Finite element analysis of the TPX toroidal field coil system

A structural analysis of the Tokamak Physics Experiment (TPX) toroidal field (TF) coil system is presented. The large-scale structural behavior of the superconducting 16-coil magnet is simulated with a 3-D, cyclically-symmetric, two-coil, ANSYS model. The computer model is used to determine the displacement and stress state of the smeared winding pack and support structure, and to perform various structural evaluations. Approximating the detailed stresses in the winding pack constituents based an smeared stress results and analytically derived component stress multipliers is discussed. The effectiveness of friction between wedged TF cases to help restrain out-of-plane electromagnetic forces is also considered. A stress evaluation of the conductor, insulation and structure is presented based on the TPX structural design criteria.<>