Method for operating a superconductive magnet
AssigneeGeneral Electric Company
InventorsBizhan Dorri, Evangelos T. Laskaris, Howard R. Hart, Jr.
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Abstract
A method for operating a superconductive magnet having a superconductor. The magnet is ramped to generally the design current. After that, the magnet is brought to an annealing temperature which is above the operating temperature and below the critical temperature. After that, the magnet is shimmed at a shimming temperature which is at least as cold as the annealing temperature. After that, the magnet is used, at the operating temperature, for a predetermined purpose, such as MRI imaging for medical diagnosis. Preferably, the superconductor has less than twenty-five superconductive filaments.
Claims10
A method for operating a superconductive magnet having a design current, an operating temperature, and a superconductor, wherein said superconductor has a critical temperature greater than said operating temperature and, and wherein said method comprises the steps of:
- a) ramping up said superconductive magnet to generally said design current;
- b) after step a), bringing said superconductive magnet, at generally said design current, to an annealing temperature which is above said operating temperature and below said critical temperature;
- c) after step b), shimming said superconductive magnet, at a shimming temperature which is at least as cold as said annealing temperature, to a desired level of homogeneity;
- and
- d) after step c), using said superconductive magnet, at generally said operating temperature, for a predetermined purpose.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.