Fabrication of reinforced superconducting wires

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10049793-B2
Application number	US-201615205804-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 8, 2016
Priority date	Jul 14, 2015
Publication date	Aug 14, 2018
Grant date	Aug 14, 2018

Abstract

In various embodiments, superconducting wires feature assemblies of clad composite filaments and/or stabilized composite filaments embedded within a wire matrix. The wires may include one or more stabilizing elements for improved mechanical properties.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method of forming a mechanically stabilized superconducting wire, the method comprising:
providing a plurality of monofilaments each comprising a monofilament core comprising Nb and, surrounding the monofilament core, a monofilament cladding comprising Cu;
providing a stabilizing element comprising a stabilizing core comprising an alloy of Ta with at least one of W, C, or N and, surrounding the stabilizing core, a stabilizing cladding comprising Cu;
fabricating a plurality of composite filaments by, for each composite filament, (i) assembling a plurality of the monofilaments into a monofilament stack, (ii) surrounding the monofilament stack with a composite-filament cladding comprising Cu, (iii) reducing a diameter of the clad monofilament stack, and (iv) altering a cross-sectional shape of the clad monofilament stack;
assembling a plurality of the composite filaments and the stabilizing element into a composite stack, wherein the stabilizing element extends through a radial dimension of the composite stack;
surrounding the composite stack with a wire cladding comprising Cu; and
reducing a diameter of the clad composite stack to form a wire, thereby forming a superconducting wire comprising:
a wire matrix comprising Cu;
embedded within the wire matrix, a stabilizing element comprising only a single stabilizing core comprising an alloy of Ta with at least one of W, C, or N and, surrounding the single stabilizing core, a stabilizing cladding comprising Cu; and
a plurality of composite filaments embedded within the wire matrix and surrounding the stabilizing element,
wherein:
each composite filament comprises (i) a plurality of monofilaments and (ii) a composite-filament cladding comprising Cu surrounding the plurality of monofilaments,
each monofilament comprises a superconducting monofilament core comprising Nb and, surrounding the superconducting monofilament core, a monofilament cladding comprising Cu,
the stabilizing element extends through an axial dimension of the wire,
the stabilizing element is the only stabilizing element within the wire,
the stabilizing element occupies at least 2% of a cross-section of the wire, and
the stabilizing element is disposed in direct mechanical contact with at least some of the composite filaments.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the stabilizing element is disposed substantially at a radial center of the composite stack.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein each monofilament is provided by a process comprising (i) disposing a rod comprising Nb into a tube comprising Cu to form a clad rod, (ii) reducing a diameter of the clad rod, and (iii) altering a cross-sectional shape of the clad rod.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein altering the cross-sectional shape of the clad rod comprises drawing the clad rod through a hexagonal die.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein providing the stabilizing element comprises (i) disposing a rod comprising Ta or a Ta alloy into a tube comprising Cu to form a clad rod, (ii) reducing a diameter of the clad rod, and (iii) altering a cross-sectional shape of the clad rod.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein altering the cross-sectional shape of the clad rod comprises drawing the clad rod through a hexagonal die.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein altering the cross-sectional shape of the clad monofilament stack comprises drawing the clad monofilament stack through a hexagonal die.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the stabilizing core of the stabilizing element comprises Ta-3W.

9. The method of claim 1 , further comprising (i) disposing Sn within or on the wire and (ii) annealing the wire to form a Nb 3 Sn phase within the wire.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the core of the stabilizing element consists of the alloy of Ta with at least one of W, C, or N.

11. The method of claim 1 , wherein the stabilizing element occupies less than approximately 10% of the cross-section of the wire.

12. A superconducting wire comprising:
a wire matrix comprising Cu;
embedded within the wire matrix, a stabilizing element comprising only a single stabilizing core comprising an alloy of Ta with at least one of W, C, or N and, surrounding the single stabilizing core, a stabilizing cladding comprising Cu; and
a plurality of composite filaments embedded within the wire matrix and surrounding the stabilizing element,
wherein:
each composite filament comprises (i) a plurality of monofilaments and (ii) a composite-filament cladding comprising Cu surrounding the plurality of monofilaments,
each monofilament comprises a superconducting monofilament core comprising Nb and, surrounding the superconducting monofilament core, a monofilament cladding comprising Cu,
the stabilizing element extends through an axial dimension of the wire
the stabilizing element is the only stabilizing element within the wire,
the stabilizing element occupies at least 2% of a cross-section of the wire, and
the stabilizing element is disposed in direct mechanical contact with at least some of the composite filaments.

13. The wire of claim 12 , wherein each monofilament core comprises Nb—Ti.

14. The wire of claim 12 , wherein each monofilament core comprises Nb 3 Sn.

15. The wire of claim 12 , wherein the stabilizing core of the stabilizing element comprises Ta-3W.

16. The wire of claim 12 , wherein the stabilizing core of the stabilizing element consists of the alloy of Ta with at least one of W, C, or N.

17. The wire of claim 12 , wherein the stabilizing element occupies less than approximately 10% of the cross-section of the wire.

18. The wire of claim 12 , wherein each of the composite filaments has a hexagonal cross-sectional shape.

19. The wire of claim 12 , wherein each of the monofilaments has a hexagonal cross-sectional shape.

20. The wire of claim 12 , wherein the stabilizing element has a hexagonal cross-sectional shape.

21. The wire of claim 12 , wherein the stabilizing element is disposed proximate a radial center of the wire.

22. The wire of claim 12 , wherein the stabilizing core of the stabilizing element consists of Ta-3W.

Assignees

• Aimone Paul
• Dary Francois Charles
• Smathers David B
• Starck H C Inc

Inventors

• Aimone Paul
• Dary Francois-Charles
• Smathers David B

Classifications

• C22F1/18

  High-melting or refractory metals or alloys based thereon · CPC title

• H01B1/026

  Alloys based on copper · CPC title

• H01B13/0036

  Details · CPC title

• B21C3/04

  with non-adjustable section (B21C3/08 takes precedence) · CPC title

• C22C27/02 Primary

  Alloys based on vanadium, niobium, or tantalum · CPC title