Evaluation of thermal strain induced in components of NbSn strand during cooling

Suwa, Tomone*; Hemmi, Tsutomu*; Saito, Toru*; Takahashi, Yoshikazu*; Koizumi, Norikiyo*; Luzin, V.*; Suzuki, Hiroshi  ; Harjo, S.   

NbSn strands, whose properties are very sensitive to stress/strain, are utilized for ITER cable-in-conduit conductor (CICC) of the central solenoids. The NbSn strands experience temperature range of 1000 K from the temperature of the heat treatment with the initiation of the NbSn reaction to the operation temperature of 4 K. Due to this large temperature range, large thermal strain is induced in the NbSn filaments due to the differences between the coefficients of thermal expansion and Young's moduli of the components of the strand. Therefore, it is considered that initial performance of the CICC is influenced by the thermal strain on the NbSn, and it is important to evaluate the strain state of the NbSn strand at low temperature. In this study, the thermal strain of the components of free NbSn strand was measured by neutron diffraction and stress/strain state was assessed from room temperature to low temperature. As the results of diffraction measurements, it was found that 0.111 % and 0.209 % compressive strain were generated in NbSn filaments at 300 and 10 K, respectively.