Electromagnet

Abstract

An electromagnet comprising a plurality of coils of superconductive material, monolithically embedded in an embedding material, which is solid at the temperature of operation of the superconductive electromagnet, and a method for producing an electromagnet comprising a plurality of coils of superconductive material, comprising the steps of winding coils of superconductive material, retaining the coils at predetermined relative positions, and monolithically embedding the plurality of superconducting coils in an embedding material, which is solid at the temperature of operation of the superconductive electromagnet.

1 . An electromagnet comprising a plurality of coils of superconductive material, arranged for cryogenic cooling, characterised in that 
 the plurality of coils of superconductive material is monolithically embedded in a thermoplastic material which is solid at the temperature of operation of the superconductive electromagnet.    
   
   
       2 . An electromagnet comprising a plurality of coils of superconductive material, arranged for cryogenic cooling, characterised in that 
 the plurality of coils of superconductive material is monolithically embedded in an embedding material, which is solid at the temperature of operation of the superconductive electromagnet;    at least one of the coils is wound into a preformed journal; and    the preformed journal comprises at least one integral cooling channel for circulation of a liquid cryogen therethrough.    
   
   
       3 . An electromagnet according to  claim 1  wherein the coils are held apart at appropriate relative positions by spacers mechanically associated with the coils.  
   
   
       4 . An electromagnet according to  claim 3  wherein the spacers are integrally formed with at least one performed journal.  
   
   
       5 . An electromagnet according to  claim 4 , wherein the performed journal is at least partially formed of a porous material and the embedding material permeates the porous material.  
   
   
       6 . An electromagnet according to  claim 5 , wherein the porous material is a metal foam.  
   
   
       7 . An electromagnet according to  claim 1 , wherein coil terminations and cable runs are also embedded within the thermosetting or thermoplastic material.  
   
   
       8 . An electromagnet according to  claim 1 , wherein the embedding material is a thermosetting material or a thermoplastic material.  
   
   
       9 . An electromagnet according to  claim 8  wherein the embedding material comprises one of: water, nitrogen, paraffin wax.  
   
   
       10 . An electromagnet according to  claim 8  wherein the embedding material comprises an organic resin.  
   
   
       11 . A method for producing an electromagnet comprising a plurality of coils of superconductive material, said method comprising the steps of: 
 winding coils of superconductive material and    retaining the coils at predetermined relative positions, characterised in that the method further comprises the step of monolithically embedding the plurality of superconducting coils in an embedding material, which is solid at the temperature of operation of the superconductive electromagnet,    wherein at least one of the coils is wound into a preformed journal; and the preformed journal comprises at least one integral cooling channel, for circulation of a liquid cryogen therethrough.    
   
   
       12 . A method according to  claim 11  wherein the step of retaining the coils at predetermined relative positions comprises use of spacers mechanically associated with the coils.  
   
   
       13 . A method according to  claim 12  wherein the spacers are integrally formed with at least one preformed journal.  
   
   
       14 . A method according to  claim 11 , wherein the preformed journal is at least partially formed of a porous material, and the embedding material permeates the porous material.  
   
   
       15 . A method according to  claim 14 , wherein the porous material is a metal foam.  
   
   
       16 . A method according to  claim 11 , wherein the step of embedding the superconducting coils in a thermosetting or thermoplastic material further comprises embedding coil terminations and cable runs within the thermosetting or thermoplastic material.  
   
   
       17 . A method according to  claim 11 , wherein the embedding material is a thermosetting material or a thermoplastic material.  
   
   
       18 . A method according to  claim 17  wherein the embedding material comprises one of: water, nitrogen, or paraffin wax.  
   
   
       19 . A method according to  claim 17  wherein the embedding material comprises an organic resin.  
   
   
       20 . An electromagnet comprising a plurality of coils of superconductive material, characterised in that 
 the plurality of coils of superconductive material is monolithically embedded in a embedding material, which is solid at the temperature of operation of the superconductive electromagnet.    
   
   
       21 . An electromagnet according to  claim 20 , arranged for cryogenic cooling.  
   
   
       22 . An electromagnet according to  claim 21 , which is arranged for cryogenic cooling by at least partial immersion in a bath of liquid cryogen.  
   
   
       23 . An electromagnet according to  claim 22  wherein a number of cooling channels are provided in the embedding material, for circulation of a liquid cryogen therethrough.  
   
   
       24 . An electromagnet according to  claim 20 , wherein at least one of the coils is wound into a preformed journal.  
   
   
       25 . An electromagnet according to,  claim 24 , wherein the preformed journal comprises at least one integral cooling channel for circulation of a liquid cryogen therethrough.  
   
   
       26 . An electromagnet according to  claim 20 , wherein the coils are held apart at appropriate relative positions by spacers mechanically associated with the coils.  
   
   
       27 . An electromagnet according to  claim 26 , wherein the spacers are integrally formed with at least one performed journal.  
   
   
       28 . An electromagnet according to  claim 24 , wherein the preformed journal is at least partially formed of a porous material and the embedding material permeates the porous material.  
   
   
       29 . An electromagnet according to  claim 20 , wherein coil terminations and cable runs are also embedded within the embedding material.  
   
   
       30 . An electromagnet according to  claim 20 , wherein the embedding material is a thermosetting or thermoplastic material.  
   
   
       31 . An electromagnet according to  claim 30  wherein the embedding material comprises one of: water, nitrogen, paraffin wax, an organic thermoplastic resin or an organic thermosetting resin.  
   
   
       32 . A method for producing an electromagnet comprising a plurality of coils of superconductive material, said method comprising the steps of: 
 winding coils of superconductive material and    retaining the coils at predetermined relative positions, characterised in that the method further comprises the step of monolithically embedding the plurality of superconducting coils in an embedding material, which is solid at the temperature of operation of the superconductive electromagnet.    
   
   
       33 . A method according to  claim 32 , further comprising the step of at least partially immersing the embedded coils on in a bath of liquid cryogen.  
   
   
       34 . A method according to  claim 32 , further comprising the steps of providing a number of cooling channels in the embedding material, for circulation of a liquid cryogen therethrough.  
   
   
       35 . A method according to  claim 32 , wherein at least one of the coils is wound into a preformed journal.  
   
   
       36 . A method  claim 35 , wherein the preformed journal comprises at least one integral cooling channel, for circulation of a liquid cryogen therethrough.  
   
   
       37 . A method according to  claim 32 , wherein the step of retaining the coils at predetermined relative positions comprises use of spacers mechanically associated with the coils.  
   
   
       38 . A method according to  claim 37 , wherein the spacers are integrally formed with at least one preformed journal.  
   
   
       39 . A method according to  claim 35 , wherein the preformed journal is at least partially formed of a porous material, and the embedding material permeates the porous material.  
   
   
       40 . A method according to  claim 32 , wherein the step of embedding the superconducting coils in an embedding material further comprises embedding coil terminations and cable runs within the embedding material.  
   
   
       41 . A method according to  claim 32 , wherein the embedding material is a thermosetting or thermoplastic material.  
   
   
       42 . A method according to  claim 41  wherein the embedding material comprises one of: water, nitrogen, paraffin wax, an organic thermoplastic resin or an organic thermosetting resin.