t Fast-cycling, conduction-cooled, quasi-isothermal, superconducting fault current limiter By www.freepatentsonline.com Published On :: Tue, 03 Feb 2015 08:00:00 EST Fault Current Limiters (FCL) provide protection for upstream and/or downstream devices in electric power grids. Conventional FCL require the use of expensive conductors and liquid or gas cryogen handling. Disclosed embodiments describe FCL systems and devices that use lower cost superconductors, require no liquid cryogen, and are fast cycling. These improved FCL can sustain many sequential faults and require less time to clear faults while avoiding the use of liquid cryogen. Disclosed embodiments describe a FCL with a superconductor and cladding cooled to cryogenic temperatures; these are connected in parallel with a second resistor across two nodes in a circuit. According to disclosed embodiments, the resistance of the superconducting components and its sheath in the fault mode are sufficiently high to minimize energy deposition within the cryogenic system, minimizing recovery time. A scheme for intermediate heat storage also is described which allows a useful compromise between conductor length enabled energy minimization and allowable number of sequential faults to enable an overall system design which is affordable, and yet allows conduction cooled (cryogen free) systems which have fast recovery and allows for multiple sequential faults. Full Article
t Transmission system with a superconducting cable By www.freepatentsonline.com Published On :: Tue, 03 Feb 2015 08:00:00 EST A transmission system is provided with a superconductive cable having three phase conductors and a cryostat, surrounding the phase conductors, and encasing a hollow space, for conducting a cooling agent. For the three phase conductors, a common neutral conductor is provided, being made of electrically normally conducting material, carried out as insulating round conductor and placed outside the cryostat and next to it. The cryostat is made of a circumferentially enclosed, thermally insulated sheath. Full Article
t Method of manufacturing superconducting accelerator cavity By www.freepatentsonline.com Published On :: Tue, 10 Feb 2015 08:00:00 EST Provided is a method of manufacturing a superconducting accelerator cavity in which a plurality of half cells having opening portions (equator portions and iris portions) at both ends thereof in an axial direction are placed one after another in the axial direction, contact portions where the corresponding opening portions come into contact with each other are joined by welding, and thus, a superconducting accelerator cavity is manufactured, the half cells to be joined are arranged so that the axial direction thereof extends in a vertical direction; and concave portions that are concave towards an outer side are also formed at inner circumferential surfaces located below the contact portions of the half cells positioned at a bottom; and the contact portions are joined from outside by penetration welding. Full Article
t Superconductive magnet By www.freepatentsonline.com Published On :: Tue, 10 Feb 2015 08:00:00 EST A superconductive magnet includes a superconductive coil that is an air-core coil; a pair of bobbin bodies that support the superconductive coil while interposing the superconductive coil therebetween on both sides of a center axial line direction of the superconductive coil; an outer circumference-side binding portion that extends in the center axial line direction on an outer circumferential side of the superconductive coil to bind the pair of bobbin bodies; and a belt-shaped or a wire-shaped inner circumference-side tension imparted portion which extends in the center axial line direction on an inner circumferential side of the superconductive coil to connect the pair of bobbin bodies, and on which tension is imparted in the center axial line direction. Full Article
t Low-loss superconducting devices By www.freepatentsonline.com Published On :: Tue, 10 Feb 2015 08:00:00 EST Low-loss superconducting devices and methods for fabricating low loss superconducting devices. For example, superconducting devices, such as superconducting resonator devices, are formed with a (200)-oriented texture titanium nitride (TiN) layer to provide high Q, low loss resonator structures particularly suitable for application to radio-frequency (RF) and/or microwave superconducting resonators, such as coplanar waveguide superconducting resonators. In one aspect, a method of forming a superconducting device includes forming a silicon nitride (SiN) seed layer on a substrate, and forming a (200)-oriented texture titanium nitride (TiN) layer on the SiN seed layer. Full Article
t Superconducting direct-current electrical cable By www.freepatentsonline.com Published On :: Tue, 10 Feb 2015 08:00:00 EST A superconductive electrical direct current cable with at least two conductors insulated relative to each other is indicated, where the cable is placed with at least two conductors insulated relative to each other, where the conductors are arranged in a cryostat suitable for guidance of the cooling agent, wherein the cryostat is composed of at least one metal pipe which is surrounded by a circumferentially closed layer with thermally insulating properties. In the cryostat is arranged a strand-shaped carrier composed of insulating material, where the carrier has at least two diametrically oppositely located outwardly open grooves in each of which is arranged one of the conductors. Each conductor is composed of a plurality of superconductive elements. Full Article
t Method and apparatus for applying uniaxial compression stresses to a moving wire By www.freepatentsonline.com Published On :: Tue, 24 Feb 2015 08:00:00 EST An apparatus and method for moving a wire along its own axis against a high resistance to its motion causing a substantial uniaxial compression stress in the wire without allowing it to buckle. The apparatus consists of a wire gripping and moving drive wheel and guide rollers for transporting the moving wire away from the drive wheel. Wire is pressed into a peripheral groove in a relatively large diameter, rotating drive wheel by a set of small diameter rollers arranged along part of the periphery causing the wire to be gripped by the groove. Full Article
t Superconducting rotating electrical machine and manufacturing method for high temperature superconducting film thereof By www.freepatentsonline.com Published On :: Tue, 24 Feb 2015 08:00:00 EST The present disclosure relates to a superconducting rotating electrical machine and a manufacturing method for a high temperature superconducting film thereof. The superconducting rotating electrical machine includes a stator, and a rotor rotatable with respect to the stator, the rotor having a rotary shaft and a rotor winding. Here, the rotor winding includes tubes disposed on a circumference of the rotary shaft and each forming a passage for a cooling fluid therein, superconducting wires accommodated within the tubes, and a cooling fluid flowing through the inside of the tubes. This configuration may allow for direct heat exchange between the superconducting wires and a refrigerant, resulting in improvement of heat exchange efficiencies of the superconducting wires. Full Article
t Persistent-mode high-temperature superconducting shim coils to enhance spatial magnetic field homogeneity for superconducting magnets By www.freepatentsonline.com Published On :: Tue, 24 Feb 2015 08:00:00 EST A persistent-mode High Temperature Superconductor (HTS) shim coil is provided having at least one rectangular shaped thin sheet of HTS, wherein the thin sheet of HTS contains a first long portion, a second long portion parallel to first long portion, a first end, and a second end parallel to the first end. The rectangular shaped thin sheet of high-temperature superconductor has a hollow center and forms a continuous loop. In addition, the first end and the second end are folded toward each other forming two rings, and the thin sheet of high-temperature superconductor has a radial build that is less than 5 millimeters (mm) and able to withstand very strong magnetic field ranges of greater than approximately 12 Tesla (T) within a center-portion of a superconducting magnet of a superconducting magnet assembly. Full Article
t Oxide superconductor cabling and method of manufacturing oxide superconductor cabling By www.freepatentsonline.com Published On :: Tue, 24 Feb 2015 08:00:00 EST Disclosed are an oxide superconductor tape and a method of manufacturing the oxide superconductor tape capable of improving the length and characteristics of superconductor tape and obtaining stabilized characteristics across the entire length thereof. A Y-class superconductor tape (10), as an oxide superconductor tape, comprises a tape (13) further comprising a tape-shaped non-oriented metallic substrate (11), and a first buffer layer (sheet layer) (12) that is formed by IBAD upon the tape-shaped non-oriented metallic substrate (11); and a second buffer layer (gap layer) (14), further comprising a lateral face portion (14a) that is extended to the lateral faces of the first buffer layer (sheet layer) (12) upon the tape (13) by RTR RF-magnetron sputtering. Full Article
t Superconductive electromagnet apparatus By www.freepatentsonline.com Published On :: Tue, 03 Mar 2015 08:00:00 EST A superconductive electromagnet apparatus and a magnetic resonance imaging apparatus including the superconductive electromagnet apparatus are provided. The superconductive electromagnet apparatus includes a thermal anchor, a cryogenic cooling device which cools the thermal anchor, and at least one connecting ring into which the thermal anchor is inserted and a plurality of wires which are connected to the connecting ring. Full Article
t Superconducting devices with ferromagnetic barrier junctions By www.freepatentsonline.com Published On :: Tue, 03 Mar 2015 08:00:00 EST A superconducting memory cell includes a magnetic Josephson junction (MJJ) with a ferromagnetic material, having at least two switchable states of magnetization. The binary state of the MJJ manifests itself as a pulse appearing, or not appearing, on the output. A superconducting memory includes an array of memory cells. Each memory cell includes a comparator with at least one MJJ. Selected X and Y-directional write lines in their combination are capable of switching the magnetization of the MJJ. A superconducting device includes a first and a second junction in a stacked configuration. The first junction has an insulating layer barrier, and the second junction has an insulating layer sandwiched in-between two ferromagnetic layers as barrier. An electrical signal inputted across the first junction is amplified across the second junction. Full Article
t Method of manufacturing base material for superconducting conductor, method of manufacturing superconducting conductor, base material for superconducting conductor, and superconducting conductor By www.freepatentsonline.com Published On :: Tue, 17 Mar 2015 08:00:00 EDT A method for manufacturing a base material 2 for a superconductive conductor which includes: a conductive bed layer forming process of forming a non-oriented bed layer 24 having conductivity on a substrate 10; and a biaxially oriented layer forming process of forming a biaxially oriented layer 26 on the bed layer 24. Full Article
t Inductive fault current limiter with divided secondary coil configuration By www.freepatentsonline.com Published On :: Tue, 17 Mar 2015 08:00:00 EDT An inductive fault current limiter (1), has a normally conducting primary coil assembly (2) with a multiplicity of turns (3), and a superconducting, short-circuited secondary coil assembly (4). The primary coil assembly (2) and the secondary coil assembly (4) are disposed at least substantially coaxially with respect to each other and at least partially interleaved in each other. The secondary coil assembly (4) has a first coil section (4a) disposed radially inside the turns (3) of the primary coil assembly (2) and a second coil section (4b) disposed radially outside the turns (3) of the primary coil assembly (2). The fault current limiter has an increased inductance ratio. Full Article
t High temperature superconducting tape conductor having high critical ampacity By www.freepatentsonline.com Published On :: Tue, 17 Mar 2015 08:00:00 EDT The invention relates to a high temperature superconducting tape conductor having a flexible metal substrate that comprises at least one intermediate layer disposed on the flexible metal substrate and comprising terraces on the side opposite the flexible metal substrate, wherein a mean width of the terraces is less than 1 μm and a mean height of the terraces is more than 20 nm, and that comprises at least one high temperature superconducting layer disposed on the intermediate layer, which is disposed on the at least one intermediate layer and comprises a layer thickness of more than 3 μm. The ampacity of the high temperature superconducting tape conductor relative to the conductor width is more than 600 A/cm at 77 K. Full Article
t Superconducting electromagnet device, cooling method therefor, and magnetic resonance imaging device By www.freepatentsonline.com Published On :: Tue, 24 Mar 2015 08:00:00 EDT A superconducting magnet device is configured to include: a refrigerant circulation flowpath in which a refrigerant (R) circulates; a refrigerator for cooling vapor of the refrigerant (R) in the refrigerant circulation flowpath; a superconducting coil cooled by the circulating refrigerant (R); a protective resistor thermally contacting the superconducting coil and having an internal space (S); a high-boiling-point refrigerant supply section for supplying a high-boiling-point refrigerant having a higher boiling point than the refrigerant (R) and frozen by the refrigerant (R) to the internal space (S) in the protective resistor; and a vacuum insulating container for at least accommodating the refrigerant circulation flowpath, the superconducting coil, and the protective resistor. Full Article
t Superconducting magnet By www.freepatentsonline.com Published On :: Tue, 24 Mar 2015 08:00:00 EDT A superconducting magnet includes a superconducting coil, a heat shield surrounding the superconducting coil, a vacuum chamber accommodating the heat shield, a magnetic shield covering at least a part of the vacuum chamber, and a refrigerating machine fixed to the vacuum chamber to cool the superconducting coil through a heat conducting body. The magnetic shield abuts against said vacuum chamber with an elastic body therebetween to support the vacuum chamber. Full Article
t Superconducting magnet apparatus By www.freepatentsonline.com Published On :: Tue, 24 Mar 2015 08:00:00 EDT A superconducting magnet apparatus includes: a bobbin around which a superconducting coil is wound, the bobbin serving as a protective resistor; a persistent current switch for supplying a persistent current to the superconducting coil; a first closed circuit with the superconducting coil and the persistent current switch connected in series to the coil; and a second closed circuit with the superconducting coil and the bobbin connected in series to the coil. Full Article
t Layered superconductor device By www.freepatentsonline.com Published On :: Tue, 24 Mar 2015 08:00:00 EDT A layered superconductor device includes multiple layers of a single crystal superconducting material having intermittent layers of superconducting material dispersed in a pattern with a second material such that each layer of the multiple layers a single crystal superconducting material are interconnected via superconducting material, allowing for a continuous current path, and a thickness of the superconducting material never exceeds a first predetermined thickness. Full Article
t Substrate for superconducting compound and method for manufacturing the substrate By www.freepatentsonline.com Published On :: Tue, 31 Mar 2015 08:00:00 EDT Provided are a substrate for a superconducting compound and a method for manufacturing the substrate which can realize the excellent adhesive strength simultaneously with high orientation of copper. An absorbed material on a surface of a copper foil to which rolling is applied at a draft of 90% or more is removed by applying sputter etching to the surface of the copper foil, sputter etching is applied to a nonmagnetic metal sheet, the copper foil and the metal sheet are bonded to each other by applying a pressure to the copper foil and the metal sheet using reduction rolls, crystals of the copper in the copper foil are oriented by heating a laminated body formed by such bonding, copper is diffused into the metal sheet by heating with a copper diffusion distance of 10 nm or more, and a protective layer is laminated to a surface of the copper foil of the laminated body. Full Article
t Methods of splicing 2G rebco high temperature superconductors using partial micro-melting diffusion pressurized splicing by direct face-to-face contact of high temperature superconducting layers and recovering superconductivity by oxygenation annealing By www.freepatentsonline.com Published On :: Tue, 31 Mar 2015 08:00:00 EDT Disclosed is a splicing method of two second-generation ReBCO high temperature superconductor coated conductors (2G ReBCO HTS CCs), in which, with stabilizing layers removed from the two strands of 2G ReBCO HTS CCs through chemical wet etching or plasma dry etching, surfaces of the two high temperature superconducting layers are brought into direct contact with each other and heated in a splicing furnace in a vacuum for micro-melting portions of the surfaces of the high temperature superconducting layers to permit inter-diffusion of ReBCO atoms such that the surfaces of the two superconducting layers can be spliced to each other and oxygenation annealing for recovery of superconductivity which was lost during splicing. Full Article
t Self-shield open magnetic resonance imaging superconducting magnet By www.freepatentsonline.com Published On :: Tue, 31 Mar 2015 08:00:00 EDT A self-shield open magnetic resonance imaging superconducting magnet comprises five pairs of coils: shim coils, first main magnetic coils, second main magnetic coils, third main magnetic coils, and shielding coils. The five pairs of coils are symmetric about the center. The shim coils are arranged closest to the center point; the first main magnetic coils, the second main magnetic coils, the third main magnetic coils, and the shielding coils are arranged in sequence outside. The first main magnetic coils are connected with reverse current. The second and third main magnetic coils are connected with positive current for providing the main magnetic field strength. The shim coils are connected with positive current for compensating the magnetic field in the central region. The shielding coils are connected with reverse current for creating a magnetic field opposite to the main magnetic field for compensating the stray magnetic field in the space. Full Article
t Superconducting magnet device and magnetic resonance imaging system By www.freepatentsonline.com Published On :: Tue, 31 Mar 2015 08:00:00 EDT A superconducting magnet device and a magnetic resonance imaging system not only avoid the need for costly aluminum alloy formers but also lower quench pressure effectively, have a baffle covering the former and the coil, with a gap between the baffle and the coil. Full Article
t Superconducting cable By www.freepatentsonline.com Published On :: Tue, 07 Apr 2015 08:00:00 EDT A superconducting cable is provided. The superconducting cable includes a core part including a former disposed at the center of the core part, one or more superconducting conductive layers with each electric phase disposed at the outside of the former in a radial directions, a insulating layer disposed at the outside of each the conductive layer in a radial direction and a shielding layer disposed at the outermost of the insulating layer; and a cryostat disposed at the outside of the core part in a radial direction with first space being interposed therebetween, having a vacuum part disposed therein and electrically wired to neutral pole (N pole). Full Article
t Superconducting film-forming substrate, superconducting wire, and superconducting wire manufacturing method By www.freepatentsonline.com Published On :: Tue, 07 Apr 2015 08:00:00 EDT A tape-shaped superconducting film-forming substrate is disclosed, which includes a film-forming face for forming a laminate including a superconducting layer thereon, a rear face that is a face at a side opposite to the film-forming face, a pair of end faces connected to the film-forming face and the rear face, and a pair of side faces connected to the film-forming face, the rear face, and the pair of end faces, in which each of the pair of side faces includes a spreading face that spreads toward an outer side in an in-plane direction of the film-forming face from an edge part of the film-forming face toward the rear face side. A superconducting wire and a superconducting wire manufacturing method are also disclosed. Full Article
t Superconducting cable By www.freepatentsonline.com Published On :: Tue, 14 Apr 2015 08:00:00 EDT An AC superconducting cable with an insulating layer on the external circumference of a conductor, and wherein: the insulating layer includes a first insulating layer, a second insulating layer and a third insulating layer, from the inside layer to the outside layer; the insulating layer is impregnated with liquid nitrogen; the product of the dielectric constant ∈1 of the first insulating layer and the dielectric loss tangent tan δ1 and the product of the dielectric constant ∈2 of the second insulating layer and the dielectric loss tangent tan δ2 fulfilling the relationship ∈1×tan δ1>∈2×tan δ2; and the product of the dielectric constant ∈2 of the second insulating layer and the dielectric loss tangent tan δ2 and the product of the dielectric constant ∈3 of the third insulating layer and the dielectric loss tangent tan δ3 fulfilling the relationship ∈2×tan δ2 Full Article
t Electrochemical system and method for electropolishing superconductive radio frequency cavities By www.freepatentsonline.com Published On :: Tue, 14 Apr 2015 08:00:00 EDT An electrochemical finishing system for super conducting radio frequency (SCRF) cavities including a low viscosity electrolyte solution that is free of hydrofluoric acid, an electrode in contact with the electrolyte solution, the SCRF cavity being spaced apart from the electrode and in contact with the electrolyte solution and a power source including a first electrical lead electrically coupled to the electrode and a second electrical lead electrically coupled to the cavity, the power source being configured to pass an electric current between the electrode and the workpiece, wherein the electric current includes anodic pulses and cathodic pulses, and wherein the cathodic pulses are interposed between at least some of the anodic pulses. The SCRF cavity may be vertically oriented during the finishing process. Full Article
t System with a superconductive cable and a surrounding cryostat By www.freepatentsonline.com Published On :: Tue, 14 Apr 2015 08:00:00 EDT A superconductive cable which has a cryostat with two concentric metal pipes where the cryostat has at least a first axial section with a first axial spring constant, and at least a second axial section which has a second axial spring constant which at most is 20%, more preferred at most 10%, of the axial spring constant of the first section. Full Article
t Ceramic substrate and process for producing same By www.freepatentsonline.com Published On :: Tue, 14 Apr 2015 08:00:00 EDT A ceramic substrate includes a substrate body formed of ceramic and having a pair of surfaces each assuming a rectangular shape as viewed in plane, and a metallization layer formed on the surface of the substrate body and adapted to braze a metal frame thereon. A composite material layer is disposed between the surface of the substrate body and the metallization layer and is formed such that a ceramic portion, a metal portion 10m formed of a metal similar to a metal component of the metallization layer or a metal which, together with a metal component of the metallization layer, forms an all proportional solid solution, and a glass portion exist together. The thickness of the composite material layer is thinner than that of the metallization layer. A plating layer is deposited on the surface of the metallization layer. Full Article
t Terminal structure of superconducting cable conductor and terminal member used therein By www.freepatentsonline.com Published On :: Tue, 14 Apr 2015 08:00:00 EDT In a terminal structure of a superconducting cable conductor, a terminal portion of the superconducting cable conductor is connected with a terminal member of a good conductor. The terminal portion includes a superconducting layer disposed on an outer periphery of a central support; and an insulating layer surrounding the superconducting layer. The insulating layer and the superconducting layer are partially removed to expose the central support and the superconducting layer in this order from an end of the superconducting cable conductor. The terminal member includes a metal sleeve which includes a first cylindrical portion whose inner surface is in close contact with an exposed portion of the central support; a second cylindrical portion which is soldered around an exposed portion of the superconducting layer; and a third cylindrical portion into which the insulating layer is inserted. Full Article
t Techniques for protecting a superconducting (SC) tape By www.freepatentsonline.com Published On :: Tue, 14 Apr 2015 08:00:00 EDT Techniques for protecting a superconducting (SC) article are disclosed. The techniques may be realized as an apparatus for protecting a superconducting (SC) article. The apparatus may comprise a porous sleeve configured to fit around the superconducting (SC) article. The porous sleeve may be made of non-conductive, dielectric material. Full Article
t Superconducting structure comprising coated conductor tapes, in particular stapled perpendicularly to their substrate planes By www.freepatentsonline.com Published On :: Tue, 14 Apr 2015 08:00:00 EDT A superconducting structure (1) has a plurality of coated conductor tapes (2; 2a-2o), each with a substrate (3) which is one-sided coated with a superconducting film (4), in particular an YBCO film, wherein the superconducting structure (1) provides a superconducting current path along an extension direction (z) of the superconducting structure (1), wherein the coated conductor tapes (2; 2a-2o) provide electrically parallel partial superconducting current paths in the extension direction (z) of the superconducting structure (1), is characterized in that the coated conductor tapes (2; 2a-2o) are superconductively connected among themselves along the extension direction (z) continuously or intermittently. A more stable superconducting structure with which high electric current strengths may be transported is thereby provided. Full Article
t Device and method for the densification of filaments in a long superconductive wire By www.freepatentsonline.com Published On :: Tue, 21 Apr 2015 08:00:00 EDT A device for the high pressure densification of superconducting wire from compacted superconductor material or superconductor precursor powder particles, has four hard metal anvils (5, 6, 7, 8) with a total length (L2) parallel to the superconducting wire, the hard metal anvils borne in external independent pressure blocks (9, 10, 11), which are in turn either fixed or connected to high pressure devices, preferably hydraulic presses. At least one of the hard metal anvils is a free moving anvil (6) having clearances of at least 0.01 mm up to 0.2 mm towards the neighboring hard metal anvils (5, 8), so that no wall friction occurs between the free moving anvil and the neighboring anvils. This allows for high critical current densities Jc at reduced pressure applied to the hard metal anvils. Full Article
t 3-coaxial superconducting power cable and cable's structure By www.freepatentsonline.com Published On :: Tue, 21 Apr 2015 08:00:00 EDT Provided are a three-phase coaxial superconducting power cable and a structure thereof. A certain space is formed between adjacent superconducting wires of a superconducting layer (disposed at an outer portion) having more superconducting wires among a plurality of superconducting layers, and another wire is disposed in the space, or the superconducting wires of the respective superconducting layers are disposed to have different critical currents. Accordingly, a waste of superconducting wires is prevented, and the optimized three-phase coaxial superconducting power cable is provided. Full Article
t Energy storage device and operating method By www.freepatentsonline.com Published On :: Tue, 21 Apr 2015 08:00:00 EDT In order to store excess kinetic energy, an energy storage device and an operating method are described, in which the kinetic energy can be partially converted into electrical energy by a first electric machine using at least two electric machines arranged on a shaft and can be partially converted into additional kinetic energy, such as rotational energy, by a second electric machine. The method for energy storage of excess kinetic energy provides for converting kinetic energy partially into electric energy and partially into additional kinetic energy, such as rotational energy. Full Article
t Method of producing superconducting conductor, superconducting conductor, and substrate for superconducting conductor By www.freepatentsonline.com Published On :: Tue, 21 Apr 2015 08:00:00 EDT A method for producing a superconductive conductor includes: a base material preparation process of preparing a base material having a groove formed on at least one face thereof; a superconducting layer formation process of forming a superconducting layer on a surface of the base material at a side at which the groove is formed; and a cutting process of cutting completely through the base material along the groove. Full Article
t Cryocooler system and superconducting magnet apparatus having the same By www.freepatentsonline.com Published On :: Tue, 21 Apr 2015 08:00:00 EDT A cryocooler system and a superconducting magnet apparatus having the cryocooler system include a cryocooler having a cool stage that cools a heat shielding unit and a thermal inertia that thermally contacts the cool stage of the cryocooler and has a high heat capacity. The cryocooler system reduces a temperature-increasing rate in a current lead by using the thermal inertia member when the temperature in the current lead is increased due to heat generated when an electrical current applied to a superconducting coil is ramped-up or ramped-down. Full Article
t Magnetic field generation device with alternative quench device By www.freepatentsonline.com Published On :: Tue, 21 Apr 2015 08:00:00 EDT A magnetic field generation device for a magnetic resonance tomography apparatus has a vacuum container that encloses a magnetic coil made of superconducting material, and a conduit of a pipe system is connected with the magnetic coil so as to conduct heat. The pipe system and the conduit are filled with a coolant that places the magnetic coil in a superconducting state during normal operation of the tomography system. A valve connects the pipe system to the interior of a capture container. In the event of non-normal operation, such as a quench, evaporated coolant passes through the valve into the capture container. Full Article
t Layered superconductor device By www.freepatentsonline.com Published On :: Tue, 21 Apr 2015 08:00:00 EDT A layered superconductor device includes multiple layers of a single crystal superconducting material having intermittent layers of superconducting material dispersed in a pattern with a second material such that each layer of the multiple layers a single crystal superconducting material are interconnected via superconducting material, allowing for a continuous current path, and a thickness of the superconducting material never exceeds a first predetermined thickness. Full Article
t Systems, methods, and apparatus for calibrating, controlling, and operating a quantum processor By www.freepatentsonline.com Published On :: Tue, 21 Apr 2015 08:00:00 EDT Quantum annealing may include applying and gradually removing disorder terms to qubits of a quantum processor, for example superconducting flux qubits of a superconducting quantum processor. A problem Hamiltonian may be established by applying control signals to the qubits, an evolution Hamiltonian established by applying disorder terms, and annealing by gradually removing the disorder terms. Change in persistent current in the qubits may be compensated. Multipliers may mediate coupling between various qubits and a global signal line, for example by applying respective scaling factors. Two global signal lines may be arranged in an interdigitated pattern to couple to respective qubits of a communicatively coupled pair of qubits. Pairs of qubits may be communicatively isolated and used to measure a response of one another to defined signals. Full Article
t Oxide superconductor, oriented oxide thin film, and method for manufacturing oxide superconductor By www.freepatentsonline.com Published On :: Tue, 05 May 2015 08:00:00 EDT According to one embodiment, an oxide superconductor includes an oriented superconductor layer and an oxide layer. The oriented superconductor layer contains fluorine at 2.0×1016-5.0×1019 atoms/cc and carbon at 1.0×1018-5.0×1020 atoms/cc. The superconductor layer contains in 90% or more a portion oriented along c-axis with an in-plane orientation degree (Δφ) of 10 degrees or less, and contains a LnBa2Cu3O7-x superconductor material (Ln being yttrium or a lanthanoid except cerium, praseodymium, promethium, and lutetium). The oxide layer is provided in contact with a lower surface of the superconductor layer and oriented with an in-plane orientation degree (Δφ) of 10 degrees or less with respect to one crystal axis of the superconductor layer. Area of a portion of the lower surface of the superconductor layer in contact with the oxide layer is 0.3 or less of area of a region directly below the superconductor layer. Full Article
t Additive manufacturing method for SRF components of various geometries By www.freepatentsonline.com Published On :: Tue, 05 May 2015 08:00:00 EDT An additive manufacturing method for forming nearly monolithic SRF niobium cavities and end group components of arbitrary shape with features such as optimized wall thickness and integral stiffeners, greatly reducing the cost and technical variability of conventional cavity construction. The additive manufacturing method for forming an SRF cavity, includes atomizing niobium to form a niobium powder, feeding the niobium powder into an electron beam melter under a vacuum, melting the niobium powder under a vacuum in the electron beam melter to form an SRF cavity; and polishing the inside surface of the SRF cavity. Full Article
t Increased normal zone propagation velocity in superconducting segments By www.freepatentsonline.com Published On :: Tue, 12 May 2015 08:00:00 EDT There is described herein a superconducting segment and method of making same comprising one or several layers with very high electrical resistivity, acting as a current flow diverter when the current transfers from the superconductor to the stabilizer. The purpose of this current flow diverter is: i) to increase the contact resistance between the superconductor and the stabilizer, by reducing the contact area, and ii) to force the current to flow along a specific path, so as to increase momentarily the current density in a specific portion of the stabilizer. The consequence of i) and ii) is that heat generated at the extremities of the normal zone is increased and spread over a longer length along the superconducting segment, which increases the NZPV and thus, the uniformity of the quench. Full Article
t Superconducting wire By www.freepatentsonline.com Published On :: Tue, 12 May 2015 08:00:00 EDT A superconducting wire includes a linear superconductor and a carbon nanotube structure. The carbon nanotube structure is located on the linear superconductor. The carbon nanotube structure includes a number of carbon nanotubes joined end to end by van der Waals attractive force between and arranged helically along an axial direction of the linear superconductor. Full Article
t Superconducting wire By www.freepatentsonline.com Published On :: Tue, 12 May 2015 08:00:00 EDT A superconducting wire includes a superconductor layer and a carbon nanotube layer. The superconductor layer and the carbon nanotube layer are stacked on each other and rolled to form the superconducting wire. Thus, the superconductor layer and the carbon nanotube layer are simultaneously rolled and alternately stacked on each other. Full Article
t Electricity transmission cooling system By www.freepatentsonline.com Published On :: Tue, 19 May 2015 08:00:00 EDT A cooling system includes a first section of high temperature superconducting (HTS) cable configured to receive a first flow of coolant and to permit the first flow of coolant to flow therethrough. The system may further include a second section of high temperature superconducting (HTS) cable configured to receive a second flow of coolant and to permit the second flow of coolant to flow therethrough. The system may further include a cable joint configured to couple the first section of HTS cable and the second section of HTS cable. The cable joint may be in fluid communication with at least one refrigeration module and may include at least one conduit configured to permit a third flow of coolant between said cable joint and said at least one refrigeration module through a coolant line separate from said first and second sections of HTS cable. Full Article
t Composite barrier-type Nb3AI superconducting multifilament wire material By www.freepatentsonline.com Published On :: Tue, 19 May 2015 08:00:00 EDT A composite barrier-type Nb3Al superconducting multifilament wire material comprises Nb barrier filaments, Ta barrier filaments, Nb bulk dummy filaments, and a Nb or Ta covering. In the composite barrier-type Nb3Al superconducting multifilament wire material, the Nb barrier filaments and Ta barrier filaments are disposed in the wire material so that the Nb barrier filaments are concentrated in a filament region near a core formed from the Nb bulk dummy filaments and only the Ta barrier filaments are disposed or the Nb barrier filaments are dispersed in the Ta barrier filaments in an outer layer portion formed from a region outside the Nb barrier filaments, excluding the Nb or Ta covering. Full Article
t Intermediate connection unit of superconducting cables By www.freepatentsonline.com Published On :: Tue, 26 May 2015 08:00:00 EDT In an intermediate connecting unit 50 of superconducting cables, by forming the connecting superconducting wires 101 in a trapezoid shape tapered in the direction of the electric insulating layer 113 (the superconducting shield layers 114) sides from the large radius section 213a side of the reinforcement insulating layer 213, the inclined surface sections 213b can be covered without spaces and without the plurality of connecting superconducting wires overlapping. The plurality of connecting superconducting wires 101 cover the inclined surface sections 213b of the reinforcement insulating layer 213 formed thicker than the radius of the cable cores 11 of the superconducting cables 10. The connecting superconducting wires 101 further connects the superconducting wires 10 arranged on the outer periphery of the large radius section 213a of the reinforcement insulating layer 213 and the superconducting wires 100 constituting the superconducting shield layers 114. Full Article
t Superconducting thin film material and method of manufacturing same By www.freepatentsonline.com Published On :: Tue, 14 Jul 2015 08:00:00 EDT A superconducting thin film material exhibiting excellent superconducting properties and a method of manufacturing the same are provided. A superconducting thin film material includes a substrate, and a superconducting film formed on the substrate. The superconducting film includes an MOD layer formed by an MOD process, and a gas-phase-formed layer formed on the MOD layer by a gas-phase process. Since the MOD layer is formed first and then the gas-phase-formed layer is formed in this manner, degradation of the properties of the gas-phase-formed layer due to heat treatment in the step of forming the MOD layer (heat treatment in the MOD process) can be prevented. Full Article
t Computing numeric representations of words in a high-dimensional space By www.freepatentsonline.com Published On :: Tue, 19 May 2015 08:00:00 EDT Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on computer storage media, for computing numeric representations of words. One of the methods includes obtaining a set of training data, wherein the set of training data comprises sequences of words; training a classifier and an embedding function on the set of training data, wherein training the embedding function comprises obtained trained values of the embedding function parameters; processing each word in the vocabulary using the embedding function in accordance with the trained values of the embedding function parameters to generate a respective numerical representation of each word in the vocabulary in the high-dimensional space; and associating each word in the vocabulary with the respective numeric representation of the word in the high-dimensional space. Full Article