Superconducting coil

Abstract

A superconducting coil (10) includes a coil body (12) formed by winding a superconducting wire (18), and an impregnating material (16) containing a photocurable resin material and impregnated in at least a portion of the coil body (12). The superconducting wire (18) includes a light-transmissive covering (18b) that transmits at least a portion of light when the light is irradiated to cure the photocurable resin material. Meanwhile, or instead, the superconducting coil (10) includes a bobbin (14) on which the superconducting wire (18) is wound, and at least a portion of which is formed of a light-transmissive material that transmits at least a portion of light when the light is irradiated to cure the photocurable resin material.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to a superconducting coil. Background Technology

[0002] Superconducting coils are formed by winding superconducting wire. To fix the superconducting wire and to improve the mechanical strength of the superconducting coil, the wound superconducting wire is impregnated with a synthetic resin material.

[0003] Previous technical documents Patent documents Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 4-91407 Summary of the Invention

[0004] The technical problem that the invention aims to solve Typically, thermosetting resins are used to impregnate the wound superconducting wires. The thermosetting process can take anywhere from several hours to tens of hours or even longer. Therefore, manufacturing superconducting coils requires a considerable amount of time.

[0005] One of the exemplary objectives of one embodiment of the present invention is to provide a superconducting coil that can be manufactured in a short time.

[0006] means for solving technical problems According to one embodiment of the present invention, a superconducting coil comprises: a coil body formed by winding a superconducting wire; and an impregnating material containing a photocurable resin material and impregnating at least a portion of the coil body. The superconducting wire comprises a light-transmitting coating that transmits at least a portion of light when irradiated with light that cures the photocurable resin material.

[0007] According to one embodiment of the present invention, a superconducting coil comprises: a coil body formed by winding a superconducting wire; an impregnation material containing a photocurable resin material and impregnating at least a portion of the coil body; and a winding frame on which the superconducting wire is wound, and at least a portion thereof is formed of a light-transmitting material that transmits at least a portion of light when irradiated with light that cures the photocurable resin material.

[0008] Invention Effects According to the present invention, a superconducting coil that can be manufactured in a short time can be provided. Attached Figure Description

[0009] Figure 1 This is a diagram that schematically illustrates the implementation of a superconducting coil.

[0010] Figure 2 (a) is a diagram schematically illustrating the curing process of the impregnating material in the superconducting coil of the comparative example. Figure 2(b) is a diagram that schematically illustrates the curing process of the impregnating material in the superconducting coil of the embodiment.

[0011] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram illustrating another embodiment of a superconducting coil.

[0012] Figure 4 This is a diagram schematically illustrating the curing process of the impregnating material in a superconducting coil according to another embodiment.

[0013] Figure 5 It is shown in general terms. Figure 3 A diagram showing a modified example of the superconducting coil according to the embodiment. Detailed Implementation

[0014] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the description and drawings, the same or equivalent constituent elements, components, and processes are labeled with the same symbols, and repeated descriptions are omitted where appropriate. The scaling and shapes of the parts shown in the drawings are provided for ease of explanation and are not intended to be limiting unless specifically mentioned. The embodiments are illustrative and do not limit the scope of the invention in any way. All features and combinations thereof described in the embodiments are not necessarily essential to the invention.

[0015] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram illustrating the superconducting coil 10 of the first embodiment. The superconducting coil 10 is configured to generate a strong magnetic field by energizing it at an extremely low temperature below the superconducting transition temperature. The superconducting coil 10 can be a known superconducting coil, for example, a cryogenic superconducting coil. Alternatively, the superconducting coil 10 can be a high-temperature superconducting coil. The superconducting coil 10 is mounted in a high-magnetic field utilization device, for example, as a magnetic field source for high-energy physics systems such as NMR systems, MRI systems, cyclotrons, nuclear fusion systems, or other high-magnetic field utilization devices (not shown), and is capable of generating the high magnetic field required by that device.

[0016] Figure 1 The diagram schematically shows a cross-section of the superconducting coil 10 taken along a plane including the centerline C of the superconducting coil 10. The superconducting coil 10 includes a coil body 12, a winding frame 14, and an impregnating material 16.

[0017] The coil body 12 is formed by winding superconducting wire 18. In the illustrated example, the coil body 12 is a cylindrical coil formed by a series of multiple windings, but it is not limited to this. As another example, the coil body 12 can also be a saddle-shaped coil. The coil body 12 can be formed by any other winding method and can have any other arbitrary shape.

[0018] When the coil body 12 is a cylindrical coil, the winding frame 14 has a hollow cylindrical shape. The outer peripheral surface of the winding frame 14 serves as a winding surface 14a. The coil body 12 is formed by winding the superconducting wire 18 around the winding surface 14a. Furthermore, the winding frame 14 may have a flange 14b. The flange 14b extends radially outward from both ends of the winding frame 14 in the direction of the center line C, covering the entire circumference. The flange 14b is adjacent to both ends of the coil body 12 in the direction of the center line C. In addition, the winding frame 14 may have other shapes. When the coil body 12 has other winding methods and / or other shapes, the winding frame 14 may have a shape suitable for the winding method and / or shape of the coil body 12.

[0019] The winding frame 14 can be formed, for example, from a non-magnetic metallic material such as stainless steel or aluminum alloy. Alternatively, the winding frame 14 can be formed from fiber-reinforced plastic (FRP) such as glass fiber reinforced plastic (GFRP), or from other non-magnetic, non-metallic materials. In this example, the winding frame 14 can also be formed from an opaque material that does not allow light to pass through.

[0020] Impregnating material 16 is impregnated on at least a portion of the coil body 12. In the illustrated example, impregnating material 16 fills the recess surrounded by the winding surface 14a and flange portion 14b of the winding frame 14, and the entire coil body 12 is impregnated by the impregnating material 16, with the coil body 12 fixed to the winding frame 14.

[0021] The impregnating material 16 contains a UV-curable resin material, which in this example is made of a UV-curable resin material. The UV-curable resin material can be, for example, a known UV-curable resin material such as an acrylic-based UV-curable resin material or an epoxy-based UV-curable resin material. Alternatively, the UV-curable resin material can be a visible light-curable resin material.

[0022] The superconducting wire 18 comprises: a core material 18a, which is a superconductor; and a transparent cladding 18b covering the core material 18a. When the superconducting coil 10 is a low-temperature superconducting coil, the core material 18a may be a superconductor formed from a superconducting material such as niobium-titanium alloy (NbTi) or niobium-tin alloy (Nb3Sn). When the superconducting coil 10 is a high-temperature superconducting coil, the core material 18a may be a superconductor formed from a magnesium diboride, bismuth-based superconductor, copper oxide superconductor, or other high-temperature superconducting material.

[0023] The translucent coating 18b is formed of a material that transmits at least a portion of the light when irradiated with light that cures the photocurable resin material. When the impregnating material 16 is an ultraviolet-curable resin material, the translucent coating 18b is transmissive to ultraviolet light having the wavelength required to cure the UV-curable resin material. When the impregnating material 16 is a visible-light-curable resin material, the translucent coating 18b is transmissive to visible light having the wavelength required to cure the visible-light-curable resin material. The transmissivity of the translucent coating 18b to the light used to cure the photocurable resin material is adjusted such that the light is transmitted in an amount sufficient to cure the photocurable resin material impregnated in the coil body 12. Furthermore, in addition to the aforementioned translucency, the translucent coating 18b also possesses insulating properties, thereby insulating adjacent superconducting wires 18 within the wound coil body 12 from each other.

[0024] As an example, the translucent covering 18b has a glass weave, that is, a woven glass fiber. Typically, glass weaves are translucent to both ultraviolet and visible light. As other examples, the translucent covering 18b may have a woven synthetic fiber such as polyester. Alternatively, the translucent covering 18b may have a thin layer of a synthetic resin material such as polyimide.

[0025] To improve the light transmittance of the superconducting wire 18, the thickness of the light-transmitting cladding 18b can be at least 1% of the diameter of the superconducting wire 18. From the perspective of avoiding an excessive reduction in the area occupied by the core material 18a in the cross-section of the superconducting wire 18 in practical applications of the superconducting coil 10, the thickness of the light-transmitting cladding 18b can be within 20% of the diameter of the superconducting wire 18. For example, when the diameter of the superconducting wire 18 is 1 mm, the thickness of the light-transmitting cladding 18b can be 0.01 mm or more and 0.2 mm or less.

[0026] Figure 2 Figure (a) is a schematic diagram illustrating the curing process of the impregnation material 116 in the superconducting coil 110 of the comparative example. Figure 2 Figure (b) is a schematic diagram illustrating the curing process of the impregnation material 16 in the superconducting coil 10 of the embodiment.

[0027] The comparative example superconducting coil 110 includes a coil body 112 made of superconducting wire 118, a winding frame 114, and an impregnation material 116 containing a photocurable resin material. In the superconducting wire 118, not only its core material, but also the insulating coating is formed of an opaque material that does not transmit light 22 that cures the photocurable resin material.

[0028] In the manufacturing process of the superconducting coil 110, a superconducting wire 118 is wound around the outer peripheral surface of a winding frame 114, forming a coil body 112 around the winding frame 114. An impregnating material 116 is filled or coated onto the coil body 112, thus impregnating the coil body 112 with the impregnating material 116. Then, in the curing process, light 22, which cures the photocurable resin material of the impregnating material 116, is irradiated from a light source 20. The light source 20 irradiates the outer peripheral surface of the coil body 112 from the outside of the winding frame 114.

[0029] The impregnating material 116 on the outer peripheral surface of the coil body 112, directly illuminated by light 22 from light source 20, will be cured by light 22. However, since the superconducting wire 118 is opaque to light 22, it is difficult to see through it. Figure 2 As understood in (a), the superconducting wire 118 acts as an obstacle, making it difficult for light 22 to reach the impregnating material 116 of the coil body 112 that is blocked by the superconducting wire 118 from the light source 20. For example, light 22 from the light source 20 is most unlikely to reach the winding surface 114a of the winding frame 114 on which the coil body 112 is wound, which is blocked by the superconducting wire 118, and the nearby impregnating material 116. Therefore, the curing of the impregnating material 116 in these parts of the coil body 112 will be insufficient.

[0030] In contrast, in the superconducting coil 10 of this embodiment, the light-transmitting coating 18b of the superconducting wire 18 is formed of a material that transmits at least a portion of the light 22 through which the photocurable resin material of the impregnating material 16 is cured. Therefore, as from... Figure 2 As understood in (b), when light 22 is irradiated from light source 20 during the curing process, the translucent coating 18b can be used as a transmission path for light 22, allowing light 22 to permeate the impregnating material 16. Not only can light 22 from light source 20 reach the outer peripheral surface of coil body 12 and its vicinity through the translucent coating 18b, but the light 22 can also reach the inner portion of coil body 12 away from the incident surface, such as the winding surface 14a of the winding frame 14 around which coil body 12 is wound and the vicinity of the impregnating material 16. Therefore, according to the embodiment, compared to the comparative example described above, the impregnating material 16 can be cured extensively or entirely.

[0031] Alternatively, when the coil body 12 is a multi-layer winding, an impregnation material 16 can be applied to each layer, thus impregnating the entire coil body 12 with the impregnation material 16. Light 22 can be applied as each layer is wound up, curing the impregnation material 16 in that layer. This process of applying light and curing each layer can be repeated to manufacture the coil body 12. Alternatively, light 22 can be applied after all layers are wound up, curing the impregnation material 16 in one step.

[0032] As stated at the beginning of this specification, thermosetting resins are typically used as impregnating materials in existing superconducting coils. The thermosetting process can take, for example, several hours to tens of hours or longer, thus requiring a considerable amount of time to manufacture the superconducting coil. In particular, in the so-called "wound-coating" impregnation method, where the resin material is applied while the superconducting wire is wound onto a winding frame, a thermosetting resin with a longer curing time is sometimes deliberately used to prevent the thermosetting of the resin from interfering with the winding of the superconducting wire onto the winding frame. In this case, the thermosetting process requires an even longer time.

[0033] In contrast, in the superconducting coil 10 of this embodiment, a photocurable resin material is used as the impregnation material 16. Photocurable resin materials typically require only a few minutes for the photocuring process. Therefore, compared to conventional superconducting coils, the manufacturing time of the superconducting coil 10 of this embodiment can be significantly reduced.

[0034] Furthermore, the light 22 can be selectively applied to localized areas within the coil body 12. It is also easy to apply the light 22 at any time during the process of winding the superconducting wire 18 onto the winding frame 14. In contrast, this degree of freedom is limited in thermosetting processes.

[0035] Because the photopolymerization process offers high flexibility in terms of irradiation location and timing, it can be suitable for manufacturing coils with more complex shapes, such as saddle-shaped coils. Unlike circular coils, complex-shaped coils may present manufacturing difficulties where, during the winding process, the tension applied to the wires can cause them to shift, making it difficult to maintain the desired coil shape while winding. However, according to the embodiment, by curing the impregnating material at a specific location at the desired time during the winding process, the wires in the winding can be temporarily fixed at certain points, thereby maintaining the desired coil shape while winding. Therefore, the superconducting coil 10 of the embodiment is advantageous for winding complex-shaped coils.

[0036] In one embodiment, the portion of the superconducting wire 18 extending from the coil body 12 (e.g., the lead wire 18c extending from the coil body 12 to the electrode of the superconducting coil 10 for connecting the superconducting coil 10 to a power source) can be fixed to the winding frame 14 using a photocurable resin material.

[0037] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram illustrating another embodiment of the superconducting coil 10. Figure 4 This is a diagram schematically illustrating the curing process of the impregnation material 16 in a superconducting coil 10 according to another embodiment.

[0038] Similar to the embodiments described above, the superconducting coil 10 includes a coil body 12 of a superconducting wire 18, a winding frame 14 supporting the coil body 12, and an impregnating material 16 containing a photocurable resin material. The superconducting wire 18 includes: a core material 18a having a superconductor; and a light-transmitting coating 18b covering the core material 18a. The light-transmitting coating 18b is formed of a material that transmits at least a portion of the light 22 when irradiated with light 22 that cures the photocurable resin material of the impregnating material 16.

[0039] At least a portion of the winding frame 14 is formed of a light-transmitting material that allows at least a portion of the light 22 to pass through when irradiated with light 22 that cures the photocurable resin material of the impregnating material 16. In this example, the entire winding frame 14 is formed of a light-transmitting material. The winding frame 14 may be formed of the same material as the light-transmitting cover 18b, or it may be formed of a different material. The winding frame 14 may be formed, for example, using glass fiber reinforced plastic (GFRP). Alternatively, the winding frame 14 may also be formed using other fiber-reinforced plastics such as carbon fiber reinforced plastic (CFRP), or, for example, using a synthetic resin material such as polyimide.

[0040] In the manufacturing process of the superconducting coil 10, a superconducting wire 18 is wound onto the winding surface 14a of a winding frame 14, and a coil body 12 is formed around the winding frame 14. An impregnating material 16 is filled or coated onto the coil body 12, thus impregnating the coil body 12 with the impregnating material 16. Then, as... Figure 4 As shown, in the curing process, light 22, which cures the photocurable resin material of the impregnation material 16, is irradiated from the light source 20. The light source 20 irradiates the light 22 from the inside of the winding frame 14 toward the inner peripheral surface of the winding frame 14. Since the winding frame 14 is formed of a light-transmitting material, the light 22 can pass through the winding frame 14 and reach the winding surface 14a and the impregnation material 16 nearby. In addition, the light 22 uses the light-transmitting coating 18b of the superconducting wire 18 as the transmission path of the light 22, and can reach the outer peripheral surface of the coil body 12 and the impregnation material 16 nearby. Thus, the impregnation material 16 can be cured by the light 22.

[0041] Furthermore, the light source 20 can be positioned above or below the coil body 12, and light 22 is irradiated from the light source 20 onto the flange portion 14b of the winding frame 14. In this case, the light 22 can penetrate the flange portion 14b and reach the impregnating material 16. Thus, the impregnating material 16 can be cured by the light 22. Additionally, as... Figure 2 of (a) and Figure 2 As shown in (b), the light source 20 can also be arranged on the outside of the winding frame 14, and light 22 is irradiated from the light source 20 onto the outer peripheral surface of the coil body 12, thereby curing the impregnating material 16.

[0042] In addition, Figure 3 In the illustrated embodiment, the superconducting wire 18 may also have an opaque coating instead of the translucent coating 18b, the opaque coating being formed of an opaque material that prevents the light 22 used to cure the photocurable resin material from passing through. The opaque coating of the superconducting wire 18 may, for example, be a polyvinyl fluoride (PVF) coating or an enamel coating.

[0043] Figure 5 It is shown in general terms. Figure 3 The figure shows a modified example of the superconducting coil 10 according to the embodiment. As shown, a portion of the winding frame 14 can be formed of a light-transmitting material that transmits at least a portion of the light 22 when irradiated with light 22 that cures the photocurable resin material of the impregnating material 16. For example, the winding frame 14 can have a light-transmitting portion 14c adjacent to the coil body 12 and formed of a light-transmitting material.

[0044] The light-transmitting portion 14c is formed on the outer peripheral surface of the winding frame 14 and is located between the coil body 12 and the winding frame 14. Therefore, the winding surface 14a of the winding frame 14 corresponds to the outer peripheral surface of the light-transmitting portion 14c. The light-transmitting portion 14c can be a sheet of light-transmitting material, and its thickness can be, for example, at least 0.1 mm. The thickness of the light-transmitting portion 14c can be, for example, less than 10 mm or less than 1 mm. The light-transmitting material can be, for example, a synthetic resin material such as polyimide.

[0045] When the light 22 is irradiated, the light-transmitting portion 14c can serve as the transmission path for the light 22. While the light 22 is reflected by the interface between the light-transmitting portion 14c and the body of the winding frame 14, it can reach the winding surface 14a and the impregnating material 16 nearby. Thus, the impregnating material 16 can be cured by the light 22.

[0046] The present invention has been described above with reference to embodiments. Those skilled in the art should understand that the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments, and various design changes and modifications are possible, and such modifications are also within the scope of the present invention. Various features described in conjunction with one embodiment can also be applied to other embodiments. New embodiments resulting from combinations possess the effects of each of the combined embodiments.

[0047] In the above embodiments, the case where the impregnating material 16 is made of a photocurable resin material was described as an example. However, the impregnating material 16 may also contain other materials along with the photocurable resin material. For example, the impregnating material 16 may be a mixture of a photocurable resin material and other synthetic resin materials such as a thermosetting resin material or a thermoplastic resin material. In this case, the impregnating material 16 can be cured by both irradiation of the coil body 12 by the light source 20 to the coil body 12 and heating of the coil body 12.

[0048] In the above embodiment, the example described is that the photocurable resin impregnating material 16 is impregnated throughout the entire coil body 12. However, the photocurable resin material can also be impregnated on a portion of the coil body 12. That is, the photocurable resin impregnating material 16 can be applied locally to the coil body 12. Another portion of the coil body 12 (e.g., the remaining portion) can also be impregnated using a thermosetting resin material or a thermoplastic resin material.

[0049] According to the embodiments, the present invention has been described using specific statements. However, the embodiments are merely illustrative of one aspect of the principles and applications of the present invention. In the embodiments, various modifications or configuration changes are permitted without departing from the spirit of the present invention as defined in the claims.

[0050] Industrial availability This invention can be used in the field of superconducting coils.

[0051] [Symbol Explanation] 10-Superconducting coil, 12-Coil body, 14-Winding frame, 16-Impregnating material, 18-Superconducting wire, 18a-Core material, 18b-Transparent coating, 22-Light.

Claims

1. A superconducting coil, characterized in that, have: The coil body is formed by winding superconducting wire; and An impregnation material comprising a photocurable resin is used to impregnate at least a portion of the coil body. The superconducting wire has a light-transmitting coating that allows at least a portion of the light to be transmitted when irradiated with light that cures the photocurable resin material.

2. The superconducting coil according to claim 1, characterized in that, The light-transparent covering has a woven structure.

3. The superconducting coil according to claim 1, characterized in that, The impregnation material is made of the photocurable resin material.

4. The superconducting coil according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that, It also has: A winding frame on which the superconducting wire is wound, and at least a portion of the winding frame is formed of a light-transmitting material that transmits at least a portion of the light when irradiated with light that cures the photocurable resin material.

5. The superconducting coil according to claim 4, characterized in that, At least a portion of the winding frame is formed of the light-transmitting material so that light passes from the inner peripheral surface of the winding frame to the outer peripheral surface.

6. The superconducting coil according to claim 4, characterized in that, The winding frame has a light-transmitting portion formed on the outer peripheral surface of the winding frame by the light-transmitting material and located between the coil body and the winding frame.

7. The superconducting coil according to claim 4, characterized in that, The light-transmitting material is glass fiber reinforced plastic.

8. The superconducting coil according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that, It also has: A winding frame, on which the superconducting wire is wound, The portion of the superconducting wire that extends from the coil body is fixed to the winding frame using a photocurable resin material.

9. A superconducting coil, characterized in that, have: A coil body, which is formed by winding superconducting wire; An impregnation material comprising a photocurable resin material is impregnated in at least a portion of the coil body; and A winding frame on which the superconducting wire is wound, and at least a portion thereof is formed of a light-transmitting material that transmits at least a portion of the light when irradiated with light that cures the photocurable resin material.

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