Aug

14

This Magnet Matters

August 14, 2007 | 2 Comments

Or more specifically, the windings of the magnet matter. A lot.

The news release at Florida State is rather “hype like” rather than hard details. I’m reviewing based on what’s there. The link is:

http://www.fsu.edu/news/2007/08/07/record.magnet/

It seems that Florida State and a private company, SuperPower , Inc. have been working together on driving to a 30 tesla electromagnet and have to gotten to 26.8 tesla using yttrium barium copper oxide.

David Larbalestier the FSU center’s director suggests that 30 tesla is in reach soon, and that getting the yttrium barium copper oxide wire wound is a start to the 50 tesla target.

The info beyond the news about the yttrium barium copper oxide winding comes at the end of the press release. If the writer has it right, the FSU lab can be drawing 10% of the Tallahassee city utilities output for operating magnets, testing and other uses in the lab.

What superconductor magnets offer is greatly reducing the electrical draw needed to energize the magnet. The normal resistance of the wire in a standard electro magnet is for practical purposes the “load.” People don’t usually think about how many electro magnets are used in their lives everyday. It’s a number much larger than you might think.

The other hand is missing a lot of info. The press release isn’t saying what the temp the new record holder is running at. Nor does it say what the absolute length or wire diameters might be for the yttrium barium copper oxide wire. Nor is the time of the test run discussed. Or the required insulative properties, cooling devises, and other pertinent details that might one sit up and go “Wow!”

But, I believe them. It looks like a real deal. They could come up some more specific info though.

The press release also provides the link to the lab’s own site that I repeat here:

http://www.magnet.fsu.edu/ and the site offers a lot of magnet information.

Meanwhile, you have to wonder what the fusion people think of all this. The Bussard, Rostoker, and the International Tokamak Experimental Reactors all need highly efficient electromagnets.


Comments

2 Comments so far

  1. Public Speaking on February 22, 2009 4:46 PM

    Hey I just did find your blog. Good Stuff! Don

  2. Kendall Wucherer on February 27, 2011 10:16 AM

    Awesome story once again! I am looking forward for your next post;)

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