The busbar system for Wendelstein 7-X prepared for assembly and operational loads

Forschungszentrum Jülich has taken over the design, manufacturing and assembly of the superconducting busbar system for the stellarator Wendelstein 7-X. This includes the busbars itself, the support structure consisting of supports and clamps, and the joints for electrical and hydraulic connection of the busbars and coil terminals. Apart from providing the required electrical connection scheme, the busbar system has to be designed for relevant electrical and mechanical loads. Numerous interfaces and geometric boundary conditions define the confined space to accommodate the busbars and their support elements. This article describes how the individual challenges to engineering have been met in the course of the project. This includes design concepts and the method for iterative design of supports with respect to the individual load distribution caused by the supports itself.