Superconductor manufacturing process

Claim 2

A process for manufacturing a superconductor, the process having the following sequential steps: (a) placing a bar of a first metal in a matrix of at least a second and a third metal material, said second metal material being capable of combining, when heated, with the first metal to form a superconductor; (b) working the bar and matrix together to form a rod having a hexagonal cross section; (c) packing a plurality of said rods into a bronze tube; (d) repeatedly drawing the assembly of the preceding step to form a multifilament strand having a reduced cross section and increased length; (e) arranging the multifilament strand into a desired configuration; (f) heating the strand in the desired configuration to a temperature at which the first metal combines with the second metal material to form a superconductor, wherein the improvement comprises: between steps (c) and (d) surrounding said bronze tube with a resistive tube and disposing between the bronze tube and the resistive tube an electrically insulating refractory powder that is not soluble in the material of either tube.

Claim 3

A process according to claim 1 further comprising the step of precompacting the insulating refractory powder.

Claim 4

A process according to claim 1, wherein the insulating refractory powder is aluminum oxide (Al 2 O 3 ).

Claim 5

A process according to claim 1, wherein the insulating refractory powder is magnesium oxide (MgO).

Claim 6

A process according to claim 1, wherein the insulating refractory powder is a glass stable at 800 degrees C.

Claim 7

A process according to claim 1, wherein the insulating refractory powder is a quartz stable at 800 degrees C.

Claim 8

A process according to claim 1, further comprising: between steps (c) and (d), working the bronze tube packed with the plurality of said rods to form a multifilament rod having a hexagonal cross section and packing a plurality of said multifilament hexagonal rods into an additional tube, said steps of working the bronze tube packed with rods into a hexagonal multifilament rod and packing a plurality of said multifilament rods into an additional tube being performed at least once, and the final one of said additional tubes being composed of copper.

Claim 9

A process according to claim 7, the process further comprising: prior to step (d), surrounding said final additional tube composed of copper with a resistive tube and disposing between the copper tube and the resistive tube an electrically insulating refractory powder that is not soluble in the material of either tube.

Claim 10

A process according to claim 8, the process further comprising the step of precompacting said electrically insulating refractory powder.

Claim 11

A process according to claim 1, further comprising: forming at least one hexagonal rod composed of copper and substituting at least one of said hexagonal copper rods for a corresponding at least one of said plurality of rods.

Claim 12

A process according to claim 1, further comprising: step (c) includes disposing a resistive barrier material between the packed rods to reduce spurious induced currents in the finished superconductor.

Claim 13

A process according to claim 11, wherein the resistive barrier material comprises: an oxide powder doped with a conductive substance.

Claim 14

A process according to claim 12 further comprising the step of precompacting the doped oxide powder.

Claim 15

A process according to claim 12, wherein the resistive barrier material comprises: magnesium oxide (MgO) doped with a copper alloy.

Claim 16

A process according to claim 11, wherein the matrix is an intermetallic compound in the form of niobium-tin (Nb 3 Sn), the first metal is bronze, and the second metal material is niobium.

Claim 17

A process according to claim 11, wherein the matrix is an intermetallic compound selected from the group consisting of niobium-silicon (Nb 3 Si); niobium-aluminum (Nb 3 Al); vanadium-gallium (V 3 Ga); and vanadium-silicon (V 3 Si).

Claim 18

A process according to claim 11, wherein the matrix is an intermetallic compound in the form of a CHEVREL phase-based superconductor.

Claim 19

A process according to claim 10, wherein the matrix is an intermetallic compound in the form of lead-molybdenum-sulfur (PbMo 6 S 8 ).

Claim 20

A process for manufacturing a superconductor, the process having the following sequential steps: (a) placing a bar of a first metal in a matrix of at least a second and a third metal material, said second metal material being capable of combining, when heated, with the first metal to form a superconductor; (b) working the bar and matrix together to form a rod having a hexagonal cross section; (c) packing a plurality of said rods into a bronze tube; (d) repeatedly drawing the assembly of the preceding step to form a multifilament strand having a reduced cross section and increased length; (e) coating the multifilament strand with an insulative sheath; (f) placing a plurality of said sheathed strands together to form a multistrand conductor; (g) arranging the multifilament conductor into a desired configuration; (h) heating the conductor in the desired configuration to a temperature at which the first metal combines with the one element to form a superconductor, wherein the improvement comprises: between steps (c) and (d) surrounding said bronze tube with a resistive tube and disposing between the bronze tube and the resistive tube an electrically insulating refractory powder that is not soluble in the material of either tube.

Claim 21

A process for manufacturing a superconductor, the process having the following sequential steps: (a) placing a bar of a first metal in a matrix of at least a second and a third metal material, said second metal material being capable of combining, when heated, with the first metal to form a superconductor; (b) working the bar and matrix together to form a rod having a hexagonal cross section; (c) packing a plurality of said rods into a bronze tube; (d) repeatedly drawing the assembly of the preceding step to form a multifilament strand having a reduced cross section and increased length; (e) coating the multifilament strand with an insulative sheath; (f) placing a plurality of said sheathed strands together to form a multistrand conductor; (g) arranging the multifilament conductor into a desired configuration; (h) heating the conductor in the desired configuration to a temperature at which the first metal combines with the one element to form a superconductor, wherein the improvement comprises: between steps (c) and (d) surrounding said bronze tube with a resistive tube and disposing between the bronze tube and the resistive tube an electrically insulating refractory powder that is not soluble in the material of either tube.

Claim 22

A process according to claim 19, further comprising: between steps (c) and (d), working the bronze tube packed with the plurality of said rods to form a multifilament rod having a hexagonal cross section, and packing a plurality of said multifilament hexagonal rods into an additional tube, said steps of working the bronze tube packed with rods into a hexagonal multifilament rod and packing a plurality of said multifilament rods into an additional tube being performed at least once, and the final one of said additional tubes being composed of copper.

Claim 23

A process according to claim 19, further comprising: forming at least one hexagonal rod composed of copper and substituting at least one of said hexagonal copper rods for a corresponding at least one of said plurality of rods in step (c).

Claim 24

A process according to claim 19, further comprising: step (c) includes disposing a resistive barrier material between the packed rods to reduce spurious induced currents in the finished superconductor.

Claim 25

A process for manufacturing a superconductor, the process having the following sequential steps: (a) placing a bar of a first metal in a matrix of at least a second and a third metal material, said second metal marterial being capable of combining, when heated, with the first metal to form a superconductor; (b) working the bar and matrix together to form a rod having a hexagonal cross section; (c) packing a plurality of said rods into a bronze tube; (d) repeatedly drawing the assembly of the preceding step to form a multifilament strand having a reduced cross section and increased length; (e) arranging the multifilament strand into a desired configuration; (f) heating the strand in the desired configuration to a temperature at which the first metal combines with the second metal material to form a superconductor, wherein the improvement comprises: step (c) includes disposing a resistive barrier material between the packed rods to reduce spurious induced currents in the finished superconductor, the resistive barrier material comprising an oxide powder doped with a conductive substance.

Claim 26

A process for manufacturing a superconductor, the process having the following sequential steps: (a) placing a bar of a first metal in a matrix of at least a second and a third metal material, said second metal marterial being capable of combining, when heated, with the first metal to form a superconductor; (b) working the bar and matrix together to form a rod having a hexagonal cross section; (c) packing a plurality of said rods into a bronze tube; (d) repeatedly drawing the assembly of the preceding step to form a multifilament strand having a reduced cross section and increased length; (e) arranging the multifilament strand into a desired configuration; (f) heating the strand in the desired configuration to a temperature at which the first metal combines with the second metal material to form a superconductor, wherein the improvement comprises: step (c) includes disposing a resistive barrier material between the packed rods to reduce spurious induced currents in the finished superconductor, the resistive barrier material comprising an oxide powder doped with a conductive substance.

Claim 27

A process according to claim 23 further comprising the step of precompacting the doped oxide powder.

Claim 28

A process according to claim 23, wherein the resistive barrier material comprises: magnesium oxide (MgO) doped with a copper alloy.

Claim 29

A process for manufacturing a superconductor, the process having the following sequential steps: (a) placing a bar of a first metal in a matrix of at least a second and a third metal material, said second metal material being capable of combining, when heated, with the first metal to form a superconductor; (b) working the bar and matrix together to form a rod having a hexagonal cross section; (c) packing a plurality of said rods into a bronze tube; (d) repeatedly drawing the assembly of the preceding step to form a multifilament strand having a reduced cross section and increased length; (e) coating the multifilament strand with an insulative sheath; (f) placing a plurality of said sheathed strands together to form a multistrand conductor; (g) arranging the multifilament conductor into a desired configuration; (h) heating the conductor in the desired configuration to a temperature at which the first metal combines with the one element to form a superconductor, wherein the improvement comprises: step (c) includes disposing a resistive barrier material between the packed rods to reduce spurious induced currents in the finished superconductor, the resistive barrier material comprising an oxide powder doped with a conductive substance.

Claim 30

A process for manufacturing a superconductor, the process having the following sequential steps: (a) placing a bar of a first metal in a matrix of at least a second and a third metal material, said second metal material being capable of combining, when heated, with the first metal to form a superconductor; (b) working the bar and matrix together to form a rod having a hexagonal cross section; (c) packing a plurality of said rods into a bronze tube; (d) repeatedly drawing the assembly of the preceding step to form a multifilament strand having a reduced cross section and increased length; (e) coating the multifilament strand with an insulative sheath; (f) placing a plurality of said sheathed strands together to form a multistrand conductor; (g) arranging the multifilament conductor into a desired configuration; (h) heating the conductor in the desired configuration to a temperature at which the first metal combines with the one element to form a superconductor, wherein the improvement comprises: step (c) includes disposing a resistive barrier material between the packed rods to reduce spurious induced currents in the finished superconductor, the resistive barrier material comprising an oxide powder doped with a conductive substance.

Claim 31

A process according to claim 26 further comprising the step of precompacting the doped oxide powder.

Claim 32

A process according to claim 26, wherein the resistive barrier material comprises: magnesium oxide (MgO) doped with a copper alloy.