Numerical study on the transport current distribution in the multi-layer CORC coil

Abstract The conductor on round core (CORC) cable has attracted increasing attention due to its strong and high-efficient current carrying capacity. It is considered as one of ideal candidate cables for manufacturing nuclear fusion magncets. Under the circumstance, the transport current distribution of the coils wound by CORC cables has significant impacts on the operating performance of nuclear fusion magnets. Considering the difficulty in experimental tests, numerical model is an effective way to illustrate transport current distribution of the multi-layer CORC coil and provide further insights into its working performance. Therefore, in this work, A 3D finite element model based on the H formulation is proposed to simulate a single-turn and multi-layer CORC coil. The validity of the model has been verified by experimental results. Based on the proposed model, the transport current distribution of the multi-layer straight CORC cable and the multi-layer CORC coil is compared and discussed. In addition, the current density distribution on the superconducting tapes of the multi-layer CORC coil is also investigated. This work can provide an important reference for the design and practical application of multi-layer CORC coils.