Forced-cooled superconductor

Claim 2

In a force-cooled superconductor of the type including an elongated stabilizer defining a longitudinal axis and having a hollow cavity of substantially rectangular cross-section; a plurality of superconducting wires housed within the hollow cavity of said stabilizer, adjacent ones of said superconducting wires defining a space therebetween; a casing defining inner faces which establish an inner region, said stabilizer being disposed in said inner region and encased by said casing, and a first passageway defined between said stabilizer and said inner faces of said casing to permit passage of a coolant therethrough, said stabilizer having means defining a plurality of second passageways for permitting the coolant to flow from said first passageway to the hollow cavity of said stabilizer so that the coolant flows through the second passageways and into the spaced defined between adjacent ones of said superconducting wires for direct cooling thereof, the improvement wherein said stabilizer comprises: a pair of channel members, each said channel member including a pair of spaced-apart flanges and a web member interconnecting the flanges, at least one flange of one of said pair of channel members being interdigitated with the other one of said pair of channel members to thereby establish said hollow cavity, wherein each said channel member includes means defining plural integral ridges oriented substantially parallel to said longitudinal axis, each said ridge having an outer surface directly adjacent to and in engagement with a respective inner face on said casing for interiorly spacing said channel member from said casing; and wherein each said flange of said pair of channel members includes means defining plural slits, adjacent ones of said slits being spaced-apart relative to said longitudinal axis, each said slit having an open end formed at an edge of said flange and a closed end laterally spaced from said web member, said slit being defined between said open and closed ends and oriented transversely relative to said longitudinal axis to thereby permit bending of said stabilizer about a bending axis perpendicular to said longitudinal axis.

Claim 3

A superconductor as recited in claim 1, wherein said ridge defining means defines plural ridges each having a rectangular cross-section.

Claim 4

A superconductor as in claim 1 wherein said ridges are defined between adjacent ones of said slits.

Claim 5

A superconductor as in claim 3 wherein said ridges extend from one slit to the immediately adjacent slit such that said slits extend transversely beyond said ridges toward said web member.

Claim 6

A superconductor as in claim 1 further comprising separating means for separating said superconducting wires into a plurality of groups, said separating means defining openings to permit the coolant to pass therethrough.

Claim 7

A superconductor as in claim 5 wherein said separating means includes a conductive tape wound around each of said groups.

Claim 8

A superconducting magnet having a central axis and comprising a forced-cooled superconductor of the type including an elongated stabilizer defining a longitudinal axis and having a hollow cavity of substantially rectangular cross-section, plural superconducting wires housed within said hollow cavity of said stabilizer, adjacent ones of said superconducting wires defining a space therebetween, a casing defining inner faces to establish an inner region, said stabilizer being disposed in said inner region and encased by said casing, and a first passageway defined between said stabilizer and said inner faces of said casing to permit passage of a coolant therethrough, said stabilizer having means defining a plurality of second passageways for permitting the coolant to flow from said first passageway to the hollow cavity of said stabilizer so that the coolant flows through said second passageways and into the space defined between adjacent ones of said superconducting wires for direct cooling thereof, said stabilizer including: a pair of channel members, each said channel member including a pair of spaced-apart flanges and a web member interconnecting said pair of flanges, at least one flange of one of said pair of channel members being interdigitated with the other one of said pair of channel members to thereby establish said hollow cavity, wherein each said channel member includes means defining plural integral ridges oriented substantially parallel to said longitudinal axis, each said ridge having an outer surface directly adjacent to and in engagement with a respective inner face of said casing for interiorly spacing said channel member from said casing, wherein each said flange of said pair of channel members includes means defining plural slits, adjacent ones of said slits being spaced-apart relative to said longitudinal axis, each said slit having an open end formed at an edge of said flange and a closed end laterally spaced from said web member, said slit being defined between said open and closed ends and oriented transversely relative to said longitudinal axis, and wherein said superconductor is wound in the shape of a coil with said flanges of said pair of channel members being oriented perpendicularly to said central axis of said superconducting magnet.

Claim 9

A superconducting magnet having a central axis and comprising a forced-cooled superconductor of the type including an elongated stabilizer defining a longitudinal axis and having a hollow cavity of substantially rectangular cross-section, plural superconducting wires housed within said hollow cavity of said stabilizer, adjacent ones of said superconducting wires defining a space therebetween, a casing defining inner faces to establish an inner region, said stabilizer being disposed in said inner region and encased by said casing, and a first passageway defined between said stabilizer and said inner faces of said casing to permit passage of a coolant therethrough, said stabilizer having means defining a plurality of second passageways for permitting the coolant to flow from said first passageway to the hollow cavity of said stabilizer so that the coolant flows through said second passageways and into the space defined between adjacent ones of said superconducting wires for direct cooling thereof, said stabilizer including: a pair of channel members, each said channel member including a pair of spaced-apart flanges and a web member interconnecting said pair of flanges, at least one flange of one of said pair of channel members being interdigitated with the other one of said pair of channel members to thereby establish said hollow cavity, wherein each said channel member includes means defining plural integral ridges oriented substantially parallel to said longitudinal axis, each said ridge having an outer surface directly adjacent to and in engagement with a respective inner face of said casing for interiorly spacing said channel member from said casing, wherein each said flange of said pair of channel members includes means defining plural slits, adjacent ones of said slits being spaced-apart relative to said longitudinal axis, each said slit having an open end formed at an edge of said flange and a closed end laterally spaced from said web member, said slit being defined between said open and closed ends and oriented transversely relative to said longitudinal axis, and wherein said superconductor is wound in the shape of a coil with said flanges of said pair of channel members being oriented perpendicularly to said central axis of said superconducting magnet.