# US 12,183,507 B2 · High temperature superconductor magnet > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 12,183,507 B2 - Document ID: US12183507B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 17/285,172 - Filed: 2019-10-14 - Published: 2022-01-27 - Granted: 2024-12-31 - Earliest claimed: 2018-10-15 - Assignees: Tokamak Energy Ltd - Applicants: Tokamak Energy Ltd - Inventors: Greg Brittles; Marcel Kruip; Tony Langtry; George Smith - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12183507B2 ## CPC - H01F 6/06: Coils, e.g. winding, insulating, terminating or casing arrangements therefor - G21B 1/057: {Tokamaks} - H01F 6/065: {Feed-through bushings, terminals and joints (leading of conductors or axles through casings of transformers H01F27/04)} - H01F 27/32: Insulating of coils, windings, or parts thereof - H01F 41/048: {Superconductive coils} - H01F 41/10: Connecting leads to windings (making electric connections in general H01R43/00) - H01F 27/2828: {Construction of conductive connections, of leads} - H01F 27/2852: {Construction of conductive connections, of leads} - Y02E 30/10: Nuclear fusion reactors - H01F: MAGNETS; INDUCTANCES; TRANSFORMERS; SELECTION OF MATERIALS FOR THEIR MAGNETIC PROPERTIES - G21B: FUSION REACTORS (uncontrolled reactors G21J) - Y02E: REDUCTION OF GREENHOUSE GAS [GHG] EMISSIONS, RELATED TO ENERGY GENERATION, TRANSMISSION OR DISTRIBUTION ## Abstract A High Temperature Superconductor, HTS, magnet comprising a coil formed of nested concentric windings. Each winding comprises HTS material. The HTS magnet further comprises a conductor element comprising an electrical contact surface through which to supply electric current to a portion of at least one of the windings. The surface provides electrical contact between the conductor element and an axial edge of the coil substantially around the path of the at least one of the windings. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A High Temperature Superconductor, HTS, magnet comprising: a coil formed of nested concentric windings wound around an axis of the coil, each winding comprising HTS material; and first and second conductor elements each comprising respective electrical contact surfaces through which to supply electric current to, or receive electric current from, a portion of a respective at least one of the windings, each electrical contact surface providing electrical contact between the respective conductor element and an axial edge of the coil at least partially around the respective at least one of the windings, the electrical contact surface of the first conductor element being located closer to the axis than the electrical contact surface of the second conductor element, whereby electrical current supplied to the coil through the first conductor element circulates around successive windings of the coil before being received by the second conductor element, or vice versa. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) An HTS magnet according to claim 1, wherein each winding comprises HTS tape and cladding electrically connected to the HTS tape and the first and second electrical contact surface provide electrical contact to the cladding. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) An HTS magnet according to claim 1, wherein the electrical contact surfaces provide electrical contact to one or more of the axial edges of the coil around more than 20% of the path of the respective at least one of the windings. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) An HTS magnet according to claim 1, wherein one or more of the electrical contact surfaces is ring-shaped. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) An HTS magnet according to claim 1 and comprising at least one plate extending across one or more of the other windings, the first or second conductor element formed integrally with the at least one plate or provided thereon. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) An HTS magnet according to claim 5, wherein the first or second conductor element protrudes from a face of the at least one plate and the plate further comprises a dielectric or electrically resistive layer for electrically insulating the face of the plate from the portion of the one or more of the other windings. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) An HTS magnet according to claim 6 and comprising an interfacial conductor layer extending across the one or more other windings to transfer heat and/or electrical current from the edge of the windings. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) An HTS magnet according to claim 7, wherein the interfacial conductor layer comprises a solderable metal. ### Claim 9 (depends on 7) An HTS magnet according to claim 7, wherein the interfacial conductor layer is patterned by varying its thickness. ### Claim 10 (depends on 7) An HTS magnet according to claim 7, wherein the coil comprises electrical insulation between the windings. ### Claim 11 (depends on 5) An HTS magnet according to claim 5 and comprising one or more sensors and/or one or more heaters disposed between the at least one plate and the coil. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) An HTS magnet according to claim 1, wherein the electrical contact surface of the first conductor element provides electrical contact to the innermost winding of the coil and the electrical contact surface of the second conductor element provides electrical contact to the outermost winding of the coil. ### Claim 13 (depends on 1) An HTS magnet according to claim 1, wherein the electrical contact surface of the first or second conductor element provides electrical contact across a discontinuity in the windings. ### Claim 14 (depends on 1) An HTS magnet according to claim 1, wherein the electrical contact surfaces provide electrical contact to opposing faces of the coil. ### Claim 15 (depends on 1) An HTS magnet according to claim 1, further comprising one or more additional coils, the or each additional coil having conductor elements for providing electrical contact to opposing faces of that coil, the coils being stacked axially and electrically connected to one another through their respective conductor elements. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) An HTS magnet according to claim 15, wherein the adjacent axially stacked coils are wound in opposite directions. ### Claim 17 (depends on 1) An HTS magnet according to claim 1, comprising two or more concentrically nested coils each having respective conductor elements, each coil being electrically connected to an adjacent coil by an electrical connection between respective conductor elements of the coils. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) An HTS magnet according to claim 17, wherein the electrical connection is flexible. ### Claim 19 (depends on 17) An HTS magnet according to claim 17 and comprising one or more intervening supports located between adjacent coils for intercepting radial forces. ### Claim 20 (depends on 17) An HTS magnet according to claim 17, wherein the respective HTS tapes of adjacent coils differ in one or more of: thickness; composition; width; and number. ### Claim 21 (depends on 1) A tokamak comprising an HTS magnet according to claim 1, wherein the HTS magnet is configured to provide a toroidal magnetic field or a poloidal magnetic field. ### Claim 22 A High Temperature Superconductor, HTS, magnet comprising: first and second coils, each coil formed of nested concentric windings, each winding comprising HTS material; and first and second conductor elements, each conductor element providing an electrical connection between the first and second coils, and each conductor element comprising: a first electrical contact surface through which to transfer electric current to or from a portion of at least one of the windings of the first coil; and a second electrical contact surface through which to transfer electric current to or from a portion of at least one of the windings of the second coil, wherein the first conductor element is located radially outwards from the second conductor element and each electrical contact surface provides electrical contact between the respective conductor element and an axial edge of the respective coil at least partially around the path of the at least one of the windings. ### Claim 23 (depends on 22) A method of generating a semi-persistent current in a High Temperature Superconductor, HTS, magnet according to claim 22, the method comprising: preparing each of the coils in a superconducting state; connecting a power supply in parallel across the coils to cause electrical current to flow through the magnet; and disconnecting the power supply, whereby the electrical current flows around a closed loop passing through the windings of the first and second coils and through each of the first and second conductor elements.