35.4 T field generated using a layer-wound superconducting coil made of (RE)Ba2Cu3O7-x (RE = rare earth) coated conductor

To explore the limits of layer wound (RE)Ba2Cu3O7-x (REBCO, RE = rare earth) coils in a high magnetic field environment >30 T, a series of small insert coils have been built and characterized in background fields. One of the coils repeatedly reached 35.4 T using a single similar to 100m length of REBCO tape wet wound with epoxy and nested in a 31 T background magnet. The coil was quenched safely several times without degradation. Contributing to the success of this coil was the introduction of a thin polyester film that surrounded the conductor. This approach introduces a weak circumferential plane in the coil pack that prevents conductor delamination that has caused degradation of several epoxy impregnated coils previously made by this and other groups. (C) 2011 American Institute of Physics. [doi: 10.1063/1.3662963]