Superconducting Magnet Coil Groove Layout for Low-Strain HTS Insertion
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Solution Overview
Problem
The manufacture of superconducting magnet coils is challenging due to the simultaneous performance of bending and inserting HTS tapes, which can cause strain and mechanical issues, particularly in toroidal field coils for tokamaks like ITER, necessitating an improved method to separate these steps for easier inspection and correction.
Innovation Solution
A method involving translating a conductive substrate out of the coil plane to expose a groove for inserting and consolidating superconducting material, allowing separate steps for bending and tape insertion, and using a flexible sleeve for consolidating the cable without strain.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If bending and inserting HTS tapes are performed simultaneously, then the manufacturing process is more compact, but the HTS tapes experience strain and mechanical issues
Solution Approach 1:
The manufacturing process is divided into separate stages: first forming the substrate into a coil shape, then translating portions of the substrate to expose grooves, and finally inserting HTS tapes into the exposed grooves. This segmentation allows each operation to be performed independently without compromising the other, resolving the contradiction between process efficiency and tape integrity.
Solution Approach 2:
The substrate is pre-formed into a coil shape with grooves before HTS tape insertion. Portions of the substrate are translated out of the coil plane in advance to expose the grooves, preparing the structure for subsequent tape insertion without subjecting the tapes to bending strains during the forming process.
2Ease of manufacture
If HTS tapes are inserted into grooves while substrate is bent, then the coil structure is formed efficiently, but the tapes suffer from strain and mechanical damage
Solution Approach 1:
The substrate is translated out of the original coil plane into a different spatial dimension, exposing the grooves for tape insertion. This dimensional change allows tape insertion to occur in a strain-free environment while maintaining the three-dimensional coil structure, resolving the contradiction between ease of manufacture and positioning precision.
3Reliability
If bending and tape insertion are separated into different steps, then strain on HTS tapes is reduced, but the manufacturing process becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The substrate structure itself is designed to be translatable, with grooves that automatically expose for tape insertion when portions are moved out of the coil plane. The structure serves its own purpose of facilitating tape insertion without requiring additional complex equipment, resolving the contradiction between reliability and process complexity.
Data Source
AI summary
A method for manufacturing a superconducting magnet comprising: providing an electrically conductive substrate (such as an open U-channel) shaped into a substantially planar coil having a plurality of turns, the electrically conductive substrate having a groove along its length, the groove facing a radial direction of the coil or, in other words, the groove facing either inwardly or outwardly in the plane of the coil; translating at least a portion of the electrically conductive substrate out of the plane of the coil to expose at least a portion of the groove; and inserting superconducting material into the exposed portion of the groove.