Claims
- 1. An article comprising:
a first layer comprising a first superconductor material; a second layer comprising a first electrically conductive material, the second layer being mechanically coupled to the first layer so that, when bent, the first and second layers have a first neutral mechanical axis; a third layer comprising a second superconductor material; and a fourth layer comprising a second electrically conductive material mechanically coupled to the third layer, so that, when bent, the third and fourth layers have a second neutral mechanical axis different than the first neutral mechanical axis, wherein the second and fourth layers are in electrical communication.
- 2. The article of claim 1, wherein the first superconductor material comprises a first rare earth metal oxide superconductor and the second superconductor material comprises a second rare earth metal oxide superconductor.
- 3. The article of claim 2, wherein the first and second rare earth metal oxide superconductors are the same.
- 4. The article of claim 3, wherein the first and second rare earth metal oxide superconductors comprise YBCO.
- 5. The article of claim 1, wherein the first electrically conductive material comprises a first metal and the second electrically conductive material comprises a second metal.
- 6. The article of claim 5, wherein the first and second metals are the same.
- 7. The article of claim 6, wherein the first and second metals comprise copper.
- 8. The article of claim 1, wherein the first and second layers are in the form of a first tape, and the third and fourth layers are in the form of a second tape.
- 9. The article of claim 1, further comprising first and second substrates, wherein the first layer is between the first substrate and the second layer, and the third layer is between the second substrate and the fourth layer.
- 10. The article of claim 9, further comprising first and second buffer layers, wherein the first buffer layer is between the first substrate and the first layer, and the second buffer layer is between the second substrate and the third layer.
- 11. The article of claim 10, wherein the first substrate layer has a thickness that is about equal to a combined thickness of the first layer, the first buffer portion, and the second layer.
- 12. The article of claim 11, wherein the fourth layer has a thickness that is about equal to a combined thickness of the third layer, the second buffer portion, and the second substrate layer.
- 13. The article of claim 1, further comprising first and second cap layers, wherein the first cap layer is between the first and second layers, and the second cap layer is between the third and fourth layers.
- 14. The article of claim 1, further comprising an interfacial layer between the second and fourth layers, wherein the interfacial layer comprises a third electrically conductive material that reduces oxidation of the second and fourth layers.
- 15. The article of claim 1, further comprising an interfacial layer between the second and fourth layers, wherein the interfacial layer comprises a third electrically conductive material that reduces friction between the second and the fourth layer.
- 16. The article of claim 1, further comprising a layer of graphite between the second and fourth layers.
- 17. The article of claim 1, wherein the article is configured so that the second and fourth layers can move independently of each other.
- 18. An article comprising:
a first helically wound superconductor tape that includes a superconductor layer and an electrically conductive layer, the first helically wound superconductor tape having a first neutral mechanical axis when bent; and a second helically wound superconductor tape that includes a superconductor layer and an electrically conductive layer, the second helically wound superconductor tape having a second neutral mechanical axis when bent, the second neutral mechanical axis being different than the first neutral mechanical axis. wherein the electrically conductive layers of the first and second superconductor tapes are in electrical communication.
- 19. The article of claim 18, wherein the first and second superconductor layers comprise a rare earth metal oxide superconductor.
- 20. The article of claim 19, wherein the rare earth metal oxide superconductor comprises YBCO.
- 21. The article of claim 18, wherein the first and second electrically conductive layers comprise a metal.
- 22. The article of claim 21, wherein the metal comprises copper.
- 23. The article of claim 18, further comprising a forming element, wherein the first and second superconductor tapes are helically wound around the forming element.
- 24. The article of claim 18, wherein the superconductor layers of the first and second superconductor tapes are mechanically compressed.
- 25. The article of claim 23, wherein the first superconductor tape further includes a substrate and the second superconductor tape further includes a substrate, the superconductor layer of the first superconductor tape being between the substrate of the first superconductor tape and the electrically conductive layer of the first superconductor tape, and the superconductor layer of the second superconductor tape being between the substrate of the second superconductor tape and the electrically conductive layer of the second superconductor tape.
- 26. The article of claim 25, wherein the first superconductor tape further includes a buffer layer and the second superconductor tape further includes a buffer layer, the buffer layer of the first superconductor tape being between the substrate of the first superconductor tape and the superconductor layer of the first superconductor tape, and the buffer layer of the second superconductor tape being between the substrate of the second superconductor tape and the superconductor layer of the second superconductor tape.
- 27. The article of claim 18, wherein the first superconductor tape further includes a cap layer and the second superconductor tape further includes a cap layer, the cap layer of the first superconductor tape being between the superconductor layer of the first superconductor tape and the electrically conductive layer of the first superconductor tape, and the cap layer of the second superconductor tape being between the superconductor layer of the second superconductor tape and the electrically conductive layer of the second superconductor tape.
- 28. The article of claim 18, further comprising an interfacial layer between the second and fourth layers, wherein the interfacial layer comprises a third electrically conductive material that reduces oxidation of the second and fourth layers.
- 29. The article of claim 18, further comprising an interfacial layer between the second and fourth layers, wherein the interfacial layer comprises a third electrically conductive material that reduces friction between the second and the fourth layer.
- 30. The article of claim 18, further comprising a layer of graphite between the second and fourth layers.
- 31. The article of claim 18, wherein the article is configured so that the first and second helically wound superconductor tapes can move independently of each other.
- 32. The article of claim 18, wherein the first and second helically wound superconductor tapes have a common helical axis.
- 33. The article of claim 18, further comprising:
a third helically wound superconductor tape that includes a superconductor layer and an electrically conductive layer; and a fourth helically wound superconductor tape that includes a superconductor layer and an electrically conductive layer, wherein the electrically conductive layers of the third and fourth superconductor tapes have more than one point of electrical communication.
- 34. The article of claim 33, wherein the third and fourth helically wound superconductor tapes have a common helical axis.
- 35. The article of claim 18, wherein the article is in the form of a cable.
- 36. The article of claim 18, wherein the electrically conductive layers of the first and second superconductor tapes at least partially overlap.
- 37. The article of claim 18, wherein the electrically conductive layers of the first and second superconductor tapes substantially entirely overlap.
- 38. An article, comprising:
a first plurality of helically wound superconductor tapes, each tape in the first plurality of helically wound superconductor tapes including a layer of a superconductor material and a layer of an electrically conductive material, each tape in the first plurality of helically wound superconductor tapes being wound in parallel in a first direction; and a second plurality of helically wound superconductor tapes, each tape in the second plurality of helically wound superconductor tapes including a layer of a superconductor material and a layer of an electrically conductive material, each tape in the second plurality of helically wound superconductor tapes being wound in parallel in a second direction opposite the first direction, wherein the layer of the electrically conductive materials in each tape in the first plurality of tapes has more than one position of electrical communication with the layer of electrically conductive material in each tape of the second plurality of tapes.
- 39. The article of claim 37, wherein the first and second plurality of helically wound superconductor tapes have a common helical axis.
- 40. The article of claim 37, wherein the electrically conductive layers of each tape in the first plurality of superconductor tapes at least partially overlap with the electrically conductive layers of each tape in the second plurality of superconductor tapes.
- 41. The article of claim 37, wherein each of the tapes in the article has a different neutral mechanical axis when bent than a neutral mechanical axis of any of the other tapes when bent.
- 42. A superconducting magnetic coil, comprising:
a first coiled superconductor tape coiled about a coil axis, the first coiled superconductor tape comprising:
a superconductor layer; and an electrically conductive layer having a surface forming an inner surface of the first coiled superconductor tape, the inner surface of the first coiled superconductor tape facing the coil axis of the first coiled superconductor tape; and a second coiled superconductor tape coiled about a coil axis, the second coiled superconductor tape, comprising:
a superconductor layer; and an electrically conductive layer having a surface that forms an outer surface of the second coiled superconductor tape, the outer surface of the second coiled superconductor tape facing away from the coil axis of the second coiled superconductor tape, wherein the first and second coiled superconductor tapes are configured so that inner surface of the first superconductor tape is adjacent the outer surface of the second superconductor tape.
- 43. The superconducting magnetic coil of claim 42, wherein the electrically conductive layers of the first and second coiled superconductor tapes contact each other.
- 44. The superconducting magnetic coil of claim 42, wherein the first and second coiled superconductor tapes are wound together.
- 45. The superconducting magnetic coil of claim 42, wherein the superconductor layers comprise a rare earth metal oxide superconductor.
- 46. The superconducting magnetic coil of claim 45, wherein the rare earth metal oxide superconductor comprises YBCO.
- 47. The superconducting magnetic coil of claim 42, wherein the electrically conductive layers comprise a metal.
- 48. The superconducting magnetic coil of claim 47, wherein the metal comprises copper.
- 49. The superconducting magnetic coil of claim 42, wherein the coil axis of the first superconductor tape is the same as the coil axis of the second superconductor tape.
- 50. The superconducting magnetic coil of claim 42, wherein the first and second superconductor tapes are coiled about each other.
- 51. The superconducting magnetic coil of claim 42, wherein the superconductor layer and electrically conductive layer of the first superconductor tape are mechanically coupled, and the superconductor layer and electrically conductive layer of the second superconductor tape are mechanically coupled.
- 52. The superconducting magnetic coil of claim 42, wherein the superconductor layers of the first and second superconductor tapes are mechanically compressed.
- 53. The superconducting magnetic coil of claim 42, further comprising an interfacial layer disposed between the adjacent first and second superconductor tapes, wherein the interfacial layer comprises an electrically conductive layer.
- 54. The superconducting magnetic coil of claim 42, wherein the first and second coiled superconductor tapes have different neutral mechanical axes.
- 55. The superconducting magnetic coil of claim 41, further comprising:
a third coiled superconductor tape coiled about a coil axis, the third coiled superconductor tape comprising:
a superconductor layer; and an electrically conductive layer having a surface that forms an inner surface of the third coiled superconductor tape, the inner surface of the third coiled superconductor tape facing the coil axis of the third coiled superconductor tape; and a fourth coiled superconductor tape coiled about a coil axis, the fourth coiled superconductor tape, comprising:
a superconductor layer; and an electrically conductive layer having a surface that forms the outer surface of the fourth coiled superconductor tape, the outer surface of the fourth coiled superconductor tape facing away from the coil axis of the fourth coiled superconductor tape, wherein the third and fourth superconductor tapes are configured so that inner surface of the third superconductor tape is adjacent the outer surface of the fourth superconductor tape.
- 56. The superconducting magnetic coil of claim 55, wherein the coil axis of the third superconductor tape is the same as the coil axis of the fourth superconductor tape.
- 57. The superconducting magnetic coil of claim 55, wherein the third and fourth superconductor tapes are coiled about each other.
INCORPORATION BY REFERENCE
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