Magnesium Diboride Superconducting Coils for Adiabatic Demagnetization Refrigerators (ADR's), Phase I

For Adiabatic Demagnetization Refrigerators(ADR's) for space it is desirable to have very light weight, small diameter, high current density superconducting wires that can operate at temperatures in the 10-30 K range. Magnesium diboride, a light-weight superconductor wire is the ideal candidate coil material for ADRs in the 10-30 K range. During the Phase I we will determine how small of wire can be manufactured, and that coils can be made from the small diameter wires. This will lead to the development of full size ADR coils in a Phase II effort.

Commercialization of magnesium diboride superconducting wires will allow less expensive and more open MRI systems for medical use, and lower cost and more efficient power utility applications such as transformers, motors, generators, fault current limiters, and SMES. Besides ADR coils, magnesium diboride superconductors can benefit NASA applications for superconducting large aircraft motors, transformers, inductors, magnetic bearings, actuators, MHD magnets, and other potential power conditioning applications.

This is a mature technology (TRL 7+) — the realistic path in is usually NASA's Technology Transfer Program: licensing an existing NASA patent, or a Space Act Agreement to use NASA facilities/expertise directly. NASA also runs a startup licensing program with no upfront fee for companies formed to commercialize a specific NASA technology.

None of these are guaranteed paths for this specific project — TechPort itself doesn't have an "apply" button. Reaching out to the contact(s) above with a specific question is usually the fastest way to find out what's actually open.