Scientific Magnetics - Design and Manufacture of Cryogen-Free Superconducting Magnet Systems

Cryogen-Free Superconducting Magnets

Scientific Magnetics designs and manufactures cryogen-free superconducting magnets. In a cryogen-free superconducting magnet, the magnet is cooled by a mechanical cryocooler with no liquid helium. Scientific Magnetics has developed a range of standard cryogen-free magnets, but we also design and build special systems to customers' specifications.

For a data sheet on standard cryogen-free superconducting magnets, please click here.

For a data sheet on cryogen-free high temperature superconducting magnets, please click here.

Standard cryogen-free superconducting magnets

Our standard 52 mm bore cryogen-free superconducting magnets are available at fields up to 12 T. They can be supplied with integrated cryogen-free variable temperature inserts, or with a cryogen-free dilution refrigerator supplied by our partner, BlueFors Cryogenics Oy. In either case, the magnet and insert are cooled by a single cryocooler.
The superconducting magnet is fitted with a persistent mode switch and can be swept at up to 1 T/min.
The system cool down time from room temperature to 4.2 K is less than 24 hours.

Cryogen-free superconducting magnets for adiabatic demagnetisation refrigeration in space

Scientific Magnetics has designed and manufactured two cryogen free double ADR superconducting magnet systems for the Mullard Space Science Laboratory (MSSL). The superconducting magnets consist of two sets of actively shielded coils, each producing 3 tesla. These superconducting magnet systems operate completely cryogen-free. To minimise the heat load on the cryocooler, they are wound with ultra-fine (less than 0.1 mm diameter) conductor which permits an operating current of less than 2.3 amperes for 3 tesla.

Cryogen-free superconducting magnets for magneto-plasma rocket engine

A complex cryogen free superconducting magnet system for use in a plasma drive. The Variable Input Specific Impulse Magnetoplasma Rocket (VASIMR) system encompasses three linked magnetic cells; the Plasma source, RF Booster and Magnetic Nozzle. The engine was designed by the Ad Astra Rocket Company in Houston, Texas.
At well over 2 m long, this is one of the largest cryogen-free magnets ever built.

	High temperature superconducting magnets (cryogen-free HTS magnets)
	Scientific Magnetics was the first company to make commercial superconducting magnets from high temperature superconductor, and retains unrivalled expertise in the field. These cryogen-free systems produce fields up to 3 T on axis and are used in combination with NdFeB permanent magnets in ECR ion source assemblies. The use of HTS magnets provides a compact and low-power alternative to resistive electromagnets for this application. With HTS coils the power consumption is reduced from typically 200 kW to 12 kW. In addition, Scientific Magnetics - in collaboration with the University of Oxford via the Knowledge Transfer Partnership - has produced the world's first HTS magneto-hydrodynamic drive technology demonstrator.