HTS and NMR/MRI magnets: Unique features, opportunities, and challenges

The unique features of HTS offer opportunities and challenges to a number of applications. In this paper we focus on NMR and MRI magnets and present a brief description of some of the NMR/MRI magnet programs at FBML that are currently on-going and expected to begin in the near future, specifically a 1 GHz NMR magnet comprising an LTS magnet and an HTS insert wound with BSCCO-2223 tape, an NMR magnet assembled from YBCO annuli, and an MRI demonstration magnet wound with MgB2, wire. Two conclusions are presented for HTS as applied to NMR/MRI magnets: (1) impact of HTS on NMR/MRI magnet technology is great, because HTS offers many opportunities and challenges, some of which are described here; and (2) impact of NMR/MRI magnets on HTS manufacturers is mixed-for high-field NMR magnet, it is small because the required amount of HTS in these magnets is negligible compared with that in electric power applications; for low-field NMR magnets, it may be potentially large if MgB2 replaces Nb-Ti and Nb3Sn; and for MRI magnets, it is potentially huge if MgB2 replaces Nb-Ti and Nb3Sn. (c) 2006 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.