Design of an Industrially Feasible Twisted-Stack HTS Cable-in-Conduit Conductor for Fusion Application

• Published in: IEEE transactions on applied superconductivity Vol. 24; no. 3; pp. 1 - 5
• Main Authors: Celentano, G., De Marzi, G., Fabbri, F., Muzzi, L., Tomassetti, G., Anemona, A., Chiarelli, S., Seri, M., Bragagni, A., della Corte, A.
• Format: Journal Article Conference Proceeding
• Language: English
• Published: New York, NY IEEE 01.06.2014; Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers
• Subjects: Applied sciences; Cable-in-conduit conductor (CICC); Conductors; Cooling; Design. Technologies. Operation analysis. Testing; Ducts; Electric connection. Cables. Wiring; Electrical engineering. Electrical power engineering; Electronics; Exact sciences and technology; high temperature superconductor (HTS) coated conductors; High-temperature superconductors; Integrated circuits; Materials; Power cables; Semiconductor electronics. Microelectronics. Optoelectronics. Solid state devices; superconducting cable; Superconducting cables; Superconducting devices; Various equipment and components; Wires; Temperature distribution; Industrial production; Twisted cable; Twisted shape; Cooling; Thermal management (packaging); Stacking; Two dimensional model; Forced flow; Coated material; Optimization; high temperature superconductor (HTS) coated conductors; Pipe cable; Layout; Manufacturing process; Superconducting tapes; Cooling system; Superconducting cable; Cable-in-conduit conductor (CICC); Electrical conductor; Thermal model; High temperature superconductor; Large scale system
• ISSN: 1051-8223; 1558-2515
• DOI: 10.1109/TASC.2013.2287910

Taking advantage of the large experience of the ENEA Superconducting Laboratory in the manufacture and characterization of large scale superconducting systems, a project was launched, aimed at using High Temperature Superconductor (HTS) 2G wires for the manufacture of a cable-in-conduit conductor (CICC). In particular, the main aim was the definition of a conductor design fully compatible with existing cabling technologies, to be promptly transferred to an industrial scale production. The considered layout is based on 150 HTS tapes, arranged as five layered structures of twisted tapes wound on a helically slotted core with external round jacket. All manufacturing steps (slotted core production, tape stacking and insertion into the ducts, external wrapping and jacketing) are fulfilled by using equipments and technologies available at TRATOS Cavi S.p.A. These CICCs are intended for operation using forced flow of Helium. A 2D local thermal model has been developed for the optimization of the cooling configuration. This conductor is designed to target 20 kA at 4.2 K and 15 T (or, alternatively, higher temperature, in self-field and LN2 cooling) corresponding to a J e of about 55 A/mm 2 . The production of a short dummy sample revealed that the exploited industrial production process is very promising for the development of HTS CICC.