Mark Douglas Ainslie

A trapped field of 17.6 T in melt-processed, bulk Gd-Ba-Cu-O reinforced with shrink-fit steel

The ability of large-grain (RE)Ba2Cu3O7−δ ((RE)BCO; RE = rare earth) bulk superconductors to trap magnetic fields is determined by their critical current. With high trapped fields, however, bulk samples are subject to a relatively large Lorentz force, and their performance is limited primarily by their tensile strength. Consequently, sample reinforcement is the key to performance improvement in these technologically important materials. In this work, we report a trapped field of 17.6 T, the largest reported to date, in a stack of two silver-doped GdBCO superconducting bulk samples, each 25 mm in diameter, fabricated by top-seeded melt growth and reinforced with shrink-fit stainless steel. This sample preparation technique has the advantage of being relatively straightforward and inexpensive to implement, and offers the prospect of easy access to portable, high magnetic fields without any requirement for a sustaining current source.

An improved FEM model for computing transport AC loss in coils made of RABiTS YBCO coated conductors for electric machines

AC loss can be a significant problem for any applications that utilize or produce an AC current or magnetic field, such as an electric machine. The authors investigate the electromagnetic properties of high temperature superconductors with a particular focus on the AC loss in superconducting coils made from YBCO coated conductors for use in an all-superconducting electric machine. This paper presents an improved 2D finite element model for the cross-section of such coils, based on the H formulation. The model is used to calculate the transport AC loss of a racetrack-shaped coil using constant and magnetic field-dependent critical current densities, and the inclusion and exclusion of a magnetic substrate, as found in RABiTS (rolling-assisted biaxially textured substrate) YBCO coated conductors. The coil model is based on the superconducting stator coils used in the University of Cambridge EPEC Superconductivity Groups all-superconducting permanent magnet synchronous motor design. To validate the modeling results, the transport AC loss of a stator coil is measured using an electrical method based on inductive compensation by means of a variable mutual inductance. Finally, the implications of the findings on the performance of the motor are discussed.

Modelling of bulk superconductor magnetization

This paper presents a topical review of the current state of the art in modelling the magnetization of bulk superconductors, including both (RE)BCO (where RE?=?rare earth or Y) and MgB2 materials. Such modelling is a powerful tool to understand the physical mechanisms of their magnetization, to assist in interpretation of experimental results, and to predict the performance of practical bulk superconductor-based devices, which is particularly important as many superconducting applications head towards the commercialization stage of their development in the coming years. In addition to the analytical and numerical techniques currently used by researchers for modelling such materials, the commonly used practical techniques to magnetize bulk superconductors are summarized with a particular focus on pulsed field magnetization (PFM), which is promising as a compact, mobile and relatively inexpensive magnetizing technique. A number of numerical models developed to analyse the issues related to PFM and optimise the technique are described in detail, including understanding the dynamics of the magnetic flux penetration and the influence of material inhomogeneities, thermal properties, pulse duration, magnitude and shape, and the shape of the magnetization coil(s). The effect of externally applied magnetic fields in different configurations on the attenuation of the trapped field is also discussed. A number of novel and hybrid bulk superconductor structures are described, including improved thermal conductivity structures and ferromagnet?superconductor structures, which have been designed to overcome some of the issues related to bulk superconductors and their magnetization and enhance the intrinsic properties of bulk superconductors acting as trapped field magnets. Finally, the use of hollow bulk cylinders/tubes for shielding is analysed.

Design and Test of a Superconducting Magnetic Energy Storage (SMES) Coil

This paper presents an SMES coil which has been designed and tested by University of Cambridge. The design gives the maximum stored energy in the coil which has been wound by a certain length of second-generation high-temperature superconductors (2G HTS). A numerical model has been developed to analyse the current density and magnetic field distribution and calculate the AC losses during the charge and discharge process of the coil. A cryostat has been designed and a test of the I-V curve measurement of the coil has been accomplished. In addition, the power electronics control of the SMES coil has been simulated.

Modelling and comparison of trapped fields in (RE)BCO bulk superconductors for activation using pulsed field magnetization

The ability to generate a permanent, stable magnetic field unsupported by an electromotive force is fundamental to a variety of engineering applications. Bulk high temperature superconducting (HTS) materials can trap magnetic fields of magnitude over ten times higher than the maximum field produced by conventional magnets, which is limited practically to rather less than 2 T. In this paper, two large c-axis oriented, single-grain YBCO and GdBCO bulk superconductors are magnetized by the pulsed field magnetization (PFM) technique at temperatures of 40 and 65 K and the characteristics of the resulting trapped field profile are investigated with a view of magnetizing such samples as trapped field magnets (TFMs) in situ inside a trapped flux-type superconducting electric machine. A comparison is made between the temperatures at which the pulsed magnetic field is applied and the results have strong implications for the optimum operating temperature for TFMs in trapped flux-type superconducting electric machines. The effects of inhomogeneities, which occur during the growth process of single-grain bulk superconductors, on the trapped field and maximum temperature rise in the sample are modelled numerically using a 3D finite-element model based on the H-formulation and implemented in Comsol Multiphysics 4.3a. The results agree qualitatively with the observed experimental results, in that inhomogeneities act to distort the trapped field profile and reduce the magnitude of the trapped field due to localized heating within the sample and preferential movement and pinning of flux lines around the growth section regions (GSRs) and growth sector boundaries (GSBs), respectively. The modelling framework will allow further investigation of various inhomogeneities that arise during the processing of (RE)BCO bulk superconductors, including inhomogeneous Jc distributions and the presence of current-limiting grain boundaries and cracks, and it can be used to assist optimization of processing and PFM techniques for practical bulk superconductor applications.

Comparison of first- and second-order 2D finite element models for calculating AC loss in high temperature superconductor coated conductors

Purpose – The purpose of the paper is to provide a comparison of first‐ and second‐order two dimensional finite element models for evaluating the electromagnetic properties and calculating AC loss in high‐temperature superconductor (HTS) coated conductors.Design/methodology/approach – The models are based on the two‐dimensional (2D) H formulation, which is based on directly solving the magnetic field components in 2D. Two models – one with a minimum symmetric triangular mesh and one with a single‐layer square mesh – are compared based on different types of mesh elements: first‐order (Lagrange – linear) and second‐order (Lagrange – quadratic) mesh elements, and edge elements.Findings – The number and type of mesh elements are critically important to obtain the minimum level of discretization to achieve accurate results. Artificially increasing the superconductor layer and choosing a minimum symmetric mesh with triangular edge elements can provide a sufficiently accurate estimation of the hysteretic superco...

Comparison of AC losses, magnetic field/current distributions and critical currents of superconducting circular pancake coils and infinitely long stacks using coated conductors

A model is presented for calculating the AC losses, magnetic field/current density distribution and critical currents of a circular superconducting pancake coil. The assumption is that the magnetic flux lines will lie parallel to the wide faces of tapes in the unpenetrated area of the coil. Instead of using an infinitely long stack to approximate the circular coil, this paper gives an exact circular coil model using elliptic integrals. A new efficient numerical method is introduced to yield more accurate and fast computation. The computation results are in good agreement with the assumptions. For a small value of the coil radius, there is an asymmetry along the coil radius direction. As the coil radius increases, this asymmetry will gradually decrease, and the AC losses and penetration depth will increase, but the critical current will decrease. We find that if the internal radius is equal to the winding thickness, the infinitely long stack approximation overestimates the loss by 10% and even if the internal radius is reduced to zero, the error is still only 60%. The infinitely long stack approximation is therefore adequate for most practical purposes. In addition, the comparison result shows that the infinitely long stack approximation saves computation time significantly.

Numerical Analysis of AC Loss Reduction in HTS Superconducting Coils Using Magnetic Materials to Divert Flux

In this paper, the use of magnetic materials to divert flux in high-temperature superconductor superconducting coils and reduce transport ac loss is investigated. This particular technique is preferred over other techniques, such as striation, Roebel transposition, and twisted wires because it does not require modification to the conductor itself, which can be detrimental to the properties of the superconductor. The technique can also be implemented for existing coils. The analysis is carried out using a coil model based on the H formulation and implemented in comsol multiphysics. Both weakly and strongly magnetic materials are investigated, and it is shown that the use of such materials can divert flux and achieve a reduction in transport ac loss, which, in some cases, is quite significant. This analysis acts to provide a foundation for further optimization and experimental work in the future.

AC Losses of Superconducting Racetrack Coil in Various Magnetic Conditions

High-temperature superconductors have created the opportunity for a step change in the technology of power applications. Racetrack superconducting coils made from YBCO coated conductors have been used in several engineering applications including SMES, rotor or stator windings of electric machines. AC loss is one of the most important factors that determine the design and performance of superconducting devices. In this paper, a numerical model is developed to calculate the AC losses in superconducting racetrack coils in different magnetic conditions. This paper first discusses the AC losses of the coils in self-field or external field only. It then goes to investigate the AC losses of the coils being exposed to AC ripple field and a DC background field. Finally, the AC losses of the coils carrying DC current and being exposed to AC field are calculated. These two scenarios correspond to using superconducting coils as the rotor field winding of an electric machine.

Design and Simulation of SMES System Using YBCO Tapes for Direct Drive Wave Energy Converters

The ocean represents a huge energy reservoir since waves can be exploited to generate clean and renewable electricity; however, a hybrid energy storage system is needed to smooth the fluctuation. In this paper a hybrid energy storage system using a superconducting magnetic energy system (SMES) and Li-ion battery is proposed. The SMES is designed using Yttrium Barium Copper Oxide (YBCO) tapes, which store 60 kJ electrical energy. The magnet component of the SMES is designed using global optimization algorithm. Mechanical stress, coupled with electromagnetic field, is calculated using COMSOL and Matlab. A cooling system is presented and a suitable refrigerator is chosen to maintain a cold working temperature taking into account four heat sources. Then a microgrid system of direct drive linear wave energy converters is designed. The interface circuit connecting the generator and storage system is given. The result reveals that the fluctuated power from direct drive linear wave energy converters is smoothed by the hybrid energy storage system. The maximum power of the wave energy converter is 10 kW.