Internally Cu-stabilized RHQT NbAl superconductors with Ta matrix

Takeuchi, Takao*; Tagawa, Kohei*; Noda, Tetsuji*; Banno, Nobuya*; Iijima, Yasuo*; Kikuchi, Akihiro*; Kitaguchi, Hitoshi*; Kosuge, Michio*; Tsuchiya, Kiyosumi*; Koizumi, Norikiyo; et al.

IEEE Transactions on Applied Superconductivity, 16(2), p.1257 - 1260, 2006/06

https://doi.org/10.1109/TASC.2006.870804

Next generation nuclear fusion magnets would require a high-current conductor in fields more than 16 T. A CIC conductor of the rapid RHQT processed NbAl may be a promising candidate. Good deformability of intermediately-formed bcc supersaturated-solid solution indeed allowed fabricating such a CIC conductor, which would be subsequently transformation annealed. Ag has been internally included as a basic constituent of a round strand so far, because Ag is almost non-reactive with Nb matrix during the RHQ. However, both of Ag and Nb are not suitable nuclei from the viewpoint of radioactivity when irradiated with neutrons. Recently, we have succeeded in replacing the Nb matrix with Ta that has the advantage of shorter half-life of radioactivity. In the present study, an attempt has been made to replace the Ag internal stabilizer with Cu, in the aim of further reducing radioactivity, based on anticipation that Ta would be less reactive with Cu than Nb did.

Effective bending strain estimated from test results of a D-shaped NbAl CICC coil fabricated with a react-and-wind process for the National Centralized Tokamak

Ando, Toshinari*; Kizu, Kaname; Miura, Yushi*; Tsuchiya, Katsuhiko; Matsukawa, Makoto; Tamai, Hiroshi; Ishida, Shinichi; Koizumi, Norikiyo; Okuno, Kiyoshi

Fusion Engineering and Design, 75-79, p.99 - 103, 2005/11

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.fusengdes.2005.06.264

no abstracts in English

Rapid normal zone propagation observed in a 13 T-46 kA NbAl cable-in-conduit conductor

Koizumi, Norikiyo; Matsui, Kunihiro; Kume, Etsuo; Okuno, Kiyoshi

IEEE Transactions on Applied Superconductivity, 15(2), p.1363 - 1366, 2005/06

https://doi.org/10.1109/TASC.2005.849089

The NbAl Insert was developed by JAERI aiming at the demonstration of a NbAl conductor to fusion reactor magnets. A quench test was performed on the NbAl Insert at 13 T with various temperature margins, which are defined as a difference between current sharing temperature and operating temperature. The initial normalcy was initiated by using an inductive heater and a coil current was kept for several seconds. The normal zone propagation velocity was accelerated after 3 s from the onset of heating in case that the temperature margin was set at 0.5 K. A simulation using one-dimensional stability and quench simulation code was performed. The calculation results indicate that such rapid propagation occurred due to a temperature rise beyond a current sharing temperature because of a large pressure increase even at the location where the normal front did not reach yet. This large pressure rise was caused since the coolant was contained in the closed circulation circuit of the cooling system, which is usually applied to a large magnet cooling system.

Development of advanced NbAl superconductors for a fusion demo plant

Koizumi, Norikiyo; Takeuchi, Takao*; Okuno, Kiyoshi

Proceedings of 20th IAEA Fusion Energy Conference (FEC 2004) (CD-ROM), 8 Pages, 2004/11

http://www-naweb.iaea.org/napc/physics/fec/fec2004/datasets/FT_P1-6.html

no abstracts in English

Development of a NbAl conductor for toroidal field coils

Koizumi, Norikiyo; Ando, Toshinari*; Nakajima, Hideo; Matsui, Kunihiro; Sugimoto, Makoto; Takahashi, Yoshikazu; Okuno, Kiyoshi; Kizu, Kaname; Miura, Yushi; Tsuchiya, Katsuhiko; et al.

Proceedings of 20th IEEE/NPSS Symposium on Fusion Engineering (SOFE 2003), p.419 - 422, 2003/10

NbSn cConductors have already been developed for the TF coils operating at 13 T. However, the critical current of NbSn degrades due to a strain, and the amount of degradation becomes larger when the magnetic field increases, which set a limit of the NbSn application to a large coil at around 13 T. NbAl is considered, therefore, to be a next generation superconductor, since the critical current of NbAl is superior to that of NbSn and less sensitive against strains. JAERI has been developing NbAl conductor since 80s. As the first step, mass production technique of NbAl strands was established. In the second step, coil fabrication technique was developed and could successfully be charged to the nominal point of 13 T and 46 kA. From these advantages, JAERI is also promoting R&D activities to develop NbAl TF coils for JT-60SC. The prototype NbAl conductor has already been made. A D-shaped coil was fabricated and successfully tested. These activities constitute the basic approaches to develop TF coils whose operating field is expected to be around 16 T.

Pressure drop characteristics of NbAl cable-in-conduit conductor under electromagnetic force; Relation between pressure drop characteristics and cable stiffness

Hamada, Kazuya; Matsui, Kunihiro; Takahashi, Yoshikazu; Nakajima, Hideo; Kato, Takashi; CS Model Coil Test Group

Teion Kogaku, 38(8), p.417 - 424, 2003/08

https://doi.org/10.2221/jcsj.38.417

As one of the R&D of ITER. a hydraulic performance of NbAl insert coil was measured and compared with other NbSn conductors. It seems that a longer twist pitch will promote a triangle helium flow space among 4th twist stage cables, jacket and center channel and contribute reduction of pressure drop. Under 500 kN/m of the electromagnetic force, the pressure drop of the NbAl insert decreased by approximately 5%. NbAl conductor indicated quit rigid characteristic under the electromagnetic force and suitable for future magnet with higher magnetic field and current.

Evaluation of the critical current performance of a NbAl insert

Koizumi, Norikiyo; Nunoya, Yoshihiko; Takayasu, Makoto*; Sugimoto, Makoto; Nabara, Yoshihiro; Oshikiri, Masayuki*; CS Model Coil Test Group

Teion Kogaku, 38(8), p.399 - 409, 2003/08

https://doi.org/10.2221/jcsj.38.399

A NbAl insert was developed to demonstrate the applicability of a NbAl conductor and wind-and-react method to a TF coil of a fusion reactor by artificially applying 0.4% bending strain to the conductor after its heat treatment. The critical current test results show that the effective strains applied to the strands is almost zero. Then, the validity of the react-and-wind method was demonstrated. In addition, while an unexpected strain, which was proportional to electromagnetic force, was observed in the same scale NbSn conductor, such strain did not exist in the NbAl conductor. This shows a NbAl conductor is suitable to the application to large magnets, such as the TF coil. Furthermore, the effect of the current transfer among the strands on the critical current evaluation is studied by developing a numerical analysis code, KORO. The results figure out that the critical current of a large cable-in-conduit conductor can be easily evaluated assuming the uniform current distribution if the conductance among the strands is 10E5 S/m or less.

AC loss performance of cable-in-conduit conductor; Influence of cable mechanical property on coupling loss reduction

Matsui, Kunihiro; Takahashi, Yoshikazu; Koizumi, Norikiyo; Isono, Takaaki; Hamada, Kazuya; Nunoya, Yoshihiko; CS Model Coil Test Group

Teion Kogaku, 38(8), p.410 - 416, 2003/08

https://doi.org/10.2221/jcsj.38.410

The test of the ITER Central Solenoid (CS) model coil, CS and NbAl inserts was carried. The AC loss measurement is one of the most important tests to determine coil performance. The coupling losses of CS and NbAl inserts were measured by calorimetric and magnetization methods, respectively. Both coils had coupling losses with many coupling time constant, and induced circulation currents were observed by voltage taps and hall sensors. Coupling losses decreased with exponential decay constants since the electromagnetic force broke weak sinter among the strands. The gap, created between the cable and the conduit by electromagnetic force, is dependent on the pressure drop of the coolant that flows in the conductor. Our analysis shows that the exponential decay constant of coupling losses is dependent on the gap size. If we can evaluate this exponential decay constant and apply the electromagnetic force that corresponds for the exponential decay constant to the conductor before the regular operation, we can use coils of the condition that coupling losses decrease on the operation.

NbAl insert experiment log book; 3rd Experiment of CS model coil

Sugimoto, Makoto; Koizumi, Norikiyo; Isono, Takaaki; Matsui, Kunihiro; Nunoya, Yoshihiko; Tsutsumi, Fumiaki*; Oshikiri, Masayuki*; Wakabayashi, Hiroshi*; Okuno, Kiyoshi; Tsuji, Hiroshi

JAERI-Tech 2002-080, 100 Pages, 2002/11

JAERI-Tech-2002-080.pdf:7.89MB

The cool down of CS model coil and NbAl insert was started on March 4, 2002. It took almost one month and immediately started coil charge since April 3, 2002. The charge test of NbAl insert and CS model coil was completed on May 2, 2002. All of the experiments including the warm up was also completed on May 30, 2002.In this campaign, total shot numbers were 102 and the size of the data file in the DAS (Data Acquisition System) was about 5.2 GB. This report is a database that consists of the log list and the log sheets of every shot.

The Strain and temperature scalling law for the critical current density of a jelly-roll NbAl strand in high magnetic fields

Keys, S.*; Koizumi, Norikiyo; Hampshire, D.*

Superconductor Science and Technology, 15(7), p.991 - 1010, 2002/07

https://doi.org/10.1088/0953-2048/15/7/301

The critical current density of a jelly-roll NbAl strand was measured at first as a function of magntic field, temperature and strain. The equation to estimate its critical current density has been derived from these test results. The magenti fields, temperatures and strains were less than 15 T, less than 14 K and -1.8 - 0.7% in the experiment.