16 T Nb3Sn Racetrack Model Coil Test Result

In the framework of the European project EuCARD, the High Field Magnet project, led by a CERN-CEA collaboration, implied the development of a large aperture Nb
₃
Sn dipole magnet called FRESCA2. The magnet uses four double-pancake block-type coils, each about 1.5 m long. In order to characterize strand and cable properties, as well as to qualify the coil fabrication process, CERN started in 2012 the design and fabrication of the Racetrack Model Coil (RMC) magnet, a short model magnet using the same cable as FRESCA2 magnet with only two flat double-pancake coils about 0.8 m long. In 2013, two superconducting coils have been fabricated, making use of two different types of superconductor. In 2014 and 2015, the coils were tested both in a single and in a double-coil configuration in a support structure based on an external aluminum shell pre-loaded with water-pressurized bladders. In this paper, we describe the design of the RMC magnet and its coils, provide the main parameters of the superconductor, and report the results of three powering tests, focusing on quench performance, training, and quench locations.