Stress and Deformation Analysis of REBCO Pancake Coils With Individual Turn Movement

Abstract

In recent years, rare-earth barium copper oxide (REBCO) pancake coils have shown excellent performances in high magnetic field applications. The no-insulation (NI) winding technique enables to enhance the thermal stability and current density of REBCO pancake coils. Still, further developments of REBCO coils are expected; e.g., the mechanical deteriorations of REBCO tapes caused by electromagnetic forces have been reported. The screening currents are considered as one of the causes to damage the REBCO tapes because of a nonuniform current distribution. Meanwhile, the electromagnetic forces on non-impregnant NI REBCO coils, whose windings can be deformed separately with turns and moved easily, are complicated, and the detailed mechanism has not yet been clarified. Commonly, the circumferential movement/deformation of the winding is considered as a rigid body. In this study, we investigate the stresses and displacements due to the electromagnetic forces on NI REBCO pancake coils in high magnetic field using a current simulation and a 2D elastic finite element analysis in the radial and circumferential directions; i.e., each turn can individually move in the radial and circumferential directions considering the spiral winding structure. The simulation results show the circumferential movement/deformation of windings and the nonuniform hoop stress due to the electromagnetic force.