Superconducting magnet operating in occasional idling mode

摘要

Methods and systems are disclosed for saving energy while a superconducting magnet system is not being used and for reducing the time required for the re-establishment of the operating conditions of the system. Traditionally, during an inactive time interval, the temperature of the magnet coils is not allowed to rise, and the system is kept ON, in operating conditions. This results in wasting a large amount of energy for keeping the magnet coils at cryogenic temperatures. Turning the system OFF has never been an option since re-establishment of the operating conditions is very time consuming and costly. The present disclosure offers methods and systems that allow idling of a system in temperatures higher than the magnet coils' intended operating temperature, which results in noticeable savings.

主权项

1. A Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) system configured to occasionally stay in idling mode, the system comprising:
a magnet coil configured to operate as a superconducting magnet in a desired cryogenic temperature; a cooler configured to cool the magnet coil to the desired cryogenic temperature; discharging, controllably, the magnet coil at least partially; and a control component to controllably discharge the magnet coil and to control idling mode temperatures of the cold-mass during the idling mode and controllably maintain cold-mass temperatures between the cryogenic temperature and ambient temperatures of the system.