Article
Analysis of the efficiency of beryllium as a material for cryogenic current leads
Yu. L. Buyanov
Joint Institute for High Temperature of the Russian Academy of Sciences, ul. Izhorska, 13-2, 125412, Moscow, Russia
e-mail: ybuyanov@yandex.ru
N. N. Balashov
Joint Institute for High Temperature of the Russian Academy of Sciences, ul. Izhorska, 13-2, 125412, Moscow, Russia
Abstract
Using computational methods within the range of 77–300 K, the average values of the electrical resistivity and thermal conductivity coefficient of commercially pure beryllium were determined and compared with the parameters of copper of the same purity. Despite all the complexities of manufacturing technology for various cryogenic current-carrying beryllium elements (wires for cryogenic magnets and current leads) related to its mechanical properties, in particular, much lower ductility than copper, the need to ensure high purity and special safety measures caused by its toxicity, beryllium is a promising material for cryogenic magnets., as well as for current leads of HTS magnets. It has been established that when using beryllium, the optimal area of the current conducting cross section is 1.5 times larger than that of the copper analogue, yet the total mass of the current lead is three times smaller. This result justifies the advantage of using beryllium in cryogenic devices where minimizing weight characteristics is a priority task — that is, in various HTS magnets installed on spacecraft — for example, in magnets of charged particle detectors and electric rocket engines, as well as in aircraft cryogenic electric machinery with HTS windings.
Keywords: cryogenic current leads; beryllium current leads; calculation of current leads.
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