Modification of Central Solenoid Model Coil Test Facility for Rapid Testing of CICC

Abstract

This document describes preliminary design modifications to the CSMC Test Facility in JAEA, Naka, Japan that will allow rapid test and change-out of CS conductor samples while simultaneously achieving more precise and reliable characterization of those samples than is presently achievable elsewhere. The current philosophy for CS conductor testing is to test an Insert in CSMC followed by SULTAN testing. The SULTAN facility has very short length in field and a short length between the High Field Zone and the joints. This makes it difficult to obtain uniform distribution of current in the cable at low voltage levels, which defines the current sharing temperature. In a real magnet, like ITER CS, there is a long length of conductor in the highest field. Such conditions provide a more uniform current distribution near current sharing. The modified facility will serve as an economical tool for ITER conductor testing. The test item will be a three turn sample, approximately 15 m long, placed in the background field of the CSMC. This new mode of operation will reduce the time of cool-down, warm-up and installation of the sample into the CSMC facility, which should significantly reduce the cost of a test per sample.