Results of R&D and Production on Two Types of High-Purity Aluminum-Stabilized Superconducting Cable

Two types of high-purity aluminum-stabilized superconducting conductor were developed and produced for use in large-aperture high-field superconducting solenoids. One (DS1) has transverse rectangular dimensions of 5.27 mm × 20.1 mm, whereas the other (PS) has 5.52 mm × 30.1 mm. The superconductor for both cables is copper-stabilized NbTi strand woven into a Rutherford cable. The stabilizer for the DS1 conductor is 5N aluminum, whereas the stabilizer for PS is an aluminum alloy of 5N aluminum with a 0.1wt% Ni addition. Continuous unit lengths up to 1700 m are required for production. In total, over 18 000 m are required for this contract. A major goal of the R&D is to produce a cable having high shear strength between Cu and Al boundary while maintaining high residual resistivity ratio (RRR) and strength in the Al parts. We report on the cable mechanical properties, RRR of aluminum, sharing stress between Cu and Al, and critical current (I
_C
) of the cable, as well as the progress toward the fabrication of long unit lengths for production.