Stefanie Langeslag

Status of the Demonstrator Magnets for the EuCARD-2 Future Magnets Project

EuCARD-2 is a project partly supported by FP7 European Commission aiming at exploring accelerator magnet technology for 20-T dipole operating field. The EuCARD-2 collaboration is liaising with similar programs for high-field magnets in the U.S. and Japan. EuCARD-2 focuses, through the work package 10 “future magnets,” on the development of a 10-kA-class superconducting high-current-density cable suitable for accelerator magnets, for a 5-T stand-alone dipole of 40-mm bore and about 1-m length. After stand-alone testing, the magnet will be inserted in a large bore background dipole, 10-18 T. This paper reports on the design and development of models, which are called Feather0, wound with REBCO Roebel cable. Based on aligned block design to take advantage of the anisotropy of the REBCO tapes, Feather0 is a precursor of Feather2, which should reach the project goals in 2016. Feather0 is planned to be tested both in stand alone and as an insert mounted in the CERN Fresca facility providing 10-T background field. The progress of other designs pursued in the collaboration, one based on classical ϑ layout with Roebel cable and the other based on coil block with stacked tape cable, will be also reported.

Starting Manufacture of the ITER Central Solenoid

The central solenoid (CS) is a key component of the ITER magnet system to provide the magnetic flux swing required to drive induced plasma current up to 15 MA. The manufacture of its different subcomponents has now started, following completion of the design analyses and achievement of the qualification of the manufacturing procedures. A comprehensive set of analyses has been produced to demonstrate that the CS final design meets all requirements. This includes in particular structural analyses carried out with different finite-element models and addressing normal and fault conditions. Following the Final Design Review, held in November 2013, and the subsequent design modifications, the analyses were updated for consistency with the final design details and provide evidence that the Magnet Structural Design Criteria are fully met. Before starting any manufacturing activity of a CS component, a corresponding dedicated qualification program has been carried out. This includes manufacture of mockups using the real manufacturing tools to be tested in relevant conditions. Acceptance criteria have been established for materials and components, winding including joints, cooling inlets and outlets, insulation, precompression, and support structure elements.

Physical Properties of a High-Strength Austenitic Stainless Steel for the Precompression Structure of the ITER Central Solenoid

The ITER central solenoid (CS) consists of six independent coils kept together by a precompression support structure that must react vertical tensile loads and provide sufficient preload to maintain coil-to-coil contact when the solenoid is energized. The CS precompression system includes tie plates, lower and upper key blocks, load distribution and isolation plates and other attachment, support and insulating hardware. The tie plates operating at 4 K are manufactured starting from forgings in a high-strength austenitic stainless steel (FXM-19) with a stringent specification. Moreover, forged components for the lower and upper key blocks have to be provided in the same FXM-19 grade with comparably strict requirements. FXM-19 is a high-nitrogen austenitic stainless steel, featuring high strength and toughness, ready weldability, and forgeability. It features as well higher integral thermal contraction down to 4 K compared with the very high Mn steel grade selected for the CS coil jackets, hence providing an additional precompression of the CS modules during cooling down. The results of an extensive characterization of the physical properties of FXM-19, extended down to 4 K or lower, are reported here. The provided results allow requirements for the file for new materials described in French code RCC-MRx to be fulfilled, as well as to complete the material properties in the ITER database, where measurements were reported for room temperature and above only.

Effect of thermo-mechanical processing on the material properties at low temperature of a large size Al-Ni stabilized Nb-Ti/Cu superconducting cable

For future high-resolution particle experiments, a prototype for a 60 kA at 5 T, 4.2 K class conductor is realized by co-extrusion of a large, 40-strand Nb-Ti/Cu superconducting cable with a precipitation type Al-0.1wt.%Ni stabilizer. Microalloying with nickel contributes to the strength of the stabilizer, and avoids significant degradation in residual resistivity ratio, owing to its low solid solubility in aluminum. Sections of the conductor are work hardened to increase the mechanical properties of the as-extruded temper. Mechanical and resistivity characteristics are assessed as function of the amount of work hardening, at room temperature as well as at 4.2 K. Thermal treatments, like resin curing after coil winding, can cause partial annealing of the cold-worked material and reverse the strengthening effect. However, targeted thermal treatments, applied at relatively low temperature can result in precipitation hardening. The depletion of nickel in the aluminum-rich matrix around the precipitates resul...

Investigation of Materials and Welds for the Precompression Structure of the ITER Central Solenoid

The central solenoid (CS) is the backbone of the ITER magnet system. It consists of six independent coils held together by a vertical precompression structure that must react to tensile loads and provide sufficient preload to maintain coil-to-coil contact during all stages of plasma operation. Material selection and specifications applicable to the structural components of the precompression structure are particularly demanding. These include large forgings manufactured from a high-strength austenitic stainless steel (FXM-19) with a stringent specification in terms of microstructure and maximum allowed magnetic permeability. Stringent requirements are also imposed on all welded joints. In particular, the attachment welds of the cooling pipes to the structure are subject to challenging restrictions in terms of weld imperfections and geometry. They must induce limited distortion of the components and are submitted to inspections carried out in accordance with the most severe acceptance levels of applicable national and international standards. The results of a campaign of tests covering nondestructive and destructive evaluation of samples from different components and welds are summarized in this paper, particularly focusing on the quality achieved at the microstructural and macrostructural level. The influence of the microstructure on the final properties and on the inspectability of the material by nondestructive examinations is also discussed.

The crab cavities cryomodule for SPS test

RF Crab Cavities are an essential part of the HL-LHC upgrade. Two concepts of such systems are being developed: the Double Quarter Wave (DQW) and the RF Dipole (RFD). A cryomodule with two DQW cavities is in advanced fabrication stage for the tests with protons in the SPS. The cavities must be operated at 2 K, without excessive heat loads, in a low magnetic environment and in compliance with CERN safety guidelines on pressure and vacuum systems. A large set of components, such as a thermal shield, a two layers magnetic shield, RF lines, helium tank and tuner are required for the successful and safe operation of the cavities. The sum of all these components with the cavities and their couplers forms the cryomodule. An overview of the design and fabrication strategy of this cryomodule is presented. The main components are described along with the present status of cavity fabrication and processing and cryomodule assembly. The lesson learned from the prototypes and first manufactured systems are also included.

Qualification of the Manufacturing Procedures of the ITER Correction Coils

The system of correction coils (CC) is a component of the ITER magnet system, required to correct toroidal asymmetries and reduce error magnetic fields detrimental for physical processes in the plasma. It includes 18 coils, inserted in between toroidal field coils and poloidal field coils and split into 3 sets of 6 coils each: bottom correction coils (BCC), side correction coils (SCC), and top correction coils (TCC). BCC and TCC are planar coils, whereas SCC are wound on a cylinder. All CC coils are wound using a 10 kA NbTi cable-in-conduit conductor and are manufactured by ASIPP laboratory (Institute of Plasma Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences), under the responsibility of ITER China. A manufacturing line was installed in 2013 at ASIPP in a dedicated workshop for the construction of the CC. In order to qualify the manufacturing procedures, a comprehensive qualification program has been set up. This program includes a set of mock-ups, manufactured according to the process to be used for the coils and submitted to different tests. These qualification items are winding, insulation and vacuum pressure impregnation, helium inlet/outlet, terminal joints, case material, filler material between winding-pack and case, case assembly, and terminal service box. Qualification of conductor winding, He inlet/outlet manufacture, winding-pack turn and ground insulation installation and impregnation, case material, winding-pack-case filler material is achieved. This included mechanical testing of materials at room and cryogenic temperature in specialized testing laboratories and high-voltage tests performed at the CC workshop. Joint qualification, relying on electrical tests of joints in a dedicated test facility, is nearly complete. Remaining qualification items are case assembly, winding-pack insertion into case, and case closure welding. Manufacture of the first coil started in 2015 and its winding-pack is near completion.

Characterization of a Large Size Co-Extruded Al-Ni Stabilized Nb-Ti Superconducting Cable for Future Detector Magnets

Future detector magnets call for the development of next-generation large-sized Al stabilized Nb-Ti superconducting cables exhibiting high yield strength for coping with the large stress in wide bore magnets with peak magnetic fields up to 6 T, while avoiding significant degradation in residual resistivity ratio. Precipitation type alloys obtained by dilute-alloying of high purity Al with suitable additives like Ni, subjected to partial annealing following cold drawing, can feature a yield strength up to 110 MPa at 4.2 K. For the ATLAS central solenoid, a Nb-Ti cable has been plated with a precipitation-type Al-0.1wt%Ni alloy. However, this conductor with a critical current of 20 kA at 5 T, features a cross-section of only 130 mm2. Here, a first step in process scale-up to a 60 kA at 5 T class conductor is described. For the first time, a continuous co-extruded Al-0.1wt %Ni stabilized conductor has been produced with a cross-section as large as 700 mm2. Sections of the conductor are work hardened in order to increase the mechanical properties of the as-extruded temper. The mechanical and transport characteristics as a function of the amount of work hardening have been assessed by removing samples after every subsequent step.

Characterization of low temperature high voltage axial insulator breaks for the ITER cryogenic supply line

Cable-in-conduit conductors of the ITER magnet system are directly cooled by supercritical helium. Insulation breaks are required in the liquid helium feed pipes to isolate the high voltage system of the magnet windings from the electrically grounded helium coolant supply line. They are submitted to high voltages and significant internal helium pressure and will experience mechanical forces resulting from differential thermal contraction and electro-mechanical loads. Insulation breaks consist essentially of stainless steel tubes overwrapped by an outer glass – fiber reinforced composite and bonded to an inner composite tube at each end of the stainless steel fittings. For some types of insulator breaks Glass – Kapton – Glass insulation layers are interleaved in the outer composite. Following an extensive mechanical testing campaign at cryogenic temperature combined with leak tightness tests, the present paper investigates through non-destructive and destructive techniques the physical and microstructural characteristics of the low temperature high voltage insulation breaks and of their individual components, thus allowing to correlate the structure and properties of the constituents to their overall performance. For all the tests performed, consistent and reproducible results were obtained within the range of the strict acceptance criteria defined for safe operation of the insulation breaks.

Design of load-to-failure tests of high-voltage insulation breaks for ITER's cryogenic network

The development of new generation superconducting magnets for fusion research, such as the ITER experiment, is largely based on coils wound with so-called cable-in-conduit conductors. The concept of the cable-in-conduit conductor is based on a direct cooling principle, by supercritical helium, flowing through the central region of the conductor, in close contact with the superconducting strands. Consequently, a direct connection exists between the electrically grounded helium coolant supply line and the highly energised magnet windings. Various insulated regions, constructed out of high-voltage insulation breaks, are put in place to isolate sectors with different electrical potential. In addition to high voltages and significant internal helium pressure, the insulation breaks will experience various mechanical forces resulting from differential thermal contraction phenomena and electro-magnetic loads.Special test equipment was designed, prepared and employed to assess the mechanical reliability of the insulation breaks. A binary test setup is proposed, where mechanical failure is assumed when leak rate of gaseous helium exceeds 10-9Pam3/s. The test consists of a load-to-failure insulation break charging, in tension, while immersed in liquid nitrogen at the temperature of 77 K. Leak tightness during the test is monitored by measuring the leak rate of the gaseous helium, directly surrounding the insulation break, with respect to the existing vacuum inside the insulation break. The experimental setup is proven effective, and various insulation breaks performed beyond expectations.