# US 12,181,547 B2 · Fast quench protection for low copper to superconducting wire coils

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- Number: US 12,181,547 B2
- Document ID: US12181547B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 17/286,196
- Filed: 2019-10-18
- Published: 2021-11-11
- Granted: 2024-12-31
- Earliest claimed: 2018-10-19
- Assignees: Koninklijke Philips N.V.
- Applicants: Koninklijke Philips N.V.
- Inventors: Ezra Petrus Antonius Van Lanen
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12181547B2

## CPC

- G01R 33/3815: with superconducting coils, e.g. power supply therefor
- G01R 33/3802: {Manufacture or installation of magnet assemblies; Additional hardware for transportation or installation of the magnet assembly or for providing mechanical support to components of the magnet assembly}
- G01R 33/385: using gradient magnetic field coils
- H01F 6/02: Quenching; Protection arrangements during quenching {(protection circuits H02H7/001)}
- H01F 6/06: Coils, e.g. winding, insulating, terminating or casing arrangements therefor
- G01R: MEASURING ELECTRIC VARIABLES; MEASURING MAGNETIC VARIABLES (indicating correct tuning of resonant circuits H03J3/12)
- H01F: MAGNETS; INDUCTANCES; TRANSFORMERS; SELECTION OF MATERIALS FOR THEIR MAGNETIC PROPERTIES

## Abstract

A superconducting magnet comprises superconducting magnet windings wound as a solenoid to generate a magnetic field oriented in an axial direction when carrying a superconducting electric current, and a superconducting loop having a long axis crossing the superconducting magnet windings along the axial direction. The superconducting loop is thermally connected with the superconducting magnet windings at crossings of the superconducting magnet windings along the axial direction. The superconducting loop is electrically connected with the superconducting magnet windings to carry the superconducting electric current carried by the superconducting magnet windings. A quench initiated in the superconducting magnet windings is propagated simultaneously along the superconducting magnet windings via the superconducting magnet windings and also along the solenoid axis via the superconducting loop.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A superconducting magnet comprising:
superconducting magnet windings wound as a solenoid to generate a magnetic field oriented in an axial direction (z) when carrying a superconducting electric current; and
a superconducting loop oriented perpendicularly to the superconducting magnet windings and having a long axis (L) crossing the superconducting magnet windings along the axial direction;
wherein the superconducting loop is thermally connected with the superconducting magnet windings at crossings of the superconducting magnet windings along the axial direction, and the crossings of the superconducting loop and the crossed superconducting magnet windings are not electrically conducting; and
wherein the superconducting loop is electrically connected with the superconducting magnet windings to carry the superconducting electric current carried by the superconducting magnet windings.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The superconducting magnet of claim 1 wherein the superconducting loop is thermally connected with the superconducting magnet windings at the crossings of the superconducting magnet windings along the axial direction by epoxy covering the superconducting magnet windings and the superconducting loop.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The superconducting magnet of claim 1 wherein the superconducting loop has two lengthwise wires extending along the long axis (L) that are touching.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The superconducting magnet of claim 1 wherein the superconducting loop is disposed outside of the solenoid on an outside surface of the superconducting magnet windings.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The superconducting magnet of claim 1 wherein the superconducting loop is disposed inside the solenoid on an inside surface of the superconducting magnet windings.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The superconducting magnet of claim 1 wherein the superconducting loop includes:
an outside superconducting loop disposed outside the solenoid on an outside surface of the superconducting magnet windings; and
an inside superconducting loop disposed inside the solenoid on an inside surface the superconducting magnet windings.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The superconducting magnet of claim 1 wherein:
the superconducting magnet windings are made of superconducting wire; and
the superconducting loop is made of superconducting wire of a same type as the superconducting magnet windings.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The superconducting magnet of claim 1 wherein the superconducting magnet windings are made of superconducting wire comprising copper and superconductor with a copper-to-superconductor ratio of 4 or less.

### Claim 9

A superconducting magnet comprising:
superconducting magnet windings wound as a solenoid defining a solenoid axis (z); and
a superconducting loop oriented perpendicularly to the superconducting magnet windings and having a long axis (L) parallel with the solenoid axis;
wherein the superconducting loop is disposed on the superconducting magnet windings; and
wherein the superconducting loop is electrically connected in series with the superconducting magnet windings.

### Claim 10 (depends on 9)

The superconducting magnet of claim 9 wherein the superconducting magnet windings and the superconducting loop are coated with epoxy connecting the superconducting loop and the superconducting magnet windings.

### Claim 11 (depends on 9)

The superconducting magnet of claim 9 wherein the superconducting loop has two lengthwise wires extending along the long axis (L) that are touching.

### Claim 12 (depends on 9)

The superconducting magnet of claim 9 wherein the superconducting loop is disposed outside the solenoid on an outside surface of the superconducting magnet windings.

### Claim 13 (depends on 9)

The superconducting magnet of claim 9 wherein the superconducting loop is disposed inside the solenoid on an inside surface of the superconducting magnet windings.

### Claim 14 (depends on 9)

The superconducting magnet of claim 9 wherein the superconducting loop includes:
an outside superconducting loop disposed outside the solenoid on an outside surface of the superconducting magnet windings; and
an inside superconducting loop disposed inside the solenoid on an inside surface of the superconducting magnet windings.

### Claim 15 (depends on 9)

The superconducting magnet of claim 9 wherein:
the superconducting magnet windings are made of superconducting wire; and
the superconducting loop is made of superconducting wire of a same type as the superconducting magnet windings.

### Claim 16 (depends on 9)

The superconducting magnet of claim 9 wherein the superconducting magnet windings are made of superconducting wire comprising copper and superconductor wherein the superconducting wire has a copper-to-superconductor ratio of 4 or less.

### Claim 17 (depends on 1)

A magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) system comprising:
the superconducting magnet as set forth in claim 1; and
magnetic field gradient coils configured to superimpose magnetic field gradients on a magnetic field (B0) generated by the superconducting magnet windings.

### Claim 18 (depends on 1)

The superconducting magnet of claim 1, wherein the superconducting loop has an aspect ratio of the long axis length (L) to a width (W) in a range of 5:1 to 50:1.

### Claim 19 (depends on 9)

The superconducting magnet of claim 9, wherein the superconducting loop has an aspect ratio of the long axis length (L) to a width (W) in a range of 5:1 to 50:1.

### Claim 20 (depends on 6)

The superconducting magnet of claim 6, wherein the outside superconducting loop and the inside superconducting loop are each single loops.

### Claim 21 (depends on 14)

The superconducting magnet of claim 14, wherein the outside superconducting loop and the inside superconducting loop are each single loops.