Critical current degradation in Nb/sub 3/Sn cables under transverse pressure

Abstract

The critical current degradation of a few sample Rutherford-type Nb/sub 3/Sn cables is investigated as a function of transverse pressure. A comparison is made between Nb/sub 3/Sn strands produced by the powder-in-tube, bronze, and modified jelly roll processes. The (keystoned) Rutherford cables are charged at 11 T under transverse pressures up to 250 MPa. Large differences in critical current reduction are observed, ranging from 6 to about 60% at 200 MPa, depending on the type of Nb/sub 3/Sn. It appears that about 40% of the total reduction is irreversible. Moreover, the irreversible part shows relaxation, and a partial recovery is possible by thermal cycling.< <ETX xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">&gt;</ETX>