The Babcock & Wilcox Company

Mcdermott Technology, Inc.

Richard A Gleixner

Douglas D Zeigler

Barry L Conrad

Dale F LaCount

Douglas K Finnemore

Steven C Kung

An improved method and apparatus for producing flexible fibers (,) of superconducting material includes a crucible (,) for containing a charge of the superconducting material. The material is melted in the crucible (,) and falls in a stream (,) through a bottom hole (,) in the crucible (,). The stream (,) falls through a protecting collar (,) which maintains the stream (,) at high temperatures. The stream (,) is then supplied through a downwardly directed nozzle (,) where it is subjected to a high velocity of a heated gas (,&prime;) which breaks the melted superconducting material into ligaments which solidify into the flexible fibers (,). The fibers (,) are collected by directing them against a collection filter (,).

Superconductor fiber elongation with a heated injected gas

An improved method and apparatus for producing flexible fibers (30) of superconducting material includes a crucible (12) for containing a charge of the superconducting material. The material is melted in the crucible (12) and falls in a stream (18) through a bottom hole (16) in the crucible (12). The stream (18) falls through a protecting collar (22) which maintains the stream (18) at high temperatures. The stream (18) is then supplied through a downwardly directed nozzle (26) where it is subjected to a high velocity of a heated gas (36') which breaks the melted superconducting material into ligaments which solidify into the flexible fibers (30). The fibers (30) are collected by directing them against a collection filter (32).

A chromium aluminum and/or silicon diffusion coating is applied to a high temperature substrate such as a boiler tube by induction heating at a predetermined frequency of a known coating preparation such as pack cementation of the coating on the substrate to provide an improved coating of predetermined thickness with increased corrosion resistance.

Induction heating of diffusion coatings

An improved method for the efficient incorporation of a metal such as silver in a superconducting material includes blending the metal with a high temperature superconductor or precursor powder and consolidating the same into pellets. The pellets are charged directly into a heating assembly where it is melted and heated sufficiently to a uniform temperature prior to fiberization. Droplets of the melted blend fall through a collar into a nozzle where they are subjected to a high velocity gas to break the melted material into ligaments which solidify into improved flexible fibers having the metal homogeneously dis

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North Canton, OH, United States of America

Richard A Gleixner