GB2507801A

GB2507801A - Cylindrical Superconducting Magnet

Info

Publication number: GB2507801A
Application number: GB1220325.3A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Graham Hutton
Original assignee: Siemens PLC
Current assignee: Siemens PLC
Priority date: 2012-11-12
Filing date: 2012-11-12
Publication date: 2014-05-14
Anticipated expiration: 2032-11-12
Also published as: KR20150065872A; CN104781684A; WO2014072506A2; GB2507801B; WO2014072506A3; EP2917752A2; GB201220325D0; US20160276083A1; JP2016502427A

Abstract

A number of separate superconducting coils are provided, linked by spacer coils and monolithically formed into a single self-supporting structure by encapsulation in epoxy resin. The spacer coils may be resistive of the same matrix material as the superconducting coils, or superconducting with similar current density but reverse wound with a smaller axial extent.

Description

MINIMISATION OF THEMAL STRESSES IN A CYLINDRICAL

SUPERCONDUCTING MAGNET

The present invention relates to cylindrical superconducting magnet structures, particularly such structures in which a number of separate superconducting coils are provided, linked by spacers, but which are monolithically formed into a single self-supporting structure. Examples of such structures are described in International patent application W0201 1/148163.

Fig. 1 illustrates a distribution of current density in a conventional monolithic coil structure as described above. A-A represents an axial mid-plane, and Z-Z represents an axial direction. Dimension J represents the current density at each axial point. Five coils are provided, and are represented by positive current density 10. In this case, all coils have equal current density J. The coils are shown spaced apart by gaps of zero current density 12. The gaps are typically defined by spacers 14, not represented in Fig. 1, which hold the coils in theirfixed relative positions.

In some conventional arrangements of this type, discrete spacers are placed at circumferential intervals around the circumference of the coils, and each spacer is bonded to axial extremities of two adjacent coils. In other conventional arrangements, the spacers are complete hoops joined at their axial faces to adjoining superconducting coils. The spacers may be formed of a filler material, such as glass fibre, impregnated with an epoxy resin, while the coils are typically coils of superconducting wire, largely of copper matrix material, impregnated with the same epoxy resin. When the coils are cooled to an operating temperature, the differences in thermal contraction between the material of the coils and the material of the spacers leads to significant stress between the coils and the spacers. Similarly, during a quench of the magnet, the superconducting coils revert to their resistive state, and a significant amount of energy is dissipated by heating the coils. This leads to rapid expansion of the material of the coils, and again causes significant thermal stress between the coils and the spacers.

The present invention is particularly relevant to low-field, low-cost superconducting magnets, but may find application to cylindrical superconducting magnets of any size.

The present invention removes the thermal mismatch between the coils and the spacers, and so avoids generation of thermal stress at the interfaces between coils and spacers.

The present invention accordingly provides superconducting magnet structures as recited in the appended claims.

The above, and further, objects, characteristics and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent from the following description of certain embodiments thereof, in conjunction with the accompanying drawing, wherein: Fig. 1 represents current density in a conventional monolithic superconducting magnet structure; Fig. 2 represents current density in a monolithic superconducting magnet structure according to an embodiment of the present invention; and Figs. 3A-3D shows an example design of a cylindrical magnet according to an embodiment of the present invention.

According to the present invention, the discrete, circumferentially-spaced spacers or complete hoops of spacer material of conventional monolithic coil structures described above are replaced by turns of wire, impregnated with resin and so having very similar thermal properties to those of the magnet coils. For ease of reference in the following description, these turns of wire will be referred to as "spacer coils".

Preferably, the spacer coils are arranged to carry an electric current in the opposite direction to the current carried by the magnet coils. Accordingly, they may be described as "reverse coils" or reverse turns" if arranged to carry such an electric current.

Fig. 2 illustrates a distribution of current density in a monolithic superconducting magnet structure according to an embodiment of the present invention. Five magnet coils are represented with positive current density 10. Between the magnet coils are spacer coils represented by negative current density 14. Preferably, the magnitude of current density is the same for both magnet coils and spacer coils. However, the polarities are opposite. The illustration in Fig. 2 is schematic only. Spacer coils would be expected to have a much smaller axial dimension than the magnet coils.

Preferably, the spacer coils have inner radii equal to those of the adjacent magnet coils. More preferably, the spacer coils have both inner and outer radii equal to those of the adjacent magnet coils. In such a structure, any compressive or expansive tension between magnet coils and spacer coils is spread over the axial surfaces of the coils. The spacer coils should be designed with relatively few turns, to avoid degrading the overall magnetic field. As discussed for example in UK patent GB2308451, inclusion of relatively small reverse coils may enable a shorter overall cylindrical structure to be provided, and still generate a magnetic field of acceptable quality.

This may be particularly important in the design and manufacture of low-cost, low-field cylindrical magnets, since the cryostat which provides the necessary thermal environment for the coils may account for a much greater share of the system cost than the cost of the superconducting wire itself. If the cylindrical magnet can be shortened, then the cryostat may similarly be shortened and its cost reduced by more than the increased wire cost. A shortened cryostat is also beneficial for patient comfort. These advantages are in addition to the benefits in terms of reduced interface stresses between magnet coils and conventional spacers as provided by the structure of the invention.

Figs. 3A-3D show details of an example cylindrical magnet coil design according to an embodiment of the present invention, in a conventional format which will be familiar to those skilled in the art. Fig. 3A represents a contour plot of magnetic field homogeneity at the centre of the cylindrical magnet represented by the design. The illustrated field has a nominal strength (flux density) of 0.5T. Fig. 3A represents a part-cross section through the magnetic field, defined by an axial mid-plane A-A and magnet axis Z-Z. The magnetic field is rotationally symmetrical about axis Z-Z and has reflective symmetry in axial mid-plane A-A so this one-quarter cross-section is sufficient to define the complete magnetic field. The contour values indicated represent inhomogeneity of the magnetic field in units of parts-per-million (ppm).

Curve 30 represents the outer limit of a magnetic field region which has a magnetic field inhomogeneity of no more than lppm. In this example, the region of inhomogeneity 1 ppm or less extends about 23cm axially and about 35cm radially.

The harmonic analysis of this magnetic field pattern is shown in Fig. 3B for harmonics up to l8 Fig. 30 shows a quarter cross section through the coils 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 of the magnet design, defined by axial mid-plane A-A and a radius R of 40cm. The coils have reflectional symmetry about axial mid-plane A-A and rotational symmetry about axis Z-Z, the origin of radius R. Fig. 3D includes a tabular description of each of the coils in terms of their inner radius Al, outer radius A2, inner axial limit B1 and outer axial limit B2. The turns density Td is noted for each coil in units of cm2, as is the number of turns Trns and the length of superconducting wire used, in metres.

In this example, coils 1, 3, 5 are the magnet coils and coils 2, 4 are the spacer coils.

Corresponding coils are provided in symmetrical orientation the other side of axial mid-plane A-A.

In this example, and preferably, all coils have the same turns density Trns, and are made from a same size of wire. The total number of reverse turns, shown as a negative value in Fig. 3D, is much less then the total number of "forward" turns. In the cross-sectional representation of the coils in Fig. 30, spacer coils are indicated with a -" sign, and magnet coils are indicated with a "+" sign.

Preferably, all coils are wound in a single winding process and are subjected to a single impregnation step to produce a monolithic structure. In other embodiments, the coils may be formed and impregnated separately, and then assembled together in a mould and impregnated a second time with resin to form the monolithic coils structure, bonded together by the second resin impregnation.

The magnet coils and spacer coils may be electrically joined in series, either by being wound from a single length of wire, in which the direction of winding is reversed for spacer coils as compared to magnet coils, or by winding each coil as a separate length of wire in the appropriate direction and electrically joining them during assembly of the magnet.

In alternative embodiments of the invention, the spacer coils may be wound with a resistive wire which does not normally carry current, rather than a current-carrying superconducting wire. Possible benefits of such an embodiment include the reduced cost of wire for spacer coils, and the opportunity of using the spacer coils to heal the superconducting magnet coils to spread a quench to protect the magnet coils in case of the onset of an unintentional quench. The spacer coils may each be a closed loop of resistive wire, and the sudden drop in current in a magnet coil caused by a quench may induce a current in the spacer coil, causing heating and propagating the quench.

Such resistive wire is preferably of the same cross-section as the superconducting wire used for the magnet coils, and constructed of the same material as the matrix material of the superconducting wire, which is typically copper. This ensures that the thermal contraction of such resistive spacer coils is closely matched to the thermal contraction of the magnet coils.

The use of superconducting wire for spacer coils provides advantages, however, in that quench propagation may be improved by the reverse turns themselves which quench and heat in the case of an unintentional quench in the magnet coils, and may enable shortening of the magnet structure as a whole.

In each case, the use of a coil as spacer reduces or eliminates the interface stress caused in conventional arrangements by differing thermal contraclion of coils and spacers.

While the present invention may be applied to cylindrical superconducting magnets having an arbitrary number of magnet coils and spacer coils, the minimum requirement for a cylindrical magnet according to the present invention is two superconducting magnet coils separated by a spacer coil.

Claims

CLAIMS1. A cylindrical superconducting magnet structure comprising two superconducting magnet coils axially spaced apart by a spacer coil, said magnet coils and said spacer coil being monolithically bonded together in a single self-supporting structure.
2. A cylindrical superconducting magnet structure according to claim 1 wherein the spacer coil is formed of superconducting wire, and is arranged to carry a current in an opposite direction from current carried by the magnet coils.
3. A cylindrical superconducting magnet structure according to claim 1 wherein the spacer coil is formed of resistive wire.
4. A cylindrical superconducting magnet structure according to claim 3 wherein the resistive wire of the spacer coils is electrically connected into a closed loop.
5. A cylindrical superconducting magnet structure according to any preceding claim wherein the magnet coils and the spacer coil are monolithically bonded together by a single resin impregnation.
6. A cylindrical superconducting magnet structure according to any of claims 1-4 wherein the coils are formed separately then assembled together in a mould and impregnated a second time with resin to form a monolithic structure.
7. A cylindrical superconducting magnet structure according to claim 1 wherein the spacer coil and the magnet coils are of a same type of wire.
8. A cylindrical superconducting magnet structure according to claim 4 wherein the resistive wire is of a material which is the same material as a matrix material in the superconducting wire of the magnet coils.
9. A cylindrical superconducting magnet structure according to claim B wherein the material is copper.
1U. A cyonarical superconducting magnet structure according to any preceding claim wherein the spacer coil has an inner radius equal to inner radii of the magnet coils.
11. Acylindrical superconducting magnetstructure according to claim 10 wherein the spacer coil has an outer radius equal to outer radii of the magnet coils.
12. A cylindrical superconducting magnet structure according to any preceding claim wherein all coils have a same turns density.Amendments to the claims have been made as follows:CLAIMS1. A cylindrical superconducting magnet structure comprising at least two superconducting forward coils axially spaced apart by at least one reverse coil, said forward coils and said reverse coil being monolithically bonded together in a single self-supporting structure wherein the reverse coil is formed of superconducting wire, and is arranged to carry a current in an opposite direction from current carried by the forward coils.2. A cylindrical superconducting magnet structure according to claim 1 wherein the forward coils and the reverse coil are monolithically bonded together by a single resin impregnation.3. A cylindrical superconducting magnet structure according to claim 1 wherein the coils are formed separately in a first impregnation step then assembled together C') in a mould and impregnated with resin in a second impregnation step.F"-4. A cylindrical superconducting magnet structure according to claim 1 wherein 0 the reverse coil and the forward coils are of a same type of wire. o 205. A cylindrical superconducting magnet structure according to any preceding claim wherein the reverse coil has an inner radius equal to inner radii of the forward coi Is.6. A cylindrical superconducting magnet structure according to claim 5 wherein the reverse coil has an outer radius equal to outer radii of the forward coils.7. A cylindrical superconducting magnet structure according to any preceding claim wherein all coils have a same turns density.