Satoshi Awaji

New 25 T Cryogen-Free Superconducting Magnet Project at Tohoku University

The new high magnetic field research laboratory network is recognized as one of the Japanese Master Plans of Large Research Project by the Science Council of Japan. Recently, the project of the 25 T cryogen-free superconducting magnet (25 T-CSM), which is operated under a conductive cooling condition by cryocooler, was approved under the high magnetic field research laboratory network. We adopted a high strength CuNb/Nb3Sn Rutherford cable with a prebending treatment for the middle section coils of the 25 T-CSM. The central magnetic field of 14 T is generated by the operational current of 851 A by the Nb3Sn middle section and NbTi outer section coils in a 300 mm bore. The induced maximum hoop stress in the CuNb/Nb3Sn section is about 250 MPa. In addition, the 11.5 T high temperature superconducting insert coil is also designed using Gd123 tapes. Therefore, a total central magnetic field of 25.5 T can be achieved.

Mechanical and superconducting properties of Nb3Sn wires with Nb-rod-processed CuNb reinforcement

New Nb-rod-processed CuNb reinforced Nb3Sn superconducting wires have been developed for large high field magnet applications. The critical current, Ic, mechanical properties and resistivity are investigated. The residual strain and irreversible strain are found to be 0.35% and 0.77%, respectively. We found that the Nb-rod-processed wire has a large strain sensitivity to Ic. However, the wire has good mechanical properties, having a 0.2% proof stress of 280 MPa and a Youngs modulus of 150 GPa. This means that the stress sensitivity of the Ic for the wire is small. These results show that the Nb-rod-processed wire is suitable as a strand of Rutherford cable for a high field superconducting magnet.

Design of a Cooling System for a REBCO Insert Coil in a Cryogen-Free 25 T Superconducting Magnet

A cryogen-free 20 T superconducting magnet with a 52 mm room-temperature bore was developed and installed in Tohoku University in 2013. This magnet consists of a Bi2223 insert coil, which generates 4.5 T, and outer low-temperature superconducting (LTS) coils. Both coils were cooled by a GM/JT cryocooler with 4.2 W-class cooling capacity at 4.3 K. To generate a higher magnetic field, a new cryogen-free 25 T superconducting magnet using a REBCO insert coil, which generates 11.5 T, and new outer LTS coils is now under development. The magnetic field contribution of this REBCO insert coil is considerably higher than that of the previous Bi2223 insert coil, and the ac-loss of the insert coil during field ramping rises to approximately 9.7 W. The LTS coils have to operate at about 4 K, but the REBCO coil can operate at various temperatures above 4 K. In addition, the cooling capacity of a GM cryocooler is greater than that of a GM/JT cryocooler around 10 K. Thus, the REBCO insert coil is cooled to about 10 K by using two GM cryocoolers, independently of the LTS coils, which are cooled by two GM/JT cryocoolers. To protect the cryocoolers from the leakage field of the magnet, the two GM cryocoolers cool circulating helium gas through heat exchangers, and the gas is transported over a long distance to another heat exchanger provided for the REBCO insert coil. The maximum temperature of the REBCO insert coil was calculated under the most severe condition where an insert coil ac-loss of 9.7 W was generated continuously. And it was confirmed to be less than the target maximum temperature of 12 K.

AC Losses of an HTS Insert in a 25-T Cryogen-Free Superconducting Magnet

A 25-T cryogen-free superconducting magnet (25T-CSM) is being developed at the High Field Laboratory for Superconducting Materials, Institute for Materials Research, Tohoku University. In the case of a cryogen-free superconducting magnet, the coil temperature rises during a sweep of an operating current due to ac losses. Hence, the ac loss estimation is very important for the cooling design. The critical current density and the magnetization of Gd123 tapes at 4.2 K were measured in order to estimate the ac loss of a Gd123 insert of the 25T-CSM. The ac loss is actually the hysteresis loss, which are calculated from the Jc properties taking the magnetic field distribution in the Gd123 coil into account. Regarding the effect of tape stacking (or winding) in a pancake coil, the slab approximation can be used for hysteresis loss calculation. In the case of slab model, the full penetration field at the center of the tape becomes higher than the maximum applied magnetic field in the most part of the coil. As a result, the hysteresis loss increases with increasing a magnetic field when the magnet energizes. The hysteresis losses assuming the slab model, however, show an opposite field dependence to those calculated from the strip model without the stacking effect. Hence, the ac loss of 5 W is estimated when the magnet energizes to 25.5 T within 60 min.

Design of YBCO Insert Coil for a Cryogen-Free 22 T Superconducting Magnet

A YBCO insert coil has been developed for upgrading a cryogen-free 18 T superconducting magnet installed in the High Field Laboratory for Superconducting Materials (HFLSM) at Tohoku University to a 22 T superconducting magnet. The YBCO insert coil is designed to generate 6.5 T at 200 A in 15.5 T outer LTS coils. The YBCO insert coil is composed of a stack of 50 single pancake coils wound with YBCO-coated conductors (0.23 mm × 4 mm). The inner and outer diameters of the YBCO insert coil are 96 mm and 178 mm, respectively, and the total conductor length is about 3 km. The maximum hoop stress of the YBCO insert coil was estimated to be 310 MPa when the central magnetic field was 22 T. The magnet system is cooled by a GM/JT cryocooler and two single-stage GM cryocoolers. Thermal runaway may cause burnout of the YBCO insert coil, and therefore, it is important to calculate the voltage-current characteristics of the coil from the superconducting properties of the YBCO-coated conductors. The coil should have no damaged area in the windings because a damaged area would generate heat locally, eventually resulting in thermal runaway. Therefore, a demonstration coil with almost the same size as the pancake coils used for the YBCO insert coil was fabricated and tested in conduction cooling conditions in order to evaluate whether the coil could withstand the thermal stresses and electromagnetic force.

Construction of a 25-T cryogen-free superconducting magnet

The construction of a 25-T cryogen-free superconducting magnet (25T-CSM) has started in 2013 at the High Field Laboratory for Superconducting Materials, Institute for Materials Research, Tohoku University. The 25T-CSM consists of a low-T superconducting (LTS) coil and a high-Tc superconducting (HTS) coil. A high-strength CuNb/Nb3Sn Rutherford cable with the reinforcing stabilizer CuNb composite is adopted for the middle LTS section coil. The characteristic feature of the new technology using a CuNb/Nb3Sn Rutherford cable is a react-and-wind method for the coil-winding process. The LTS coil of 300-mm winding inner diameter is fabricated, and a central magnetic field of 14 T is generated at an operation current of 851 A. The HTS insert coil wound with GdBa2Cu3Oy (Gd123) tape has a 52-mm experimental room temperature bore, and a central magnetic field of 25.5 T will be generated at an operation current of 150 A in a background field of 14 T.

Rutherford flat cable composed of CuNb-reinforced Nb3Sn strands

A Rutherford flat cable that is applicable for operational currents up to 1000 A at 13–14 T was developed using a bronze-processed high-strength Nb3Sn strand with CuNb reinforcement (CuNb/Nb3Sn). The critical current for a 0.8-mm diameter CuNb/Nb3Sn strand is 98 A at 14 T and 4.2 K in the residual strain state. A test coil using the CuNb/Nb3Sn Rutherford flat cable composed of 16 CuNb-reinforced Nb3Sn strands was fabricated. We measured the critical current properties of the Rutherford test coil and obtained an excellent critical current of 1840 A at 14 T and 4.2 K. By using the strain gauges attached onto the stainless-steel reinforcement tape that was co-wounded with the Rutherford flat cable, it was found that a 300-MPa hoop stress at 4.2 K was applied to the CuNb/Nb3Sn strand. This implies that the critical current for a CuNb/Nb3Sn strand is enhanced to be 115 A at 14 T and 4.2 K through the stress-strain effect of the critical current at 300 MPa.

Magnetic Field Quality Evaluation of a 20-T Cryogen-Free Superconducting Magnet With a Bi2223 Insert

The magnetic field stability such as relaxation and a magnetic field hysteresis of a practical 20-T cryogen-free superconducting magnet (20 T-CSM) with a Bi2Sr2Ca2Cu3Oy (Bi2223) insert coil was investigated. The relaxation of a central magnetic field is basically related to the flux creep phenomena in the magnetization of the Bi2223 tapes. We found that the relaxation rate S of the magnet is more than two orders smaller than that of the Bi2223 tapes. The magnetic field stability of the 20 T-CSM becomes less than 2 G/h even at 19 T after a lapse of half a day from the charging. It is small enough for the solid-state NMR studies. However, the repeating excitation increases the central magnetic field beyond the saturated values under the relaxation.

Study on Normal Zone Characteristics in a REBCO Insert Coil Induced by Quenches in an LTS Outsert Coil

In this paper, normal zone in a REBCO single-pancake coil induced by quenches in a low-temperature superconducting outsert coil is investigated in both experimental and numerical methods to discuss the quench protection of REBCO coils. The normal zone is experimentally clarified by measuring a partial voltage in the REBCO coil at temperatures from 30 K to 50 K during quenches of the outsert coil charging 5 T. Using practical fittings for the physical properties of the components of the REBCO coil in ranges of 0-5 T and 10-77 K, the numerical results have good agreement with the experimental results. The simulation reveals the heating distribution with initial temperatures from 10 K to 65 K, which indicates that the maximum temperature in a hot spot becomes higher for the lower initial temperature. Unexpectedly, the temperature distribution becomes rather homogeneous with an initial temperature of 65 K. It suggests that the hot spot at higher temperature has a lower risk of burning out. Finally, possible coil protections are discussed as the operation at the high temperature or the quench heater method to keep the REBCO coil at high temperature when a hot spot appears.