US 5,105,098 AGranted

Superconducting power switch

AssigneeTyler Power Systems, Inc.

InventorAngelo L. Gattozzi

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Abstract

A primary current path (10) is defined by a thin film that spirals in a helix (14) around a central axis (16). A control path (12) extends peripherally around the helix to define a peripheral control coil (18). In this manner, the primary path and the control path each generate a magnetic flux parallel to the central axis. The primary and control paths are configured such that the magnetic flux density (B.sub.1) generated by the primary path is below a critical flux density (B.sub.c) of the superconducting material of the primary path. However, the sum of the magnetic flux densities from the primary and control paths exceeds the critical flux density (B.sub.1 +B.sub.2 >B.sub.c) quenching the superconductivity of the primary path. In the preferred embodiment, the superconducting film is anisotropic in that its critical flux density is smaller perpendicular to a plane of the film than parallel to the plane of the film. The primary path is defined by a helically wound film in which the plane of the film is substantially perpendicular to the central axis; whereas, the control path is defined by a film that is wound such that the plane of the film is substantially parallel to the axis. Thus, the control coil remains superconducting even when the primary path is magnetically quenched.

Claims7

Dependent claims

A superconducting switching device comprising:

a primary current path extending in a helix around an axis, the primary current path including a thin film of an anisotropic superconducting material which is quenched from a superconductive state to a resistive state at a smaller critical magnetic flux density perpendicular to the superconducting material thin film and a larger critical magnetic flux density in a plane of the superconducting material thin film, the superconducting material thin film being disposed substantially perpendicular to the helix axis and spiraling peripherally therearound to generate a first magnetic flux perpendicularly through at least a portion of the superconducting material thin film in the direction of the smaller critical flux density, the first magnetic flux having a first magnetic flux density through the superconducting material thin film which is less than the smaller critical magnetic flux density, whereby superconductive current flow through the primary current path is not quenched by the first magnetic field taken alone;
a control current path extending helically around the helix axis and the primary current path helix, the control current path including a thin film of superconducting material disposed such that the thin film is oriented substantially parallel to the helix axis and extending in a helix peripherally around the primary current path helix to generate a second magnetic flux through the primary current path, the first and second magnetic fluxes summing through at least a portion of the primary current path to generate a flux density that exceeds the smaller critical magnetic flux density to quench superconducting flow through the primary current path and, the first and second magnetic fluxes subtracting in a peripheral region adjacent the control current path helix such that the control path is subject only to a small net magnetic flux density.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.