having adhesive force that are set to be less than that of other portions. The concentric coil layer portions each has a non-circular shape or circular shape.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 14, 2011
    Date of Patent: February 18, 2014
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
    Inventors: Hiroshi Miyazaki, Sadanori Iwai, Kel Koyanagi, Taizo Tosaka, Kenji Tasaki, Masami Urata, Shigeru Ioka, Yusuke Ishii, Michitaka Ono
  • Publication number: 20140031235
    Abstract: An inner circumferential portion is formed by winding one of first and second superconducting wires each having a band shape. An outer circumferential portion is formed by winding the other of the first and second superconducting wires around the inner circumferential portion. A welding portion joins the first and second superconducting wires to each other by welding between the inner circumferential portion and the outer circumferential portion. The first superconducting wire is higher in strength than the second superconducting wire. The second superconducting wire is smaller in thickness than the first superconducting wire.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 24, 2012
    Publication date: January 30, 2014
    Applicant: SUMITOMO ELECTRIC INDUSTRIES, LTD.
    Inventors: Eisaku Ueno, Takeshi Kato
  • Publication number: 20140005053
    Abstract: To limit current rise in a high voltage DC system, the current can be led through a current rise limiter. An exemplary current rise limiter can have an inductance that increases with the current I through the current rise limiter and/or with a time-derivative dI/dt of the current I. In such a system, the current rise limiter can have minor influence on normal operation, but can limit the rise rate of the current in the event of a fault to, for example, provide more time to switch off the current.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 4, 2013
    Publication date: January 2, 2014
    Applicant: ABB Technology AG
    Inventors: Christian Schacherer, Markus Abplanalp, Markus Bujotzek, Emmanouil Panousis
  • Patent number: 8588876
    Abstract: An electric joint design to be used in electromagnetic coils made with high-temperature superconducting tape, aspected wire, or cable. A terminal member contains an engraved twist-bend contour, which receives the coil and changes the direction of the coil by about 90 degrees without any hard-bends. A current lead is aligned with terminal section of the coil establishing an electric joint whose length is not limited by the coil geometry. Resistance is distributed along the length of the electric joint to reduce heat generation. The electric joint is placed away from the area where the magnetic forces are high to eliminate the problem of helium gas becoming trapped.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 12, 2012
    Date of Patent: November 19, 2013
    Assignee: The Florida State University Research Foundation, Inc.
    Inventors: Ulf Peter Trociewitz, David K. Hilton, Youri Viouchkov, Matthieu Dalban-Canassy
  • Patent number: 8565845
    Abstract: The invention offers a superconducting coil that has the shape of a pancake formed by winding a superconducting conductor. The superconducting conductor is composed of a tape-shaped (Bi, Pb)2223-based superconducting wire and a tape-shaped thin-film RE123-based superconducting wire that are electrically connected in parallel with each other. The coil generates only a low voltage in the steady-operation state, limits the generated voltage to a low level even in a state where an external disturbance enters for some reason, and is therefore less susceptible to quenching. Consequently, the coil can be operated stably in both states. The invention also offers a superconducting conductor to be used to form the coil.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 6, 2008
    Date of Patent: October 22, 2013
    Assignee: Sumitomo Electric Industries, Ltd.
    Inventors: Shinichi Kobayashi, Tetsuyuki Kaneko
  • Patent number: 8543178
    Abstract: An induction heating apparatus that can operate at current frequencies of greater than 60 Hz and at least 1 kW. The induction heating apparatus includes a high frequency power supply, a superconductive induction coil, and a fluid cooling system. A fluid cooling system is designed to cause a cooling fluid to flow at least partially about and/or through the superconductive induction coil.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 7, 2008
    Date of Patent: September 24, 2013
    Assignee: Ajax Tocco Magnethermic Corporation
    Inventors: Theodore E. Burke, Frank Li
  • Publication number: 20130237426
    Abstract: A superconducting magnet includes a superconducting coil, a heat shield surrounding the superconducting coil, a vacuum chamber accommodating the heat shield, a magnetic shield covering at least a part of the vacuum chamber, and a refrigerating machine fixed to the vacuum chamber to cool the superconducting coil through a heat conducting body. The magnetic shield abuts against said vacuum chamber with an elastic body therebetween to support the vacuum chamber.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 22, 2011
    Publication date: September 12, 2013
    Applicant: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
    Inventor: Hajime Tamura
  • Publication number: 20130190187
    Abstract: Fault Current Limiters (FCL) provide protection for upstream and/or downstream devices in electric power grids. Conventional FCL require the use of expensive conductors and liquid or gas cryogen handling. Disclosed embodiments describe FCL systems and devices that use lower cost superconductors, require no liquid cryogen, and are fast cycling. These improved FCL can sustain many sequential faults and require less time to clear faults while avoiding the use of liquid cryogen. Disclosed embodiments describe a FCL with a superconductor and cladding cooled to cryogenic temperatures; these are connected in parallel with a second resistor across two nodes in a circuit. According to disclosed embodiments, the resistance of the superconducting components and its sheath in the fault mode are sufficiently high to minimize energy deposition within the cryogenic system, minimizing recovery time.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 29, 2011
    Publication date: July 25, 2013
    Applicant: The Ohio State University
    Inventors: Michael Sumption, Edward Collings, Milan Majoros
  • Publication number: 20130190185
    Abstract: A superconducting magnetic shielding system includes first and second planar superconducting shields respectively positioned above and below an environment to be shielded. The shields are each thermally coupled to a cold source at a respective thermalizing point. When the shields are cooled into the superconducting regime, they passively block magnetic fields via the Meissner Effect. Each shield may also be shaped to produce a smooth temperature gradient extending away from its thermalizing point; thus, as the shields are cooled, magnetic fields may be expelled away from the thermalizing point and, consequently, away from the environment to be shielded. A heater may also be provided opposite the thermalizing points to improve control of the temperature gradient.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 13, 2012
    Publication date: July 25, 2013
    Applicant: D-WAVE SYSTEMS INC.
    Inventor: Patrick Pablo Chavez
  • Publication number: 20130190186
    Abstract: A superconducting magnet device and a magnetic resonance imaging system not only avoid the need for costly aluminum alloy formers but also lower quench pressure effectively, have a baffle covering the former and the coil, with a gap between the baffle and the coil.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 3, 2012
    Publication date: July 25, 2013
    Inventors: Xian Xi Chen, An Feng Li, Xing En Yu
  • Publication number: 20130130914
    Abstract: The invention relates to a high-temperature superconductor (HTS) magnet system, preferably for an insertion device for generation of high-intensity synchrotron radiation, consisting of the coil body (6), on the mantle surface of which poles with windings that lie between them are disposed, wherein at least one high-temperature superconductor strip (23) is wound onto the coil body (6) in one direction, and adjacent winding packages or sections are electrically connected with one another in such a manner that the current flow runs in opposite directions, in each instance. The solution according to the invention has the advantage of a simplified winding process, whereby individual coil pairs can be replaced, if necessary, by means of the modular arrangement. The scheme can be applied to every possible configuration of an insertion device, and is therefore also suitable for use in so-called free electron lasers and other light sources based on particle accelerators.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 30, 2010
    Publication date: May 23, 2013
    Applicant: BABCOCK NOELL GMBH
    Inventors: Cristian Boffo, Thomas Gerhard
  • Publication number: 20130102473
    Abstract: A superconducting magnet includes a superconducting wire including magnesium diboride; a superconducting coil where a part of the superconducting wire is wound; and a joint where an end of the superconducting wire and an end of another superconducting wire are connected and united. The joint includes a sintered body including magnesium diboride, an averaged particle diameter of magnesium diboride at the joint of the superconducting wire is greater than an averaged particle diameter of the magnesium diboride at the part where the superconducting wire is wound.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 24, 2012
    Publication date: April 25, 2013
    Applicant: HITACHI, LTD.
    Inventor: HITACHI, LTD.
  • Publication number: 20130102472
    Abstract: A persistent-mode High Temperature Superconductor (HTS) shim coil is provided having at least one rectangular shaped thin sheet of HTS, wherein the thin sheet of HTS contains a first long portion, a second long portion parallel to first long portion, a first end, and a second end parallel to the first end. The rectangular shaped thin sheet of high-temperature superconductor has a hollow center and forms a continuous loop. In addition, the first end and the second end are folded toward each other forming two rings, and the thin sheet of high-temperature superconductor has a radial build that is less than 5 millimeters (mm) and able to withstand very strong magnetic field ranges of greater than approximately 12 Tesla (T) within a center-portion of a superconducting magnet of a superconducting magnet assembly.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 25, 2012
    Publication date: April 25, 2013
    Applicant: Massachusetts Institute of Technology
    Inventor: Massachusetts Institute of Technology
  • Publication number: 20130096008
    Abstract: The invention relates to a superconductor switching arrangement, including: a superconductor having a plurality of first connection zones and at least one second connection zone, the first and second connection zones being connectable by at least one superconducting path in use, a quenching device which is operable to selectively quench portions of the superconductor so as to remove the superconducting path between at least two of the first connection zones and the at least one second connection zone.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 14, 2012
    Publication date: April 18, 2013
    Applicant: ROLLS-ROYCE PLC
    Inventors: Christoher G. BRIGHT, Adam J. MCLOUGHLIN
  • Publication number: 20130090244
    Abstract: A superconducting coil and a rotating device, the performances of which are improved, and a superconducting coil manufacturing method are provided. A superconducting coil 10 is a saddle-shaped superconducting coil formed by winding a superconducting wire so as to form a race-track-like shape. The superconducting coil includes a curved portion 10b and a straight portion 10a connected to the curved portion 10b. In the curved portion 10b, an upper edge 10c is positioned closer to an inner peripheral side than a lower edge 10d is, and in the straight portion 10a, the upper edge 10c is positioned closer to an outer peripheral side than the lower edge 10d is.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 21, 2010
    Publication date: April 11, 2013
    Applicant: SUMITOMO ELECTRIC INDUSTRIES, LTD.
    Inventors: Tsuyoshi Shinzato, Hitoshi Oyama, Yutaka Komatsu, Takeshi Baba, Takeshi Ariyoshi
  • Publication number: 20130090242
    Abstract: Techniques for sub-cooling in a superconducting (SC) system is disclosed. The techniques may be realized as a method and superconducting (SC) system comprising at least one insulated enclosure configured to enclose at least a first fluid or gas and a second fluid or gas, and at least one superconducting circuit within the at least one insulated enclosure. The superconducting (SC) system may be sub-cooled using at least the first fluid or gas.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 5, 2011
    Publication date: April 11, 2013
    Applicant: Varian Semiconductor Equipment Associates, Inc.
    Inventors: James D. Strassner, Gregory Citver, Frank Sinclair
  • Patent number: 8406833
    Abstract: A cryostat (1) with a magnet coil system including superconductors for the production of a magnet field B0 in a measuring volume (3) has a plurality of radically nested solenoid-shaped coil sections (4, 5, 6) and which are electrically connected in series, at least one of which being an LTS section (5, 6) with a conventional low temperature superconductor (LTS) and at least one of which being an HTS section (4) including a high temperature superconductor (HTS), wherein the magnet coil system is located in a helium tank (9) of the cryostat (1) along with liquid helium at a helium temperature TL<4 K. The apparatus is characterized in that heating means are provided which always keep the HTS at an increased temperature TH>TL and TH>2.2 K. The cryostat in accordance with the invention can maintain the HTS section over a long period of time in a reliable manner.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 7, 2007
    Date of Patent: March 26, 2013
    Assignee: Bruker Biospin GmbH
    Inventors: Gerhard Roth, Axel Lausch
  • Publication number: 20130065767
    Abstract: A magnet coil configuration (20-24) is manufactured from a band-shaped conductor (1), which is slit in the longitudinal direction except for its two end areas (2, 3) such that the band-shaped conductor (1) has a first and a second half band (4, 5) and two end areas (2, 3) which connect these two half bands (4, 5) to form a closed loop. The two half-bands (4,5) of the slit band-shaped conductor (1) are initially wound onto two separate intermediate coils (14,15) and the final coil structure is subsequently wound by alternate extraction of the two half-bands (4,5) from the intermediate coils (14,15). A simple method is thereby proposed for winding a slit band-shaped conductor to form a magnet coil configuration which also generates strong magnetic fields.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 3, 2012
    Publication date: March 14, 2013
    Inventors: Robert Schauwecker, Robert Herzog, Riccardo Tediosi, Matteo Alessandrini
  • Patent number: 8391938
    Abstract: A transformer including: a transformer housing having an interior, a superconducting wire winding disposed within the housing interior, a dry dielectric medium in contact with a superconducting wire winding, and a temperature control device in heat exchange communication with the dry dielectric medium, adapted to utilize a gaseous medium for controlling the temperature of the superconducting wire winding.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 15, 2011
    Date of Patent: March 5, 2013
    Assignee: Electric Power Research Institute, Inc.
    Inventors: David Timothy Lindsay, Steve Eckroad
  • Patent number: 8380266
    Abstract: An RF coil adjacent an imaging region includes a plurality of conducting coil elements, with each conducting coil element including a proximal portion and a distal portion. The RF coil also includes a capacitance between the distal portions of the at least two conducting coil elements. A mutual coupling inductance between at least two conducting coil elements of the plurality of conducting coil elements is substantially cancelled by the capacitance between the distal portions of the at least two conducting coil elements.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 15, 2009
    Date of Patent: February 19, 2013
    Assignee: Regents of the University of Minnesota
    Inventors: J. Thomas Vaughan, Jinfeng Tian
  • Publication number: 20130040819
    Abstract: An electrode unit joining structure for a superconducting wire includes: a superconducting wire comprising a first base member, a first superconducting layer provided on the first base member, and a first electroconductive layer provided on the first superconducting layer; an electrode provided on the first electroconductive layer at an end portion of the superconducting wire; and a superconducting cover tape comprising a second base member, a second superconducting layer provided on the second base member, and a second electroconductive layer provided on the second superconducting layer, the superconducting cover tape being provided so as to cover at least part of the electrode, wherein the second electroconductive layer of the superconducting cover tape is disposed on the electrode side, and the electrode, the superconducting wire, and the superconducting cover tape are electrically connected to each other.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 12, 2012
    Publication date: February 14, 2013
    Applicant: FUJIKURA LTD.
    Inventor: FUJIKURA LTD.
  • Patent number: 8369911
    Abstract: A miniundulator that includes a first bobbin and a second bobbin parallel to and spaced from the first bobbin, and a superconductive wire wound around the outer surfaces of the first bobbin and the second bobbin, and method for the assembly of the miniundulator are disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 14, 2009
    Date of Patent: February 5, 2013
    Assignee: National University of Singapore
    Inventors: Herbert O. Moser, Caozheng Diao
  • Publication number: 20130029849
    Abstract: A superconducting magnet system includes a coil support structure, superconducting coils, and electrically and thermally conductive windings. The superconducting coils and the conductive windings are supported by the coil support structure. Each conductive winding is electromagnetically coupled with a corresponding superconducting coil. Each conductive winding is electrically shorted.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 26, 2012
    Publication date: January 31, 2013
    Inventors: Anbo Wu, Minfeng Xu, Timothy James Hollis, Ye Bai, Weijun Shen, Evangelos Trifon Laskaris, Jian-She Wang, Yan Zhao
  • Patent number: 8355765
    Abstract: Magnetic shields and magnetic shielding systems are described. The excessive spatial demands of known mu-metal/cryoperm and superconducting shielding systems are reduced by a new multi-piece shield construction approach. A complete magnetic shielding system for use with superconducting-based computing systems, such as superconducting quantum computing systems, is also described. This complete system may include mu-metal/cryoperm shields and superconducting shields using either compensatory magnetic fields, expulsion by temperature gradients, or a combination of the two.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 30, 2009
    Date of Patent: January 15, 2013
    Assignee: D-Wave Systems Inc.
    Inventors: Sergey V. Uchaykin, Jacob Craig Petroff, Gordon Lamont
  • Publication number: 20130012392
    Abstract: A superconducting switch is provided in which the structural strength of the superconducting switch is kept, and thermal efficiency between a superconducting film and a heater is high when an ON state (superconducting state) and an OFF state (normal conducting state) of the superconducting switch are switched. The superconducting switch includes a substrate, a heater for generating heat by energization, a conductive film, and a MgB2 film evaporated on the conductive film. The heater, the conductive film and the MgB2 film are laminated in this order on one surface of the substrate.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 3, 2012
    Publication date: January 10, 2013
    Applicant: HITACHI, LTD.
    Inventors: Hideki Tanaka, Tsuyoshi Wakuda, Motomune Kodama, Akifumi Matsuda
  • Patent number: 8352002
    Abstract: A superconductor cooling system has: a first superconductor; a first cooling conductor used for cooling the first superconductor; a first cooling unit configured to cool the first cooling conductor to a first temperature; and a current lead configured to supply a current to the first superconductor. Here, a part of a path of the current is formed of a second superconductor. The superconductor cooling system further has: a second cooling conductor used for cooling the second superconductor; a second cooling unit configured to cool the second cooling conductor to a second temperature; and a first thermal conduction switch connected between the first cooling conductor and the second cooling conductor to ON and OFF heat transfer between the first cooling conductor and the second cooling conductor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 27, 2009
    Date of Patent: January 8, 2013
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd.
    Inventor: Hiroshi Kawashima
  • Patent number: 8344835
    Abstract: The method of winding superconducting wire comprises a winding method comprising: winding the superconducting wire from the source reel onto the first lane of the first bobbin a first number of times in a first direction; fixing the first bobbin and the second bobbin to each other; winding the superconducting wire from the source reel onto the third lane of the second bobbin a second number of times in the first direction; separating the first bobbin and the second bobbin from each other; and winding the superconducting wire from the first lane of the first bobbin onto the fourth lane of the second bobbin a third number of times in a second direction which is different from the first direction while winding the superconducting wire from the third lane of the second bobbin onto the source reel the third number of times in the second direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 30, 2012
    Date of Patent: January 1, 2013
    Assignee: Industry-Academic Cooperation Foundation, Yonsel University
    Inventors: Tae Kuk Ko, Jae Sik Kang, Hyun Chul Jo, Suk Jin Choi, Jin Bae Na, Jae Young Jang, Young Jin Hwang, Hyung Jun Kim
  • Publication number: 20120322664
    Abstract: A transformer including: a transformer housing having an interior, a superconducting wire winding disposed within the housing interior, a dry dielectric medium in contact with a superconducting wire winding, and a temperature control device in heat exchange communication with the dry dielectric medium, adapted to utilize a gaseous medium for controlling the temperature of the superconducting wire winding.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 15, 2011
    Publication date: December 20, 2012
    Applicant: Electric Power Research Institute, Inc.
    Inventors: David Timothy Lindsay, Steve Eckroad
  • Patent number: 8306589
    Abstract: A superconducting electromagnet comprising coils of superconducting wire bonded to a support structure, and wherein heating elements are provided in thermal contact with the support structure for heating the support structure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 21, 2012
    Date of Patent: November 6, 2012
    Assignee: Siemens PLC
    Inventors: Hugh Alexander Blakes, Matthew John Longfield, Patrick William Retz
  • Publication number: 20120252679
    Abstract: The invention provides a flux pump that includes a plurality of superconducting materials arranged to form at least one superconducting loop, at least one of the components being made of a superconductor that includes particles made of a superconductive material and a conductive material selected to be driven to a superconductive state when in proximity to the superconductive material, an unbroken section of the conductive material being located sufficiently close to a plurality of the particles to be driven to a superconductive state by the superconductive material.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 28, 2012
    Publication date: October 4, 2012
    Applicant: Grid Logic Incorporated
    Inventor: Matthew J. Holcomb
  • Patent number: 8280468
    Abstract: A superconducting magnet device for a single crystal pulling apparatus is arranged outside a pulling furnace containing a crucible for melting a single crystal material therein so as to apply a magnetic field to the melted single crystal material. The superconducting magnet device for a single crystal pulling apparatus includes a cryostat containing a superconducting coil therein, and a refrigerator port arranged on the outer circumferential surface of the cryostat and provided with a cryogenic refrigerator that cools the superconducting coil. The cryogenic refrigerator is provided in a region of the outer surface region of the cryostat at which the intensity of the magnetic field generated by the superconducting coil is weak.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 25, 2009
    Date of Patent: October 2, 2012
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
    Inventors: Shohei Takami, Tsutomu Shimonosono, Tomoko Ota, Yuuji Minemoto, Yoshifumi Nagamoto, Makoto Ushijima
  • Patent number: 8275429
    Abstract: High magnetic field gradient strength superconducting coil systems for use in medical applications are provided. Systems capable of providing time-varying gradient magnetic field strength greater than 50 mT/m, over a spherical volume with a diameter greater than 20 centimeters include superconducting gradient coils and a heat conduction assemblage in physical contact with each coil.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 8, 2011
    Date of Patent: September 25, 2012
    Assignee: Stern Magnetics, LLC
    Inventors: Shahin Pourrahimi, Nadder Pourrahimi, William Frederick Punchard, Piotr Marian Starewicz
  • Publication number: 20120231958
    Abstract: An oxide superconducting bulk magnet member includes a plurality of bulk sections that have outer circumferences with outer circumferential dimensions different from each other and are disposed in a manner such that among the outer circumferences, an outer circumference in which the outer circumferential dimension is relatively large surrounds a small outer circumference; and interposed sections that are disposed between a pair of the bulk sections that are adjacent to each other, wherein a gap is formed between the bulk sections adjacent to each other, each of the bulk sections is an oxide bulk in which an RE2BaCuO5 phase is dispersed within an REBa2Cu3O7-x phase, and a bulk section having the smallest outer circumferential dimension among the bulk sections has a columnar shape or a ring shape, and bulk sections other than the bulk section having the smallest outer circumferential dimension have a ring shape.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 8, 2010
    Publication date: September 13, 2012
    Applicant: Nippon Steel Corporation
    Inventors: Mitsuru Morita, Hidekazu Teshima
  • Publication number: 20120214674
    Abstract: A superconducting electromagnet comprising coils of superconducting wire bonded to a support structure, and wherein heating elements are provided in thermal contact with the support structure for heating the support structure.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 21, 2012
    Publication date: August 23, 2012
    Inventors: Hugh Alexander Blakes, Matthew John Longfield, Patrick William Retz
  • Publication number: 20120214673
    Abstract: A superconducting element (SE1-SE5) with a central section (20) located between two end sections (21a, 21b) of the superconducting element (SE1-SE5), the superconducting element (SE1-SE5) has a substrate tape (10), a buffer layer (11), a high temperature superconducting (HTS) layer (12), a first protection layer (14), and a shunt layer (17), The superconducting element (SE1-SE5) has at least one elongated opening (19) in the central section (20) elongated between the two end sections (21a, 21b), whereby the at least one elongated opening (19) divides the central section (20) of the superconducting element (SE1-SE5) into at least two HTS strips (18a, 18b, 18c), whereby the shunt layer (17) envelops the surface of each of the HTS strips (18a, 18b, 18c). The superconducting element shows improved electrical stabilization and time stability.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 15, 2012
    Publication date: August 23, 2012
    Inventor: Alexander Usoskin