Speaker
Description
This work aims to improve stability of Nb3Sn superconducting wires and magnets by increasing specific heat of Nb3Sn conductors. A technique is put forward to introduce substances with high specific heat (e.g., Gd2O3, whose specific heat capacities are hundreds of times larger than those of Nb3Sn wires at ≤5 K) to Nb3Sn wires. This technique is well compatible with present Nb3Sn wire manufacturing technology. Wires based on this technique have been fabricated and drawn to 25 µm subelement size without breakage. Measurement results demonstrate that this technique can noticeably improve conductor stability, without causing bad side-effects (such as reduced RRR or Jc). This new type of Nb3Sn wires are promising for large-scale applications; compared with conventional Nb3Sn conductors, they are expected to greatly suppress training and instability of superconducting magnets.