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Isn’t superconducting a requirement for fusion reactors (for plasma confinement)? I think all the cooling required for that is a major impediment to both the de

Isn’t superconducting a requirement for fusion reactors (for plasma confinement)? I think all the cooling required for that is a major impediment to both the design and the efficiency.

effie 6y ago
I think you are right for tokamaks, room temp superconductor would change the design somewhat.
- MayeulC 6y ago
  In existing superconductors, you break superconductivity if your magnetic field reaches a certain threshold. That limit decreases, the closer you are to the temperature limit. So yeah, higher-temperature superconductors could either give you higher-temperature supermagnets, or same-temperature stronger magnets. The latter is being explored with relatively new materials, for smaller tokamaks, which enabled by stronger magnetic fields.
anonuser123456 6y ago
You don't need room temp superconductors to make those magnets. REBCO tape can be cooled by liquid nitrogen. It's what they are using for the various tiny Tocamak projects.
- travisoneill1 6y ago
  Why is this material not used for MRI's?
  - woeirua 6y ago
    This material only appeared in the last 10 years as a practical way of creating strong magnetic fields. Give it enough time and you'll see most MRIs transition away from the large hulking behemoth machines that we have today into much smaller and more portable machines. Also, as an added benefit you can use liquid nitrogen to cool them instead of helium.
  - anonuser123456 6y ago
    As sibling post noted, likely time. Existing designs have 4 decades of inertia behind them. South Korean and Japanese researchers definitely have it on their radar. https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/document/9000570 https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/document/9000570
punnerud 6y ago
And MRI-machines. Are you able to make superconducting self sustaining outside the laboratory it can have a lot of great implications: Reduce the cost of MRI (huge helium cost), make extremely fast batteries for regeneration of power, very efficient and small motors +++
- effie 6y ago
  MRI machines don't necessarily need helium even today. It just the common model family using Niobium-Tin wires you see in hospitals or media. There are permanent magnet MRI machines. What do you mean by "fast batteries"? For regenerative breaking one can already use supercapacitors. Will room temp SMES cheaper than that? Electric motors are pretty efficient and small already, there is 0.6mm motor from Namiki. Sure they can get smaller. How does room temp superconductor help that? Smaller motors have better cooling than big motors so ohmic heating is not a problem.

Isn’t superconducting a requirement for fusion reactors (for plasma confinement)? I think all the cooling required for that is a major impediment to both the design and the efficiency.

effie 6y ago

I think you are right for tokamaks, room temp superconductor would change the design somewhat.

MayeulC 6y ago
In existing superconductors, you break superconductivity if your magnetic field reaches a certain threshold. That limit decreases, the closer you are to the temperature limit. So yeah, higher-temperature superconductors could either give you higher-temperature supermagnets, or same-temperature stronger magnets. The latter is being explored with relatively new materials, for smaller tokamaks, which enabled by stronger magnetic fields.

anonuser123456 6y ago

You don't need room temp superconductors to make those magnets. REBCO tape can be cooled by liquid nitrogen. It's what they are using for the various tiny Tocamak projects.

travisoneill1 6y ago
Why is this material not used for MRI's?
- woeirua 6y ago
  This material only appeared in the last 10 years as a practical way of creating strong magnetic fields. Give it enough time and you'll see most MRIs transition away from the large hulking behemoth machines that we have today into much smaller and more portable machines. Also, as an added benefit you can use liquid nitrogen to cool them instead of helium.
- anonuser123456 6y ago
  As sibling post noted, likely time. Existing designs have 4 decades of inertia behind them. South Korean and Japanese researchers definitely have it on their radar. https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/document/9000570 https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/document/9000570

punnerud 6y ago

And MRI-machines. Are you able to make superconducting self sustaining outside the laboratory it can have a lot of great implications: Reduce the cost of MRI (huge helium cost), make extremely fast batteries for regeneration of power, very efficient and small motors +++

effie 6y ago
MRI machines don't necessarily need helium even today. It just the common model family using Niobium-Tin wires you see in hospitals or media. There are permanent magnet MRI machines. What do you mean by "fast batteries"? For regenerative breaking one can already use supercapacitors. Will room temp SMES cheaper than that? Electric motors are pretty efficient and small already, there is 0.6mm motor from Namiki. Sure they can get smaller. How does room temp superconductor help that? Smaller motors have better cooling than big motors so ohmic heating is not a problem.