Advanced Technologies
Higher fields and novel designs
Besides conducting its user program, the HLD is engaged in the development of advanced pulsed-magnet technology. Thus, the HLD has an international leading position by carrying on its 100 T program. At the end of 2016, a coil has been commissioned which enables user experiments up to 95 T. Besides such ambitious coil projects, magnet designs which aim at longer pulse times, lower energy consumption, as well as more homogeneous field profiles are under development at the HLD. In cooperation with the Institute for Radiation Physics(1), we develop specially designed generators and pulsed-field coils for nuclear-physics experiments as well as for the Helmholtz International Beamline for Extreme Fields at the European XFEL(2) (HIBEF). In addition, we develop and produce pulsed-field coils for external cooperation partners in research and industry(3).
All coils, including the one which generated the world record in 2011, are wound and manufactured in our own workshop.
Fighting against c
ancer
A related design program of the HLD aims at the development of compact and economic pulsed magnets which will be used for the guidance and energy selection of proton beams. These proton beams will be used for medical therapies, in particular for the controlled treatment of tumors. For this technique which is under development at the HZDR protons are generated by means of pulsed high-intensity lasers and consequently guided by means of compact pulsed magnets to the patient. In order to bend a proton beam on a small length scale, compact and exact guidance can be realized only through the application of magnet pulses with field amplitudes of several 10 T. Here, the HLD contributes with its know-how to the development of capacitive pulsed-power supplies and pulsed magnets.
On this a patent titled "Arrangement for generating high- energy proton beams during laser driven proton beam therapy, uses pulsed high magnetic coil for energy selection, delivery of proton beam used for collimation" (no. 10 2011 052 269) has been issued. For further information click here(4).
How will we cool tomorrow?
Special metallic compounds heat up when they are brought into a magnetic field. This so-called magnetocaloric effect can be used to design more efficient cooling systems of the future. The comprehensive fundamental characterisation of new materials is the first step towards application. This has also been carried out by the HLD for many years in the framework of user experiments.
The HLD is further active in the development of prototypes and test facilities. For example, we have successfully put a pulse-field coil from the HLD into operation in a demonstrator at the TU Darmstadt. This system is to be used to comprehensively test a new type of cooling circuit based on the magnetocaloric effect.
The world's largest capacitor bank
To achieve high magnetic fields over long-time scales, an electromagnetic energy of 50 MJ and a peak current of 100 kA is needed. The most modern and most efficient way to store this energy and feeding it into the magnetic coil is to use a pulse-discharge capacitor bank.
With a single push of a button you can release the energy that would be released during braking of a 60 ton diesel engine from 150 to 0 km/hour, in an incredibly short period of a few ten milliseconds.
This world's most efficient capacitor bank is composed of 20 modules, which provide energy from 0.9 to 2.9 MJ. It allows to feed up to four coaxial coils with different energies and pulse lengths.
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https://www.hzdr.de/db/Cms?pOid=33139