MgB2/Cu Racetrack Coil: Winding and Transport Testing

Abstract

A racetrack coil using MgB2/Cu strand has been fabricated and tested for transport current density at 4.2 K in self field. The monofilamentary strand was 1.0 mm OD and insulated with S-glass braid. Eighty turns of strand (42 m) were wound onto a stainless steel former with outer dimensions 25 cm x 10 cm x 0.86 cm. The resulting racetrack coil was heat treated at 675C for 30 minutes in flowing Ar. The strand, with a superconducting fraction of 26%, occupied 49% of the total coil pack cross sectional area. The coil Ic at 4.2 K and self field was 120 A (using a 1 microvolt/cm criterion). This led to a Jc,sc (across the whole coil) of 6.12 x 10^4 A/cm2, a Je in the wire of 1.59 x 10^4 A/cm2, and an overall winding Je of 7.9 x 10^3 A/cm2 at 4.2 K in self field. The n-values ranged from 17 to 56.