Granted Patent B2

US 12,293,871 · App. 18/476,886 · Granted May 6, 2025

Inventors: Brian Labombard (Belmont, MA); Robert S. Granetz (Newton, MA); James Irby (Natick, MA); Rui Vieira (Billerica, MA); William Beck (Alton Bay, NH); Daniel Brunner (Savannah, GA); Jeffrey Doody (Melrose, MA); Martin Greenwald (Belmont, MA); Zachary Hartwig (Jamaica Plain, MA); Philip Michael (Cambridge, MA); Robert Mumgaard (Boston, MA); Alexey Radovinsky (Cambridge, MA); Shunichi Shiraiwa (Acton, MA); Brandon N. Sorbom (Cambridge, MA); John Wright (Melrose, MA); Lihua Zhou (Woburn, MA)

Assignees: Massachusetts Institute of Technology; Commonwealth Fusion Systems LLC

H01F6/06H01F6/04H01F41/048

Abstract

Claims (36)

1. An apparatus, comprising:

a first electrically conductive plate having a first groove;

a first high-temperature superconductor (HTS) tape stack disposed in the first groove, the first HTS tape stack having a first plurality of turns;

a second electrically conductive plate having a second groove;

a second HTS tape stack disposed in the second groove, the second HTS tape stack having a second plurality of turns;

an electrically conductive connection between the first HTS tape stack and the second HTS tape stack; and

at least one coolant channel cut into a surface of the first electrically conductive plate and/or the second electrically conductive plate.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising an insulator to electrically insulate the first electrically conductive plate from the second electrically conductive plate.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the electrically conductive connection is formed between an innermost turn of the first HTS tape stack and an innermost turn of the second HTS tape stack.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the electrically conductive connection is formed between an outermost turn of the first HTS tape stack and an outermost turn of the second HTS tape stack.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the electrically conductive connection comprises a metal that is not a superconductor at a temperature above 30 degrees Kelvin.

6. The apparatus of claim 5 , wherein the metal comprises copper.

7. The apparatus of claim 6 , wherein the first electrically conductive plate provides electrical connections between respective turns of the first plurality of turns.

8. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the first electrically conductive plate comprises a metal or a metal alloy.

9. The apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the first electrically conductive plate comprises steel.

10. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the first HTS tape stack comprises rare-earth barium copper oxide.

11. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the first groove comprises at least first and second turns, wherein the first turn has a first width and the second turn has a second width, wherein the second width is greater than the first width.

12. The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the second turn of the first groove comprises a plurality of turns of the first HTS tape stack.

13. A magnet, comprising:

a first electrically conductive plate having a first groove;

a first high-temperature superconductor (HTS) tape stack disposed in the first groove, the first HTS tape stack having a first plurality of turns;

a second electrically conductive plate having a second groove;

a second HTS tape stack disposed in the second groove, the second HTS tape stack having a second plurality of turns;

an electrically conductive connection between the first HTS tape stack and the second HTS tape stack; and

at least one coolant channel cut into a surface of the first electrically conductive plate and/or the second electrically conductive plate,

wherein the first electrically conductive plate provides electrical connections between respective turns of the first plurality of turns,

wherein the second electrically conductive plate provides electrical connections between respective turns of the second plurality of turns.

14. The magnet of claim 13 , further comprising an insulator to electrically insulate the first electrically conductive plate from the second electrically conductive plate.

15. A fabrication method, comprising:

forming a first electrically conductive plate having a first groove;

disposing a first high-temperature superconductor (HTS) tape stack in the first groove,

forming a second electrically conductive plate having a second groove;

disposing a second HTS tape stack in the second groove;

forming at least one coolant channel into a surface of the first electrically conductive plate and/or the second electrically conductive plate; and

electrically connecting the first HTS tape stack and the second HTS tape stack.

16. The fabrication method of claim 15 , wherein forming the at least one coolant channel comprises cutting the at least one coolant channel into the surface.

Assignments (7)

Continuity (7)

References Cited (247)