Scientists have created the most powerful superconducting DC magnet

Scientists from the National High LaboratoryThe magnetic field (MagLab) at the University of Florida (USA) created the world's most powerful superconducting magnet. A device with a diameter of no more than a centimeter and no larger than a toilet paper roll (I don’t know why, but the creators make just such an analogy) can generate a record magnetic field strength of 45.5 tesla. It is more than 20 times more powerful than magnets of hospital magnetic resonance imaging machines. It is noted that previously only pulsed magnets, capable of maintaining a magnetic field for a fraction of a second, reached a higher intensity.

MagLab Engineer Creator MagnetSanion Khan. How he and his team succeeded in doing so, reports an article published in the journal Nature. According to experts, they used new materials for the superconductor and magnet to achieve these indicators.

In fact, the researchers created tworecord magnet. The test uses niobium-based cuprate superconductors. It is able to generate a magnetic field of 45 tesla and at the same time consumes a small amount of energy. According to scientists, the previously created cuprate based magnets were too fragile for use in technological applications, but new magnets must withstand field strengths of up to 60 tesla.

What is the most powerful superconducting magnet made of?

For a record magnet capable of creating a fieldAt 45.5 Tesla, the superconductors were made of a new compound called REBCO (it uses rare-earth barium-copper oxide) and capable of passing twice the current as compared to other superconductors used to create record magnets. Due to this, a new magnet is able to create a much stronger magnetic field.

Modern electromagnets contain insulation between conductive layers, which directs the current along the most efficient path. But it also adds weight and volume.

Han's Innovation: superconducting magnet without insulation. In addition to a more successful design, this option allows you to protect the magnet from a malfunction, the so-called field breakdown. It can occur when damage or defects in a conductor block the movement of current to a designated place, causing the material to heat and lose its superconducting properties. In the absence of isolation, the current in this case simply follows a different path, preventing disruption.

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It is noted that the generated field strengthThe new magnet has exceeded the intensity of energy-intensive resistive magnets that do not use superconductors, as well as conventional superconducting magnets and hybrid superconducting resistive magnets.

"The fact that the coil layers are not isolated eachfrom a friend means that they can easily and efficiently transfer current to each other so that he can get around any obstacle in his path, ”explains study co-author David Larbaltier.

What are superconducting magnets for?

Such superconducting magnets are necessary fora variety of devices, ranging from MRI devices to high-speed transport systems and fusion reactors. It is expected that superconducting magnets can promote research in various scientific fields.

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