Experiences from the installation of the superconducting bus bar system of Wendelstein 7-X

The superconducting bus bar system of the Wendelstein 7-X (W7-X) experiment consists of 121 bus bars and 184 joints, which provide the electrical and hydraulical connection between bus bars and coils and between different bus bar sections. The bus bars are made of the same superconductor as the coils and were pre-bent, insulated and tested by the FZ Jülich. The assembly of the bus bars was a logistical and technical challenge because of numerous interfaces and geometrical boundary conditions. The complexity of installation required extensive quality assurance and assembly plans, where each work step had to be precisely defined. The assembly of all bus bars and joints has been finished. The installation of the current leads which connect the bus bar system to the power supplies is underway.