Internal pressure effects in the AIRCO-LCT conductor sheath
The large Nb/sub 3/Sn superconducting test coil produced by Westinghouse Electric Corporation for the international Large Coil Task (LCT) utilizes a conductor composed of cabled multifilamentary strands immersed in flowing supercritical helium contained by a square structural sheath made of the high-strength stainless alloy JBX-75. Peak pressures of a few hundred atmospheres are predicted to occur during quench, and measurement of these pressures seems feasible only through penetrations of the sheath wall. Fully processed short lengths of conductor were taken from production ends, fitted with pressure taps and strain gauges, and pressurized with helium gas. Failure, at 1000 atm at liquid nitrogen temperature, was by a catastrophic splitting of the sheath at a corner. Strain measurements and burst pressure agreed with elastic-plastic finite element stress calculations made for the sheath alone. Neither the production seam weld nor the pressure tap penetrations or their fillet welds contributed to the failure, although the finite element calculations show that these areas were also highly stressed, and examination of the failed sample showed that the finite welds were of poor quality. Failure was by tensile overload, with no evidence of fatigue.
- Research Organization:
- Oak Ridge National Lab., TN (USA); Lawrence Livermore National Lab., CA (USA)
- DOE Contract Number:
- AC05-84OR21400
- OSTI ID:
- 6441078
- Report Number(s):
- CONF-850920-7; ON: DE86002215
- Resource Relation:
- Conference: 9. international conference on magnet technology, Zurich, Switzerland, 9 Sep 1985; Other Information: Portions of this document are illegible in microfiche products
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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GENERAL PHYSICS
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COOLING SYSTEMS
HELIUM
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TIN ALLOYS
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