NSF Award
9761515
*** 9761515 Sengupta This Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I project will explore a process that uses continuous heat treatment for manufacturing BSCCO-2212 wire with micron-sized filaments. Although steady progress has been achieved in high temperature superconductor (HTS) wires and tapes, they are not fully commercialized. This innovation is expected to produce long multifilamentary BSCCO-2212 wire competitive in cost and performance with niobium tin compound (Nb3Sn) wire. Phase I will demonstrate the cost-effective fabrication of high-performance multifilamentary BSCCO-2212 silver (Ag) alloy sheathed wire with filament diameters of 2-4 microns by using continuous heat treatment. Phase I will focus on the optimum particle size and distribution of powders suitable for fabrication of wires with 2-4 micron filaments. Drawing parameters to produce mechanically uniform wires without will be determined. The temperature gradient and the pass rate will be optimized to achieve desired properties. Phase II would pursue optimizing process parameters and fabrication of long-length (200-500 meter) multifilamentary wires. Commercial application of high-performance multifilamentary BSCCO-2212 wire is expected in production of a new generation of high-field magnets or magnet inserts which may operate at fields in excess of 20 Tesla. These ultra-high field magnets would significantly impact further development of high energy physics, advanced magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and neutron magnetic resonance (NMR) analysis, and energy storage devices, e.g., superconducting magnetic energy storage (SMES) and micro SMES. ***
