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.

A strip conductor device includes first and second elongated strip conductor elements, each configured to be coupled at a coupling-in end to a contact device for coupling-in electric current and at a coupling-out end to a contact device for coupling-out electric current. The first elongated strip conductor element is a first strip conductor that has a substrate layer that carries a conductor layer that has barrier elements along a length of the conductor layer. The second elongated strip conductor element is a second strip conductor that has a substrate layer that carries a conductor layer that has barrier elements along a length of the conductor layer. The first strip conductor element forms a layer arrangement with the second strip conductor element and the coupling-in ends and the coupling-out ends of the first and second strip conductor elements lie one above the other.

An electric machine including a stator having a fully non-magnetic core and stator windings formed of a non-superconducting transposed conductor to reduce eddy current losses. It further includes a rotor having a fully non-magnetic core and superconducting windings or superconducting magnets which produce a magnetic field for interaction with the stator windings. A cryogenic cooling system is arranged to cool the stator windings to reduce conduction losses in the stator windings.

Various implementations of the invention correspond to an improved vortex flux generator. In some implementations of the invention, the improved vortex flux generator includes a magnetic circuit configured to produce a magnetic field; a quench controller configured to provide a variable current; a vortex material configured to form and subsequently dissipate a vortex in response to the variable current, wherein upon formation of the vortex, a magnetic field density surrounding the vortex is urged to decrease, and wherein upon subsequent dissipation of the vortex, the urging to decrease ceases and the magnetic field density increases prior to a reformation of the vortex, and wherein the decrease of the magnetic field density and the increase of the magnetic field density correspond to a modulation of the magnetic field; an inductor disposed in a vicinity of the vortex such that the modulation of the magnetic field induces an electrical current in the inductor; and a dissipation superconductor electrically disposed in parallel with the vortex material and configured to carry, without quenching, an entirety of the variable current during dissipation of the vortex in the vortex material.

Various implementations of the invention correspond to an improved vortex flux generator. In some implementations of the invention, the improved vortex flux generator includes a magnetic circuit configured to produce a magnetic field; a quench controller configured to provide a variable current; a vortex material configured to form and subsequently dissipate a vortex in response to the variable current, wherein upon formation of the vortex, a magnetic field density surrounding the vortex is urged to decrease, and wherein upon subsequent dissipation of the vortex, the urging to decrease ceases and the magnetic field density increases prior to a reformation of the vortex, and wherein the decrease of the magnetic field density and the increase of the magnetic field density correspond to a modulation of the magnetic field; an inductor disposed in a vicinity of the vortex such that the modulation of the magnetic field induces an electrical current in the inductor; and a dissipation superconductor electrically disposed in parallel with the vortex material and configured to carry, without quenching, an entirety of the variable current during dissipation of the vortex in the vortex material.

The invention provides an assembly comprising a cryostat (6, 7, 8, 9) and a flat coil layer (3) of superconducting coils (2) for use with a magnetic levitation and/or acceleration motor system (1) of a lithographic apparatus. The cryostat comprises two insulation coverings (8, 9). The coil layer is arranged between the two coverings. The coverings each comprise an inner plate (10) configured to be cryocooled and an outer plate (11) parallel to the inner plate, and an insulation system with a vacuum layer (13) between the inner and outer plate. The insulation system of said covering comprises a layer of circular bodies (101), the central axes of these bodies extending perpendicular to the inner and outer plate, and is configured to provide a layer of point contacts between two layers of circular bodies or between a layer of circular bodies and the inner and/or outer plate.

The invention provides an assembly comprising a cryostat (6, 7, 8, 9) and a flat coil layer (3) of superconducting coils (2) for use with a magnetic levitation and/or acceleration motor system (1) of a lithographic apparatus. The cryostat comprises two insulation coverings (8, 9). The coil layer is arranged between the two coverings. The coverings each comprise an inner plate (10) configured to be cryocooled and an outer plate (11) parallel to the inner plate, and an insulation system with a vacuum layer (13) between the inner and outer plate. The insulation system of said covering comprises a layer of circular bodies (101), the central axes of these bodies extending perpendicular to the inner and outer plate, and is configured to provide a layer of point contacts between two layers of circular bodies or between a layer of circular bodies and the inner and/or outer plate.

An energy storage device includes multiple bulk superconductor rings and at least one superconductor wire coil between the multiple bulk superconductor rings. The multiple bulk superconductor rings and the at least one superconductor wire coil are interconnected to define a closed geometric shape.

An energy storage device includes multiple bulk superconductor rings and at least one superconductor wire coil between the multiple bulk superconductor rings. The multiple bulk superconductor rings and the at least one superconductor wire coil are interconnected to define a closed geometric shape.

An energy conversion system includes a low-impedance generator having at least one armature winding set. The armature winding set includes a plurality of single-phase coils. The system also includes a current source converter assembly electrically coupled to an armature of the generator. The current source converter assembly includes at least one current source converter that includes a current source rectifier coupled to a current source inverter via a DC link and at least one capacitor across the plurality of single-phase armature coils. The capacitor(s) of the current source converter(s) is configured to absorb high frequency components of current pulses generated by the current source converter so as to minimize current ripple in a current applied to the plurality of single-phase coils.