Program CICC, flow and heat transfer in cable in conduit conductors (CICC)

Computer program CICC (cable in conduit conductors) has been written for use in the thermo-fluids design of superconducting magnets for tokamak reactors, which use forced-flow, helium-cooled, cable-in-conduit conductors (CICC). In addition to background heat loads that vary with space and time, these superconductors can develop normal zones that generate electrical resistance heat. Program CICC models the transient thermodynamic and fluid-dynamic system response to background heating and normal-zone propagation in the superconductor. The computational algorithm described in this paper couples a one dimensional, compressible pipe-flow model (including flow choking) with two-dimensional, axisymmetric heat conduction models of the superconductor cable, the conduit, and the epoxy-conduit insulation. National Institute of Standards and Technology helium properties are used. The model is verified by comparison with measured temperature and pressure profiles from thermal expulsion experiments. 10 refs., 9 figs