Self-field calculation of CICC with fast direct Biot–Savart integration

• An algorithm of fast direct Biot–Savart integration (FDBS) is proposed.
• FDBS calculates the self-field of ITER cable-in-conduit conductor (CICC).
• FDBS is more effective and easier to implement.
• This new method will benefit future magnet design.

ITER magnetic device (Tokamak) requires a strong magnetic field produced by charged cable conductors and external sources to arrive at stable and reliable magnetic confinement performance. Before manufacturing and assembling conductors, preliminary analysis of self-field induction is helpful for reducing the cost of varying-parameter experiments. Spatial helix shape of numerous strand elements and multi-level twist of the finalized cable, known as CICC type, make it unpractical to direct use finite-element methods and other numerical procedures for self-field calculation. An algorithm FDBS (fast direct Biot–Savart integration) is proposed to surmount this difficulty, which improves the traditional method (DBS, direct implementing Biot–Savart law for all strand sources) in terms of computational effort. As such the complexity reduces to O(N) from the original O(N2) and speed enhancement is achieved in the parallel computation environment. FDBS calculates out a detailed self-field profile for the uncompressed ITER TF conductors carrying uniform current at each cabling level; the layered self-field distribution becomes more indistinct for higher level subcable.