Media Release, 30 April 2008

The New Zealand company HTS-110 Ltd has successfully commissioned its latest high-temperature superconducting (HTS) magnet for the Bragg Institute – part of the Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation (ANSTO) at their new OPAL research reactor near Sydney.

(L-R) HTS-110 CEO Donald Pooke with Bragg Institute scientist Dr Frank Klose and HTS-110 Production Manager Simon Gibson, in front of the installed magnet.

The ANSTO magnet is the largest HTS-110 has built to date, weighing over 280 kg. More than 12 km of HTS wire was used and when running, almost 60 tonnes of internal compressive forces have had to be managed, requiring a carefully designed combination of titanium, carbon fibre and other composite components.

Researchers at the Bragg Institute use the neutrons produced inside the reactor to study materials on the nanoscale, including Rare Earth based hard magnetic materials for energy applications. Neutrons penetrate much further into the sample than other methods, such as X-rays or electron microscopy.

The magnet is designed to allow large access angles both along the magnetic field and across the field. The magnet can be tilted up to 15 degrees to allow the neutron beam to be reflected from the sample. The sample will be mounted in a commercial cryofurnace which allows the temperature of the sample to be varied from -265°C to +300°C.

With the magnet now commissioned, it is expected to be first used for experiments later this year.

“HTS-110 has produced a cutting-edge turn-key magnet system, once again pushing the boundaries of what HTS can deliver to customers” says HTS-110 CEO, Dr Donald Pooke “The fact that it is a “dry” magnet, with no liquid helium required, means it will be economic to run and easy to use, and can quickly ramp to operating fields with no issues for helium boil-off. The rapid ramp rate is one of the outstanding features of HTS magnets”.

World helium prices jumped 30% in early December 2007, on top of a 15% rise over the previous year. With every indication that prices will continue to rise, HTS magnets are becoming increasingly attractive to researchers and industrial users alike.

Scott Olsen – Sample Environment Manager at the Bragg Institute says “This powerful magnet will be used to study many different types of materials. The design is very versatile, with the magnet able to be used on several of our research instruments. This is the first high-temperature superconducting magnet used at any neutron-research facility worldwide”.

Bragg Institute research scientist Dr Frank Klose says “This superconducting magnet is a significant improvement over previous magnet designs. Being made of high-temperature superconducting material makes it much easier to handle for a user because it does not require liquid Helium cooling, it just runs on electricity. The field strength, at 5 Tesla will enable very interesting scientific research.

“This development was very challenging, but we have managed to deliver a very powerful magnet that will be used to further science for years to come. This magnet cements our position as the leading supplier of advanced HTS instruments for neutron and x-ray beamlines worldwide”, comments Dr Pooke.

ENDS

Background to ANSTO magnet:

The 5-Tesla magnet has a footprint of around 600 mm x 460 mm and weighs over 280 kg.
The design and construction of the magnet by HTS-110 Ltd stems from a collaboration between Professor Jeff Tallon of Industrial Research and ANSTO on neutron scattering in extreme environments.

The novel HTS split-pair magnet is designed for use on both the small-angle neutron scattering and neutron reflectometry instruments at the OPAL neutron factory at ANSTO.

For more information on the Bragg Institute click here.

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