Progress in the design of the superconducting magnets for the EU DEMO

Abstract

In the framework of the DEMOnstration fusion power plant (DEMO) design coordinated by the EUROfusion consortium, a pre-conceptual design of the superconducting magnet system has been developed. For the toroidal field coils (TFCs), three winding pack (WP) options have been proposed; exploring different winding approaches (pancakes vs. layers), and manufacturing techniques (react & wind vs. wind & react Nb3Sn). Thermal-hydraulic and mechanical analyses on the three WPs have produced encouraging results, with some critical issues to be solved in future studies and optimizations. The experimental tests on TF prototype short sample conductors have demonstrated a limited performance degradation with electro-magnetic cycles and significantly lower effective strains than most of the large-size Nb3Sn conductors reported in literature. The toroidal field quench protection circuit has been studied, starting from different topologies and focusing on the most promising one. Two designs are also presented for the central solenoid magnet, with preliminary evaluations on the AC losses during the plasma breakdown. Finally, the design of a TF winding pack based on HTS conductors and the experimental tests on “fusion-relevant” HTS cables are illustrated.