Patent ID: 7649720
Filing Date: 2010-01-19
Classification: H01F,H02H,Y02E

Abstract:
1. A method of constructing a superconducting coil, said method comprising: winding at least one coil of high temperature superconductor, said coil comprising a plurality of layers of wound high temperature superconductor; embedding a plurality of heater elements substantially uniformly throughout the coil according to a predetermined distribution, wherein the predetermined distribution of heater elements is a function of a desired volume fraction of the coil being driven into a normal state when the heater elements are activated and wherein the desired volume fraction of the coil being driven into the normal state is between about 0.15 and about 0.55, wherein each of said heater elements is positioned between adjacent layers of the coil and substantially in thermal contact with the layers of the coil adjacent thereto for driving the high temperature superconductor of said winding layers adjacent to each of the plurality of heater elements from a superconducting state into the normal state in response to a quench condition such that a plurality of normal regions are distributed throughout the coil in response to the quench condition, each of said normal regions having a large electrical resistance relative to a superconducting region of the coil, said heater elements further being energized in response to the quench condition, wherein magnetic energy accumulated within the coil during operation is dissipated in the plurality of heater elements in response to the quench condition and the temperature rise in the winding layers adjacent to each of the plurality of heater elements is limited to less than approximately 34 K; and cooling the coil and heating elements to an operating temperature less than approximately 80 K and greater than approximately 10 K.