Title :
The Levitated Dipole Experiment (LDX) magnet system
Author :
Schultz, J.H. ; Kesner, J. ; Minervini, J.V. ; Radovinsky, A. ; Pourrahimi, S. ; Smith, B. ; Thomas, P. ; Wang, P.W. ; Zhukovsky, A. ; Myatt, R.L. ; Kochan, S. ; Mauel, M. ; Garnier, D.
Author_Institution :
MIT, Cambridge, MA, USA
fDate :
6/1/1999 12:00:00 AM
Abstract :
In the Levitated Dipole Experiment (LDX), a hot plasma is formed about a levitating superconducting dipole magnet in the center of a 5 m diameter vacuum vessel. The levitated magnet is suspended magnetically during an eight hour experimental run, then lowered and recooled overnight. The floating F-coil magnet consists of a layer-wound magnet with 4 sections, designed to wrap flux lines closely about the outside of the levitated cryostat. The conductor is a niobium-tin Rutherford cable, with enough stabilizer to permit passive quench protection. Lead strips are used as thermal capacitors to slow coil heating. An optimized system of bumpers and cold-mass supports reduces heat leak into the helium vessel. Airbags catch the floating coil on quenches and faults, preventing collision with the vacuum vessel.
Keywords :
magnetic levitation; niobium alloys; plasma confinement; plasma production; superconducting cables; superconducting coils; superconducting magnets; tin alloys; 5 m; 8 h; Levitated Dipole Experiment; Nb/sub 3/Sn; airbags; bumpers; coil heating slowing; cold-mass supports; floating F-coil magnet; flux lines; heat leak reduction; layer-wound magnet; lead strips; levitated cryostat; levitating superconducting dipole magnet; niobium-tin Rutherford cable; passive quench protection; stabilizer; thermal capacitors; vacuum vessel; Coils; Conductors; Magnetic flux; Magnetic levitation; Niobium-tin; Plasmas; Protection; Strips; Superconducting epitaxial layers; Superconducting magnets;
Journal_Title :
Applied Superconductivity, IEEE Transactions on
