Hydraulic Behavior of Rectangular Cable-In-Conduit Conductor for KSTAR Superconducting Magnet System

The Korea Superconducting Tokamak Advanced Research (KSTAR) adopted superconducting coils which consist of rectangular cable-in-conduit conductors (CICC) without a central hole for supercritical helium. Most of all, the KSTAR has a unique superconducting magnet system with Nb₃Sn and NbTi such as ITER. We expect that the test results of KSTAR experiments can also provide useful information for ITER and the other fusion devices. Up to now, the KSTAR superconducting magnet system is showing a larger flexibility and reliability in operation. For example, the TF magnet system has achieved the current charging of 36.2 kA and PF magnet system has been also charged up to ±4 kA without difficulties during the last two times KSTAR campaigns. The significant thermo-hydraulic characteristics such as helium flow distribution, pressure drop between the inlet and outlet of coil, the friction factor and the temperature variation according to the current charging operations are introduced in this paper.