Devendra Kumar Namburi

Enhanced trapped field performance of bulk high-temperature superconductors using split coil, pulsed field magnetization with an iron yoke

Investigating and predicting the magnetization of bulk superconducting materials and developing practical magnetizing techniques is crucial to using them as trapped field magnets in engineering applications. The pulsed field magnetization (PFM) technique is considered to be a compact, mobile and relative inexpensive way to magnetize bulk samples, requiring shorter magnetization times (on the order of milliseconds) and a smaller and less complicated magnetization fixture; however, the trapped field produced by PFM is generally much smaller than that of slower zero field cooling or field cooling techniques, particularly at lower operating temperatures. In this paper, the PFM of two, standard Ag-containing Gd–Ba–Cu–O samples is carried out using two types of magnetizing coils: (1) a solenoid coil, and (2) a split coil, both of which make use of an iron yoke to enhance the trapped magnetic field. It is shown that a significantly higher trapped field can be achieved using a split coil with an iron yoke, and in order to explain these how this arrangement works in detail, numerical simulations using a 2D axisymmetric finite element method based on the H -formulation are carried to qualitatively reproduce and analyze the magnetization process from both electromagnetic and thermal points of view. It is observed that after the pulse peak significantly less flux exits the bulk when the iron core is present, resulting in a higher peak trapped field, as well as more overall trapped flux, after the magnetization process is complete. The results have important implications for practical applications of bulk superconductors as such a split coil arrangement with an iron yoke could be incorporated into the design of a portable, high magnetic field source/magnet to enhance the available magnetic field or in an axial gap-type bulk superconducting electric machine, where iron can be incorporated into the stator windings to (1) improve the trapped field from the magnetization process, and (2) increase the effective air-gap magnetic field.

The use of buffer pellets to pseudo hot seed (RE)-Ba-Cu-O-(Ag) single grain bulk superconductors

Reliable seeding of the superconducting (RE)Ba2Cu3O7−δ (RE-123) phase is a critical step in the melt growth of large, single grain, (RE)BaCuO ((RE)BCO) bulk superconductors. Recent improvements to the top seeded melt growth (TSMG) processing technique, which is an established method of fabricating bulk (RE)BCO superconductors, based on the use of a buffer layer between the seed and green body preform, has significantly improved the reliability of the single grain growth process. This technique has been used successfully for the primary TSMG and infiltration melt growth of all compositions within the ((RE)BCO–Ag) family of materials (where RE = Sm, Gd and Y), and in recycling processes. However, the mechanism behind the improved reliability of the melt process is not understood fully and its effect on the superconducting properties of the fully processed single grains is not clear. In this paper, we investigate the effect of the use of a buffer pellet between the seed and green body on the microstructure, critical current, critical temperature and trapped field of the bulk superconductor. We conclude that the introduction of the buffer pellet evolves the melt growth process towards that observed in the technologically challenging hot seeding technique, but has the potential to yield high quality single grain samples but by a commercially viable melt process.

Control of Y-211 content in bulk YBCO superconductors fabricated by a buffer-aided, top seeded infiltration and growth melt process

Bulk (RE)–Ba–Cu–O ((RE)BCO, where RE stands for rare-earth), single grain superconductors can trap magnetic fields of several tesla at low temperatures and therefore can function potentially as high field magnets. Although top seeded melt growth (TSMG) is an established process for fabricating relatively high quality single grains of (RE)BCO for high field applications, this technique suffers from inherent problems such as sample shrinkage, a large intrinsic porosity and the presence of (RE)2BaCuO5 (RE-211)-free regions in the single grain microstructure. Seeded infiltration and growth (SIG), therefore, has emerged as a practical alternative to TSMG that overcomes many of these problems. Until now, however, the superconducting properties of bulk materials processed by SIG have been inferior to those fabricated using the TSMG technique. In this study, we identify that the inferior properties of SIG processed bulk superconductors are related to the presence of a relatively large Y-211 content (~41.8%) in the single grain microstructure. Controlling the RE-211 content in SIG bulk samples is particularly challenging because it is difficult to regulate the entry of the liquid phase into the solid RE-211 preform during the infiltration process. In an attempt to solve this issue, we have investigated the effect of careful control of both the infiltration temperature and the quantity of liquid phase powder present in the sample preforms prior to processing. We conclude that careful control of the infiltration temperature is the most promising of these two process variables. Using this knowledge, we have fabricated successfully a YBCO bulk single grain using the SIG process of diameter 25 mm that exhibits a trapped field of 0.69 T at 77 K, which is the largest value reported to date for a sample fabricated by the SIG technique.

A novel, two-step top seeded infiltration and growth process for the fabrication of single grain, bulk (RE)BCO superconductors

A fundamental requirement of the fabrication of high performing, (RE)–Ba–Cu–O bulk superconductors is achieving a single grain microstructure that exhibits good flux pinning properties. The top seeded melt growth (TSMG) process is a well-established technique for the fabrication of single grain (RE)BCO bulk samples and is now applied routinely by a number of research groups around the world. The introduction of a buffer layer to the TSMG process has been demonstrated recently to improve significantly the general reliability of the process. However, a number of growth-related defects, such as porosity and the formation of micro-cracks, remain inherent to the TSMG process, and are proving difficult to eliminate by varying the melt process parameters. The seeded infiltration and growth (SIG) process has been shown to yield single grain samples that exhibit significantly improved microstructures compared to the TSMG technique. Unfortunately, however, SIG leads to other processing challenges, such as the reliability of fabrication, optimisation of RE2BaCuO5 (RE-211) inclusions (size and content) in the sample microstructure, practical oxygenation of as processed samples and, hence, optimisation of the superconducting properties of the bulk single grain. In the present paper, we report the development of a near-net shaping technique based on a novel two-step, buffer-aided top seeded infiltration and growth (BA-TSIG) process, which has been demonstrated to improve greatly the reliability of the single grain growth process and has been used to fabricate successfully bulk, single grain (RE)BCO superconductors with improved microstructures and superconducting properties. A trapped field of ~0.84 T and a zero field current density of 60 kA cm−2 have been measured at 77 K in a bulk, YBCO single grain sample of diameter 25 mm processed by this two-step BA-TSIG technique. To the best of our knowledge, this value of trapped field is the highest value ever reported for a sample fabricated by an infiltration and growth process. In this study we report the successful fabrication of 14 YBCO samples, with diameters of up to 32 mm, by this novel technique with a success rate of greater than 92%.

Multiple seeding for the growth of bulk GdBCO-Ag superconductors with single grain behaviour

Rare earth–barium–copper oxide bulk superconductors fabricated in large or complicated geometries are required for a variety of engineering applications. Initiating crystal growth from multiple seeds reduces the time taken to melt-process individual samples and can reduce the problem of poor crystal texture away from the seed. Grain boundaries between regions of independent crystal growth can reduce significantly the flow of current due to crystallographic misalignment and the agglomeration of impurity phases. Enhanced supercurrent flow at such boundaries has been achieved by minimising the depth of the boundary between A growth sectors generated during the melt growth process by reducing second phase agglomerations and by a new technique for initiating crystal growth that minimises the misalignment between different growth regions. The trapped magnetic fields measured for the resulting samples exhibit a single trapped field peak indicating they are equivalent to conventional single grains.

Pulsed Field Magnetization of Single-Grain Bulk YBCO Processed From Graded Precursor Powders

Large single-grain bulk high-temperature superconducting materials can trap high magnetic fields in comparison with conventional permanent magnets, making them ideal candidates to develop more compact and efficient devices, such as actuators, magnetic levitation systems, flywheel energy storage systems, and electric machines. However, macrosegregation of Y-211 inclusions in melt-processed Y-Ba-Cu-O (YBCO) limits the macroscopic critical current density of such bulk superconductors, and hence, the potential trapped field. A new fabrication technique using graded precursor powders has recently been developed by our research group, which results in a more uniform distribution of Y-211 particles, in order to further improve the superconducting properties and trapped field capability of such materials. In this paper, experimental results on the pulsed field magnetization of a graded single-grain YBCO bulk sample are presented. Pulsed fields of magnitude up to 5.5 T were applied to the sample, at temperatures of 40 and 65 K. The trapped field profiles indicate that magnetic flux enters the sample in a more uniform manner than standard YBCO samples, resulting in a higher overall trapped field and indicating the success of this processing technique to produce a more homogeneous sample.

Data supporting the paper ''A robust seeding technique for growing bulk single grain (RE)BCO and (RE)BCO-Ag''

Data supporting the publication. The enclosed data set contains raw data connected with thermal analysis measurements

Research data supporting "A Novel Pre-sintering method for Growing Y-Ba-Cu-O Superconducting Single Grains from Raw Oxides"

The raw data is extracted from XRD, trapped fields setup and levitation force measurement facilities. Data is all plotted in Origin.

Data supporting ''Processing and Properties of Bar-shaped Single-seeded and Multi-seeded YBCO Bulk Superconductors by a Top Seeded Melt Growth Technique''

Data supporting the publication. The enclosed data set contains raw data connected with magnetization measurements, trapped field properties and levitation data.

2-step Top seeded infiltration and melt growth process - A new technique for producing large, single grain (RE)BaCuO bulk superconductors

(RE)BaCuO bulk high temperature superconductors fabricated in the form of large, single grains can generate magnetic fields that are an order of magnitude higher than those achievable using conventional permanent magnets. The microstructures of these materials are known to play a key role in determining their superconducting properties, such as critical current density and resultant trapped field.