Mounting field coil structures in a rotor or a stator of a superconducting electrical machine

摘要

A rotor 1 (or a stator) for a superconducting electrical machine includes a mounting 2 that is maintained at substantially ambient temperature during operation of the electrical machine; a field coil support structure 3 carrying a plurality of superconducting field coils 4 maintained at cryogenic temperatures during operation; and at least one coupling element 5 is used to fix the field coil support structure 3 to the mounting 2, where the at least one coupling element 5 is formed substantially from carbon fibre or glass fibre, and wherein the primary direction of the fibre lay is substantially at an angle that minimises thermal contraction of the coupling element when the field coils are cooled to cryogenic temperatures. The field coils 4 are preferably formed of high temperature superconducting coils. The field coil support structure 3 may be formed of a substantially cylindrical sleeve formed around the mounting 2 having first and second axial ends.