Stability experiments on long lengths of CICC´s

One of the driving issues in the design of superconducting magnets for application in fusion is their response to electromagnetic perturbations (i.e. AC losses) on characteristic conductor lengths of several meters. The question to be answered is whether the stability of the conductor subjected to energy deposition over such lengths will be degraded compared to the values measured for short initial heated lengths as the analysis based on 1-D computational models tends to indicate. Samples of subsize cable-in-conduit conductors (CICC´s) have been built, with typical sample and heated length in the range of 10 to 35 m. Tests on these samples have started, and the authors report here on the first results of this experimental campaign.<>