Speaker
Description
Magnets remain the cornerstone technology in the development of high field fusion machines such as tokamaks. In this context, high-temperature superconductors (HTS) and the conductors derived from them are considered enabling technologies . HTS materials enable higher magnetic fields, paving the way for more compact and potentially higher-performance machines. However, the integration of these advanced materials necessitates a reevaluation of cable designs. Among these, CORC-like (Conductor On Round Core) cables stand out for their flexibility and use in pulsed field environments. Under the conductor section of the French State-funded SupraFusion PEPR project, these structures are being explored to adapt these next-generation conductors to the extreme environments of compact high-field fusion tokamaks.
This work focuses on two closely related aspects: numerical simulations of various conductor designs and experimental campaign to support and refine the models. Using THEA, a commercial 1D software from CryoSoft, we evaluate different cooling strategies for jacketed CORC-like conductors. Parametric studies on the fluid dynamics for these strategies are presented and their impact on quench dynamics studied.
To enhance the accuracy of the numerical models, an experimental campaign is being conducted at the CEA Cadarache Othello facility. This campaign investigates pressure drops within the tape bundle for different configurations, including various CORC-like cables, which are in-house fabricated with different sizes (ranging from a few to several layers) and crimping pressures. Additionally, measurements are performed on a 20 kA-class CORC® provided by Advanced Conductor Technologies LLC (ACT), the same sample that is going to be tested in the Sultan facility at PSI, Switzerland.
