Mechanical Properties of Preliminary Designed Insulation for CFETR CSMC

Glass-fiber reinforced plastics is commonly designed as insulation materials for fusion magnet coils and is selected for the turn and ground insulation for the China Fusion Engineering Test Reactor (CFETR) Central Solenoid Model Coil (CSMC). The mechanical properties are being subjected to investigations with respect to the design requirements and operating conditions at present. The preliminary designed insulation system for CFETR CSMC mainly consists of S-glass fiber reinforced tape, interleaved with corona-treated Kapton HN, and vacuum-pressure impregnated in a DGEBF epoxy system. For the composite structure, the tensile and shear performance of the insulation system at room temperature and liquid nitrogen temperature (77 K) were assessed. Meanwhile, effects on the tensile and inter-laminar shear performance from cycling in liquid nitrogen were investigated. The failed specimens were observed to verify the insulation system failure mechanisms.