Mar 17 2005
Quantum Design, HTS-110 Ltd. and American Superconductor Corporation today jointly announced the introduction of a new product for measuring the fundamental physical properties of materials. The new instrument incorporates an electromagnetic coil built with HTS wire in order to increase its versatility and lower its operating costs relative to similar systems that utilize copper or low temperature superconductor wire.
Quantum Design's family of Physical Property Measurement Systems (PPMS) enables scientists and technicians to automate the characterization of materials, including their thermal, magnetic and electrical properties, which are fundamental to the understanding and development of advanced materials. The HTS electromagnet utilized in Quantum Design's new instrument -- the PPMS NitroLab -- generates a magnetic field of 1 Tesla (T), which is about 20,000 times stronger than the earth's magnetic field. Liquid nitrogen -- cheaper than bottled water -- is employed as the coolant for the electromagnet.
The PPMS NitroLab will be introduced at the American Physical Society Meeting in Los Angeles, CA on March 21 - 25, 2005. Quantum Design expects its first sales of the new product to occur within the next nine months. It will be one of the first commercial products in the world to utilize HTS wire, which loses all resistance to the flow of electricity when cooled with liquid nitrogen and which can conduct more than 140 times the electrical current of copper wires of the same dimensions.
"The high power density and high electrical efficiency of AMSC's HTS wires makes it ideal for creating a new addition to our popular line of physical property measurement systems," said Ron Sager, chairman and CEO of Quantum Design. "Because this new instrument utilizes liquid nitrogen -- cheap and readily available everywhere -- operating costs will be significantly reduced. We believe it will be attractive for scientists and educators around the world who need basic materials characterization capability, but whose budgets might not support liquid helium."
HTS-110 Ltd., located in New Zealand, manufactures the HTS electromagnets for the PPMS NitroLab. It develops, manufactures and sells electromagnets and components "Powered by AMSC(TM)" for systems that can benefit from greater compactness and higher electrical efficiency. AMSC is a part owner of HTS- 110.
"We are delighted to have built the electromagnetic coil for Quantum Design's new physical property measurement system," said Geoff Todd, CEO of HTS-110. "We believe this is one of many new commercial products that will utilize HTS wire in the near future, and we believe we are strongly positioned to be a leading supplier of HTS magnets and components for this new, growing industry."
AMSC, based in Massachusetts, is the world's principal vendor of HTS wire. Greg Yurek, Chairman and CEO of AMSC commented that he expects Quantum Design's new PPMS NitroLab to be one of many new products that will emerge now that the performance of HTS wire has achieved commercial levels and it is available in commercial quantities. "Quantum Design is at the leading edge of a revolution in instruments and other electrical systems that are going to take advantage of the high electrical efficiency and power density of HTS wire," he said. "We are delighted to be working with Quantum Design and HTS- 110 to make the PPMS NitroLab one of the first of a new breed of HTS-based products available on the market."
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