Apparatus and method for manufacturing an improved ceramic superconductor coated metal fiber.

摘要

An apparatus (10) and method for manufacturing a ceramic superconductor coated electrically conductive fibre (16) comprises a container (12) for holding a nonaqueous solution in which particles of superconductor material are colloidally suspended to form a slurry (14). A relatively low voltage source (24) is provided to influence the slurry (14) with an electric field and this source (24) is connected to a metal fibre (16) to electrically bias the fibre (16) as it is drawn through the slurry (14). Consequently, charged superconductor particles in the slurry (14) attach to the electrically biased fibre (16). A magnet device (44) is provided to influence the particles which are attached to the fibre (16) with a magnetic field which is oriented relative to the fibre (16) to align the superconductor particles on the fibre (16) in a desired orientation. Subsequently, the coated fibre (16) is heated to sinter the aligned particles and establish a ceramic superconductor shell on the electrically conductive fibre substrate (16). <IMAGE>