Electrical connection for use in cryogenic applications
AssigneeKoninklijke Philips N.V.
InventorsAlexander James Pyne, Kevin Grace
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An apparatus for making an electrical connection between a superconducting component disposed in a cryogenic chamber and an electrical device disposed outside the cryogenic chamber is described. The apparatus includes a coil comprising a plurality of helical loops and disposed in the cryogenic chamber; and an actuator configured to compress and expand the coil between a first state and a second state. In the first state, the coil has a first electrical resistance and a first thermal conductance and in the second state the coil has a second electrical resistance and a second thermal conductance.
Claims20
An apparatus for making an electrical connection between a superconducting component disposed in a cryogenic chamber and an electrical device disposed outside the cryogenic chamber, the apparatus comprising:
- a coil comprising a plurality of helical loops and disposed in the cryogenic chamber;
- and
- an actuator configured to compress and expand the coil between a first state and a second state, wherein in the first state the coil has a first electrical resistance and a first thermal conductance and in the second state the coil has a second electrical resistance and a second thermal conductance.
A method of providing electrical current to a superconductor component disposed in a cryogenic chamber, the method comprising:
- providing an apparatus, which comprises a coil comprising a plurality of helical loops;
- compressing the coil to a first state, wherein in the first state the coil has a first electrical resistance and a first thermal conductance;
- and
- expanding the coil to a second state, wherein in the second state the coil has a second electrical resistance and a second thermal conductance.
A magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) system, comprising:
- a magnet system comprising a superconducting magnet disposed in a cryogenic chamber;
- and
- an apparatus for making an electrical connection between the superconducting magnet inside the cryogenic chamber and an electrical device disposed outside the cryogenic chamber, the apparatus comprising:
- a coil comprising a plurality of helical loops;
- and an actuator configured to compress and expand the coil between a first state and a second state, wherein in the first state the coil has a first electrical resistance and a first thermal conductance and in the second state the coil has a second electrical resistance and a second thermal conductance.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.