US 6,246,308 B1Granted

Superconductive magnet including a cryocooler coldhead

AssigneeGeneral Electric Company

InventorsEvangelos Trifon Laskaris, Paul Shadforth Thompson, Yu Wang

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Abstract

A magnet, such as an open or closed magnet, has a first assembly with at least one superconductive main coil and with a first vacuum enclosure enclosing the main coil(s). A first cryocooler coldhead has a rigid first housing and is generally vertically aligned. A first flexible bellows is vertically aligned, has a first end attached to the first housing of the first cryocooler coldhead and has a second end attached to the first vacuum enclosure of the first assembly.

Claims10

Dependent claims

An open magnet comprising:

a) a first assembly including:
(1) a longitudinally-extending and generally-vertically-aligned first axis;
(2) at least one superconductive main coil generally coaxially aligned with said first axis and carrying a first main electric current in a first direction;
(3) a first vacuum enclosure enclosing said at least one superconductive main coil of said first assembly and surrounding a first bore;
and
(4) a first magnet pole piece generally coaxially aligned with said first axis and disposed inside said first bore and outside said first vacuum enclosure;
b) a first cryocooler coldhead having a first central axis and a rigid first housing, wherein said first central axis is generally vertically aligned;
c) a first bellows having a first bellows axis and first and second ends, wherein said first bellows axis is generally vertically aligned and said first bellows is flexible along said first bellows axis, wherein said first end of said first bellows is hermetically attached to said first housing of said first cryocooler coldhead, and wherein said second end of said first bellows is hermetically attached to said first vacuum enclosure of said first assembly;
d) a second assembly longitudinally spaced apart from and disposed generally vertically below said first assembly and including:
1) a longitudinally-extending second axis generally coaxially aligned with said first axis;
(2) at least one superconductive main coil generally coaxially aligned with said second axis and carrying a second main electric current in said first direction;
(3) a second vacuum enclosure enclosing said at least one superconductive main coil of said second assembly and surrounding a second bore;
and
(4) a second magnet pole piece generally coaxially aligned with said second axis and disposed inside said second bore and outside said second vacuum enclosure;
and
e) at least one nonmagnetizable support member having a first end attached to said first magnet pole piece and having a second end attached to said second magnet pole piece.

13 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

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Abstract

An open magnet comprising:

a) a first assembly including:
(1) a longitudinally-extending and generally-vertically-aligned first axis;
(2) at least one superconductive main coil generally coaxially aligned with said first axis and carrying a first main electric current in a first direction;
(3) a first vacuum enclosure enclosing said at least one superconductive main coil of said first assembly and surrounding a first bore;
and
(4) a first magnet pole piece generally coaxially aligned with said first axis and disposed inside said first bore and outside said first vacuum enclosure;
b) a first cryocooler coldhead having a first central axis and a rigid first housing, wherein said first central axis is generally vertically aligned;
c) a first bellows having a first bellows axis and first and second ends, wherein said first bellows axis is generally vertically aligned and said first bellows is flexible along said first bellows axis, wherein said first end of said first bellows is hermetically attached to said first housing of said first cryocooler coldhead, and wherein said second end of said first bellows is hermetically attached to said first vacuum enclosure of said first assembly;
d) a second assembly longitudinally spaced apart from and disposed generally vertically below said first assembly and including:
1) a longitudinally-extending second axis generally coaxially aligned with said first axis;
(2) at least one superconductive main coil generally coaxially aligned with said second axis and carrying a second main electric current in said first direction;
(3) a second vacuum enclosure enclosing said at least one superconductive main coil of said second assembly and surrounding a second bore;
and
(4) a second magnet pole piece generally coaxially aligned with said second axis and disposed inside said second bore and outside said second vacuum enclosure;
and
e) at least one nonmagnetizable support member having a first end attached to said first magnet pole piece and having a second end attached to said second magnet pole piece.

13 more elements