Superconducting magnet non-uniform thermal insulation blankets
AssigneeGeneral Electric Company
InventorsWilliam Louis Einziger, Xianrui Huang, Gregory Alan Lehmann, John Arthur Urbahn
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Abstract
A non-uniform multi-layer thermally insulating blanket assembly for use in a superconducting magnet in the tapered space between the thermal radiation shield and a conical support assembly includes three steps at different thicknesses provided by multiple blankets with layer staking and blanket positioning.
Claims18
A thermally insulating superconducting magnet having an axis and suitable for magnetic resonance imaging and including a cryogen pressure vessel concentric within and spaced from a vacuum vessel, and a thermal radiation shield interposed between the vessels and extending along the axis thereof, and a suspension system to maintain the positions of the vessels and the thermal radiation shield concentrically about said axis comprising:
- a support extending at an angle to said axis between said cryogen pressure vessel and said radiation shield around said thermal radiation shield and forming a space therebetween which increases along said axis defining a frustro-conical surface;
- a non-uniform thickness thermal insulation assembly interposed between said support and said thermal radiation shield including:
- a first multi-layer thermal insulating blanket of alternating layers of low thermal conductivity spacers and thermally reflective material;
- a second multi-layer insulating blanket overlying a portion of said first multi-layer insulating blanket forming a non-uniform stepped thickness;
- the number of layers in said multi-layer thermal insulating blanket being greater in the region of said space remote from said radiation shield and the apex of said angle forming a non-uniform thickness in said space;
- and
- at least one fastener passing through and securing the multi-layer thermal blankets within said space between said support and said thermal radiation shield.
Non-uniform multi-layer insulation for a tapered space in a superconducting magnet having an axis and suitable for magnetic resonance imaging and including a cylindrical cryogen pressure vessel within a vacuum vessel and concentric about the axis thereof, a thermal radiation shield interposed between the vessels and extending along said axis, thereof and a conical suspension system to position and maintain the spaced relationship between the cryogen pressure vessel and the thermal radiation shield forming a tapered space therebetween with a narrower end region and a wider end region;
- the non-uniform multi-layer insulation comprising:
- a non-uniform multi-layer insulating blanket positioned in said space;
- said non-uniform multi-layer insulating blanket including alternating layers of low thermal conductivity spacers and a thermal reflective layer;
- said non-uniform multi-layer including fewer layers in the narrower end region of said tapered space than in the wider end region of said space forming a difference of thickness step therebetween;
- a plurality of separated stakes extending through said non-uniform multi-layer insulating blanket;
- at least some of said stakes also extending through said radiation shield to maintain said non-uniform multi-layer insulating blanket positioned on said thermal radiation shield.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.