AND CONVENTIONAL HIGH-FIELD MAGNET SYSTEMS

THE ELECTRICAL SYSTEMS ASSOCIATED WITH HIGH-FIELD MAGNETS USED IN MAGNETIC CONFINEMENT FUSION APPARATUS HAVE BECOME EXCEEDINGLY COMPLICATED. IN THE VERY HIGH-FIELD, ELECTRO-MAGNET SYSTEMS USED FOR THESE DEVICES, SPACE IS AT A PREMIUM, AND FOR INNER- FIELD WINDINGS, CONNECTORS WITH LOW-PROFILE ARE NEEDED. ADVANCED FUSION SYSTEMS WILL EMPLOY SUPER- CONDUCTING MAGNETS AND THESE, ALSO, POSE DIFFICULT ENGINEERING PROBLEMS, PARTICULARLY FOR CONNECTING SUPERCONDUCTING CABLES. HIGH-CURRENT MAGNETS ALSO REQUIRE CONNECT/DISCONNECT CONNECTORS, WHICH ARE BULKY AND EXPENSIVE. THERE IS SUBSTANTIAL NEED FOR AN IMPROVED SYSTEM OF MAKING HIGH-CURRENT SEPARABLE CONNECTOR DEVICES. ALL OF THESE SYSTEMS ARE CANDIDATES FOR SHAPE-MEMORY CONNECTORS. THE SHAPE-MEMORY EFFECT HAS BEEN USED IN SMALL ELECTRONIC AND OPTICAL FIBER CONNECTORS, ALTHOUGH NEVER FOR LARGER DEVICES OF THE CLASS JUST DESCRIBED. THE OPERATING THEORY OF CONNECTORS USING A CONSTRAINED LAYER HAS BEEN DEVELOPED, AND IT IS FELT THAT A SERIES OF UNIQUE HIGH RELIABILITY ELECTRICAL CONNECTORS CAN BE DEVELOPED WHICH CAN BE MOUNTED AND DISMOUNTED WHEN NECESSARY. THEY FEATURE LOW-PROFILE, HIGH CONTACT FORCE AND REQUIRE SYMMETRICAL LOADING TO PROVIDE THE NECESSARY CONTACT FOR THE DIFFICULT TASK OF SUPERCON- DUCTOR CABLE JOINING. THE ALLOYS AVAILABLE CAN BE DESIGNED TO OPERATE FROM CRYOGENIC TO TEMPERATURES WELL ABOVE 100 DEGREES C, AND IT IS ANTICIPATED THAT BOTH THE DESIGN OF CONNECTORS AS WELL AS THE CHOICE OF APPROPROATE SHAPE-MEMORY MATERIAL HAS A HIGH PROBABILITY OF SUCCESS.