Superconducting magnet device and cryostat

Abstract

This superconducting magnet device (10) comprises a superconducting coil (12) arranged in a cryogenic environment, and a protective diode (22) arranged in the cryogenic environment and connected to the superconducting coil (12). The protective diode (22) is positioned such that a magnetic field (B) generated by the superconducting coil (12) at a pn junction surface (22a) of the protective diode (22) will not be perpendicular to a normal to the pn junction surface (22a).

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a superconducting magnet device and a cryostat.

Background Art

[0002] Generally, a superconducting magnet device is provided with a protection circuit for protecting a superconducting coil when a quench occurs. As an example of the protection circuit, there is a type having a diode connected in parallel with the superconducting coil. When the voltage across both ends of the superconducting coil that has transitioned to the normal conducting state due to a quench reaches the forward voltage of the diode, the diode conducts and operates as a voltage limiter circuit. The current is attenuated in the closed circuit formed by the superconducting coil and the diode, preventing overheating and damage to the superconducting coil, and protecting the superconducting coil.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] As a result of intensive research on the protection circuit of the superconducting magnet device, the present inventor has come to recognize the following problems. The protection circuit is usually arranged in an extremely low temperature environment together with the superconducting coil. Due to spatial constraints, the diode may be installed in a place where it is exposed to a strong leakage magnetic field from the superconducting coil. The present inventor has discovered that in the case of a diode exposed to a high magnetic field at extremely low temperatures, its forward voltage may become excessive compared to the assumption. In this case, there is a concern that an excessive voltage is applied across both ends of the diode before it conducts when a quench occurs, thereby increasing the risk of discharge and ground fault.

[0005] One exemplary object of a certain aspect of the present invention is to provide a technique that helps to operate a protection diode in a superconducting magnet device with an appropriate forward voltage. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] According to one aspect of the present invention, a superconducting magnet device comprises a superconducting coil placed in an cryogenic environment and a protection diode placed in an cryogenic environment and connected to the superconducting coil. The protection diode is positioned such that the direction of the magnetic field generated by the superconducting coil on the pn junction surface of the protection diode is not perpendicular to the normal to the pn junction surface.

[0007] According to one aspect of the present invention, the cryostat comprises a vacuum vessel, a cryogenic refrigerator installed in the vacuum vessel, a superconducting coil disposed within the vacuum vessel and cooled by the cryogenic refrigerator, and a protection diode disposed within the vacuum vessel, cooled by the cryogenic refrigerator, and connected to the superconducting coil. The protection diode is positioned such that the direction of the magnetic field generated by the superconducting coil on the pn junction surface of the protection diode is not perpendicular to the normal of the pn junction surface. [Effects of the Invention]

[0008] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a technique that is useful for operating the protection diode of a superconducting magnet device with an appropriate forward voltage. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0009] [Figure 1] This is a schematic diagram showing a superconducting magnet device according to an embodiment. [Figure 2] Figure 1 is a circuit diagram showing an example of a protection circuit for a superconducting magnet device. [Figure 3] Figure 3(a) is a schematic diagram showing the pn junction surface of the protection diode according to the embodiment and the direction of the magnetic field acting thereon, and Figure 3(b) is a graph showing the relationship between the forward voltage of the protection diode according to the embodiment and the direction of the magnetic field acting thereon. [Figure 4]This figure schematically shows an exemplary arrangement of the protection diode 22 in a superconducting magnet device according to an embodiment. [Figure 5] Figures 5(a) and 5(b) schematically show exemplary arrangements of protection diodes in a superconducting magnet device according to an embodiment. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0010] The embodiments for carrying out the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings. In the description and drawings, identical or equivalent components, members, and processes are denoted by the same reference numerals, and redundant descriptions will be omitted as appropriate. The scale and shape of the illustrated parts are set for convenience to facilitate the explanation and are not to be interpreted restrictively unless otherwise specified. The embodiments are illustrative and do not limit the scope of the present invention in any way. Not all features or combinations thereof described in the embodiments are necessarily essential to the invention.

[0011] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram showing a superconducting magnet device 10 according to an embodiment. Figure 2 is a circuit diagram showing an example of a protection circuit for the superconducting magnet device 10 shown in Figure 1.

[0012] The superconducting magnet device 10 can be mounted on high-magnetic-field equipment (not shown) as a magnetic field source, for example, in single-crystal pulling devices, NMR (Nuclear Magnetic Resonance) systems, MRI (Magnetic Resonance Imaging) systems, accelerators such as cyclotrons, high-energy physical systems such as nuclear fusion systems, or other high-magnetic-field equipment, and can generate the high magnetic field (e.g., 10T or more) required by the equipment.

[0013] The superconducting magnet device 10 comprises a superconducting coil 12, a vacuum vessel 14, a radiation shield 16, a cryogenic refrigerator 18, and a protection circuit 20 having a protection diode 22.

[0014] The superconducting coil 12 is placed inside the vacuum vessel 14 along with the protection circuit 20. The superconducting coil 12 is thermally coupled to a cryogenic refrigerator 18, such as a two-stage Gifford-McMahon (GM) refrigerator, installed in the vacuum vessel 14, and is used in a state cooled to an extremely low temperature below the superconducting transition temperature. The superconducting coil 12 can generate a magnetic field B inside the coil along the coil's central axis. In this embodiment, the superconducting magnet device 10 is configured as a so-called conduction cooling type, where the superconducting coil 12 is directly cooled by the cryogenic refrigerator 18. In other embodiments, the superconducting magnet device 10 may be configured as an immersion cooling type, where the superconducting coil 12 is immersed in an extremely low-temperature liquid coolant such as liquid helium.

[0015] The vacuum vessel 14 is an adiabatic vacuum vessel, also called a cryostat, that provides a cryogenic vacuum environment suitable for bringing the superconducting coil 12 into a superconducting state. Typically, the vacuum vessel 14 has a cylindrical shape or a cylindrical shape with a hollow section in the center. Thus, the vacuum vessel 14 has a generally flat circular or annular top plate 14a and bottom plate 14b, and cylindrical side walls (cylindrical outer walls, or coaxially arranged cylindrical outer and inner walls) connecting them. The cryogenic refrigerator 18 may be installed on the top plate 14a of the vacuum vessel 14. The vacuum vessel 14 is formed of a metallic material such as stainless steel or other suitable high-strength material so as to withstand ambient pressure (e.g., atmospheric pressure).

[0016] The radiation shield 16 is positioned within the vacuum vessel 14 to surround the superconducting coil 12. The radiation shield 16 has a top plate 16a and a bottom plate 16b that face the top plate 14a and bottom plate 14b of the vacuum vessel 14, respectively. The top plate 16a and bottom plate 16b of the radiation shield 16, like the vacuum vessel 14, have a generally flat circular or annular shape. The radiation shield 16 also has cylindrical side walls (cylindrical outer walls, or coaxially arranged cylindrical outer and inner walls) connecting the top plate 16a and the bottom plate 16b. The radiation shield 16 is made of, for example, pure copper (e.g., oxygen-free copper, tough pitch copper, etc.) or other high thermal conductivity metals. The radiation shield 16 can shield radiant heat from the vacuum vessel 14 and thermally protect low-temperature parts such as the superconducting coil 12, which are positioned inside the radiation shield 16 and cooled to a lower temperature than the radiation shield 16, from radiant heat.

[0017] The first cooling stage of the cryogenic refrigerator 18 is thermally coupled to the top plate 16a of the radiation shield 16, and the second cooling stage of the cryogenic refrigerator 18 is thermally coupled to the superconducting coil 12 inside the radiation shield 16. During operation of the superconducting magnet device 10, the radiation shield 16 is cooled to a first cooling temperature, for example, 30K to 70K, by the first cooling stage of the cryogenic refrigerator 18, and the superconducting coil 12 is cooled to a second cooling temperature lower than the first cooling temperature, for example, 3K to 20K (for example, about 4K), by the second cooling stage of the cryogenic refrigerator 18.

[0018] The protection diode 22 is connected to the superconducting coil 12 and is placed together with the superconducting coil 12 in an extremely low-temperature environment (e.g., below 20K). In principle, it is also possible to place the protection circuit 20 in the ambient environment outside the vacuum vessel 14. However, in that case, the number of current input terminals that must be provided in the vacuum vessel 14 to connect the protection diode 22 and the superconducting coil 12 increases, making the structure more complex. In addition, the current path from the protection diode 22 to the superconducting coil 12 also acts as a path for heat intrusion from the ambient environment, increasing the heat input to the superconducting coil 12. Placing the protection circuit 20 inside the vacuum vessel 14 eliminates these disadvantages and is therefore advantageous.

[0019] As will be described later, the protection diode 22 is arranged such that the direction of the magnetic field B generated by the superconducting coil 12 on the pn junction surface 22a of the protection diode 22 is non-perpendicular to the normal of the pn junction surface 22a (preferably, substantially parallel to the normal of the pn junction surface 22a). The protection diode 22 is arranged in a region where the magnetic field B acts, for example, inside the superconducting coil 12.

[0020] As shown in FIG. 2, the superconducting coil 12 may be divided into a plurality (for example, N, where N is an arbitrary natural number) of coil portions 12a_1 to 12a_N, and these coil portions 12a may have a configuration in which they are connected in series. For each of the coil portions 12a_1 to 12a_N, protection diodes 22_1 to 22_N are connected in parallel with the corresponding coil portions 12a_1 to 12a_N. Such a divided configuration can reduce the voltage applied to both ends of the superconducting coil 12 when a quench occurs, compared to an undivided coil configuration, and is particularly advantageous when the superconducting coil 12 is large.

[0021] Note that the superconducting magnet device 10 may have a plurality of superconducting coils 12, and in that case, a protection diode 22 may be provided for each superconducting coil 12. Also in this case, each individual superconducting coil 12 may be divided into a plurality of coil portions 12a, and a protection diode 22 may be provided for each coil portion 12a.

[0022] Each of the protection diodes 22_1 to 22_N includes a pair of diodes connected in parallel with opposite polarities. In this way, regardless of the direction of the voltage generated in the superconducting coil 12 (or coil portion 12a) (in FIG. 2, upward or downward), each protection diode 22_1 to 22_N operates as a voltage limiter circuit for the corresponding superconducting coil 12 (or coil portion 12a) and can protect the superconducting coil 12 (or coil portion 12a).

[0023] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 2, the superconducting magnet device 10 includes an excitation power supply 24 and a current circuit breaker 26 connected in series with the excitation power supply 24. The excitation power supply 24 and the current circuit breaker 26 are located outside the vacuum vessel 14. The current circuit breaker 26 may be a semiconductor DC circuit breaker, such as a DCCB (DC circuit breaker). The walls of the vacuum vessel 14 (for example, the bottom plate 14b or the top plate 14a shown in Figure 1) are provided with feedthrough terminals 28a and 28b, often called current leads, which connect the excitation power supply 24 and the current circuit breaker 26 to the superconducting coil 12 and the protection circuit 20 inside the vacuum vessel 14 for power supply from the excitation power supply 24 to the superconducting coil 12. Also, a permanent current switch 30 is provided inside the vacuum vessel 14, connected in parallel with the superconducting coil 12 and the protection circuit 20. An excitation power supply 24 is connected to one end of the permanent current switch 30 via a feedthrough terminal 28a, and a current circuit breaker 26 is connected to the other end via a feedthrough terminal 28b.

[0024] In the normal operation of the superconducting magnet device 10, the superconducting coil 12, protection circuit 20, and persistent current switch 30 in the vacuum chamber 14 are cooled to extremely low temperatures below the critical temperature, and the superconducting coil 12 and persistent current switch 30 are maintained in a superconducting state. First, with the current circuit breaker 26 turned ON (closed) and the persistent current switch 30 turned OFF (open), current is supplied to the superconducting coil 12 from the excitation power supply 24. Then, the persistent current switch 30 is switched ON (closed), the current supply from the excitation power supply 24 is stopped, and the current circuit breaker 26 is switched OFF (open). In this way, even without power supply from the excitation power supply 24, the superconducting coil 12 and the persistent current switch 30 are connected in series in a closed circuit, and current can continue to flow in a superconducting state with almost no attenuation. The superconducting coil 12 can generate the magnetic field B shown in Figure 1.

[0025] The protection diode 22 is designed so that the voltage induced across the diode during normal excitation of the superconducting coil 12 as described above is lower than the diode's forward voltage (usually denoted as VF). Therefore, no current flows through the protection circuit 20 when the superconducting coil 12 is excited. Similarly, no current flows through the protection circuit 20 when the superconducting coil 12 is demagnetized as part of the normal operation of the superconducting magnet device 10.

[0026] On the other hand, if a quench occurs in a certain coil portion 12a of the superconducting coil 12, this coil portion 12a transitions to a normal conducting state, and the voltage across its terminals increases. When this voltage exceeds the forward voltage VF of the protection diode 22 corresponding to the coil portion 12a, the protection diode 22 conducts, allowing current to flow through the closed circuit formed by the coil portion 12a and the protection diode 22. This can be used to protect the coil portion 12a where the quench has occurred.

[0027] However, as mentioned at the beginning of this book, in order to place the protection circuit 20 together with the superconducting coil 12 in an extremely low-temperature environment, spatial constraints within the vacuum chamber 14 may cause the protection diode 22 to be installed in a location exposed to a strong leakage magnetic field from the superconducting coil 12. The inventors have discovered that the forward voltage VF of the protection diode 22 increases depending on the direction and magnitude of the magnetic field B acting on the pn junction surface 22a of the protection diode 22. Due to the increase in the forward voltage VF, an excessive voltage is brought across the diode before the protection diode 22 conducts when a quench occurs, raising concerns about the risk of discharge or ground fault occurring.

[0028] The forward voltage VF of the protection diode 22 is typically only a few volts in a steady state, but it is known to increase transiently significantly (for example, by more than 10 times) at the moment the protection diode 22 switches on, that is, when current begins to flow. Therefore, when a quench occurs, if this transient increase in the forward voltage VF is combined with the effect of the magnetic field B, which the inventors have discovered, an even larger voltage will be applied across the protection diode 22, raising concerns that the risk of discharge or ground fault will increase even further.

[0029] Figure 3(a) is a schematic diagram showing the pn junction surface 22a of the protection diode 22 according to the embodiment and the direction of the magnetic field B acting thereon, and Figure 3(b) is a graph showing the relationship between the forward voltage of the protection diode 22 according to the embodiment and the direction of the magnetic field B acting thereon.

[0030] As shown in Figure 3(a), the protection diode 22 has a p-type semiconductor layer 22b and an n-type semiconductor layer 22c, and the interface between them is the pn junction surface 22a. When a voltage exceeding the forward voltage VF is applied between terminals 22d and 22e at both ends of the protection diode 22, a forward current flows between terminals 22d and 22e via the p-type semiconductor layer 22b, the pn junction surface 22a, and the n-type semiconductor layer 22c.

[0031] As shown in the figure, the angle between the normal N of the pn junction surface 22a of the protection diode 22 and the magnetic field B is denoted as θ. As described above, the magnetic field B is the magnetic field generated by the superconducting coil 12 at the pn junction surface 22a of the protection diode 22. The angle θ is defined as 0 degrees when the direction of the magnetic field B coincides with the normal N of the pn junction surface 22a, that is, when the magnetic field B is perpendicular to the pn junction surface 22a, and 90 degrees when the direction of the magnetic field B is perpendicular to the normal N of the pn junction surface 22a, that is, when the magnetic field B is parallel to the pn junction surface 22a.

[0032] Figure 3(b) is a graph showing the relationship between the forward voltage VF of the protection diode 22 and the angle θ, as measured by the inventors. It shows how the forward voltage of the protection diode 22, obtained from the forward current-voltage characteristics of the protection diode 22 measured by varying the direction and magnitude of the magnetic field B, changes depending on the direction and magnitude of the magnetic field B. In Figure 3(b), the vertical axis represents the forward voltage, and the horizontal axis represents the angle θ. However, the value shown on the vertical axis is the normalized forward voltage value (dimensionless number) where the magnitude of the forward voltage when no magnetic field B is applied to the pn junction surface 22a of the protection diode 22 is set to 1. Measurements were taken for the magnitude of the magnetic field B in five ways: 0T (i.e., no magnetic field B is applied), 1T, 2T, 3T, and 4T. Measurements were also taken for the direction of the magnetic field B (i.e., angle θ) in five ways: -180 degrees, -90 degrees, 0 degrees, 90 degrees, and 180 degrees. All measurements were performed with the protection diode 22 cooled to 4K.

[0033] As can be seen from Figure 3(b), when the angle θ of the magnetic field B with respect to the pn junction surface 22a of the protection diode 22 is ±90 degrees, the forward voltage of the protection diode 22 increases significantly compared to when the angle θ is 0 degrees. It can also be seen from Figure 3(b) that the forward voltage increases as the magnetic field B increases. This increase in forward voltage, which depends on the magnetic field B, is understood to occur, for example, when a magnetic field B exceeding 0.5T acts on the pn junction surface 22a of the protection diode 22.

[0034] Therefore, in order to avoid the forward voltage VF of the protection diode 22 becoming excessive due to the magnetic field B, the protection diode 22 should be positioned such that the direction of the magnetic field B generated by the superconducting coil 12 at the pn junction surface 22a of the protection diode 22 is not perpendicular to the normal N of the pn junction surface 22a. Preferably, the protection diode 22 is positioned such that the direction of the magnetic field B is substantially parallel to the normal N of the pn junction surface 22a.

[0035] Since the forward voltage is minimal when the angle θ is 0 degrees and maximum when the angle θ is 90 degrees, it is inferred that the component of the magnetic field B in the direction normal to the pn junction surface 22a contributes to the increase in the forward voltage. Therefore, the relationship between the forward voltage VF, the magnetic field B, and the angle θ can be approximated by the following equation. VF = V0 + V_MF × B × |sinθ| Here, V0 is the forward voltage when no magnetic field B is applied, V_MF is a coefficient representing the effect of magnetic field B (unit: V / T), and B represents the magnitude of magnetic field B. Therefore, the second term on the right-hand side of the above equation represents the increase in forward voltage due to magnetic field B.

[0036] Therefore, in order to limit the effect of magnetic field B (i.e., the second term on the right-hand side) to 10% or less of the forward voltage V0 when magnetic field B is not applied, the angle θ should be within approximately 6 degrees (≒arcsin(0.1)). Similarly, in order to limit the effect of magnetic field B to 20%, 30%, or 50% or less of V0, the angle θ should be within approximately 12 degrees (≒arcsin(0.2)), 17 degrees (≒arcsin(0.3)), or 30 degrees (≒arcsin(0.5)), respectively.

[0037] Therefore, the protection diode 22 may be positioned such that the direction of the magnetic field B forms an angle of substantially no more than about 6 degrees with respect to the normal N of the pn junction surface 22a. The protection diode 22 may be positioned such that the direction of the magnetic field B forms an angle of substantially no more than about 12 degrees with respect to the normal N of the pn junction surface 22a. The protection diode 22 may be positioned such that the direction of the magnetic field B forms an angle of substantially no more than about 17 degrees with respect to the normal N of the pn junction surface 22a. The protection diode 22 may be positioned such that the direction of the magnetic field B forms an angle of substantially no more than about 30 degrees with respect to the normal N of the pn junction surface 22a.

[0038] These conditions regarding the angle θ of the magnetic field B are not necessarily required to be satisfied across the entire volume of the protection diode 22 or across the entire pn junction surface 22a. It is considered that satisfying the angle condition of the magnetic field B in at least a portion of the pn junction surface 22a (e.g., the center) is sufficient to suppress the increase in forward voltage.

[0039] It is believed that the increase in the forward voltage of the protection diode 22 due to the magnetic field B occurs only when the protection diode 22 is cooled to an extremely low temperature, for example, 20K or less. At temperatures higher than that, the lattice vibrations at the pn junction surface 22a outweigh the effect of the magnetic field B, and it is believed that little to no increase in the forward voltage due to the magnetic field B occurs.

[0040] As described above, in the superconducting magnet device 10 according to the embodiment, the protection diode 22 is arranged such that the direction of the magnetic field B generated by the superconducting coil 12 at the pn junction surface 22a of the protection diode 22 is not perpendicular to the normal N of the pn junction surface 22a, preferably substantially parallel to the normal N of the pn junction surface 22a. This suppresses the increase in the forward voltage of the protection diode 22 caused by the magnetic field B, and allows the protection diode 22 to operate at an appropriate forward voltage.

[0041] Figure 4 is a schematic diagram illustrating an exemplary arrangement of a protection diode 22 in a superconducting magnet device 10 according to an embodiment. The superconducting magnet device 10 comprises a cylindrical vacuum vessel 14 with a hollow center and a plurality (four in this example) of superconducting coils 12 arranged inside the vacuum vessel 14. These superconducting coils 12 are positioned between the cylindrical outer and inner walls of the vacuum vessel 14, with the central axis of each coil intersecting the central axis of the vacuum vessel 14. Thus, each superconducting coil 12 generates a magnetic field B radially outward (or inward) of the vacuum vessel 14, and their combined magnetic field 32 is oriented perpendicular to the central axis of the vacuum vessel 14. When the central axis of the vacuum vessel 14 is vertical, the combined magnetic field 32 is oriented horizontally.

[0042] A protection diode 22 is provided for each superconducting coil 12, and in this example, it is positioned inside the superconducting coil 12. Each protection diode 22 is positioned such that the normal of the pn junction surface 22a coincides with the central axis of each superconducting coil 12 (i.e., the magnetic field direction of each superconducting coil 12). Since the magnetic field B is generally aligned parallel to the coil's central axis regardless of the position inside the superconducting coil 12, the protection diode 22 may be positioned on the coil's central axis or off-center. In this way, as described above, the increase in the forward voltage of the protection diode 22 caused by the magnetic field B can be suppressed, and the protection diode 22 can be operated with an appropriate forward voltage.

[0043] Furthermore, the area inside the superconducting coil 12 is a region where the strong magnetic field generated by the superconducting coil 12 acts, and is therefore not a suitable place to install other components of the superconducting magnet device 10 (such as sensors), and is often empty space. Thus, by placing the protection diode 22 inside the superconducting coil 12, it becomes easier to install the protection diode 22 in the vacuum vessel 14 without interfering with other components (making it less susceptible to spatial constraints within the vacuum vessel 14).

[0044] The present invention has been described above based on examples. Those skilled in the art will understand that the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments, that various design changes are possible, and that various modifications are possible, and that such modifications also fall within the scope of the present invention. Various features described in relation to one embodiment are applicable to other embodiments. New embodiments resulting from combinations will possess the combined effects of each of the embodiments combined.

[0045] In the above-described embodiment, a protection diode 22 placed inside the superconducting coil 12 is described as an example, but the protection diode 22 can be placed in other configurations. By placing the protection diode 22 outside the superconducting coil 12, the direction of the magnetic field acting on the pn junction surface 22a of the protection diode 22 can be made non-perpendicular to the normal N of the pn junction surface 22a, or preferably substantially parallel to the normal N of the pn junction surface 22a.

[0046] Figures 5(a) and 5(b) schematically show exemplary arrangements of the protection diode 22 in the superconducting magnet device 10 according to an embodiment. The protection diode 22 may be positioned outside the plurality of superconducting coils 12 such that the direction of the combined magnetic field 32 generated by the plurality of superconducting coils 12 at the pn junction surface 22a of the protection diode 22 is not perpendicular to the normal of the pn junction surface 22a, or preferably substantially parallel to the normal of the pn junction surface 22a.

[0047] In Figure 5(a), similar to Figure 4, the superconducting magnet device 10 comprises four superconducting coils 12 within a vacuum vessel 14. In this case, the protection diode 22 may be positioned between two adjacent superconducting coils 12 in the circumferential direction of the vacuum vessel 14. This allows the protection diode 22 to be positioned such that the normal of the pn junction surface 22a of the protection diode 22 substantially coincides with the direction of the combined magnetic field 32.

[0048] In Figure 5(b), the superconducting magnet device 10 comprises a pair of opposing superconducting coils 12 that generate a cusp magnetic field 34. In this case, the protection diode 22 may be positioned on the median plane 36 of the cusp magnetic field 34. In this way, the protection diode 22 can be positioned such that the normal of the pn junction surface 22a of the protection diode 22 substantially coincides with the direction of the cusp magnetic field 34.

[0049] Although the present invention has been described using specific terms based on the embodiments, the embodiments only illustrate one aspect of the principle and application of the present invention, and many modifications and changes in arrangement are permitted in the embodiments, as long as they do not depart from the spirit of the present invention as defined in the claims. [Industrial applicability]

[0050] This invention can be used in the field of superconducting magnet devices. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0051] 10 Superconducting magnet device, 12 Superconducting coil, 20 Protection circuit, 22 Protection diode, 22a pn junction surface.

Claims

1. A superconducting coil placed in an extremely low-temperature environment, A superconducting magnet device comprising: a protection diode disposed in the cryogenic environment and connected to the superconducting coil, wherein the protection diode is positioned such that the direction of the magnetic field generated by the superconducting coil on the pn junction surface of the protection diode is at an angle of 30 degrees or less with respect to the normal to the pn junction surface.

2. The superconducting magnet device according to claim 1, characterized in that the protection diode is arranged such that the direction of the magnetic field generated by the superconducting coil on the pn junction surface is substantially parallel to the normal of the pn junction surface.

3. The superconducting magnet device according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the protection diode is arranged inside the superconducting coil.

4. The superconducting magnet device comprises a plurality of superconducting coils arranged in the cryogenic environment, The superconducting magnet device according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the protection diode is located outside the plurality of superconducting coils and is positioned such that the direction of the combined magnetic field generated by the plurality of superconducting coils on the pn junction surface is at an angle of 30 degrees or less with respect to the normal to the pn junction surface.

5. Vacuum container and A cryogenic refrigerator installed in the aforementioned vacuum container, A superconducting coil, which is placed inside the vacuum vessel and cooled by the cryogenic refrigerator, A cryostat comprising: a protection diode disposed in the vacuum vessel, cooled by the cryogenic refrigerator, and connected to the superconducting coil, wherein the protection diode is positioned such that the direction of the magnetic field generated by the superconducting coil on the pn junction surface of the protection diode is at an angle of 30 degrees or less with respect to the normal to the pn junction surface.

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