Effects of conductor anisotropy on the design of Bi–Sr–Ca–Cu–O sections of 25 T solenoids

Abstract

The development of a 25 T superconducting magnet is usually envisioned with the use of an innermost coil wound with high-temperature superconductor (HTS) material. At present, Bi2Sr2CaCu2Ox and Bi2Sr2Ca2Cu3Ox (BSCCO) conductors are the only candidate conductors available with sufficient length and current carrying capability. Unlike NbTi and Nb3Sn conductors, the BSCCO crystal structure and thus properties are strongly anisotropic. In conductor form, various degrees of anisotropy occur. It is often assumed that this anisotropy simply implies that radial field components must be minimized. We show that this assumption can be misleading. Using the average grain colony misalignment angle to parameterize the anisotropy, three regimes are distinguished in the relationship between average grain colony misalignment and critical current limiting field components. The implications of these separate regimes on the design process for 25 T superconducting magnet design are discussed.