A sliding surface located to one side in the axial direction relative to the axially central position of a rotary shaft is supported by the slide surface of a supply shaft in a slidable manner in the axial direction, the slide surface being the surface on which sliding occurs. The portion located to the other side in the axial direction side relative to the axially central position of the rotary shaft is fixed to an output shaft. The sliding surface is positioned on the surface of a hard coating, and the hard coating is positioned so as to cover a part of a substrate made of a GFRP. The slide surface is positioned on the surface of a hard coating, and the hard coating is positioned so as to cover a part of a substrate made of a GFRP.

A rotary joint for maintaining a cryogenic supplying refrigerant comprises a vacuum use cylindrical shaft supported in rotatable condition, a rotary seal ring fitted to an outer circumferential face with a space, a stationary seal ring provided at both sides of the respective rotary seal rings, a resilient bellows to press the stationary ring resiliently to the rotary seal ring side, a spaced fluid passage formed between the respective resilient bellows, a second fluid passage communicating with the spaced fluid passage, a connecting fluid passage communicating with the second fluid passage, a first pipe communicating through the spaced fluid passage, a connecting cover having a suction bore for vacuumizing and a magnetic fluid seal device having a projection constituted as multiple gaps corresponding to a pressure of the vacuumizing.

The present invention relates to a superconducting electric machine (1) comprising an inductor (3) having: superconducting pellets (7) circumferentially distributed about an axis (X) of the electric machine (1), an armature (2) comprising coils (5), each coil (5) having a circumferential radially inner edge (10) and a circumferential radially outer edge (9), andat least one flow barrier (12, 12) extending circumferentially with respect to the axis (X), each flow barrier (12) extending between the superconducting pellets (7) and the armature (2) so as to at least partially cover at least one of the radially outer edge (9) and the radially inner edge (10) of all or part of the coils (5) of the armature (2).

The motors/generators of the preferred embodiments comprise a rotating part (rotor) and a stationary part (stator). In the devices disclosed, the primary function of the stator is to provide a high strength background magnetic field in which the rotor rotates. The rotor can be powered with a current that changes direction in concert with the relative change in magnetic field direction of the background field (that is, as the rotor moves from one magnetic pole to the next) in the case of a motor. In the case of a generator, the movement of the rotor generally results in the generation of an alternating voltage and current.

The motors/generators of the preferred embodiments comprise a rotating part (rotor) and a stationary part (stator). In the devices disclosed, the primary function of the stator is to provide a high strength background magnetic field in which the rotor rotates. The rotor can be powered with a current that changes direction in concert with the relative change in magnetic field direction of the background field (that is, as the rotor moves from one magnetic pole to the next) in the case of a motor. In the case of a generator, the movement of the rotor generally results in the generation of an alternating voltage and current.

A magnetic suspension planar motor comprises a structure of superconductor excitation. A primary base plate is in a shape of board. Armature windings are fixed on an air gap side of the primary base plate. A secondary base plate in a secondary structure is evenly divided into 2 h*2 h magnet cells. 2 h.sup.2 superconducting magnets are respectively fixed in the magnet cells on the secondary base plate, which resembles a checkerboard pattern. The superconducting magnets are adjacent to each other, neither in a horizontal direction nor in a vertical direction. The superconducting magnets are magnetized parallelly, and magnetization directions of the superconducting magnets are perpendicular to a surface on an air gap side of the secondary base plate. The superconducting magnets in a same row or column have same magnetization directions, and the superconducting magnets in adjacent rows columns have contrary magnetization directions. A cooling container shields all of the superconducting magnets.

A magnetic suspension planar motor comprises a structure of superconductor excitation. A primary base plate is in a shape of board. Armature windings are fixed on an air gap side of the primary base plate. A secondary base plate in a secondary structure is evenly divided into 2 h*2 h magnet cells. 2 h.sup.2 superconducting magnets are respectively fixed in the magnet cells on the secondary base plate, which resembles a checkerboard pattern. The superconducting magnets are adjacent to each other, neither in a horizontal direction nor in a vertical direction. The superconducting magnets are magnetized parallelly, and magnetization directions of the superconducting magnets are perpendicular to a surface on an air gap side of the secondary base plate. The superconducting magnets in a same row or column have same magnetization directions, and the superconducting magnets in adjacent rows columns have contrary magnetization directions. A cooling container shields all of the superconducting magnets.

An electrical system having a current path formed in a region between first and second electrodes. When a low pressure is sustained in the region, and a plasma is generated in a portion of a gap between the electrodes, current flows across the gap from the first electrode to the second electrode. In one embodiment the system is operable as a motor or a generator, having a first electrode and a member including a second electrode which is rotatable with respect to the first electrode. In another embodiment a first conductor is positioned to carry current toward or away from a first terminal at a high temperature, and a second conductor is spaced apart from the first terminal to carry current toward or away from a second terminal when the second conductor is at a low temperature relative to the temperature of the first region.

An electrical system having a current path formed in a region between first and second electrodes. When a low pressure is sustained in the region, and a plasma is generated in a portion of a gap between the electrodes, current flows across the gap from the first electrode to the second electrode. In one embodiment the system is operable as a motor or a generator, having a first electrode and a member including a second electrode which is rotatable with respect to the first electrode. In another embodiment a first conductor is positioned to carry current toward or away from a first terminal at a high temperature, and a second conductor is spaced apart from the first terminal to carry current toward or away from a second terminal when the second conductor is at a low temperature relative to the temperature of the first region.

Electrical, mechanical, computing, and/or other devices that include components formed of extremely low resistance (ELR) materials, including, but not limited to, modified ELR materials, layered ELR materials, and new ELR materials, are described.