Nb3Sn Magnets Research Articles

Advanced examination of Nb3Sn coils and conductors for the LHC luminosity upgrade: a methodology based on computed tomography and materialographic analyses

The future of particle accelerators is strongly linked to the development of high—field magnets. The European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN) is currently developing Nb3Sn-based magnets for the high-luminosity upgrade of the large hadron collider (HL-LHC), to fully exploit its potential and surpass the intrinsic performance limitations of Nb–Ti-based magnets. The fabrication of Nb3Sn magnets is a challenging process as it requires managing the brittle and strain sensitive conductor after the reaction heat treatment to generate the superconducting phase. Accelerator magnet coils are usually manufactured following the wind-react-and-impregnate fabrication process. This reduces the difficulty of working with brittle compounds but adds uncertainties associated with volume change during phase transition and thermal expansion/contraction differentials during the temperature ramps of the heat treatment and cooldown to cryogenic temperatures. To investigate the root causes of performance limitation or degradation observed on HL-LHC magnet prototypes, several Nb3Sn-based coils have been examined. The present paper illustrates an innovative methodology of investigations of the root causes at several fabrication stages and after cooldown and powering. The approach is based on a sequence of mesoscale observations of whole coil sections by an innovative high—energy linac x-ray computed tomography, followed by materialographic assessment of internal events, geometrical distortions and potential flaws using light microscopy. Additionally, scanning electron microscopy and focused ion beam were used to analyze damage at localized positions. This comprehensive approach provides an in-depth view of the examined coils by characterizing atypical features and imperfections in both the strands and the glass fiber/resin of the insulation system, univocally associating the limiting quenches experienced by the coils to identified physical events.

Enhanced strain and temperature sensing in copper-coated fiber Bragg Grating sensors across a wide temperature range from cryogenic to elevated levels

Preliminary demonstrations show Fiber Bragg Grating (FBG) sensors effectively measure low temperatures, such as in Helium cryostats. These sensors, resistant to electromagnetic interference, offer significant potential for monitoring strain and temperature within superconducting coils and cryogenic structures due to their compact size. Standard FBG sensors are constrained by the thermal expansion coefficient of the polyimide coating, restricting their use as embedded sensors during the heating process of Nb3Sn superconducting coils. These sensors are currently unable to endure temperatures exceeding 400 °C, essential for fabricating Nb3Sn coils through the wind and react technique. This study explores enhancing the endurance of FBG sensors through magnetron sputtering coating process with copper (thickness of 20 μm), which has a thermal expansion coefficient similar to Nb3Sn coils. The results showed improved repeatability and survival for the copper-coated FBG in comparison to the standard polyimide-coated FBG from room temperature up to 939 K. Subsequently, the strain and temperature sensing capabilities of the FBG sensors with copper coating are evaluated using a separately developed controllable conduction cooling system, ranging from room temperature to 4.2 K. The findings in this paper demonstrate that the copper coating significantly enhances the durability of the FBG sensors under high temperatures. Additionally, the strain and temperature sensing characteristics of the sensors remain effective across a broad range from cryogenic to elevated temperatures. The homemade FBGs were independent of temperature below 30 K and responsible for the larger internal thermal strain of Nb3Sn magnets during its pre-heat treatment and operation.

Comparative drawability and recrystallization evaluation of Nb4Ta and Nb4Ta1Hf alloys, and the beneficial influence of Hf on developing finer Nb3Sn grain size

Nb3Sn superconducting wires with high critical current density (Jc, 4.2 K) at fields greater than 15 T are needed for next-generation superconducting magnets for high-energy physics and nuclear magnetic resonance applications. It has been demonstrated that the addition of one atomic % Hf can significantly increase the high field Jc of Ta-doped Nb3Sn and offer the potential to meet the Future Circular Collider (FCC) specification of 1500 A/mm2 at 16 T, 4.2 K if the pure Nb filaments in conventional Nb3Sn composites can be replaced by Nb4Ta1Hf alloy. In this paper we demonstrate that a commercially produced Nb4Ta1Hf alloy is ductile and drawable in a Cu matrix to a large true strain of 15 without intermediate annealing. The hardness and work-hardening rates of Nb4Ta1Hf are shown to be higher than Nb and commercial Nb4Ta, but are comparable to ductile Nb47Ti alloy at high strains, which is significant because more than 1000 tons of Nb-Ti rods are co-drawn in Cu each year. Very importantly for the Nb3Sn properties is that just 1 at%Hf shifts the recrystallization curve of Nb4Ta to temperatures above the normal 600 °C −700 °C A15 range of reaction temperatures used for Nb3Sn wires. For the Hf-based 19 filament rod in tube (RIT) conductors of this study, we observe a refined (<100 nm) Nb3Sn grain size, and an improved upper critical field of 24.6 T (4.2 K), ∼1 T higher than that in a corresponding Nb4Ta composite. The demonstration of improved performance and good drawability with commercially produced Nb4Ta1Hf alloy indicates a pathway for Nb3Sn strand development for next-generation Nb3Sn magnets.

Development of a 1/2-length prototype high field Nb3Sn magnet for the 4th generation ECR ion source

Development of a 1/2-length prototype high field Nb3Sn magnet for the 4th generation ECR ion source

Persistent MgB2 joints for react and wind magnets

Ultra-low resistance joints are a key technology enabling superconducting magnets to operate in persistent mode and to achieve the temporal stability required for nuclear magnetic resonance and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) applications. High performance superconducting joints are manufactured routinely for Nb–Ti and Nb3Sn magnets, but technologies for joining other technological superconductors are still in the early stages of development. Here we report the use of a simple cold pressing and heat treatment procedure to fabricate persistent MgB2 joints with resistance values <10−12 Ω between MgB2 wires that have already undergone the full wire reaction process. Trapped persistent currents of 172 A and 160 A were achieved under self-field and 1 T background field conditions respectively at a temperature of 20 K. This corresponds to a critical current ratio of 78% under these conditions, outperforming previously reported joints using fully reacted MgB2 wire. These findings are relevant for the development of commercial MRI magnets with MgB2 wires utilizing react and wind methods.

Application of Distributed Fiber Optic Strain Sensors to LMQXFA Cold Mass Welding

The future High Luminosity upgrade of the Large Hadron Collider (HL-LHC) at CERN will include the low-beta inner triplets (Q1, Q2a/b, Q3) for two LHC insertion regions. The Q1, Q3 components consist of eight 10 m-long LMQXFA cryo-assemblies fabricated by the HL-LHC Accelerator Upgrade Project. Each LMQXFA Cold mass contains two Nb3Sn magnets connected in series. A stainless-steel shell is welded around the two magnets before the insertion into the cryostat. There is a limit on how much coil preload increase induced by the shell welding is allowed. Distributed Rayleigh backscattering fiber optics sensors were used for the first time to obtain a strain map over a wide area of a Nb3Sn magnet cold mass shell. Data were collected during welding of the first LMQXFA cold mass and the results confirm that the increase of the coil pole azimuthal pre-stress after welding do not exceed requirements.

3D Conceptual Design of R2D2, the Research Racetrack Dipole Demonstrator

R2D2, the Research Racetrack Dipole Demonstrator, is a short model being developed within a collaboration between CEA Paris-Saclay and CERN. The goal of the program is to develop key technologies for future high field 16 T Nb3Sn magnets for particle colliders. In the particular case of block-coil designs, two different cable grades are wound in the same coil layer, in order to maximize the current density, therefore to minimize the size of the magnet and the use of superconductor. One of the most challenging technologies with this grading concept, is the connection between two cables grades. CEA Paris-Saclay has proposed a concept of external joints, for which the cable exits are guided outside of the coil to perform the connections between the cable grades. The R2D2 project is aimed at demonstrating this technology in a representative demonstrator magnet, while simplifying and reducing the risks when possible, as an intermediate step towards 16 T magnets. In particular, the magnet is composed of single-layer racetrack coils, mainly to reduce the use of conductor and simplify some fabrication steps. However, the complexity inherent to the external joints requires a special focus in the design of the coil ends. To do so, the design of the magnet has been performed using a combination of CAD (Computer Aided Design), magnetic and mechanical 3D FEM (Finite-Elements Models). This paper will explain the design choices leading to a safe operation of the magnet in terms of peak fields and peak stresses.

Impact of strain and field ramp functional form on thermomagnetic instabilities in composite Nb3Sn wires with multi-filaments inside the superconducting coil

Superconducting Nb3Sn magnets have composite structures consisting of Nb3Sn multi-filaments, cooper, and epoxy resin. The complicated strain states due to different thermal expansion coefficients for Nb3Sn and matrix materials and high Lorentz force will cause significant degradation of critical current density Jc of Nb3Sn wires, thereby having a substantial impact on the thermomagnetic instabilities in the superconducting magnets. So, it is highly needed to explore the effects of strain on thermomagnetic instabilities with numerical simulations. We theoretically analyze the effects of Cu/SC (superconductor) ratio, strain, and the field ramp functional form on flux jumps in composite Nb3Sn wires inside the superconducting coil to obtain more accurate results. Considering the composite multi-filamentary structures, we find that a lower Cu/SC ratio leads to higher temperature peaks, and a larger proportion of Cu causes higher voltage peaks. Moreover, the strain significantly causes a higher frequency of flux jumps and higher voltage peaks. The temperatures recover to working temperature more difficultly, and SC wires quench earlier in the presence of strain. For the ramping magnetic field with a jagged ramp form, it is interesting that few flux jumps and temperature jumps occur at the decreasing branch, whereas frequent flux jumps can be observed promptly again when the applied current exceeds the pre-existing peak value. Our simulated results agree very well with experimental observations in Nb3Sn coils. Additionally, unlike the pulsed flux jumps observed in linear ramp cases, giant and prolonged flux jumps are observed at the increasing branch under linear field ramp with additional sinusoidal field oscillations, when the applied current is sufficiently large. Reverse voltage signals are also observed during a decreasing branch, which can be revealed by the variations of current, magnetic field, and temperature distributions. The findings in this paper provide new insights into understanding and exploring the complex flux jumps in composite Nb3Sn wires with multi-filaments.

Characterization of Candidate Insulation Resins for Training Reduction in High Energy Physics Magnets

Superconducting magnets are critical components in particle accelerators and are used to generate and sustain the large magnetic fields needed for High Energy Physics programs. One significant issue with current epoxy insulated Nb3Sn magnets is the long training process required before stable magnet performance can be realized. It is believed that training can be significantly reduced by addressing magnet quenching through improvements in the epoxy electrical insulation. In this work, two approaches for insulation modification have been undertaken: (1) addition of thermally conductive fillers to help with quench management and (2) development of insulation resins with high strain capability at cryogenic temperatures. This paper will discuss the characterization of these insulation systems to verify their performance prior to evaluation in subscale Nb3Sn canted cosine theta accelerator dipole magnets.

Progress on the development of key technologies for the fourth generation ECR ion source FECR

A 4th generation ECR (Electron Cyclotron Resonance) ion source FECR (First 4th generation ECR ion source) is under development at IMP. Aiming to be operated with the microwave power of 20 kW at 45 GHz, FECR is equipped with a fully superconducting Nb3Sn magnet and conventional parts durable for high power ECR plasma heating and optimum for intense beam production and extraction. Breakthroughs on the Nb3Sn superconducting magnet, high power density plasma chamber, high temperature oven, and so on have been successfully demonstrated recently. The prototype Nb3Sn cold mass has been successfully tested. The plasma chamber with an innovative structure of micro-channel cooling structure has been tested which enables SECRAL-II ion source operated continuously for more than 1,100 hours with ∼300 eμA Kr26+ for routine operation at the microwave power level of ∼5 kW. A high temperature inductive heating oven has also been developed and used for intense uranium beam production. This talk will present the recent progress on the development of key technologies for the 4th generation ECR ion source.

Multi-scale nonlinear stress analysis of Nb3Sn superconducting accelerator magnets

A multi-scale nonlinear procedure to analyze the stress in Nb3Sn superconducting accelerator magnets is presented to address one of the most challenging obstacles currently facing the successful development of high-field superconducting magnets—the issue of stress management. The study demonstrates that gasket materials (special nonlinear materials) are capable of modeling the complex nonlinear deformation behavior of insulation layers within the Nb3Sn coil block and that Hill materials (orthotropic materials utilizing the Hill yield criterion) are suitable to enable homogenization of the filamentary regions and the resin-impregnated Nb3Sn Rutherford cables. With the whole magnet under preload, cool-down, and Lorentz forces, the nonlinear behavior of the Nb3Sn coil was simulated, in three orthongonal axes, using the combined properties of the gasket materials (insulation layers) and Hill materials (resin-impreganted cable). The procedure makes very few assumptions with regard to material properties because it incorporates actual measured stress–strain curves in the analysis. The coil was simulated to the level of detail of the insulation layers and resin-impregnated cables. The computed compressive azimuthal stresses of the cables were used to assess stress-induced performance degradation. Through submodeling, the area-weighted average axial strains of the strands were computed and employed to evaluate the strain-induced performance degradation. The overall performance degradation of the Nb3Sn coil was thus obtained, and this information was subsequently used to guide the design of the overall magnet. Besides Nb3Sn magnets, this versatile procedure can also be employed in the design of LTS, HTS, and room temperature magnets or of any structures ultilizing composite materials; specifically, it can be used to manage the stress and strain of HTS fusion magnets.

BOX: an efficient benchmark facility for the study and mitigation of interface-induced training in accelerator type high-field superconducting magnets

For 30 years, training and unpredictable degradation in accelerator type high-field Nb3Sn magnets have seriously hampered Nb3Sn application. Training and deterioration have to be solved or at least better controlled. The global picture shows that most of the R&D and short model magnets start to train at some 40%–70% of the critical current and then creep up to almost the critical current within some 10–50 training steps. A typical class of failures leading to quenches is largely characterized by cracking and debonding at the interfaces between cable and glass-resin insulation, as well as between insulation and coil former. The study of training by means of testing demonstrator coils is rather expensive and time consuming. However, advances in magnet design and fabrication can also be assessed and benchmarked using BOX, the bonding experiment presented here, that produces maximum uniaxial Lorentz forces at some 7.5 T in a controlled experiment performed in 11 T solenoid facility at the University of Twente. BOX samples use only one meter of Nb3Sn cable inserted in a three-wave meandering slot in a flat metallic sample holder, reproducing magnet-relevant interactions between cable, insulation, impregnated materials and coil former. The meander shape exposes seven straight cable sections to a transverse magnetic field, thereby generating a representative level of shear stress at the interfaces. In this way, characteristic training curves of magnets can be mimicked and solutions studied. We aim to demonstrate with various samples failure mechanisms of high-field Nb3Sn magnets without the need to manufacture complete magnets. BOX may thus be expected to allow for quick and affordable testing of novel insulations, impregnation materials, coatings and interfaces for Nb3Sn magnets achieved by investigating various resins, fillers and more.

On the mechanisms governing the critical current reduction in Nb3Sn Rutherford cables under transverse stress

Within the framework of the HiLumi-LHC project, CERN is currently manufacturing 11 T dipole and quadrupole accelerator magnets using state-of-the-art Nb3Sn Rutherford cables. Even higher magnetic fields are considered by the Hadron Future Circular Collider (FCC-hh) design study, which plans to develop 16 T Nb3Sn bending dipoles. In such high-field magnets, the design pre-stress can reach considerable values (150–200 MPa) and, since Nb3Sn is a brittle compound, this can constitute a technological difficult challenge. Due to the significant impact that a transverse load can have on the performances of a Nb3Sn magnet, CERN has launched a campaign of critical current measurements of reacted and impregnated Nb3Sn cables subjected to transverse pressure up to about 210 MPa. In this paper, results obtained on 18-strand 10-mm-wide cable sample based on a 1-mm-diameter powder-in-tube (PIT) wire are presented. The tests were carried out on a 2-m-long sample by using the FReSCa test station, at T = 4.3 K and background magnetic fields up to 9.6 T. For applied pressures below ≈ 130 MPa, only reversible reductions of the critical current, Ic, are observed. At higher pressures, a permanent Ic reduction occurs; such irreversible behaviour is due to the residual stresses generated by the plastic deformations of the copper stabilizer. This type of current reduction, whether reversible or not, is fully governed by the strain-induced variations of the upper critical field, Bc2. At higher pressures, estimated between 180 and 210 MPa, it is indeed plausible to believe that cracking of filaments occurs, with detrimental consequences for the Nb3Sn cable’s electrical performances. The complete set of critical current data here presented, collected at different pressures and as a function of the applied magnetic field, allows for the first time to investigate the evolution of superconducting parameters such as the upper critical field Bc2 in the irreversibility region, where both the effects of Cu matrix plasticization and/or cracking of filaments may occur. The experimental approach and data interpretation have a general value and can be applied to any typology of Rutherford cable.

Experimental study on strain sensitivity of Internal-Tin Nb3Sn superconducting strand based on non-destructive technology

Fracture of brittle filaments plays a crucial role in significant degradation of critical current density of multifilamentary Nb3Sn strand. Recent researches of distribution of filament factures mostly depend on photographic analysis with SEM or TEM. However, it is hard to obtain spatial distribution of filament fractures in the mulitifilamentary Nb3Sn strand. In addition, almost unavoidable filament fracture is introduced during the sample preparation procedure and it causes deviation of filament fracture distribution. X-ray microtomography is a non-invasive, non-destructive method, which allows determination and the discrimination of internal features without destructing the sample. It is widely used as a non-destructive test technology for its high penetrability and high resolution. This present work investigated filament fracture of two types of Nb3Sn strands under different tensile strains by high energy X-ray. The influence of tensile strain on the filament fracture behavior was investigated and the results will be expected to provide reference for optimization of multifilamentary Nb3Sn strand, conductor and magnet design.

Cost Drivers for a Tokamak-Based Compact Pilot Plant

A comprehensive systems code that includes a range of physics and engineering considerations along with a simplified costing model has been utilized to evaluate the primary cost drivers for a compact tokamak pilot plant. The systems code has been benchmarked against several tokamak reactor designs and is utilized with sophisticated optimization algorithms to develop optimal solutions for a set of user-specified assumptions and design constraints. In contrast to previous models that have focused on the cost of electricity as the key cost metric, this study uses the estimated capital cost of the facility. The analysis suggests that a pilot plant with the following features may offer potential for a cost-attractive pilot plant: A ~ 3, H98y2 > 1.5, Pnet = 200 MW, ~ 1 to 2 h utilizing rare-earth barium copper oxide (REBCO) magnet technology and a plug-bucked central solenoid/toroidal field (CS/TF) magnet support structure. While REBCO magnets offer some advantages relative to Nb3Sn magnets in all cases, the most gain is obtained when combined with the plug-bucked CS/TF bucking solution. Pulsed operation reduces capital cost requirements relative to steady-state operation, especially at low confinement. Cost sensitivity studies indicate that there are significant cost uncertainties associated with the achievable confinement quality, tritium breeding capability, attainable thermal efficiency, and achievable neutron wall loading, suggesting that these areas are the most critical areas in reducing the cost risk for a compact tokamak pilot plant. Further cost sensitivity studies indicate that the estimated cost is most sensitive to the underlying cost of the magnetic coils, providing further impetus to better establish cost-effective means for producing fusion magnets.

Metallographic analysis of 11 T dipole coils for High Luminosity-Large Hadron Collider (HL-LHC)

For next-generation accelerator magnets for fields beyond those achievable using Nb–Ti, Nb3Sn is the most viable superconductor. The high luminosity upgrade for the Large Hadron Collider (HL-LHC) marks an important milestone as it will be the first project where Nb3Sn magnets will be installed in an accelerator. Nb3Sn is a brittle intermetallic, so magnet coils are typically wound from composite strands containing ductile precursors before heat treating the wire components to form Nb3Sn. However, some mechanical assembly is still required after the coils have been heat-treated. In this paper, we present direct evidence of cracking of the brittle Nb3Sn filaments in a prototype dipole that resulted in degraded magnet performance. The cracking of the Nb3Sn, in this case, can be attributed to an issue with the collaring process that is required in the assembly of dipole accelerator magnets. Metallographic procedures were developed to visualize cracks present in the cables, along with quantitative image analysis for location-based crack analysis. We show that the stresses experienced in the damaged coil are above the critical damage stress of Nb3Sn conductor, as evidenced by a measured Cu stabilizer hardness of 85 HV0.1, which is higher than the Cu stabilizer hardness in a reference Nb3Sn cable ten-stack that was subjected to a 210 MPa transverse compression. We also show that once the collaring procedure issue was rectified in a subsequent dipole, the Nb3Sn filaments were found to be undamaged, and the Cu stabilizer hardness values were reduced to the expected levels. This paper provides a post-mortem verification pathway to analyze the damage, provides strand level mechanical properties, which could be beneficial for improving model prediction capabilities. This method could be applied beyond Nb3Sn magnets to composite designs involving high work hardening materials.

A methodology to compute the critical current limit in Nb3Sn magnets

Numerous experiments have shown that the loads applied to Nb3Sn strands and cables can reduce their critical current. Experiments, performed on uniaxially loaded strands, allowed to define clear laws to describe the evolution of the critical surface as a function of the applied current, field, temperature and strain. It is, however, still unclear how these laws can be applied to superconducting magnets. The present paper proposes a methodology to estimate the critical current and temperature margin reduction on superconducting magnets due to stress on the superconducting material. The methodology is tested on the MQXF magnets, a quadrupole developed for the High Luminosity LHC project, and successfully validated by comparing computed strain with data from strain gauge measurements. Results suggested that, because of the stresses arising in winding during assembly, cool-down and powering, the current limit of the magnet is lower than the expected short sample limit, and that the most critical region does not coincide with the peak field location.

Mechanical Tests, Analysis, and Validation of the Support Structure of the eRMC and RMM Magnets of the FCC R&amp;D at CERN

The enhanced racetrack model coil and racetrack model magnet constitute the current R&D Nb3Sn magnets under development at CERN aiming to achieve dipole fields of 16-18 T, the design baseline of the Future Circular Collider (FCC). This article reports the mechanical behavior of their common support structure, which underwent three different levels of room-temperature preload (with the bladders and key method) and two cooldown cycles to 80 K. The structure was mounted using aluminum dummy blocks in lieu of the actual Nb3Sn coils. Strain gauges were placed in the external aluminum shell, tie-rods, and dummy coils. The measurements agree well with the results of the finite-element models (FEM). This work validates the FEM and a support structure for testing Nb3Sn accelerator magnets in the 16-T regime.

Heat Diffusion in High-Cp Nb3Sn Composite Superconducting Wires

A major focus of Nb3Sn accelerator magnets is on significantly reducing or eliminating their training. Demonstration of an approach to increase the Cp of Nb3Sn magnets using new materials and technologies is very important both for particle accelerators and light sources. It would improve thermal stability and lead to much shorter magnet training, with substantial savings in machines’ commissioning costs. Both Hypertech and Bruker-OST have attempted to introduce high-Cp elements in their wire design. This paper includes a description of these advanced wires, the finite element model of their heat diffusion properties as compared with the standard wires, and whenever available, a comparison between the minimum quench energy (MQE) calculated by the model and actual MQE measurements on wires.

Test of a Prototype Nb3Sn Sextupole Coil for 45-GHz ECR Ion Source Using Mirror Structure

Institute of Modern Physics is developing a Nb3Sn superconducting magnet system for a 45-GHz electron cyclotron resonance ion source. To achieve this complicated and challenging Nb3Sn magnet, a prototype with identical cross section but half the length of the magnet is proposed. A single sextupole coil prototype with 457 mm length has been fabricated and tested. This sextupole coil is 38 mm thick with an aperture of 200 mm. It was wound by using a 1.3-mm diameter Nb3Sn wire insulated with 0.11-mm-thick braided S-2 glass fiber. In order to test the coil in similar conditions than the magnet operation, a sextupole magnetic mirror structure is utilized. The bladder and key technology is employed to exert the required preload on the coil. This article describes the magnetic field design of the sextupole mirror structure, presents the fabrication of the sextupole coil, and reports the cryogenic test results.