Apparatus and method for fabricating multi-strand superconducting cable
AssigneeThe United States of America as represented by the United States Department of Energy
InventorAlbert R. Borden
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Abstract
Multi-strand superconducting cables adapted to be used, for example, to wind a magnet is fabricated by directing wire strands inwardly from spools disposed on the perimeter of a rotating disk and wrapping them diagonally around a tapered mandrel with a flattened cross-sectional shape with a core having a wedge-shaped channel. As the cable is pulled axially, flexibly coupled wedge-shaped pieces are continuously passed through the channel in the mandrel and inserted into the cable as an internal support therefor.
Claims14
A method of fabricating a multi-strand cable comprising the steps of:
- providing a tapered mandrel which is elongate along a direction transverse to the direction of taper and has a hollow core with a longitudinal wedge-shaped channel extending therethrough.
- winding a plurality of wire strands around said mandrel diagonally with respect to said transverse direction,
- inserting wedge-shaped pieces, articulately coupled together in spaced relationship by a superconducting ribbon means, sequentially through said channel of said mandrel, and
- drawing said wedge-shaped pieces and said plurality of wire strands to form a cable having said wedge-shaped pieces located within said wire strands when said wire strands are drawn from said tapered mandrel.
In an apparatus for fabricating multi-strand cable, the improvement comprising a ferris wheeltype disk adapted to rotate around an axis, a plurality of spools containing wire affixed on said disk, and a tapered mandrel which is elongate along a direction transverse of the direction of said axis, said mandrel having a core with a wedge-shaped channel extending longitudinally therethrough so that separate, distinct and spaced apart pieces, connected by a superconducting ribbon means, with each of said pieces having a wedge-shaped transverse cross-section, can be continuously passed therethrough.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.