Iseult/INUMAC 11.7 T Conductor Production Status

The Iseult/INUMAC 11.7 T MRI magnet uses NbTi conductors larger than those typically used in conventional MRI magnets. The principal conductors are the main coil one, producing the magnetic field of 11.7 T and the conductor of the shielding coil that limits the fringe field. Both conductors are being produced by Luvata Waterbury Inc. The main coil conductor is a Rutherford cable in a copper channel (160 km) and carries 1500 A at 12 T and 2.8 K (2727 A at 9.5 T and 4.2 K). The shielding coil conductor is a wire in channel (60 km) and carries 2100 A at 5 T and 4.2 K. The conductor shape must be very precise with reproducible dimensions (tolerances below 15 microns) to enable good magnetic field homogeneity. They must also simultaneously exhibit a low electrical resistance (20 μΩ/m at 10 K and 12 T) and a high mechanical strength (σ <sub xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">0.2%</sub> >;250 MPa). Conductors of this industrial production are characterized by mechanical, electrical and geometrical measurements.