Patent ID: 7646272

Claim:
A superconducting magnet apparatus comprising: a toroidal shaped superconducting magnet; a bobbin in thermal contact with said magnet and upon which said magnet disposed, said bobbin and said magnet together comprising a magnet/bobbin subassembly; a toroidal shaped vacuum vessel in which said magnet/bobbin subassembly is disposed; one or more coolants, wherein said coolants are primarily selected based on their thermodynamic and transport properties providing the capability to remove adequate thermal energy in order to maintain said magnet in the superconducting state; one or more transport lines enabling delivery of said coolant to and from said vacuum vessel; at least three inner support assemblies (ISA) distributed circumferentially around said magnet/bobbin subassembly to anchor and support said magnet/bobbin subassembly within said vacuum vessel; each said ISA comprising a support ring and a plurality of restraint members, with said restraint members connecting said magnet/bobbin subassembly to said support ring, and said restraint members being selected from the group consisting of straps, rods/links, beams, and any combination of the foregoing; and one or more coolant flow paths within said vacuum vessel that brings said coolant into thermal contact with said bobbin to remove thermal energy from said magnet by a combination of conducting and convection; wherein the superconducting magnet apparatus further comprises: a toroidal shaped thermal shield within which said magnet/bobbin subassembly is disposed, wherein said inner support assemblies anchor and support said magnet/bobbin subassembly concentrically or off-centrically within said thermal shield, said ISA support rings being structurally attached to said thermal shield; and at least three outer support assemblies (OSA) distributed circumferentially around said thermal shield to anchor and support said thermal shield within said vacuum vessel, with each said OSA comprising a support ring and a plurality of restraint members, with said OSA restraint members connecting said thermal shield to said OSA support ring, said OSA support rings being structurally attached to said vacuum vessel, and wherein OSA restraint members are selected from the group consisting of straps, rods/links, beams, and any combination of the foregoing.