HTS HIGH-GRADIENT MAGNETIC SEPARATION SYSTEM

We report on the assembly, characterization and operation of a high te mperature superconducting (HTS) magnetic separator. The magnet is made of 624 m of Silver/BSCCO superconducting wire and has overall dimensi ons of 18 cm OD, 15.5 cm height and 5 cm ID. The HTS current leads are designed to operate with the warm end at 75 K and the cold end at 27 K. The system operates in a vacuum and is cooled by a two stage Giffor d-McMahon cryocooler. The upper stage of the cryocooler cools the ther mal shield and two heat pipe thermal intercepts, The lower stage of th e cryocooler cools the HTS magnet and the bottom end of the HTS curren t leads. The HTS magnet was initially characterized in liquid cryogens . We report on the current-voltage (I-V) characteristics of the HTS ma gnet at temperatures ranging from 15 to 45 K. At 40 K the magnet can g enerate a central field of 2.0 T at a current of 120 A.