Special Sessions

The MT29 program committee is organizing a series of special sessions which will be of interest to various attendees, including engineers/scientists, system-level developers, and industry-level representatives. These sessions will feature both special invited presentations and contributed talks. 

In recent years, commercial markets for superconducting magnets have expanded beyond traditional MRI applications. The rapid development of second-generation superconducting materials, such as REBCO, has fueled this growth. Additionally, the widespread adoption of cryogen-free systems has increased the use of superconducting magnets with little to no helium, utilizing closed cycles.

These emerging markets benefit from unique partnership structures, targeted funding, and customized go-to-market strategies that align with specific customer needs and operational contexts. A ten-year strategic roadmap proposed by the Superconductivity Global Alliance (ScGA) for various sectors, along with consolidated R&D funding, is poised to usher in a new industrial era for this technology.

Markets are ready to be serviced by these technologies, with supply chains being organized and capacity increasing to meet new downstream demand. This special session will highlight several ongoing commercial superconducting magnet projects and initiatives that have successfully leveraged prior research to lay the groundwork for industrial product integration. With government support focusing on economic development, the risks associated with these projects have significantly decreased, facilitating successful fundraising in the private sector and paving the way for future financial backing and market entry.

Join us as we discuss the transformative potential of superconducting magnet technology in modern electrification and its role in enabling sustainable healthcare and energy solutions for the future.

Session Organizers: Ziad Melhem (ScGA) and Jeffrey Whalen (MagCorp)

The development of technologies for the realization of nuclear fusion reactors is experiencing a rapid growth. In particular, High Temperature Superconducting (HTS) magnets are considered a key, enabling technology for the achievement of high-field fusion based on magnetically confined plasma—usually foreseeing a reduction in machine size, complexity and cost. The design, qualification, and manufacturing advances of high-current / high-field conductors employing HTS materials is thus of paramount importance in this field, as well as for so many other high field applications.

This special session will bring together prominent experts from both private and public organizations, and from a geographically wide spectrum, to discuss the main aspects and development status of the cable concepts under consideration in the various fusion projects. Along with these high-level scientific presentations, the session will feature an introductory talk on the status, advantages, and challenges of HTS conductors for fusion; taking in consideration important lessons learned during the development of Low Temperature Superconductors (LTS) for fusion application.

Session Organizers: Luigi Muzzi (ENEA), Alexandre Torre (CEA), and Charlie Sanabria (CFS)

Challenges aimed at generating exceptionally high magnetic fields are being pursued at high-field facilities worldwide. These efforts include pulsed magnets exceeding 1000 T, hybrid magnets reaching up to 45 T, and superconducting magnets toward 40 T.

Pulsed magnets generate high magnetic fields in microseconds to milliseconds. By employing a electro-magnetic flux compression technique, high magnetic fields of 1000 T class can be achieved. In addition, the 100 T range are also routinely available at the high field facilities. Hybrid magnets combine high-power, water-cooled resistive magnets with large-bore superconducting magnets, enabling steady magnetic fields exceeding 45 T. Superconducting magnets to provide continuous high magnetic fields over long durations. Several research initiatives around the world are focused on developing a 40 T all-superconducting magnet using high-temperature superconductors (HTS). These powerful magnetic fields facilitate a wide range of physical property measurements, including in-field critical current assessments.

In this special session, representatives from leading high field facilities will present the latest developments and future directions in ultra-high magnetic field research.

Session Organizers: Mark Bird (NHFML) and Satoshi Awaji (Tohoku University)

Recent advancements in both the private and public sectors have led to the use of REBCO superconductors in the fabrication of large stored-energy magnets, with ambitious plans underway for large-scale production. However, the stored energy and high forces within these magnets, along with challenges such as critical current anisotropy, intra-tape variations, and slow quench-propagation velocities complicate quench protection.

This session will bring together experts from various communities to explore the current state of large stored-energy REBCO magnets. The goals are to provide some lessons learned, identify key challenges, and discuss potential solutions for effective quench protection. The session will mix experimental and simulation perspectives and conclude with an interactive discussion between speakers and the audience.

Session Organizers: Helene Felice (CEA) and Giorgio Ambrosio (FNAL)

Dr. Hubertus Weijers, affectionately known as Huub, was an inspiring person with a vast knowledge of and passion for high temperature superconductors as applied to magnet technology. His work on Bi-2212 and REBCO coils has pushed the envelope of what all-superconducting magnets can do. This session is dedicated to the life of Dr. Weijers and his influence.

The introduction presentation to the session will be a tribute to Dr. Weijers that will reflect on his past achievements and his impact to the community. The remainder of the session will include presentations that continue the type of research and development that he led, high field magnets that feature high temperature superconducting insert coils.

Session Organizer: Iain Dixon (NHMFL/FSU)

CALL FOR SPECIAL SESSIONS OR PROGRAM SUGGESTIONS

The MT29 Organizers invite the community to propose Special Sessions within the general scope of the MT29 Conference. To submit your special session proposal, please email the Program Chairs listed below prior to the abstract submission deadline and include the session title along with the motivation of the special session.

Suggestions concerning the technical program should be directed to the Conference or Program Chairs.