Saturated HTS Magnet Coils to Eliminate Screening Currents

The patent applies parameter changes by operating the HTS magnet in a saturated regime where transport current exceeds the maximum critical current of the coil. This fundamental parameter change eliminates screening currents because all HTS material operates at its critical current limit, leaving no excess current capacity to form screening currents. The magnetic field homogeneity and stability are improved while eliminating the harmful screening current effect.

The patent converts the harmful effect of resistive heating into a beneficial control mechanism. By operating in the saturated regime where transport current exceeds critical current, the resistive heating that would normally be wasted energy is instead used to precisely control the magnetic field strength. The amount of resistive heating is controlled to maintain the desired field strength, transforming energy loss into a useful field control mechanism.

The patent extracts and eliminates the root cause of magnetic field inhomogeneity by removing screening currents through saturated operation. Instead of adding complex control mechanisms like shimming or oscillatory ramping to mitigate screening currents, the invention takes out the screening current phenomenon itself by operating above critical current, thereby simplifying the control system while achieving superior field homogeneity.

The patent applies dynamics by making the operating regime adaptable and controlled. Rather than statically operating below critical current to avoid quench risk, the system dynamically operates in the saturated regime with transport current exceeding critical current, using controlled resistive heating and temperature management to enable fast field changes while maintaining reliability and preventing quenches.