An FE Model to Study the Strain State of the Filaments of a $\hbox {Nb}_{3}\hbox {Sn}$ Internal-Tin Strand Under Transverse Load

The superconducting performance of Nb₃Sn cable-in-conduit conductor (CICC) is sensitive to the strain state caused by the natural transverse Lorentz loads. To investigate the current degradation as a function of the load, the strain state of the filaments of a single strand was examined under transverse loads in finite element analysis. We develop a new finite element model of an internal-tin Nb₃Sn strand with the capability of obtaining the peak transverse strain of the filaments along the twisting axis when the strand is under transverse compression. The details of the model and the post-processing are introduced to take into consideration the twisting of the filaments. Although more accurate material properties are needed to obtain a more precise strain state of the filaments, some conclusions based on the preliminary results on the strain distribution of the filaments are made.