Local strain and its influence on mechanical-electromagnetic properties of twisted and untwisted ITER NbSn strands

長村 光造*; 町屋 修太郎*; 土屋 佳則*; 鈴木 裕士; 菖蒲 敬久; 佐藤 真直*; 辺見 努; 布谷 嘉彦; 落合 庄治郎*

Superconductor Science and Technology, 25(5), p.054010_1 - 054010_9, 2012/05

https://doi.org/10.1088/0953-2048/25/5/054010

It is important to evaluate the local strain exerted on superconducting filaments in NbSn strands, because it influences both superconducting and mechanical properties, in particular for the ITER project. The local strain in the twisted and untwisted NbSn strands was directly measured at room temperature as well as at low temperatures by means of quantum beam techniques. The interrelation between the force-free strain and the intrinsic strain showing a maximum critical current was considered on the basis of the present experimental data as well as the recent theory. The thermal strains along both directions parallel and transverse to the strand axis were numerically evaluated. The force-free strain along the axial direction is deduced to be distributed among grains with different crystal orientation with respect to the axial direction. It is suggested that this fact affects the definition of intrinsic strain.