Electron beam welding of rectangular copper wires applied in electrical drives

The so-called hairpin winding technology, which is specially tailored to electrical traction components, deploys rectangular plug-in copper wires in the stator. The fusion welding of the adjacent wire ends is associated with challenges due to the high thermal conductivity as well as the porosity formation of the copper. During this study, the electron beam (EB) welding of electrolytic tough pitch (ETP) and oxygen-free electronic grade (OFE) copper connectors was investigated. Subsequently, the specimens underwent X-ray computed tomography (CT) and metallographic examinations to characterize the joints. It was discovered that the residual oxygen content of the base material is responsible for the pore formation. With only a very low level of oxygen content in the copper, a porosity- and spatter-free welding can be reproducibly realized using the robust EB welding technology, especially for copper materials. By optimizing the parameters accordingly, joints exhibiting a low level of porosity were achieved even in the case of the alloy containing a high amount of residual oxygen. Beyond this, detailed analyses in terms of pore distribution were carried out and a good correlation between technological parameters and welding results was determined.

Effect of Strain Rate on the Tensile Mechanical Properties of Electron Beam Welded OFE Copper and High-Purity Niobium for SRF Applications

An investigation of the tensile mechanical properties of electron beam welded OFE copper and high-purity niobium sheets is presented. Specimens were deformed in tension at strain rates ranging from 10−3 to ~ 1600 s−1. The 0.2% yield stress and ultimate tensile strength (UTS) of the welded niobium specimens are similar to those of unwelded specimens at strain rates lower or equal to 20 s−1. At higher strain rates, these mechanical properties are lower for welded niobium specimens. The 0.2% yield stress of welded OFE copper specimens is consistently lower than unwelded specimens over the range of strain rates studied, while the UTS is comparable at all strain rates. The elongation to failure of welded OFE copper specimens remains unchanged at all strain rates while the ductility of niobium specimens reduces at strain rates greater or equal to 20 s−1 and reaches a minimum at ~ 400 s−1. The effects of the weld on a non-standardized short specimen geometry, developed for this study to obtain strain rates in the order of 103 s−1, are more pronounced for niobium due to large grain sizes (up to 1200 μm) in the fusion region. However, comparable strength and ductility trends, with respect to a standard specimen, were measured at low strain rates. The conservation of strength and the relatively high ductility of the welded sheets, especially for OFE copper, suggest that bent and electron beam welded tubes could be used for the fabrication of seamless superconducting radiofrequency (SRF) cavities. These results are promising for the use of high-speed forming techniques, like electro-hydraulic forming, for the manufacturing of parts using welded tubes and sheets.

Brazing of Mo to Glidcop Dispersion Strengthened Copper for Accelerating Structures

Alumina dispersion-strengthened copper, Glidcop, is used widely in high-heat-load ultra-high-vacuum components for synchrotron light sources (absorbers), accelerator components (beam intercepting devices), and in nuclear power plants. Glidcop has similar thermal and electrical properties to oxygen free electrical (OFE) copper, but has superior mechanical properties, thus making it a feasible structural material; its yield and ultimate tensile strength are equivalent to those of mild-carbon steel. The purpose of this work has been to develop a brazing technique to join Glidcop to Mo, using a commercial Cu-based alloy. The effects of the excessive diffusion of the braze along the grain boundaries on the interfacial chemistry and joint microstructure, as well as on the mechanical performance of the brazed joints, has been investigated. In order to prevent the diffusion of the braze into the Glidcop alloy, a copper barrier layer has been deposited on Glidcop by means of RF-sputtering.