Speaker
Description
SupraFusion is a French research program aiming to boost HTS (High-Temperature Superconductors) technologies towards large-scale societal applications and particularly compact fusion machines. In the framework of this program, a large-scale demonstrator magnet reaching 20 T of peak field and 100 MJ of energy will be designed, manufactured and tested. To reach this very challenging goal, a specific high performance conductor have to be developed. The present strategy is to use a stacked ReBCO conductor stabilized with copper for quench protection and able to reach large current (~50 kA) in high magnetic field (20 T). Such a technology would be usable by fusion and also other societal applications. The development of this conductor will be done stepwise in the next 5 years: it will start with the manufacturing and qualification of some short lengths, then with prototype coils and finally, with the large-scale demonstrator that will need kilometers of conductor.
In this paper, we will review the large number of possible configurations for an HTS conductor geometry. Then, we will study a first simple configuration made of a two tapes stack for our starting R&D. An initial specification will be presented with the first short lengths at 10 kA and 10 T. The basic principle for this R&D will be to characterize each step of fabrication: tape geometry, assembly of 2-tape and stabilizer soldering. Controls are critical currents, geometrical inspections, micrographs and electrical resistance measurements. Soldering is a delicate point of the technology: several solder temperature levels are preferable for making the junctions without disassemble the conductor. Flux will grantee a good adhesion but they leave always some residues. Depending on the soldering process, the conductor performances can be very different. For these reason, several soldering possibilities will be explored and alternative connections too. Finally, we present the instrumentation implantation on the first conductor: co-winding, Superconducting Quench Detector…
