Modelling and Analysis of Superconducting Joints for High Field and Pulsed Applications in ITER

40961 November 19, 1996 Sherbrooke Consulting, Inc. Superconducting magnets for the International Thermonuclear Engineering Reactor will require several hundred electrical joints. The joints will be located in high pulsed magnetic fields which will induce losses in the conducting media of the joint and in the superconducting cable itself. These losses add to the required refrigeration power and can in extreme cases threaten the thermal stability of the superconducting cable. Traditional approaches cannot take into account the three dimensional complexity of 1000+ strand cables and the nonlinearity of the conductivity. This project will use asymptotic expansions to calculate the coupling losses in the superconducting cable. A new algorithm will be developed to determine the position of individual strands within a cable of over 1000 strands. The implementation of this algorithm will generate a new tool to aid in the design and analysis of joints in superconducting cables. Anticipated Results/Potential Commercial Applications as described by the awardee: The ability to rapidly design and analyze electrical joints in superconducting cables will allow for more robust designs, decreased losses in magnet systems, and increased savings in refrigeration costs. The results could be used to tailor joint geometry and material to specific applications and to specific magnetic field environments.