32
Improved
Fin Designs to Reduce Deffective in Internal-Tin Nb3Sn--Supergenics,
LLC, 1233 Tree Bay Lane,
Sarasota, FL 34242;
931-349-0930
Dr.
Eric Gregory, Principal Investigator,
Mr.
Bruce Zeitlin, Business Official,
DOE
Grant No. DE-FG02-04ER84085
Amount:
$99,888
An economical process will be needed to produce
superconducting material for the high field magnets that will be used in future
accelerators for High Energy Physics (HEP) research.
To achieve this economy, it will be necessary to reduce the hysteresis
losses that occur in the new high-current-density conductors.
One way of doing this is to reduce the size of the filamentary units into
which these conductors are divided. This
project will achieve this goal by dividing the superconducting unit areas (the
subelements) with radial fins of non-superconductors.
Three different designs of these fins will be tried in Phase I using
small subelement billets. The first
will have three pure tantalum (Ta) fins, significantly thicker than previously
used, with a “channel shaped” design to reduce the tendency of Nb3Sn
to bridge around it. The second
billet will have laminated fins in which a thinner Ta layer is spaced with a
layer of ferromagnetic nickel (Ni) to kill any weak superconducting link that
may exist across the fins after the heat treatment reaction.
The design of the third billet will await the testing of the first two so
that lessons learned can be used to optimize its design.
Commercial
Applications and Other Benefits
as described by the awardee: In
addition to its use in HEP accelerator applications, the more economical magnets
that result from this work should be useful for open-area MRI, where the patient
is more accessible to the surgeon. (MRI
is the largest commercial application of low temperature superconductors.)
Fusion and levitated transportation projects represent other possible
applications.