Joints with very low resistance between superconducting wires and methods for making such joints
AssigneeSiemens Aktiengesellschaft
InventorSimon James Calvert
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
In a method or joint for joining first and second semiconductor wires, each comprising a number of filaments which each comprise a superconductive core within a respective sheath, the filaments being embedded within a matrix and wherein the superconductive cores comprise magnesium diboride and the sheaths comprise niobium, over a certain length a matrix is removed to expose the filaments. The exposed filaments are immersed in molten tin such that the nobium of the sheaths is converted to niobium-tin throughout a thickness of the sheaths. A superconductive path is provided between the superconductive cores of filaments of the first wire through the niobium-tin sheaths of the filaments to the superconductive cores of the second wire.
Claims13
A method for joining first and second superconducting wires, each wire comprising a number of filaments which each comprise a superconductive core within a respective sheath, the filaments being embedded within a matrix, the superconductive cores comprising MgB2, and the sheaths comprising elemental Nb, comprising the steps of:
- over a certain length of the filaments of each wire, removing the matrix to expose the filaments;
- immersing the exposed filaments in molten Sn such that the elemental Nb of the sheaths within said certain length is converted to Nb3Sn throughout a thickness of the sheaths;
- and
- within said certain length providing a superconductive path between the superconductive cores of filaments of the first wire through the respective Nb3Sn sheaths of the first wire to the superconductive cores of the filaments of the second wire through the respective Nb3Sn sheaths of the second wire.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.