Effect of transverse compressive stress on the critical current and upper critical field of Nb3Sn

Abstract

A large reversible degradation of the critical current of multifilamentary Nb3Sn superconductors has been observed when uniaxial compressive stress is applied transverse to the conductor axis at 4 K. In bronze-process multifilamentary Nb3Sn, the onset of significant degradation occurs at about 50 MPa. In an applied field of 10 T, the magnitude of the effect is about seven times larger for transverse stress than for stress applied along the conductor axis. The transverse stress effect increases with magnetic field and is associated with a reversible degradation of the upper critical field. The intrinsic effect of transverse stress on the upper critical field is about ten times greater than for axial stress. Although axial stresses on the Nb3Sn filaments are greater than transverse stresses in most applications, the transverse stress effect will need to be considered in the internal design of large magnets because of the greater sensitivity of Nb3Sn to transverse stress. It is shown that the transverse stress from the Lorentz force on the conductor is proportional to conductor thickness. This will place limits on conductor dimensions and the spacing between distributed reinforcement in large magnets. The effect may be particularly significant in cabled conductors where large transverse stress concentrations can occur at strand crossover points.