Predictive study of the poloidal field coil insert behaviour under pulsed current tests

Within the ITER Poloidal Field conductor design validation, the Poloidal Field Conductor Insert (PFCI) has been manufactured and will be tested in the Central Solenoid Model Coil (CSMC) facility at JAEA Naka (Japan). In this test facility, the PFCI can be tested under ITER-relevant operating conditions, the field produced by the CSMC being varied to simulate the real situation of the PF coils in ITER. Predictive analyses have been performed in order to study the electromagnetic and thermal-hydraulic behaviour of the PFCI, under two scenarios proposed for pulsed current tests. During these scenarios, simulations have been performed with the THEA code, in which classical formulas for the AC losses in a cable have been introduced. The study focuses on the lower part of the winding, which is a 44 m long conductor including a joint. It covers the sample thermal-hydraulic behaviour with particular emphasis on the losses. Due to the overcompaction in the joint area, the total energy dissipated during a scenario can be equivalent in the joint and in the conductor, in spite of the reduced length of the joint (0.45 m). This particular point is discussed and has led to the analysis of the temperature margin in the joint.