Facilities

SULTAN

It is the largest worldwide magnet facility to test forced flow, high current superconductors up to 11 T. It consists of six superconducting solenoids cooled by forced flow of supercritical helium. It is the reference facility for ITER superconductors. The superconductors for other fusion magnets ( Wendelstein 7-X, HT7U, etc.) and large magnets (high field hybrid) are also tested in SULTAN.

  • 11 T  – 94×144 mm2 test well (1% homogeneity over 300 mm)
  • 580 mm Ø solenoid bore (1% in a 300 mm Ø sphere)
  • DC current for testing samples up to 100 kA
  • Supercritical Helium at 10 bar and 4.5–10 ºK, up to 20 g/s
  • Superimposed steady state ac field: up to 0.8 T, 0.01 to 6 Hz
  • Superimposed pulsed field: up to 3 T amplitude, 140 ms period

Current lead test facilities

A large cryostat for testing current leads up to 25 kA with variable temperature and variable mass flow rate is available. A pair of 18 kA HTS current leads, needed for the EDIPO facility, has been designed, manufactured and successfully tested at SPC-SG. In a technology transfer project, SPC-SG supported WEKA AG in the commercialization of HTS current leads (3-30 kA).  An upgrade of the test facility is presently under way at SPC-SG.

Sample preparation & furnaces

Two furnaces for heat treatment of Nb3Sn long cables (up to 4 m) are available. Sample assembly and instrumentation installation (high precision thermometers, voltage taps, sensing coils, strain gauges) are carried out at SPC-SG; we have gained extensive experience in electrical contacts and joint preparation.

Photo of Edipo & Sultan

Edipo (left) and Sultan (right)