Optimization of ITER Central Solenoid Insert design

The United States ITER Project Office (USIPO) is responsible for fabrication of the Central Solenoid (CS) for International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER). The CS Insert (CSI) project should provide a verification of the conductor performance in relevant conditions of temperature, field, currents and mechanical strain. The US IPO will build the CSI that will be tested at the Central Solenoid Model Coil (CSMC) Test Facility at JAEA, Naka. One of the design goals of the CSI is to assure that the properties of the conductor near the median plane are measured accurately. Since Nb3Sn is strain sensitive and electromagnetic forces generate a significant strain that increases the current sharing temperature (Tcs), we need to design the Insert in such a way that the most strained conductor near the median plane would still have the lowest Tcs of all the rest of the conductor in the Insert. The difference between thermal contraction of the jacket and spacer material allows controlling axial distribution of the coil radial deformation. Numerical analysis of the CSI was performed using stainless steel, titanium and invar spacer material variants. Distribution of the Tcs was obtained from numerical results in the form similar to one proposed for ITER.