Test of Copper-Braid-Stabilized Bus Lines for Superconducting Dipole Magnets

Abstract

A high cryogenic stability suprconducting bus-line has been developed to connect a superconducting dipole magnet with a full length of 13 m to a current lead approximately 2 meters from the magnet. The superconducting bus-line is made of NbTi strand cables for magnet use soldered to copper braid. The copper braid has a large surface area to improve cooling efficiency and increase cryogenic stability. Three kinds of bus-line are prepared on experimental basis: a bare superconducting cable, a superconducting cable joined copper braid with a thin layer of solder, and one made by filling the inside of copper braid with solder. Cryogenic stability tests confirmed that a bus-line equipped with a copper braid provides twice the cryogenic stability as a bare superconducting cable.