Bending properties of different REBCO coated conductor tapes and Roebel cables at T = 77 K

Application of REBCO coated conductors in coils or cables involves deformation of the conductor in different modes, such as in-plane bending, out-of-plane bending and torsion. For example, the dipole magnet designs in the EuCARD-2 project require bending radii as low as 7.5 mm, inducing significant bending strain in the REBCO layer. In this paper, we investigate the effect of out-of-plane bending on the current-carrying properties of coated conductors from different manufacturers. The samples are manipulated by means of a Goldacker-type bending rig, which allows continuous bending at T = 77 K. By reversal to R = ∞ after each bending step, the reversible strain effect is separated from irreversible degradation. All tested conductors are found to tolerate compressive bending to a radius of 6 mm with less than 5% irreversible degradation of the critical current. The magnitude of the reversible strain effect shows a large variation among the samples. The effect of out-of-plane bending on Roebel cables is investigated as well, and the results are compared to the bending characteristic of single conductors. The results show no detrimental effect of the cable assembly on the bending properties within the constraints of the test.