Optimization Design Model of a CICC Based on Energy Margin

Abstract

The design of a cable-in-conduit conductor (CICC) is a very complicated engineering process. In order to simplify the design for CICCs, a simulation design method is presented in this paper with the relationship between the operating current and the critical current, and the extreme case that the Stekly parameter is equal to 1. In addition, a novel optimization model for CICC design is proposed for solving the difference or uncertainty in the subsequent cabling layout of the conductor. This mathematical constraint model, which can maximize the CICC energy (stability) margin, is built to generate a more reasonable conductor structure. For an optimum design of a CICC, although there exists a cabling variety in the fourth stage (level) between the engineering design and the optimization design, the result shows that the optimized conductor structure and the correlated performance conforms reasonably well to the present engineering design that was adopted by the Option II CICC of the International Thermal Nuclear Experimental Reactor experimental fusion reactor project.