For high current superconductors in high magnet fields with currents in the order of 50 kA, single ReBCO coated conductors must be assembled in a cable. The geometry of such a cable is mostly such that combined torsion, axial and transverse loading states are anticipated in the tapes and tape joints. The resulting strain distribution, caused by different thermal contraction and electromagnetic forces, will affect the critical current of the tapes. Tape performance when subjected to torsion, tensile and transverse loading is the key to understanding limitations for the composite cable performance. The individual tape material components can be deformed, not only elastically but also plastically under these loads. A set of experimental setups, as well as a convenient and accurate method of stress-strain state modeling based on the finite element method have been developed. Systematic measurements on single ReBCO tapes are carried out combining axial tension and torsion as well as transverse loading. Then the behavior of a single tape subjected to the various applied loads is simulated in the model. This paper presents the results of experimental tests and detailed FE modeling of the 3D stress-strain state in a single ReBCO tape under different loads, taking into account the temperature dependence and the elastic-plastic properties of the tape materials, starting from the initial tape processing conditions during its manufacture up to magnet operating conditions. Furthermore a comparison of the simulations with experiments is presented with special attention for the critical force, the threshold where the tape performance becomes irreversibly degraded. We verified the influence of tape surface profile non-uniformity and copper stabilizer thickness on the critical force. The FE models appear to describe the tape experiments adequately and can thus be used as a solid basis for optimization of various cabling concepts.

Controlling the motion of drops on solid surfaces is crucial in many natural phenomena and technological processes including the collection and removal of rain drops, cleaning technology and heat exchangers. Topographic and chemical heterogeneities on solid surfaces give rise to pinning forces that can capture and steer drops in desired directions. Here we determine general physical conditions required for capturing sliding drops on an inclined plane that is equipped with electrically tunable wetting defects. By mapping the drop dynamics on the one-dimensional motion of a point mass, we demonstrate that the trapping process is controlled by two dimensionless parameters, the trapping strength measured in units of the driving force and the ratio between a viscous and an inertial time scale. Complementary experiments involving superhydrophobic surfaces with wetting defects demonstrate the general applicability of the concept. Moreover, we show that electrically tunable defects can be used to guide sliding drops along actively switchable tracks—with potential applications in microfluidics.

The EuCARD-2 Enhanced European Coordination for Accelerator Research & Development project is co-funded by the partners and the European Commission under Capacities 7th Framework Programme, Grant Agreement 312453. This work is part of EuCARD-2 Work Package 10: Future Magnets (MAG). The electronic version of this EuCARD-2 Publication is available via the EuCARD-2 web site or on the CERN Document Server at the following URL:

Application of REBCO coated conductors in coils or cables involves deformation of the conductor in different modes, such as in-plane bending, out-of-plane bending and torsion. For example, the dipole magnet designs in the EuCARD-2 project require bending radii as low as 7.5 mm, inducing significant bending strain in the REBCO layer. In this paper, we investigate the effect of out-of-plane bending on the current-carrying properties of coated conductors from different manufacturers. The samples are manipulated by means of a Goldacker-type bending rig, which allows continuous bending at T = 77 K. By reversal to after each bending step, the reversible strain effect is separated from irreversible degradation. All tested conductors are found to tolerate compressive bending to a radius of 6 mm with less than 5% irreversible degradation of the critical current. The magnitude of the reversible strain effect shows a large variation among the samples. The effect of out-of-plane bending on Roebel cables is investigated as well, and the results are compared to the bending characteristic of single conductors. The results show no detrimental effect of the cable assembly on the bending properties within the constraints of the test.