THE PROPERTIES OF SILVER-SHEATHED BISMUTH SUPERCONDUCTING WIRE AND THEIR APPLICATION

We have developed silver-sheathed bismuth(2223) superconducting wire u sing the powder-in-tube method and their application. After obtaining high-J(c) properties with silver-sheathed Bi(2223) superconducting wir es in 1991, a long-wire fabrication became the key issue for actual ap plication. To date, we have successfully developed long wires over hun dred meters ; for example, 100 m long wire with J(c) (77.3K) = 20,500 A/cm2 and 156 m long wire with J(c) (77.3K) = 15,000 A/cm2. Prototypes of conductors and magnets using these wires were demonstrated; 5 m/20 00 A cable conductor, 500 A current leads with a low liquid He consump tion, 10 kA busber and refrigerator cooled magnet, The refrigerator co oled magnet was stably operated at 20 K, generating 1 Tesla, for 100 h ours on end.