Strand movements in cable-in-conduit conductors

The compression tests with dummy bundles have been performed to investigate the strand movements in cable-in-conduit conductors. The bundle consists of 20 mm long vinyl tubes. The cross section of the bundle is a round-cornered rectangle of 10 mm × 20 mm. Body force was applied in the transverse direction by means of a pressurized argon gas flow at room temperature. Pressure gradient in the bundle produced body force acting on each strand. The strand movements were observed with a CCD camera. Surface pressure was also applied with a piston, and a comparison has been made between two methods. Influence of a sub-bundle structure on the movements is also investigated.