Magnetic field replicator and method
OwnerRoy Weinsteininventor
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Abstract
A new class of fundamental devices and methods for their manufacture and use. The bulk magnetic field replicators of the present invention require no precision machining or alignment to accurately reproduce magnetic fields of any complexity, nor extreme positional stability to maintain superconductivity. Such bulk devices may be formed of either low or high critical temperature superconductive materials, but are particularly adapted to formation from high critical temperature materials.
Claims94
A non-ferromagnetic, bulk, magnetic field replicator formed of a high-critical-temperature type-II superconductive material, wherein said material comprises either a compound of copper, barium, oxygen, and a fourth element which is either a member of the lanthanide group, or yttrium, or said material comprises a compound of bismuth-strontium-calcium-copper-oxygen, or said material comprises a compound of thallium-barium-calcium-copper-oxygen.
A method of forming a superconductive magnetic field replicator, comprising forming at least one grain of a high-critical-temperature type-2 superconductive material with a plurality of intentionally introduced distortions within the crystalline lattice thereof, wherein said intentionally introduced distortions are introduced subsequent to the formation of said at least one grain, by bombarding said at least one grain with heavy atomic particles or ions.
A method of forming a superconductive magnetic field replicator, comprising forming at least one grain of a high-critical-temperature type-2 superconductive material with a plurality of intentionally introduced distortions within the crystalline lattice thereof, wherein said intentionally introduced distortions are introduced subsequent to the formation of said at least one grain, by bombarding said at least one grain with high-energy neutrons.
A method of forming a superconductive magnetic field replicator, comprising forming at least one grain of a high-critical-temperature type-2 superconductive material with a plurality of intentionally introduced distortions within the crystalline lattice thereof, wherein said intentionally introduced distortions are introduced by including at least one elemental or chemical impurity in the composition of said superconductive material.
A method of making a persistent magnet comprising:
- a) forming a plurality of grains of crystalline high-temperature type II superconductive material, wherein each of said plurality of grains contain a plurality of distortions in the crystalline lattice of each said grain,
- b) assembling said plurality of grains into an assembly in the shape of a hollow member,
- c) activating said assembly with a magnetic field according to the warm or cool method of activation.
A method of manufacturing a non-ferromagnetic, bulk, magnetic field replicator comprising:
- forming said bulk replicator of Type II superconductive material, where the atomic crystal structure of said replicator comprises at least one distortion in the lattice structure thereof, wherein said at least one distortion in said lattice structure is comprised of an impurity therein.
The method of manufacturing a non-ferromagnetic, bulk magnetic field replicator comprising:
- (a) forming at least one grain of high critical temperature Type II superconductive material by any methods of grain formation known to those practiced in the arts of growth of crystals, or faulty crystals called grains, and
- (b) supporting said grain on a supporting structure.
A method for manufacturing a high-temperature superconducting magnetic field replicator, comprising:
- (a) cooling such replicator to a temperature below the superconducting temperature of at least one volumetric constituent portion of such replicator;
- (b) impressing an external magnetic field on such replicator by the method of warm or cool activation;
- (c) increasing the strength of such magnetic field to a level equal to or greater than the first maximum magnetic field strength to which at least one constituent of such replicator can be activated;
- and
- (d) decreasing to near zero the strength of said magnetic field impressed on such replicator.
A method for manufacturing a high-temperature superconducting magnetic field replicator, comprising:
- (a) impressing on said replicator by warm or cool methods of activation an external magnetic field of any strength less than the second critical magnetic field strength of at least one constituent of such replicator;
- (b) cooling such replicator to a temperature below the superconducting temperature of said replicator;
- and
- (c) substantially decreasing the strength of said external magnetic field impressed on such replicator.
In a method for increasing the field strength retained by a high-temperature superconductive material, that improvement comprising forming the atomic crystal structure of said material so as to include at least one distortion thereof, said distortion comprising an impurity within said material.
A method of decreasing the time rate of decay of magnetic field retained in a high temperature superconductive magnetic field replicator, comprising:
- activating the high-temperature superconducting magnetic field replicator to field strength less than the maximum field strength trappable by such replicator, wherein said activating step comprises:
- (a) placing such replicator in the magnetic field being replicated, and
- (b) cooling such replicator through the superconductivity transition temperature of at least one constituent of such replicator.
A method of decreasing the time rate of decay of magnetic field retained in a high temperature superconductive magnetic field replicator, comprising;
- (a) activating such replicator to an initial field strength, and
- (b) aging such replicator until its rate of decay is not in excess of a desired rate of decay.
An improved method of limiting the time rate of decay of magnetic field retained in a high temperature superconductive magnetic field replicator, the improvement comprising;
- (a) activating a replicator to an initial field strength;
- (b) aging such a replicator for an initial time period to determine a decay rate in linear time;
- (c) converting such linear time decay rate to a corresponding decay rate in logarithmic time;
- and
- (d) determining from such logarithmic time decay rate a second time period for aging such a replicator so that the decay rate in linear time subsequent to said aging may be not in excess of a desired decay rate.
A method of increasing the maximum magnetic field trappable in a bulk replicator comprising:
- (a) determining the direction in which the replicator has its maximum trappable field
- (b) orienting said replicator and an activator with respect to one another such that the impressed magnetic field of said activator will be parallel to such direction of maximum trappable field of said replicator, and
- (c) activating said bulk replicator.
A method of determining the strength of activating field required to produce a trapped field which is a desired fraction of maximum trappable field, comprising:
- (a) successively activating a bulk magnetic field replicator with various activating fields, BO and determining the trapped fields, BT corresponding to such various activating fields, and constant c,
- (b) determining the maximum trappable field, BT(MAX) from the relationship BT=BT(MAX)[e−cBO/BT(MAX)],
- (c) determining BT from said desired fraction and BT(MAX), and
- (d) determining the value of activating field, BO, from said relationship corresponding to BT as said desired fraction of BT(MAX).
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.