W. J. Birmingham

Design Optimization of Nested Bitter Magnets

An optimization technique that utilizes a genetic algorithm is used to minimize the electrical power produced by the conducting disks in resistive Bitter magnets. The resulting values from the optimization give the conditional design parameters necessary for a preliminary magnet design. This precursor design method can be employed for either split or single solenoid nested designs. This method is used to design a 10 T, 10 s magnet at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County for plasma physics research. The design parameters from the optimization are used to generate computer-aided design models that are examined with finite element analysis software to verify safety and performance of the design. The magnet design then progresses to a series of thermal and mechanical tests to ensure safe operating conditions.

Development of a Bitter-Type Magnet System

A 10-T water-cooled Bitter-type magnetic system is under development at the Dusty Plasma Laboratory of the University of Maryland, Baltimore County. We present here methods used for preliminary magnet designs, which include minimizing ohmic heating and placement of water-cooling holes on current-carrying resistive Bitter conductors. Subsystems, such as the pressure vessel and vacuum chamber, motivate the coil design. The proposed power and cooling water delivery subsystems that drive and cool the magnet are also presented. A finite-element analysis is conducted on the proposed water delivery system. A one-tenth magnetic field scale-model of the magnet is currently being constructed. Upon completion and testing of the prototype magnet system, the large-scale model will be produced. Planned experiments include the propagation of magnetized waves in dusty plasma under various boundary and rotational shear flow conditions, among others in a 10-T field on a timescale of at least 10 s.