Multiscale Mechanical Responses of the Racetrack NbTi Superconducting Coil Under Dynamic Pressures.

Abstract

Racetrack NbTi superconducting coil is a key component in Maglev train systems due to its excellent mechanical processing performance and lower construction cost. However, dynamic pressures during high-speed operations can influence contact pressures and cause internal filament damage, leading to critical current degradation and quench, which threaten the stable operation of the superconducting magnet. Considering that the NbTi coil has a typical hierarchical structure and comprises thousands of filaments, this study constructs an efficient multiscale framework combining the finite element method (FEM) and self-consistent clustering analysis (SCA) to study the multiscale responses of the NbTi coil. The mechanical responses of the two-scale racetrack coil under monotonic and periodic pressures are investigated, and the effects of the friction contacts between strands are also discussed. The study reveals that internal contacts significantly influence local contact pressures and microscopic stresses, and periodic loading leads to stress accumulation with cycle times. The proposed framework efficiently captures critical microscale responses and can be applied to other multiscale materials and structures.