Structural support for conduction-cooled superconducting magnets

摘要

A method, a system, and an article of manufacture are disclosed for a structure to support and thermally insulate superconducting magnets, which need to be cooled and kept cool at very low temperatures while also allowing rotational and translational movement of the magnet and/or magnet system without bending or otherwise deforming the support structure. In various embodiments, the support structure is placed within a vacuum vessel to substantially reduce or eliminate convection heat transfer. The support structure is further coupled with the superconducting magnet via enclosing structural components having sufficient second moment of inertia to resist bending forces, at least some of the enclosing structural components being made of low-heat conducting material, while at least some of the other enclosing structural components having reflective surfaces to reduce or eliminate radiation heat loss.