General Dynamics (space Systems Division)

General Dynamics Corporation/convair Div.

Richard E Bailey

Jerome F Parmer

Eddie M Leung

Robert D McConnell

Gustav Magnuson

Foster M Kimball

John Burgeson

A superconducting conductor assembly using high temperature materials. A double-walled tubular structure has at least one helical strip of superconductive material on the inner wall of the inside tube. Brittle, non-ductile superconducting materials may be used. A coolant, typically liquid nitrogen, is circulated between the tubes to maintain the superconductor below the critical temperature of the superconductor. A buffer layer is preferably included between tube wall and superconductor. A plurality of alternating layers of buffer and superconductor may be used.

Method for forming internally helixed high temperature superconductor

Metallic insulation for superconducting magnets to provide coil to coil and pancake insulation. Exemplary metal alloys and an anodization coating for such insulation are identified and may be selectively removed to provide shunt current paths. The coating for such insulation may be selectively removed to provide shunt current paths when the coil experiences a quench condition to preclude coil damage. Various applications of metallic insulation to superconducting coils are discussed.

Metallic insulation for superconducting coils

A non-contact measurement system for determining the contour of an electrically conductive surface relative to a fixed reference point comprising a support arm journaled at one end to a bearing providing a fixed reference point and adapted to extend toward a conductive surface having a contour to be determined and a non-contact probe coupled to the support arm by a precision lead screw driven by a stepper motor which moves the probe either toward or away from the surface and which generates an electrical signal indicative of its axial position from an initial reference position. Control circuitry coupled to the stepper motor is operable to direct the stepper motor to extend the probe toward the surface until it reaches a predetermined distance from the surface. The measurement process is repeated in a plurality of positions separate from the initial position to yield data indicative of the distance from the fixed reference point to the other position points and thereby create a data representative of the contour of the surface. An initial point may be provided separate from the conductive surface and the reference point may be placed in a plane to determine cylindrical and plane test surfaces.

Non-contact measurement system and method for determining the contour of

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San Diego, CA, United States of America

Richard E Bailey