Mechanical property tests on structural materials for ITER magnet system at low temperatures in China

Abstract

High field superconducting magnets need strong non-superconducting components for structural reinforcement. For instance, the ITER magnet system (MS) consists of cable-in-conduit conductor, coil case, magnet support, and insulating materials. Investigation of mechanical properties at magnet operation temperature with specimens machined at the final manufacturing stages of the conductor jacket materials, magnet support material, and insulating materials, even the component of the full-size conductor jacket is necessary to establish sound databases for the products. In China, almost all mechanical property tests of structural materials for the ITER MS, including conductor jacket materials of TF coils, PF coils, CCs, case material of CCs, conductor jacket materials of Main Busbars (MB) and Corrector Busbars (CB), material of magnet supports, and insulating materials of CCs have been carried out at the Technical Institute of Physics and Chemistry (TIPC), Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS). In this paper, the mechanical property test facilities are briefly demonstrated and the mechanical tests on the structural materials for the ITER MS, highlighting test rigs as well as test methods, are presented.