Characterization of $\hbox {Nb}_{3}\hbox {Sn}$ Rutherford Cables for the LHC 11-T Dipole Magnet

The so-called CERN-LHC DS upgrade relies on the use of 11-T dipole magnets. For these magnets, 40 strands Nb₃Sn type Rutherford cables based on 0.7-mm wires are being developed. Recently, four samples of the cables were characterized in the CERN FRESCA cable test station. The critical current and the premature quench current due to magneto-thermal instability were measured at 1.9 and 4.3 K in a background magnetic field between 0 and 9.6 T (the peak magnetic field on the conductor, including the self-field of the cable, ranges from ~ 2 T to ~ 12 T). Two cable samples were based on Powder-In-Tube (PIT) wire and two on Restacked-Rod-Process (RRP) wire. The PIT samples were identical and without a core in the cable while one of the RRP samples features a 25- μm-thick stainless steel core. All cables samples tested have a width and a thickness of about 14.7 and 1.25 mm, respectively. Cables and sample holders were manufactured at CERN. In this paper, we report and discuss the cable test results and compare them to the performance of witness strands, heat treated and measured on ITER-VAMAS type sample holders.