General Electric Company

Ge Precision Healthcare LLC

Paul St Mark Shadforth Thompson

Evangelos Trifon Laskaris

Anbo Wu

Xianrui Huang

Minfeng Xu

Yan Zhao

Mark Ernest Vermilyea

Tao Zhang

Susumu Mine

Alexander Kagan

Ernst Wolfgang Stautner

William D Barber

Kathleen Melanie Amm

Ye Bai

Michael Parizh

Thomas Kwok-Fah Foo

James Pellegrino Alexander

Pierino Gianni Bonanni

David Allan Torrey

Longzhi Jiang

Bulent Aksel

Kiruba Sivasubramaniam

Martin Kin-Fei Lee

Siddharth Navinchandra Ashar

Russell Stephen DeMuth

Jonathan Sebastian Janssen

Joseph John Zierer

Yihe Hua

Owen Scott Quirion

William E Chen

Christopher Darby Immer

Justin Michael Ricci

Danny William Johnson

Pan Jun

The present disclosure relates to using an integrated cooling circuit to provide both forced-flow pre-cooling functionality and closed-loop thermosiphon cooling for persistent mode operation of a superconducting magnet. In one embodiment, the integrated cooling circuit shares a single set of cooling tubes for use with both the forced-flow pre-cooling circuit as well as the closed-loop operating-state cooling circuit.

Integrated cooling circuit for use with a superconducting magnet

A system for minimizing MGI in a superconducting magnet system of an MRI system includes a thermal shield having bi-metal material. The thermal shield is configured to be disposed about a cold mass of the superconducting magnet system, wherein the bi-metal material is configured to minimize MGI.

Thermal shield of magnetic resonance imaging magnet for limiting magnet gradient interaction

A current lead assembly for minimizing heat load to a conduction cooled superconducting magnet during a ramp operation is provided. The current lead assembly includes a vacuum chamber having a through hole to enable a first end of a current lead contact to remain outside the vacuum chamber and a second end of the current lead contact to penetrate within the vacuum chamber. A vacuum boundary wall is located between the vacuum chamber and the current lead contact. At least one superconducting magnet is arranged inside of the vacuum chamber and includes a magnet lead. A second end of the current lead contact is coupled to the magnet lead via an internal lead. A vacuum cap is removably disposed to sealingly encompass therein the first end of the current lead contact during a first state of operation. The first end of the current lead contact is arranged to contact a power supply during a second state of operation, wherein the contact occurs exterior the vacuum chamber.

Current lead assembly for cryogenic apparatus

A persistent current switch system is presented. One embodiment of the persistent current switch system includes a vacuum chamber having a winding unit and dual cooling paths. The dual cooling paths are configured to circulate a coolant flow. The dual cooling paths are defined by a first cooling path and a second cooling path. The first cooling path includes a solid thermal component disposed in direct contact with the winding unit and the second cooling path includes a cooling tube disposed in direct contact with the winding unit and configured to circulate a coolant therein. The dual cooling paths cool the temperature of the winding unit below the threshold temperature to transition the persistent current switch system from the first mode to the second mode. A method of for cooling a winding unit in a persistent current switch system and a switching system including dual cooling paths are also disclosed.

Systems and methods for cooling a superconducting switch using dual cooling paths

A magnetic resonance imaging device is described that includes multiple magnetic coils to generate a magnetic field. Additionally, the magnetic resonance imaging device may include one or more radial gaps within some or all of the magnetic coils (e.g., primary magnetic coils, bucking coils, and so forth) in which radial spacers may be located to help preserve the homogeneity of the magnetic isocenter of the primary magnetic coils during operation.

Use of a spacer between layered coil sections in a superconducting magnet structure

A wind turbine is presented. The wind turbine includes a rotor having a plurality of blades. The wind turbine further includes a shaft coupled to the rotor. Moreover, the wind turbine includes a superconducting generator coupled to the rotor via the shaft. The superconducting generator includes an armature configured to be rotated via the shaft. The superconducting generator further includes a stationary field disposed concentric to and radially outward from the armature.

Wind turbine having superconducting generator and method of operating the same

An imaging device may include multiple magnetic coils to generate a magnetic field. Additionally, the imaging device may include an outer support affixed to at least one coil of the plurality of magnetic coils and an axial support between at least two coils of the plurality of magnetic coils, wherein the outer support and the axial support operatively share a load corresponding to the generated magnetic fields.

Magnetic coil support in magnetic resonance imaging method and apparatus

A system includes a storage tank storing gas. The storage tank includes a storage tank interface portion made from a first material. The system also includes a nozzle that includes a nozzle interface portion and a first portion. The first portion is made from a second material different from the first material. Additionally, the system includes a connection formed by coupling the storage tank interface portion and the nozzle interface portion to one another, and the connection is configured to maintain a leak rate of the gas equal to or less than 1&#xd7;10standard cubic centimeters per second (std. cc/s).

Systems and methods for storing and distributing gases

A system for producing precision magnetic coil windings is provided. The system includes a wire disposing assembly having a support, an axial traverser sub-assembly, and a support arm. The support is configured to receive a plurality of turns of a wire. The axial traverser sub-assembly is operatively coupled to the support. The support arm includes a wire disposing device. The system further includes a linear stage, a monitoring unit, a feedback unit, and a controller unit. The linear stage is operatively coupled to the support arm. Moreover, the controller unit is configured to axially position an incoming portion of the wire and provide reference trajectories for tracking.

Systems for producing precision magnetic coil windings

A current lead assembly for minimizing heat load to a conduction cooled superconducting magnet during a ramp operation is provided. The current lead assembly includes a vacuum chamber having a through hole to enable a retractable current lead having a retractable contact to penetrate within the vacuum chamber. A superconducting magnet is arranged inside of the vacuum chamber and includes a magnet lead. A current contact is arranged inside of the vacuum chamber beneath the through-hole and is coupled to the magnet lead via a thermal connector. The current contact is supported by a thermal isolation support structure coupled to an inside wall of the vacuum chamber. An actuator assembly is provided to contact the retractable contact with the current contact, where connection occurs at ambient temperature inside of the thermal isolation support structure.

Retractable current lead

A superconducting magnet assembly includes a bobbin comprising a central bore along a longitudinal direction, and a superconducting coil package wound on the bobbin. The superconducting coil package includes a plurality of superconducting coil layers wound on the bobbin, a plurality of supporting member layers, each of the supporting member layers being between a corresponding two adjacent superconducting coil layers, and a thermal conduction layer between two superconducting coil layers or between a superconducting coil layer and an adjacent supporting member layer.

Superconducting magnet assembly and fabricating method

A superconducting magnet is described and includes at least one superconducting coil, at least one support member coupled to the superconducting coil and at least one compliant interface between the superconducting coil and the support member. The superconducting coil defines a radial direction. The superconducting coil supports the superconducting coil along an axial direction that is substantially perpendicular to the radial direction. The compliant interface is configured to move along the radial direction when the superconducting magnet is energized.

Superconducting magnets with an improved support structure

A cryogenic system for a superconducting magnet comprises a closed-loop cooling path. The closed-loop cooling path comprises a magnet cooling tube thermally coupled to the superconducting magnet. The magnet cooling tube comprises a cryogen flow passage. The closed-loop cooling tube further comprises a re-condenser is fluidly coupled to the magnet cooling tube through tube sections and a liquid cryogen container fluidly coupled between the magnet cooling tube and the re-condenser. At least one gas tank is fluidly coupled to the magnet cooling tube through a connection tube.

Cryogenic system and method for superconducting magnets and MRI with a fully closed-loop cooling path

A method for cooling a superconducting magnet enclosed in a cryostat includes introducing a gas into a cooling path in the cryostat from an input portion into a cooling path cooled by a refrigerator outside the cryostat. A heat exchanger inside the cryostat above the magnet cools the gas. The cooled gas flows through a magnet cooling tube contacting the magnet. The cooled gas removes heat from the magnet, and to the heat exchanger to re-cool and return to the superconducting magnet, thereby cooling and/or maintaining the magnet at a superconducting temperature.

Cooling system and method for superconducting magnets

A cooling system and method for cooling superconducting magnet coils are provided. One magnet system for a superconducting magnet device includes a cooling system having at least one coil support shell, a plurality of superconducting magnet coils supported by the at least one coil support shell and a plurality of cooling tubes thermally coupled to the at least one coil support shell. The magnet system also includes a cryorefrigerator system fluidly coupled with the plurality of cooling tubes forming a closed circulation cooling system.

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Stephentown, NY, United States of America

Paul St Mark Shadforth Thompson