Superconductor wire and methods of constructing same
AssigneeWestinghouse Electric Corp.
InventorsGraham A. Whitlow, Alan T. Male, Aleksander I. Braginski
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Abstract
Superconductor wire, and methods of constructing same, including one or more filaments formed of submicron-particle superconductor powder each surrounded by an encapsulating sheath having a composite wall. The composite wall includes a ductile outer skin surrounding a relatively harder, higher yield strength inner wall portion. The harder, higher strength inner wall portion improves dimensional uniformity of the filaments as the wire is fabricated, with the potential for enhanced superconducting performance, while the ductile outer skin enhances metallurgical bonding between the outer skins of adjacent filaments, to ensure a homogenous, thermally conductive and normally electrically conductive matrix.
Claims22
A superconductor wire, comprising:
- a plurality of filaments formed of submicron-particle superconductor powder,
- and an encapsulating metallic sheath disposed about each said filament,
- each of said encapsulating sheaths having a composite wall including a ductile outer skin surrounding a harder, higher yield strength inner wall portion, with said harder inner wall portion improving dimensional uniformity of the filament during subsequent fabrication of the wire.
A multifilament superconductor wire, comprising:
- a plurality of filaments formed of submicronparticle superconductor powder, and an encapsulating metallic sheath disposed about each filament,
- at least certain of said encapsulating sheaths having a composite wall including a ductile outer skin which surrounds a harder, higher yield strength inner wall portion, with said ductile outer skin of each filament being metallurgically bonded to the ductile outer skins of adjacent filaments, and with said harder inner wall portion improving the dimensional uniformity of its associated filament.
A method of constructing wire from microparticle superconductor powder to enhance filament dimensional stability, comprising the steps of:
- providing a first tubular metallic member having a composite wall defining a ductile outer skin surrounding a harder, higher yield strength inner wall portion,
- filling said first tubular member with a submicronparticle superconductor powder,
- reducing the diameter of said first tubular member to provide a single filament wire,
- providing a hexagonal cross-sectional configuration on the single-filament wire,
- bundling a plurality of the hexagonal wires in a second tubular member,
- and reducing the diameter of said second tubular member to provide a first multifilament wire.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.